Immanuel Lutheran Church ~ Mankato, MN
Fall 2000 Bible Study
CLC 40^th ANNIVERSARY ~ Lesson 01
October 15, 2000

The History of the
CHURCH OF THE LUTHERAN CONFESSION
is a story of being….

HELD GENTLY
IN HIS HAND

Introduction:

The year 2000 marks the 40^th Anniversary of the Church of the Lutheran Confession. For many of our sister congregations this also marks their congregational 40^th anniversary. As we collectively celebrate God’s grace demonstrated to our church body, it seemed good to spend time in Bible Class reviewing our past and evaluating our present while trusting God for our future. As one reviews & evaluates, it becomes evident early-on that the Lord has tenderly held our church body (and us) in His hand. He has also opened His hands to give us every needful blessing—and this in spite of our weaknesses and failings.

In this first of three Bible Class lessons celebrating God’s 40 years of grace, we will be looking back to the origins of our church body. This review can by no means be complete and detailed, but we pray it will provide a good "refresher" or "introductory" lesson which will fill us with joy, thanksgiving, and a renewed zeal for the work God has given us to do.

(cf: church library resources for more complete histories)

Why celebrate the 40^th anniversary of a church body?

BIBLICAL ORIGINS:

• Matthew 28:19-20
• Luke 24:47/Acts 1:8
• John 20:22-23

Thus began the church after Christ’s return to heaven. We read of tremendous growth, persecution, and trouble; but as long as the Word of God remained the center and focal point of the preaching, the church was richly blessed. However, over the centuries, the state of the visible church decayed to the condition in which Martin Luther fount it. He, guided and strengthened by God, reformed it. From the time of the Reformation the church continued, at times finding need to repudiate false teachers and their beliefs, with the Word of God. Yet despite error and false doctrine and many people being led astray, the words of Martin Luther stood true:

"THE WORD OF THE LORD STANDS FOREVER!"

(1 Peter 1:25)

SYNODICAL ORIGINS:

Code: LC-MS = Lutheran Church Missouri Synod; WELS = Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; ELS = Evangelical Lutheran Synod; CLC = Church of the Lutheran Confession.

By the grace of God, His Word has remained with us down to our modern era. As the church grew in more modern times, so too did the establishment of synods. Originally, these synods were defined largely by geographical location. However, varying beliefs and practices soon sprung up and began to spread across the United States.

• In 1872, several synods formed a loose organization known as the "Synodical Conference." – The "Golden Age" of American Lutheranism.
• By the 1930’s sound doctrine in the Synodical Conference was beginning to be undermined by false teaching (primarily in the LCMS) and practice in such matters as scouting, the government chaplaincy, and worshipping & praying together with other Lutherans who did not have the one true faith." Their practice was based on the premise that perhaps total agreement was not necessary in all "non-fundamental" doctrines for fellowship.
• The breakdown in sound doctrine became obvious in 1938. The LCMS, once so strong and such an able leader in the Synodical Conference had succumbed to error. Following the 1938 resolution, the sister synods began admonishing the LCMS. The admonition of the LCMS continued for nearly 20 years through private study groups, district and synod conferences, synod conventions, and sessions of the Synodical Conference.
• In 1955, the WELS unanimously passed the following statement and resolution.

  "In view of these facts, your floor committee, together with the Standing Committee in matters of Church Union, affirms ‘our position that the Missouri Synod…’ has brought about a break in relations and that our synod, bound by the Word of God, should now declare itself on the matter…A church body which creates divisions and offenses by its official resolutions, policies, and practices not in accord with Scripture, also becomes subject to the indictment of Romans 16:17-18. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has by its official resolutions, polices, and practices created division and offenses both in her own body and in the entire Synodical Conference. Such divisions and offenses are of long standing."

• In 1957, a resolution was presented to the WELS convention that would have suspended fellowship with the LCMS. The resolution was defeated by 16 votes.
• As the events in the Wisconsin Synod unfolded following the 1955 resolution, more and more members of the synod became convinced and firmly established in this conviction that the WELS was in error.
• In September 1956, a group of individuals gathered for strengthening of the Word.
• In October 1957, the congregation in Lyons, NE made an invitation for a similar gathering. [7 pastors, 1 teacher, 1 layman]
• By December 1957, several congregations, pastors, and teachers had withdrawn from their former synods. On December 4-5, a conference was held in Mankato. Two significant aspects of this conference were: 1) lack of business—they met for mutual encouragement in the Gospel ministry; and 2) correspondence—several men sent correspondence even though they couldn’t be there. [13 pastors, 3 teachers, plus lay people]
• The next conference was on May 6-8, 1958 in Cheyenne, WY. [21 pastors, teachers, and lay people.] Still not ready to formalize a synod but significant steps were made regarding a monthly magazine, mission work, and a confessional document concerning church fellowship.

  This group had no name and no organization BUT they had common faith, common problems, and the WORD OF GOD. They shared their faith, they joined their work, and for three days prayed together as they attacked their problems.

  -- Lutheran Spokesman, June 1958 (re: Cheyenne Conference)

• The next conference was in Spokane, July 30-August 4, 1958. In addition to the ongoing work on a confessional document regarding church fellowship, a paper was presented on the doctrine of church and ministry.

  LCMS…has recently permitted synodical officials to interfere with local congregations and even caused local congregations to depose their pastors, not because these had become guilty of false doctrine, unscriptural practice, or sinful life, but merely because these pastors refused to submit to synodical resolutions.

  WELS maintained that synod functions "as church," instructs district officials through its constitution, that even though they are to supervise doctrine and practice in the congregations they are, in "intra-congregational affairs," to serve in an advisory capacity.

  …with liberalism now leavening the lump of the Synodical Conference, a synodical hierarchy will be one of its characteristics."

  -- G.W. Fischer in a letter describing the LCMS and WELS
  positions on church & ministry

• At Red Wing, August 18-21, 1959, a Constitution Committee was appointed to lead the organization of a new church body.

  We must conclude that both the Wisconsin Synod and ELS are persisting in unscriptural fellowship with the heterodox Missouri Synod and we are constrained to give our full support and encouragement to those who have severed, or are in the process of severing their membership in the above bodies in obedience to God’s Word.

  -- Red Wing Conference, August 18-21, 1959

  The Conference…expresses its thanks to Immanuel Lutheran Congregation of Mankato, MN for making it possible to establish units in a higher educational system for the Christian training of young people. The Conference pledges its moral and financial support of the school, and will, whenever possible, encourage young people to avail themselves of the facilities now being offered.

  -- Red Wing Conference, August 18-21, 1959

• At Mankato, January 19-21, 1960 work continued on the Constitution and Confessional writings. This turned out to be the last meeting of the "Interim Conference."
• The Constituting Convention of the CLC was held in Watertown, SD on August 9-12 with 45 clergy, 23 lay delegates, and 14 visitors in attendance. The two confessional documents were adopted, the name was chosen, the constitution was adopted. The Convention was recessed…
• On December 23, 1960, the Church of the Lutheran Confession was incorporated in accordance with the laws of the state of Minnesota.
• After the constitution was adopted, the Convention joined in singing Hymn 23 stanza 4.
• The Convention recessed in Watertown was reconvened at Sleepy Eye on January 24-26, 1961. Here the Lutheran Spokesman and Journal of Theology became official organs of the CLC. The Mission Board took over entire responsibility for the CLC’s work in Japan, and the Board of Trustees was authorized to accept transfer of ILC from its present owners to the CLC.

  Perhaps a hundred years from now, this Convention will be recorded in a footnote of some church history book. If it is, it will be recorded as an effort by men of purpose to take a stand against a Truth-compromising trend in modern church life. That trend is the "ecumenical movement" which is the endeavor to unite one church body with another and then still another until the final goal of "one church" is achieved. We oppose this movement as it is taking shape, because it is willing to sacrifice true unity in the interests of achieving organizational unity…all were compelled by a conscience bound by the Word of god to withdraw from their former fellowship because the synods of the Synodical Conference have fallen prey to the modern compromising policy of "agreeing to disagree" – that policy we emphatically reject.

  --Sleepy Eye Newspaper, 1961

  Many events and experiences which preceded the years 1960 and 1961 are involved in our history. Many of those who became members of the Interim Conference after the last part of the year 1959, did not experience the forlorn loneliness and anguish in the same way as those who withdrew in 1956, 1957, and 1958. There was no church group these men could join. There was no synod in existence with which they could affiliate.

  -- Ten Years of Grace

  But if you have this nightmare that you are without a synod, we proclaim a message to cheer you: As you huddle in the upper room behind closed doors, unable to preach and unable to teach your young, listen closely for the sound of His voice who is in your midst. He says, "Peace be unto you: Christ’s little flock, His brothers and sisters do not have nightmares—they have PEACE.

  -- Lutheran Spokesman, 1959

EDUCATIONAL ORIGINS:

• The 1957 conference stressed the need for Christian education. A proposal to fill the need was made, but not adopted. The matter resurfaced in 1959 but was still not deemed feasible. Immanuel congregation of Mankato then undertook plans to establish a school with their own resources.
• After the CLC was constituted, oversight of the schools shifted to the synod.
• In 1963, the Lord gave a tremendous gift—the present Eau Claire campus of our synodical high school, college, and seminary. MIRACLE: 75 acre estate (prime real estate), all of the buildings and equipment for $85,000 cash or $10,000 down and $7,500/year plus interest (prime + 1%) for 10 years!

MISSION ORIGINS:

• The JAPAN mission was "inherited" in the initial withdrawal from the WELS. In 1976, the Japan congregation became the Japan Church of the Lutheran Confession—an independent church body in fellowship with the CLC. In 1978, this fellowship was declared broken by the 3^rd Use of the Law Controversy.
• The origins of the CLC’s NIGERIAN mission field lay in the Lord’s use of a layman, Oscar Erpenstein. Correspondence grew and in 1974 a CLC visitation team was sent to Nigeria.

  How the eyes of those three men glowed (Akpan, Udo, Idiok) with joy the day they sat in the reception room with our pastors and, like the Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:32) told how their hearts burned within them for joy as they read the beauties of salvation expounded in letter after letter by their friend, Oscar Erpenstein.

  Again and again, in these meetings the leaders spoke of themselves and their congregations as mere babes in spiritual knowledge, comparing themselves to the eunuch of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27ff) who said: How can I (understand what I am reading) except some man should guide me?". . . 27 congregations in all, numbering over 2,000 souls. And always the same plea: "Teach us. Lead us."

  - Mission Newsletter, January-February 1974

• The origins of the CLC’s INDIA mission field also began with the work of a layman, John Rohrbach.

TESTED ORIGINS:

Throughout its 40 year history, the CLC has been tested and at times significantly strained by doctrinal controversy. In this anniversary year, we again have a matter of doctrine being studied. A confessional church is sure to be attacked by Satan and will without exception face tests and hardships. Nevertheless, when a love for the truth of God’s Word leads, we can be sure of God-given success. "…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7).

We will be speaking more on these matters in part 3 of our anniversary study.

Coming Next Week….
CLC 40^th Anniversary Lesson 2—Present Kingdom Work

CLC 2000

Celebrating 40 years of God’s Grace