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A Brief History Of The Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Part 2 - Page 3

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

In describing the chronology, Aaberg's excellent account will be here condensed.30 From 1935-1938 officials of Missouri and the American Lutheran Church met six times. A component of the ALC was the Merged Norwegian Church which Missouri had condemned of abandoning the truth in 1917! Six areas of doctrine were discussed. Missouri's representatives asked that further talks be held and that pastors of both synods meet in small groups until church-fellowship had been officially established. The 1941 Fort Wayne convention sought to praise God not for doctrinal agreement but for the remarkable strides made toward union!

By now you can see the leaven working. No doubt Walther would have left after the first meeting. It was again a display of truth capitulating to error and heresy.

By 1938 the Norwegian Synod began to counsel and admonish the Missouri Synod. Even in its correspondence the Norwegian Synod displayed its love and emotional ties to its sister synod. Truly a spirit of love prevailed. The Norwegian and Wisconsin Synods continued to address the issue in papers and with dialogue.

Yet indifference and drifting were evident in Missouri. The two remaining conservative synods would talk themselves blue in the face. It was to no avail. Missouri began to look favorably upon the Lodge and the Scouts. It would join the National Lutheran Council. Open communion would enter Missouri's repertoire. 1947 saw an official reversal in policy; yet false practice remained and it remained undisciplined. It became increasingly clear that Missouri was no longer an erring brother but a persistent errorist. Despite the close relationship between the two synods, the newly named Evangelical Lutheran Synod officially severed relations in 1955. In 1963 Wisconsin would follow as the Synodical Conference would dissolve. To the end both Wisonsin and the ELS strove for unity and a restoration of a lost brother. The same hope still lingers as both synods anxiously watch developments in Missouri.

An endnote to the proceedings still exists. Today the Church of the Lutheran Confession serves as a reminder that there were those that felt dissolution of fellowship was too slow in coming. Here we can see a group continuing its separation even when the basis for separation has been dissolved. Also some from both synods remained in or joined Missouri with the hopes of continuing their witness to their erring brethren. Probably the saddest case is of Martin Franzmann, elected by Missouri to represent its position to the Synodical Conference. Branded a traitor by Wisconsin and saddened by the direction taken by Missouri, Franzmann became a lonely man. By the grace of God his embattled faith would produce hymns of depth and meaning that may not be matched in this century in Lutheran circles.31

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