Walther's book on "Dance and Theater" ("Tanz und Theaterbesuch")

[2019-05-19: appendix added below]
In the last post, the subject of Modern Dance was introduced.  C.F.W. Walther had a book published that addressed both Dance and Theater in great detail.  I have just spent some time getting the text of the German language book into digital format –a PDF file is here . The title page is here.
As far as I know, there is no published English translation of this text yet. But here is a rough partial translation using Google Translate and my best estimate of Walther's meaning:

     Dance and Theater  (<<--download)
by C.F.W. Walther
(or Tanz and Theaterbesuch)

This English translation can be read with discernment even with it's flaws.  A careful reading shows Walther's pastoral heart... something today's LC-MS would rather not face since it does not agree with Walther (or Luther or the Bible.)  See my next post about this.

(Translated all 118 pages of 118 pages total as of 1/18/2012)
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2019-05-19: added text box for direct viewing (w/ hyperlinks) of the full text of this translation:

Direct viewing of this translated document available >>> here <<<. 

Pieper on Modern Dance

In the 1927 issue of Lehre und Wehre (vol. 73, pg 191-192), Pieper wrote of the subject of Dancing.  I believe he was asked about this many times and decided to bring out again the teaching of Luther and Walther on this subject so that the 20th Century can hear it again.
Pieper referred to Luther's sermon on the marriage feast at Cana (St. Louis Edition, vol. 11, pgs 466 ff) and Walther's books Tanz and Theaterbesuch (Dance and Theater) and Americanisch-Lutherische Pastoraltheologie (Pastoral Theology).

Luther:

Whether the Jews had dances I do not know; but since it is the custom of the country, like inviting guests, decorating, eating and drinking and being merry, I see no reason to condemn it, save its excess when it goes beyond decency and moderation. That sin should be committed is not the fault of dancing alone; since at a table or in church that may happen; even as it is not the fault of eating that some while so engaged should turn themselves into swine. Where things are decently conducted I will not interfere with the marriage rites and customs, and dance and never mind. Faith and love cannot be driven away either by dancing or by sitting still, as long as you keep to decency and moderation. Young children certainly dance without sin; do the same also, and be a child, then dancing will not harm you. Otherwise were dancing a sin in itself, children should not be allowed to dance. This is sufficient concerning marriage.

Walther brings out Luther's teaching and also uses the Bible text from the Sermon on the Mount (p. 31) in Matt. 5: 27-28:

...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Enough said.  The Bible is very clear. Modern dance is largely about making a man look on a woman with lust.
See the next post for more on Walther teaching on Dance and Theater.

Pieper on the Greek Church (Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox)

In the 1927 issue of Lehre und Wehre (vol. 73, pg 281-283), Pieper wrote of events involving the Greek Catholic (and Greek Orthodox) church under the title "The Representatives of the Greek-Catholic Church as Disturbers of the Peace at the World Conference of Lausanne." After reporting of certain events, he had this comment on the Greek Church:

...The Greek Church however has a teaching concept that is sorely in need of correction from the Scriptures. It does much the same as in the teaching of the Roman Church – minus the papacy. To take the place of the papacy in the Greek Church are council decisions and the bishops. Christ is the invisible head of the Church. However the bishops are its visible representatives who alone can make ministers to be effective administrators of their office.  The Greek Church has also the transformation doctrine in the Lord's Supper, the Mass as unbloody offering for the absent and the deceased. It also has the veneration of saints and their relics and images. The justification of man is done by faith and works. Man's will to spiritual good is weakened by the Fall, but not quite dead. Man helps to his conversion by the right use of the free will still remaining in him to the good. Without this assumption, conversion would be constrained. Predestination to salvation happens in view of the right use of human free will. These are the main tenets of the Greek "Orthodox" Church.

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Professor Pieper was the best judge of all the "religions" of the world, whether they called themselves Christian or not.  Why?  Because he stuck to the Scriptures.  No one did so more than Pieper in the 20th Century.  If you want to know what is going on in the world now, read Pieper's comments made many decades ago because they are still fresh.

Pieper (and Luther) on true history... and other "history" (pro-British)

In the 1927 issue of Lehre und Wehre (vol. 73, pg 346-347), Pieper commented on the teaching of history in schools:

The Missouri State Teachers' Association was assembled in St. Louis in November. They made among other things the following decision: "Since many recent complaints have been expressed that common history textbooks in public schools were not reliable and contain one-sided or partisan depictions of historical events, it was decided that we recommend every effort be aimed at writing true history and we regret any attempt to give history a one-sided or partisan coloring." Clearly in this decision consideration is given to the well-known events in Chicago.  The mayor of Chicago, Thompson, has suspended from office the superintendent of Chicago city schools William McAndrewson on the grounds that the superintendent has history books in use in which pro-British propaganda would be forced, even under reversal of historical facts.  The disciplinary proceedings against McAndrews are not yet complete at the time of this writing.  "Writing true history" is something great but a very rare commodity. It is part, as Luther says, "lion heart", a heart stronger and more fearless than that with which people go bravely into battle.  Our Lutheran School Journal (Schulblatt) points out in the October number that Luther names "the history writer, the most useful people and best teachers" but adds the following words of Luther:

 "But it is an excellent man who fearlessly writes the truth having a lion's heart; because the greater part write so that they, by their vices or accident, the lords or friends, like to remain silent or in the best way suggest, again low or trifling virtue much too high caps, again from favor of their native country and unfavor of strangers the histories adorn or make a mess, then they someone love or hate. Thus are the histories beyond measure suspicious and God's work shamefully obscured.... Thus spoiling the beautiful use of history, and thereof will be vain launderers."

F.P.

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Two comments can be made on this article by Prof. Franz Pieper:

1. In 1927, America had turned from suspicion of it's former enemy, Britain, into teaching "pro-British" history in it's schools.  Why was this?  Because of events surrounding World War I
2. Histories as written by man in general have altered the true events of the past.  It's true now just like it was true in Pieper's time and Luther's time. But there is one book that contains historical information that is absolutely true – the Bible. 

Pieper on Edison (and John 3:16)

In the 1928 issue of Lehre und Wehre (vol. 74, pg 62), Pieper commented on the buzz about Thomas Edison:

A sort of encyclical has our Thomas Edison also issued on the occasion of his 81st birthday by the newspaper reporters. He has again made ​​known that his goal in life is the abolition of superstition. He understands by superstition, however, not the many existing real superstitions, but the Christian religion. Even greater spirits than Edison have suffered from a similar internal presumption. Yet they were cured of it if they recognized themselves before their end of life through God's grace what they really are before God, namely condemned sinners by God's holy and immutable law of eternal damnation, and under the terrores conscientiae by the action of the Holy Spirit still learned to believe in the gospel that the Savior of the world proclaimed by these words:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

This Gospel has the Savior of the world from great love added yet the urgency clause: 

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)

F.P.

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Thomas Edison's reliance on "science" to explain matters beyond human understanding is quite in vogue today.  I could put people like Adam Savage, Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins, Tim Berners-Lee and Steve Jobs – people who have brilliant minds in true science, yet consider man's science able to explain the inscrutable.

Pieper (and Luther ) on... meatless cooking? (Historical Theology)

In the 1928 issue of Lehre und Wehre (vol. 74, pgs 19-20), Pieper commented on a German lady's article about meat-less cooking:

Antediluvian cookbook. Klara Ebert's book "The Kitchen of the Future on a Meat-Free Basis" in the "German Teachers' Journal" as shown: "The author asserts: 'Culture has made ​​tremendous progress, but cooking has not kept pace with it. It has gone astray, and is backward as only few in the world. It does everything to undermine our health.' This is a very severe sentence. But whoever is with the thoughts of the book, especially earnestly engaged with the scientific treatment, will have no choice but to revise their beliefs about nutrition and cooking. We hold that the writing deserves serious attention for its theoretical and practical side and that it's wide spread dissemination is desirable to promote a sensible diet for the best of our people." Both Klara Ebert and C.G., who wants her book "widespread", have forgotten this verse:

Genesis 9, 3: Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

For this purpose it can be useful to look up Luther in his commentary on Genesis (St.Louis Edition, vol. I, pg 590ff.). Luther says among other things on Genesis 9:2 ff.:

These words, therefore, establish the butcher shop; attach hares, chickens, and geese to the spit; and fill the tables with all sorts of foods.... We must not assume that these things happen by chance, as do the heathen, who are of the opinion that the custom of butchering animals always existed. These things are established, or rather permitted, by the Word of God. An animal could not have been slain without sin unless God by His Word had clearly given permission to do so.... Accordingly, in this passage the dominion of man is increased, and the dumb animals are made subject to man for the purpose of serving him even to the extent of dying. They fear and shun man because of this regulation, which was new and hitherto had not been observed in the world. For Adam it would have been an abomination to kill a little bird for food; but now, because the Word is added, we realize that it is an extraordinary blessing that in this way God has provided the kitchen with all kinds of meat. Later on, when He shows man how to cultivate the vine, He will also concern Himself with stocking the cellar.

 Neither Klara Eberts' "meatless" cookbook nor the Prohibition, which means wine is as a general rule a "poison" for humans, up to date but actually "antediluvian."

Antediluvian means "pre-flood".  So vegetarians who might think their diet is more advanced have actually gone backwards to "pre-flood" times.  Again Pieper and Luther are the ones who are "up-to-date".

Pieper and the Jews - true Historical Theology

In the 1929 issue (vol. 75) of Lehre und Wehre (German for Doctrine and Defense), page 96 , Prof. Pieper comments on a Jewish theater production. Here is a modified Google Translation of that brief comment.

The Jews make propaganda through the theater.
A German newspaper article in St. Louis has this: "The Jewish Art Theatre of Chicago on
February 24, at 8 clock, in the Odeon brings to a performance the great historical tragedy 'Ger Zedek' (Sincere Proselyte). Under the leadership of the famous artist Joseph Buloff of the Wilner Troop, sixty of the most famous actors participate in this presentation. The piece rests on a historical basis and describes the life of a young Polish nobleman, Count Valentin Pototsky, who, through the study of the canon of the Old Testament in it's original meaning, is brought to renounce the Catholic religion and convert to Judaism. This led to a pursuit of him in the narrow-mindedness of those times, and finally to his burning at the stake on May 24, 1749."  This was very wrong. The Jews are not scattered among the Christians for the purpose that they are burnt by the Christians, but that they hear the Gospel from Christians and come to faith in the appeared Messiah. But if God had not put an end to the Jewish state, without a doubt the Jews would have continued the murder of Christians which they pursued zealously, according to the report of the Acts of the Apostles, as long as their state still existed.

The Jewish Encyclopedia has an article on this Polish nobleman here.
This article shows that the old (German) Missouri Synod did not shrink back from the true defense of Christianity, including the defense against "Jewish Propaganda".  If the reader notices a similarity between that Jewish production and almost all of popular productions today, it shows that Pieper's comments are not old and stale, but rather living and true for all time.
See my blog posts on Walther and the Jews and also the many posts on Luther and the Jews.

Norman A. Madson Sr. - a true Lutheran Christian

In my previous 4 posts, I have gone over the painful history of the LCMS since the death of Franz Pieper.  How the modern LCMS was actually a force against Christianity!  Many would say that statement is going to far... but is it?
The ELS synod was formed with the help of Dr. Franz Pieper's guidance on true doctrine ... but then the LC-MS turned against it when it's faithful leaders warned of the treachery of modernism and unionism.  The divisions caused by the LC-MS were enormous.  The ELS leader S.C. Ylvisaker and Norman A. Madson Sr. stuck to the true Christian teaching starting with the doctrine of Objective Justification.  They would not allow any doubt about this.  But the ELS stayed in fellowship with the LC-MS for a long time, even after many erroneous doctrines were tolerated.  This caused enough strain in the ELS that it's long-time leader Norman A. Madson Sr. decided to resign as Dean in 1959 and then also from the ELS synod.  He then joined another more conservative fellowship - the CoLC or Church of the Lutheran Confessions.

Norman A. Madson Sr. taught Objective Justification beautifully and that is why I let him out of my side room at times to teach like Luther, Walther and Pieper! May his memory be preserved through this blog!

Edward C. Fendt's report of a "breakthrough", a "coming out"

[2024-11-09: updated link to Fendt's book]

This is a continuation of my previous post regarding Edward C. Fendt.  In a November post, I quoted Dr. Fendt's report of a speech made by Prof. Theodore Graebner before a conference of "opponent" Lutheran church bodies.  I am repeating that quote here because of it's significance in church history.  In prior years, Graebner had denounced unionism in several articles and publications.  But at this meeting Graebner was to make an emotional announcement.  Here is the quote again from pages 26 - 27 of Fendt's book Struggle for Lutheran Unity [PNG]:

     But the real “breakthrough” in Dr. Graebner’s change in attitude toward other Lutherans was observed at the Philadelphia meeting of this conference (joint faculty meetings which started at Valparaiso) several years later. In a session when Dr. Elmer Flack of Hamma presided, Dr. Graebner asked for the floor to make a statement. I wish somebody had taken down the statement, but all of us were intent to listen carefully; the statement in essence was:

“All of you know how active I have been in keeping my church suspicious and hostile with respect to developments in other Lutheran churches. I want you to know that I regret many things I have written and said. I have learned to respect and trust many Lutheran brethren in other synods. From now on I shall devote the rest of my life, the few years that may remain to me, to rectify matters and plead with my brethren in the Missouri Synod to follow my example.”

     At times his voice halted and tears came into his eyes while making this statement. All of us in the meeting were stunned, not exactly surprised, but lacking words to express our appreciation. I remember seeing Elmer Flack’s tears roll down on his face and temporarily he was immobilized. But after a bit he arose and without saying a word he stepped over to shake Dr. Graebner’s hand and embrace him. Then I remembered Dr. Greever’s prediction (watch Graebner for changes) and thanked God with the others at the meeting for Dr. Graebner’s statement.

This "breakthrough" speech remarkably resembles what is now referred to as a "coming out".  Let the reader review this elsewhere. Graebner argued to the end of his life that he had not changed.  If that is so, then he could be called a "closet" unionist.

• Why were the "opponents" so careful to listen to Graebner so intently?  You could have heard a pin drop as Professor Graebner was given the floor. 
• Why was Graebner's voice halting... why the tears?
• Why were the "opponents" not surprised at Graebner's announcement?

Dear God, the Missouri Synod had become the Graebner Synod! Satan was loosed to attack not only those in the LC-MS, but also those in the sister WELS and ELS synods who faced the hot breath of modern Missouri.  How much damage was done to the faith of Christians as doubt about their beliefs spread! Even my own faith was shaken by modern Missouri's aberrations. How hard the faithful leaders, pastors, and laymen had to fight for the truth against an onslaught of attacks.  How much heartache was caused among those previously thought to be brethren in the faith!

And what about the "opponent" Lutheran church bodies?  Graebner's actions gave aid and comfort to those in error, those who denied the unsurpassed Grace of God!  The shifting sands they stood on were practically washed away!  They virtually lost all footing in the truth of the Bible.

Dear God, have mercy on us!  Send faithful leaders, teachers and pastors like Pieper, Walther and Luther to us again! In the mean time, may we be guided by their writings - the writings which so faithfully follow the Lutheran Confessions.

Who wrote the history of Downfall of LCMS? ...outsider Edward C. Fendt

In the previous posts (Part 1 and Part 2) of the Timeline of the Downfall of the LCMS, a major source of information came from Prof. Edward C. Fendt.  Who was he?  He was not a member of the LCMS.  He was not a member of either of the sisters synods in the Synodical Conference -- Wisconsin Synod (WELS) or the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS).  Well then, who was Edward C. Fendt?

Edward C. Fendt wrote a book entitled The Struggle for Lutheran Unity and Consolidation in the U.S.A. from the Late 1930’s to the Early 1970’s.  This book was published in 1980 by Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis.

Dr. Edward C. Fendt was a Professor of Systematic Theology at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio from 1936 until 1979.  Quoting from the Introduction of his book:

     From 1947 until his last illness, he was at the center of the effort to unify the Lutheran Church, serving on every one of the fellowship, inter-synodical, or inter-Lutheran committees. He knew intimately the leading Lutheran churchmen of his day. He was unswerving in his dedication to total Lutheran unity.  (my underlining)
     Despite the inflexible and reactionary--as he saw it--path of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in recent years, he never lost faith in that church, in its essential soundness. He never surrendered his fervent hope that a way could be found to preserve the ALC-Missouri fellowship and to bring Missouri into the mainstream of American Lutheranism. The last years of his life brought sadness, but not bitterness, that Missouri was turning away from its historic values. He would never have agreed to any sort of merger that excluded Missouri; he preferred to wait and trust in the Holy Spirit.

Edward C. Fendt was from the old Ohio Synod which later merged into the American Lutheran Conference (ALC).

Edward C. Fendt (unfortunately!) appears to be the best observer of Missouri, even perhaps it's best "judge", since the new (English) Missouri Synod was in a spiraling downfall in it's teaching of the truth.  How could this be?

Question: 

How could Edward C. Fendt, who held to doctrines that questioned the basic Gospel (or Objective Justification), know best the changing LCMS?

Answer: 

Who knows better about the young girl who loses her virtue than the man who has taken it? (Ezekiel 23, Hosea 1:2)

Edward C. Fendt was what I would call the "ultimate unionist". His solution to all the problems in the Christian Church was to unify... no matter the doctrinal differences.

What was the most striking report that Dr. Fendt had of the Missouri Synod?  ... see my next post.

Timeline of the Downfall of the LCMS (Part 2)

[2019-01-29: added some hyperlinks for ref. - look for underlined blue text below]
This is a continuation of Part 1 which covered years 1921 - 1946.  This Part 2 covers years 1947 - 1995.  The sources were listed at the end of Part 1.

Timeline of the Downfall of the LCMS (Part 2)

Year	Mon/ day	Description	Document	Person	Source

1947		LC-MS Committee on Doct. Unity report: there are differences but let's KEEP GOING			pg 73- 74 Fendt
1947		Result of  '43 - '47 mtgs of theo profs- "What Lutherans are Thinking" (Fendt, Graebner, etc.)			Fendt
1947		Romoser words to Behnken after Statement withdrawn: "You have sprung the escape hatch...the destruction of the Missouri Synod as an orthodox church body."	Statement of 44	Romoser	Events OLC - pg 11
1947	1/11	Behnken informs his committee: signers of Statement withdrawing it; nothing has developed, however, which is divisive of church fellowship'; Behnken elevates some signers to higher positions	Statement 44	Behnken	HMF pg 48
1947	1/28	Lutheran Witness editorial - Polack: ALC OK - 1938 resolutions & Brief Stmt not violated		Polack	pg 80 Fendt
1947	3/04	ALC Committee meets - Fendt invited by Poppen		Fendt	pg 80 Fendt
1947	3/10	Graebner phones Fendt personally to warn of Missouri Committee report 'in conflict' with reports of 8/23/46 joint meeting - Der Lutheraner to publish - Graebner witholding from Luth. Witness; Fendt put on committee		Fendt	pg 80- 81 Fendt
1947	3/30	Graebner writes letter 'Info. Pertinent to A Penitent Jubilee': 'I do not accept opinion of Der Lutheraner that NLC membership not advisable & Brunn report is false- - Lutherans not bound by exegesis Ro 16:17 (not even Book of Concord)		Graebner	pg 82 Fendt
1947	5/03	ALC Committee: back to 1938 resolutions- Brief Stmt with Declaration is sufficient- nevermind non-fundamentals			pg 89-90 Fendt
1947	5/08	LC-MS Committee meeting - chair Fritz had Graebner's accusation letter read and requested he RETRACT (Arndt/Behnken absent); Graebner did not		Fritz, Graebner	pg 83 Fendt
1947	5/09	ALC-LC-MS joint meeting of committees: - Ludwig to Fritz: 'your alterations of Doct.Aff hurt our precious Decl.; -Matzner: we object to Obj Just as you intuiti fidei; - Fritschel: BUT Romans 5 says 'OUR justification (Christians only- denies UnivJust)	Doctrinal Affirmation	Fritz (chief editor of D.A.)	pg 96-98 Fendt; City 166
1947	7/00	LC-MS Chicago convention voted Brief Statement in Proceedings	Brief Statement		CTM 4/62 pg 204; City 167
1947	7/00	(cont'd): -dozens memorials to break neg w/ ALC; -but resolved to have another Committee; -retreated from 1938 resol. & D.A. not satisfactory; -ONE documnt (B.F. w/ others(?)); Brief Stmt removed as basis	Doct. Affirmation, Brief Statement		pg 99 Fendt
1947	7/01	Behnken says errors "are in themselves potentially divisive of fellowship"	Statement 44	Behnken	HMF pg 48; City pg 162
1948		Late 40's-early 50s : O.P.Kretzmann (at Graebner's suggest) calls conference of theology profs at Valpo and Graebner leads discussion			pg 22-23, 25 Fendt
1948		LC-MS experiencing pains of separation from Norwegian/Wisconsin : only 'hope' - keep talking with ALC.			pg 115 Fendt
1948		H.W. Romoser mimeograph: 'Notes on Rom. 16:17,18'		Romoser	CTM 4/62, pg 200
1948		P.E. Kretzmann document "Sowing the Wind - Reaping the Whirlwind": deplorable lack of discipline, Statementarians had sown wind, LCMS & Syn Conf reaping the whirlwind		P.E. Kretzmann	OLC pg 20 - 21
1948	01/01	TV- WAM on 1st program (This is The Life)		WAM
1948	10/00	ALC Convention(Fremont, OH): Committee said: 'Let's join with LC-MS and then agree on unified document'			pg 107 Fendt
1948	1/09	LC-MS Committee meets: -what about joint prayer??; -invite sister synods in on next mtg with ALC;		Fritz, Behnken	pg 101 Fendt
1948	11/17	Poppen letter to Behnken: 'I've got Fendt/Holm lined up - bring 2 of your men to make new statement'			pg 108 Fendt
1948	4/08	F.H. Brunn writes circular letter to Committee members; 'Ludwig's writing is unionistic - avoiding doctrine	Brief Statement defended	Brunn	pg 102 Fendt
1948	4/28	Ludwig letter to Arndt: 'Why not joint prayer?';			pg 103 Fendt
1948	5/17	ALC- LC-MS joint meeting: 'manifest lack of doctrinal unity ; ALC: 'Who, us??'			pg 104- 105 Fendt
1948	5/21	Australian pastoral conference @ Jindera: prayer fellowship allowed and new interpretation of Ro. 16		Hamann Sr.	HMF pg 60
1948	6/00	Synodical Conf Proceedings: Norwegians joyous over LC-MS reaffirming Br. Stmt in 1947, but Missouri violated 'spirit and letter of Br. Stmt' by various acts of unionism			CTM 4/62 pg 206
1948	6/00	ELS Convention: joy over 1947 LCMS re-affirming Brief Statement and dis-avowing 1938 resolutions, however unionistic practices rampant in LCMS; J.A.O. Preus addresses (just left ELC in '47)- false doctrines rampant in ELC (proves Luth Witness wrong)		JAO Preus	City 167ff
1948	6/11	ALC- LC-MS joint SUB-committee meeting: Fendt/Ludwig & Arndt/Fritz; JOINT PRAYER was made (including Fritz); Ludwig agrees to Doct. Affirmation again		Fritz (Joint Prayer)	pg 106- 107 Fendt
1948	6/30	P.E. Kretzmann Open Letter to Pres & members of Synod: liberalism at Sem, lack of discipline, Statementarians allowed		P.E. Kretzmann	OLC pg 21- 22
1949		ALC- LC-MS subcommittees meet: -we ate together; -only what fully revealed in Scripture, leave out 'synodical bias'; - NO ANTITHESES; -		Fritz	pg 137 Fendt
1949		ELS states 1) free conferences are NOW unionism 2) cooperation in specific externals unionism 3) prayer fellowship is fellowship			City 170f
1949	1/06	LC-MS Committee appoints Fritz/Jurgens to meet ALC Fendt/Holm for 'a single statement' (to be Common Confession)	Common Confession	Fritz	pg 136 Fendt; City 172
1949	12/05	ALC- LC-MS joint Committees meet: -Arndt tells Fendt to offer joint prayer (but of course no fellowship); -Common Confession (Part I) seems OK	Common Confession- Part I	Fritz, Brunn	pg 137- 138 Fendt
1949	4/26	A.L. Conf. subcommittee (Bodensieck chair of Wartburg): Poppen reports O.P. Kretzmann letter on LC-MS district pres.(32) meeting- passed resolution on unity & fellowship - goes much further  (federation mentioned)		O.P. Kretzmann	pg 130- 132 Fendt
1950		Wisconsin's E.C. Reim Northwestern's publication 'Where Do We Stand?': Common Confession doesn't measure up to Brief Stmt; (but see pg 189- Fendt - Arndt introduces Reim to Fendt - 'left out')	Common Confession, Brief Stmt	E.C. Reim	CTM 4/62 pg 207;(Fendt 189)
1950	11/16	ELS Pastoral Conf and Lillegard review: Common Confession "the least pertinent to the real questions at issue"	Common Confession		City 173f
1950	6/00	Synodical Conf Proceedings pg 128-130: unionism fully explained by Brief Statement, section 28			CTM 4/62 pg 206
1950	7/00	LC-MS Reports & Memorials: Wisconson bases protest against unionism on stand of Brief Statement			CTM 4/62 pg 203
1950	7/00	LC-MS Proceedings pg 655-658, esp 656: reaffirm Ro 16:17 as in ....Brief Statement			CTM 4/62 pg 205
1950	7/01	LC-MS Convention(Milwaukee): we accept 'Common Confession' but maybe not (anyway we don't repudiate BRIEF STATEMENT, we don't think); -we must now put before Synodical Conf. sisters	Common Conf.,  Brief Statement		pg 144f Fendt; pg 3 Frat. Word; HMF pg 49
1950	7/01	(cont'd) we acknowledge letters of Wisc and ELS- Behnken, you answer them; Behnken: free confs ok, no response on externals, joint prayer is fellowship, except when it's not (1944)		Behnken	City 171
1950	8/00	ALC convention- Schuh elected president 1950 - 1960; Comm. Conf Part I adopted	Part I	Schuh	pg 121, 151 Fendt
1950	9/06	O.P. Kretzmannn letter to Yochum/Fendt: -from the beginning the Missouri Synod had made up mind to adopt Common Confession; -small group opposing- JUST A FEW SCATTERED NO'S IN BACK; -we of course don't know what plans of God are in present situation			pg 186-187 Fendt
1950	11/14	Theo. Graebner dies
1951		Common Confession Part I joint meeting- Arndt asks Fendt to pray JOINTLY for FIRST TIME - you will know what to pray for; -Behnken- from now on we pray together - one of LC-MS stayed in hall	Common Confession Part I	Arndt, Behnken, Fendt	pg 194 Fendt
1951	1//01	Synodical Conference reps meet  Committee on Unity: -'some need for clarification'			pg 147 Fendt
1951	6/00	Norwegian Convention: NO to Common Confession- -no rejection ALC errors (verbal inspir.); -no stmt full objective justification; conversion left; -intuiti fidei; -last things; -MISSOURI - COME HOME to BRIEF STMT!!!; But, no also to i'n statu confessionis	Common Confession (Part I); Brief Statement		pg 147- 149 Fendt; City 174f
1951	8/00	Wisconsin Convention (New Ulm) - several Committee on Unity (LCMS) members present; Common Confession- serious omissions- Justif., Convers., Election, Means of Grace, Church, Last Things, also Sunday, and Scripture; untruthful - NOT settled!			pg 147, 149 Fendt
1951	9/25	OLC formed @ St. John's Lutheran Church Okabena MN; PE Kretzmann respected in ELS		McLaughlin, Kretzmann, Strumpler	OLC pg 28- 30; HMF pg49; City 176
1952		Slovak Church Convention: Common Confession OK- go ahead Missouri (but go ahead with Part II)	Common Confession		pg 150 Fendt; City 176
1952	1/15	Sasse reports in CTM pg 221 on his Theses (Austral.) on Scripture & Inspiration: "We tried to overcome the old scheme of the Orthodox fathers and to build the doctrine on Scripture on Luther's understanding of the Word of God"		Sasse	HMF pg 94
1952	2/11	Behnken press release to LC-MS clergy: OLC doctrines same as ours, they should withdraw avoidance based on Ro 16:17		Behnken	OLC pg 46- 47
1952	3/13	ALC-ULCA Committees joint mtg: Holm- ALC trying to 'thaw' Missouri as part of whole Lutheran picture; -ULCA Fry asks ALC - prefer Comm Conf or Joint Testimony??		Holm, Fry	pg 204 Fendt
1952	4/00	Synodical Conf. Convenition groups meet: Part II discussed			pg 150 Fendt
1952	6/00	Synodical Conf Proceedings pg 157: Wisconsin - Missouri should conform to these resolutions and to position of Brief Statement			CTM 4/62 pg 206
1952	6/00	LC-MS Reports & Memorials: Norwegians reject Part I, tell LC-MS ONLY Brief Statement			CTM 4/62 pg 207
1952	7/00	OLC - LCMS court case: congregation in Minn split - who gets property			OLC pg 42
1952	8/12	Synodical Conference Convention (St. Paul): Not all brethren persuaded that Common Confession is adequate; even though 2 synods reject it, STRIKE preamble and WAIT until Part II is finished; WELS states 'in statu confessionis'			pg 150 Fendt; City 177f
1953		Fendt/Holm also participate in United Testimony (along with Common Confession)		Fendt, Holm	pg 160 Fendt
1953		Sister synods remained unchange in opposition to Common Confession (even after Behnken plea); 'hostility' led to breakup in Synodical Conference			pg 189 Fendt
1953		Arndt arranges for E. Reim of Wisc. Seminary to meet Fendt; Reim- 'just sour grapes' on Wisc. side - Reu didn't invite us to meetings - we were 'left out' (sob)		E.C. Reim/Fendt	pg 189 Fendt;CTM 4/62 pg 207
1953		(thru S.C. break) Franzmann suffers pain (one of chief writers of Part II) - out of fellowship with son who went to Wisconsin Sem; -no Scripture to warrant doctrine "God from eternity ordained certain # of indiv to be saved"; -more Script against separat	Part II	Martin Franzmann, Behnken	pg 191- 193 Fendt
1953		Fraternal Word- LC-MS defense did NOT use Brief Statement- 'Scripture passages'			CTM 4/62 pg 208
1953	1/00	Synodical Conf. reps meet (Milwaukee), Norwegian Synod NOT represented			pg 151 Fendt
1953	2/00	70 men of ALC-LC-MS meet: union movement & Common Confession reviewed			pg 151 Fendt
1953	4/00	Common Confession Part II finished final draft	Common Confession		pg 151 Fendt
1953	7/00	LC-MS Conv. (Houston) Committee rpt: -sister synods don't seem to agree with us (they should); -adopt Part II; -we ask LC-MS to remind sisters of Art. 4 of S.C. Constit: 'give...expression to unity of spirit among constituent synods...unity in doctrine			pg 146, 152 Fendt
1953	7/01	LC-MS Convention (cont'd): -many memorials not to approve Part II and reconsider Part I; -postpone action on Part II; continue Committee on Unity			pg 153- 155 Fendt
1953	8/31	Missouri writes 'A Fraternal Word' to Wisconsin Synod: not to worry, everything is OK	A Fraternal Word
1954		'A Fraternal Reply' by Theodore F. Nickel and Arnold H. Grumm (St. Louis: LC-MS): 'inaccuracies' of Wisconsin charged in use of Brief Statement	Brief Stmt	Theo. Nickel, Grumm	CTM 4/62 pg 208
1954	6/00	Synodical Conf. Convention (&Proceedings): -E.H. Wendland (Wisconsin) "Inadequacy of Common Confession As Settlement of Past Differences"; - Norwegian (Norman Madson) - Comm Conf does opposite of define and amplify Br. Stmt	Common Confession, Brief Stmt	Wendland, Madson	CTM 4/62 pg 207
1954	8/00	ALC Convention approves Part II, Common Confession			pg 179 Fendt
1955	6/00	WELS Convention-Saginaw:  LC-MS has created divisions but postpone action on terminating fellowship			CLC 'Mark and Avoid
1956		O.P. Kretzmann- laughs at exegesis of Ro. 16: 17-18		O.P. Kretzmann	pg 199 Fendt
1956		LC-MS Convention: concerted efforts to set aside Common Confession & reinstate Brief Statement; -resolved only not use Comm Conf as functioning union doc; -another resolution did reject interpretation in disagreement with Holy Script., Confessions, Br St	Brief Stmt		CTM 4/62 pg 208
1956		OLC split-up: Kretzmann & MclLaughlin and others(Strumpler) form Luth Churches of Reformation			OLC pg 49
1956	6/00	WELS recessed convention: hold '55 Saginaw resolution in abeyance			CLC 'Mark and Avoid
1956	7/00	LC-MS Conv.: Behnken rpts (w/o Arndt) - ALC to join with ELC & UELC - Comm Conf. history - 'God in grace has blessed us with purity doctrine; -Common Conf. in harmony with Script & Confessions -> 'end of bitter controversies since 1880's' (election,etc)	Common Confession; Part II		pg 194-195 Fendt
1957	2/09	Bodiensieck of Wartburg letter to Joint Union Committee: -some passages Exodus, Psalms, Job, Luke NOT inspired!  Inerrancy NOT true of Bible!		J. Bodiensieck- Wartburg	pg 233- 239 Fendt
1957	2/25	Arndt dies; -'leadership' praised by Fendt; -has 'ear' of Behnken		Arndt, Behnken	pg 193 Fendt
1958	1/26	Herman Otten/Marquart inform Behnken of St. Louis profs teaching errors in Bible, no Adam/Eve, Brief Statement doesn't have to be accepted- Behnken can't believe this (see his speech of 1926 at St Louis dedication- Meyer 'Hist. of Brief Stmt' pg 423		Otten/ Marquart, Behnken	Christian News 5/8/95 pg 10
1958	2/13	Otten gives 1-hour report at seminary’s Board of Control at Behnken’s request; “Preus, Rehwinkel, Spitz, Mueller, Sohns, Wunderlich, Franzmann, Schroeder and som other conservative profs were in sympathy with my position”; sem profs responded: ‘Who gave you the right to speak to Dr. Behnken?’		Otten, Behnken	CN 11/18/02 pg 21
1958	3/01	Presidium pamphlet (early 1958) for discussion of LWF- did not repeat reasons why decision of not joining LWF in St. Paul			Inter Nos pg 47
1959		William F. Beck tries to publish memorial warning of error of Isaiah 7:14 almah; Behnken told Beck "No" and said "Almah can be translated 'young woman'"; Beck said Behnken took side of errors		Beck, Behnken	CN 7/10/95 pg 17
1959	6/00	LC-MS Reports & Memorials pg 507: all pastors mandatory subscribe to Br. Stmt, as well as Symbols	BRIEF STMT		CTM 4/62 pg 208
1959	7/00	LC-MS Conv (San Fran): re-affirmed Brief Statement			CN 5/8/95 pg 10; Proceedings p 191
1959	7/00	LC-MS Proceedings pg 83 resolution binding force for Brief Stmt; pg 191 every doctrinal statement of confessing nature by Synod - public doctrine-- RESOLUTION 9	Resolution 9		CTM 4/62 pg 208
1960	7/08	NLC - LC-MS mtg: Behnken opens w/ prayer; -Franzmann essay Augustana(?) Conf. Art VII - enough to agree on Doctrine of Gospel; -Scripture discussed; -'some believe Doctrine of Gospel' doesn't coincide with Scripture		Franzmann	pg 266- 268 Fendt
1960	7/09	(cont'd) Franzmann: proclamation of Gospel as...a savor of death; -Bouman paper on Confessional Subscription; 'be mending(?)' 2 Cor 13:11		Bouman	pg 268-272
1960	9/07	LC-MS Counselors' Conf at Valparaiso, Arthur Repp read essay 'Scripture, Confessions, and Doctrinal Statements' - clarify Resolution 9 of 1959, Scriptures & Confessions, NOT STATEMENTS	Brief Stmt	Arthur Repp	CTM 4/62 pg 208- 209
1961	12/00	The Faithful Word, Harold Romoser differing from Repp's essay at Valpo 1960 conference	Brief Stmt	Harold Romoser	CTM 4/62 pg 209
1961	7/28	Wm. Oesch letter to Pres. Oscar Naumann of WELS about concern of doctrine of Church and Church Fellowship too subjective and not based on pure objective Means of Grace (NOTAE PURAE unius sanctae eccleasiae)		Oesch	CTS library File 141
1962	4/00	CTM editors (Bretscher, Franzmann, Fuerbringer, Hoyer, Piepkorn, Roehrs, Spitz, Thiele): write study guide for Brief Statement- questioning exegesis, clarity, thoroughness, agreement w/ Confessns; 'Verbal Inspiration' not in Confessions	Brief Statement	Bretscher, Franzmann, etc	CTM 4/62 pg 210- 223
1964	1/01	Behnken writes 'This I Recall': Crucible by Oesch hurt; so did Confessional Lutheran; so did sister synods charges of unionism - 'we had to admit their charges were warranted'		Behnken, Oesch	This I Recall - pgs 186 - 205
1966	6/19	Sasse letter overseas stated Australian 'Theses of Agreement' were a compromise		Sasse	HMF pg 72
1966	8/06	Behnken (after presidency according to Otten) asks St. Louis faculty in writing about historicity of events in Bible - NO answer (see speech at 1926 St Louis dedication)		Behnken	CN 5/8/95 pg 10; CN 7/10/95 pg 16
1966	8/17	Sasse and/or Hamann Jr. at last ELCA (Aust.) Pastoral Conference, Concordia Memorial College, Toowoomba Qld, Australia: Genesis 1-3 "QUITE POSSIBLY FIGURATIVE"		Sasse	HMF pg 78, 142
1986		Pastor Gavin Winter writes 'How Are The Mighty Fallen' of Australia; says of LCMS: Unless complete turning back to Bible doctrine of Church Fellowship & discipline, will "LOSE ANY LAST VESTIGES OF LUTHERANISM IT STILL RETAINS"		Winter, G.	HMF pg 50
1995	6/19	Larry Darby, a 'conservative' LC-MS member, writes 'Historical Development of "Objective Justification" denying 'old Missouri'  taught doctrine as false.		Darby	Document mailed by Darby to Xxx Xxxxx
1995	8/00	Where will today's hererodox LC-MS go?  Only away from pure Christian doctrine and deeper into errors for it has left the true Missouri Synod and is now name-only Missourian.  The pattern of whoredoms and hemorrhoids can be seen in relation to true doctrine.  All who understand God's directive for his people in Romans 16: 17 will have His peace - in His Word – the Word of His Grace.
1995	8/01	If ye continue in My Word then are ye My disciples indeed." John 8:31

This timeline showed me that if I wanted to grow spiritually, I had to go back to the old (German) Missouri Synod to get the pure teaching that would give me ultimate assurance of salvation.