The setting was Minneapolis, Minnesota, predominantly Lutheran city in what has been called “the Lutheran state par excellence.” A procession of 1,000 delegates led by flag-bearers and acolytes marched three abreast from the Central Lutheran Church to the Municipal Auditorium where three churches merged into one. After more than a decade of preparation, the presidents of the Evangelical, American, and United Evangelical Lutheran churches (ELC, ALC and UELC) clasped hands to signal creation of “The American Lutheran Church” (addition of the definite article distinguishes its name [TALC] from that of one of its predecessors), whose 2,250,000 members make it the tenth largest church in American Protestantism, third largest in U. S. Lutheranism. Some 7,000 observers then joined in a spine-tingling rendition of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
Thus opened the constituting convention of the new church (April 22–24), which will function officially beginning January 1, 1961. It followed by a day the final conventions of its three component churches. There had been little opposition to the merger and these meetings produced practically no debate. After all, the delegates were under instructions simply to ratify what had already been decided by the churches. This they did in festive mood amidst virile hymn singing, extensive Bible reading, and solid gospel preaching.
The merger was of the type to prompt rejoicing among adherents of Protestant orthodoxy. Lutherans generally maintain a fidelity to the classical doctrines several notches above many churches of Anglo-Saxon origins. “A statement on faith and life” warned against “unionism,” a term designating the establishment of church fellowship which “ignores present doctrinal differences or declares them a matter of indifference.” Such a framework is but the “pretense of union which does not exist.” “We believe that the Church has its unity in Christ through the Holy Spirit.” “All separatism which ignores the existence of other Christian Churches, as well as all attempts to reduce the unity of the Church to outward organizational forms, lead to a denial of the true nature of the Church and to a confusion and frustration in the attainment of its objectives.”
Buttressing such doctrines as propitiatory atonement and justification by faith is Article IV of the constitution adopted unanimously by the convention. Entitled “Confession of Faith,” it begins: “The American Lutheran Church accepts all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as a whole and in all their parts as the divinely inspired, revealed, and inerrant Word of God, and submits to this as the only infallible authority in all matters of faith and life.” The church also confessed as “true statements” of doctrine the Apostolic, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds, the unaltered Augsburg Confession and Luther’s Small Catechism, as well as recognizing the other documents in the Book of Concord of 1580 as theologically normative. Elsewhere, in a show of sensitivity against neo-orthodox slants, the Bible is declared to be the Word of God “under all circumstances regardless of man’s attitude toward it.”
The new church elected and installed as its first president Dr. Fredrik A. Schiotz, 58, retiring president of the 1,153,566-member ELC. The third ballot saw him victor over Dr. Norman A. Menter, retiring first vice president of the 1,034,377-membcr ALC (and president of the National Lutheran Council) and Dr. William Larsen, retiring president of the smaller (70,149) UELC. Dr. Menter was then voted vice president and Dr. Larsen secretary. Named honorary president for life was retiring ALC President Dr. Henry F. Schuh.
Dr. Schiotz of Minneapolis—where the new church’s headquarters will locate—paid tribute to the U. S. melting pot in noting this to be the first U. S. Lutheran merger to cross lines of national origins, ELC being Norwegian, ALC German, and UELC Danish.
When asked at a press conference about prospects for further mergers, Dr. Schiotz (pronounced shuts), with perhaps a trace of weariness, said sentiment in his church appeared to be against facing merger again unless it included all Lutheran groups (with the exception of the small Lutheran Free Church which has twice voted against merging with TALC, though it may reverse itself in a scheduled 1961 vote). He acknowledged this would mean getting the United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA)—along with three other churches with which it will likely merge in 1962—under the same roof with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, at this stage an unlikely coalescence. Years ago the late famed radio preacher Dr. Walter A. Maier went on record as favoring merger between Missouri Synod and ALC. The Missouri Synod already has invited the new merged church to begin conversations toward “a God-pleasing unity.” But there is sentiment in both groups that the ULCA represents excessive theological latitude.
After adopting a 1961 budget of $18,102,254, the merged church voted to seek membership in the Lutheran World Federation, the National Lutheran Council, the Canadian Lutheran Council (each of the three churches included Canadian congregations), and the World Council of Churches. The latter action is subject to mandatory review in 1962. No move was made toward joining the National Council of Churches. Dr. Schiotz spoke of opposition to such a move within the new church. None of the three churches which merged to form TALC were members of the National Council of Churches.
Pentecost Sunday, June 5, will mark the beginning of a “Year of Jubilee” celebrating the merger. To be read in all worship services that day is the constituting convention’s “Message to the Churches.” It cautions: “… these days which consummate our union mean little if they do not initiate much.” It also exults: “In one sense we have reached a new height in our journey to the heavenly Jerusalem.”
“Our message to the Church is a simple one: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And our confidence is equally sure: They shall prosper that love thee. As we face the future before us, let each one pray and labor that there may be ‘peace within her walls and prosperity within her palaces.’ ”
