Evening star., 1946-10-12
Lutheran Delegates
Hear Call for Union
|0f Church Bodies
By cospor konnes
Sfar SfoH Corraspondant

CLEVELAND, Oct. PA declara.
ton for union in our own day" with
other Lutheran Church bodies high
lighted the final session yesterday oi
the 18th biennial convention of the
United Lutheran Church of America
The statement was made in the
report Of the Special Commission or
Relations to American Lutheran
Church bodies, presented to the con-
vention by Henry H. Bagger, 'secre-
tary of the commission. The report
pointed out numerous ways in which
the various Lutheran Church bodies
have co-operated in the last two
years. Among the, activities noted
were those concerning world relief
plans for a conference of National
Lutheran Council bodies in Novem-
ber, 1947; the possibility of depart.
merit of Social Action in the Ma
tional Lutheran Council, and the
joint handling of films for congrega-
tional use.
Get Call for Missionaries.
Continuation of the special COM
mission was voted by the conven-
tion with instructions that it exert
efforts toward closer organic re-
lations and the actual union of oul
Lutheran forces" DR.. Franklin CLARK
Fry, president of the United Luther
an Church. heads the commission
The 564 delegates heard the read
ing by DR.. Fry of a telegram from
two Lutheran missionaries to Japan
Miss Martha Akard and DR.. L. S. G
Miller. The message, sent from Ku-
mamota, Japan, said Reorganization
of the church in the former enemy
country was already under way and
urgently asked for more missionaries
During the war, all Protestant bodies
combined into one national church
in Japan, and permission for the re-
establishment of denominational
lines was only recently granted.
A'68-year age limit for the presi-
dent, secretary and treasurer of the
church was adopted. Since the pro-
posal necessitates a change in the
constitution, the amendment will
be referred to the 80 synods of the
church. A two-thirds majority is
necessary to ratify the change.
The Luther League Of America,
official youth body of the church
presented check of 5000 to the
church to aid youth workers in
Hungary. The money, presented by
Alvin H. Schaediger, a past presi-
dent Of the league. will be admins
tered through the National Luther
an Council.
Aid to Europe Asked.
DR.. Sylvester C. Michelfelder, di-
rector Of the National Lutheran
Council, appealed to the delegates
for continued contributions of food
clothing, medicine and blankets tt
save the lives of thousands Of peo.
pie in Germany and other European
countries. He warned that the clos
ing of UNRRA at the end of this
year will force the church to take
full responsibility for the care OF
millions of displaced persons ir
Europe and Asia
Nineteen delegates from tht
United Lutheran Church in Amer.
ica-17 from the United States ant
two from Canada-will be present
at the Lutheran World Federation
meeting in June, 1947, at Lund
Sweden, according to DR.. ABIDE
Ross Wentz, vice president of the
federation. . -,s-- -
The 1948 meeting of the United
Lutheran Church in America al
Philadelphia win be the 2o0th an
niversary Of the founding of the
Ministerium of Pennsylvania, the
oldest Lutheran synod in America
1t was pointed out.