National Lutheran Council. Executive Director (1948-1966 : Empie)

The Lutheran - Reformed Dialogue was initiated in 1961 when the National Lutheran Council (NLC), acting as the U.S.A. National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (USANC), met with theologians from the North American Area of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches Holding the Presbyterian Order. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod was also invited to participate. The purpose of the dialogues was to identify differences which had divided the two denominations in the past and still constituted obstacles to mutual understanding. After a preliminary exploration in 1962, a panel of Lutheran and Reformed theologians met annually for three.

Years to discuss prepared papers on major doctrines. The papers and group conclusions were published as a book, Marburg Revisited. In an evaluation meeting in 1966, theologians declared that they had found no obstacles to fellowship. The dialogues were held again from 1972 through 1974, and continued through the 1980s and 1990s. In 1966, the National Lutheran Council was terminated and the USANC became a separate standing body. In 1977, the USANC was reorganized as Lutheran World Ministries (LWM).