American Lutheran Church (1930-1960). Joint Merger Commission.

At a meeting of the presidents of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa and Other States (Iowa Synod), the Synod of the Lutheran Church Emigrated From Prussia (Buffalo Synod), and the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States (Joint Synod of Ohio) held at Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 19, 1925, it was resolved to appoint a Joint Merger Commission to oversee the merging of the synods into The Evangelical Lutheran Synods of America (name later changed to the American Lutheran Church). Each of the three synods was to be represented on the commission by its president and four of its members appointed by its president. The resolution also.

Planned the first meeting of the commission to be in Toledo, Ohio on December 9, 1925. This commission prepared a constitution and by-laws during 1925 for the merged body. A copy of this constitution was sent to every pastor and professor of the respective synods for their consideration, with the request to send in their criticisms or changes which they wanted considered for the proposed constitution.

At its meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, in August of 1926, the Iowa Synod resolved that it was ready to enter a merger with the Joint Synod of Ohio and Buffalo Synod, and that it would submit a proposed constitution with changes adopted by the synod to all the districts for their consideration and vote in their meeting during 1927. In its proposed constitution, the Iowa Synod wanted a change from the wording proposed by the Joint Commission for a statement regarding the inerrancy of Scripture. This became a point of disagreement between the three synods, and for the next two years the doctrine of the inspiration and inerrancy of the.

Scriptures was discussed in conference and synodical meetings. Once this obstacle was removed, the merger went forward again. At its meeting in January, 1930, in Chicago, the Joint Merger Commission revised the former proposed constitution and by-laws and submitted it to all the delegates of the three synods. The presidents of the three then called for a merger meeting, which was held on August 11 and 12, 1930. It was at this meeting that the new body was organized as the American Lutheran Church.

The commission continued for the purpose of making minor changes in the by-laws, and in the rules and regulations for the synodical boards, to be submitted to the church for its consideration at its second convention. The commission's final meeting was held on July 28, 1932.

From the description of Merger Documents 1924-1939 Bulk: 1924-1932. (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Library). WorldCat record id: 35740240