Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod

Scope and Contents Box 1 contains all Series (1-3) in the Collection. These Series are: Series 1: Break with Missouri Subseries 1: Historical Information Subseries 2: WELS Synodical Documents Subseries 3: Synodical Conference Documents Subseries 4: Papers, Reports, & Reactions Subseries 5: Publications Subseries 6: Correspondence Subseries 7: Miscellaneous Series 2: Bible Translation: Revised Standard Version...

Scope and Contents Box 3 contains file folders from Series 3. The file folders found in Box 3 are:48 Doctrine Committee: Fellowship Matters (1947-1958)49 Doctrine Committee: Fellowship Matters (1959-1966)50 Doctrine Committee: Essays on Roles of Men and Women 51 Doctrine Committee: Essays on Roles of Men and Women continued52 Doctrine Committee: Roles of Men and Women Discussion – Northern Conference Michigan District (September 21, 1981)...

Scope and Contents

This series, by far the largest in this collection, contains a variety of documents from 1950-1974 regarding the events leading up to Wisconsin's break with Missouri, the break itself, and what happened in Missouri in the years following the break. The following subseries descriptions provide more information about the contents of this series.

Scope and Contents

This series contains minutes and reports from the various committees involved in doctrinal studies both within and without the Wisconsin Synod. A large amount of detailed information is available, especially focusing on issues pertaining to the split between the Wisconsin and Missouri synods. Folders 41-47 are found in Box 2. Folders 48-69 are found in Box 3. Folders 70-83 are found in Box 4.

Scope and Contents

Series 16 contains information related to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and their publications. The file folders in this series are found in Box 9 and are files:

197. Small books and Pamphlets

198. Books, Articles, Pamphlets

Scope and Contents This subseries consists of general historical information useful for understanding the events that culminated in the break between Wisconsin and Missouri in 1961. Several reports are included in this subseries, written from various perspectives (from both proponents and opponents of the Wisconsin Synod position). These documents provide the general timeline of events leading up to 1961, as well as sketch some of the differences between the more conservative Lutheran church bodies in...

Scope and Contents This subseries contains documents pertinent to various district and synod conventions between 1948 and 1961, mostly from the Church Union Committee. Types of documents include proceedings, reports, memorials, and resolutions. While these documents have been sorted chronologically where possible, it is difficult to determine the exact circumstances behind these documents and whether they were presented at the synod or district level. Regardless, they all provide intriguing insights into...

Scope and Contents This subseries contains documents from the circuit, congregational, and individual levels of synod. Types of documents include papers, exegeses, reports, responses, and withdrawals of membership or service. These documents are useful in that they represent various viewpoints on both side of the issue, from the "ground level" of the WELSFile folders found in this subseries are: 14 Papers and Reports Regarding the Issue (1956,1957)15 Papers and Reports...

Scope and Contents This subseries contains various periodicals, newspapers, and publications–some selections in their entirety, other selections as just the article itself. This is one of the most significant portions of this collection. While many of the other documents and information can be found elsewhere in our records, some of these publications (especially the newspaper clippings) provide excellent primary source information that cannot be found elsewhere. This subseries originally...

Scope and Contents The subseries includes several different varieties of correspondence regarding the issues in Missouri and the differences between the two synods. Along with the last subseries, this is a significant portion of this collection. These letters provide a very personal look at some of the difficulties that people had to deal with regarding this issue.Of course, Pastor Dahlke's correspondence here is very significant. Dahlke, as a WELS pastor, found himself in opposition to the...