"THE KELLER RESOLUTION"

THE KELLER RESOLUTION
Adopted January 13, 2002 at Messiah Lutheran Church, Keller, Texas
Subscribed April 14, 2002 at Salem Lutheran Church, Malone, Texas

Whereas following the vicious terrorist attacks on New York and Washington
D.C. several widely publicized unionistic and syncretistic worship services
were held, ostensibly for the purpose of comforting those who are grieving;
and

Whereas St. Paul exhorts the Church that it is the Gospel "in which you
stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I
preached to you" (1 Cor. 15:12); and

Whereas St. Peter declares concerning the sacred Name of Jesus, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12); and

Whereas St. Peter also said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have
the words of eternal life" (John 6:68); and

Whereas St. Paul exhorted St. Timothy concerning the necessity of pure
doctrine for salvation, "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue
in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear
you" (1 Tim. 4:16); and

Whereas the Triune God forbids His people to worship any other god (Exodus 20:35; Matthew 4:10); and

Whereas the Triune God has severely punished His people from of old for the
sins of syncretism or unionism (Exodus 32, Judges 10, 1 Kings 11, 2 John
911); and

Whereas God's Word forbids fellowship with those who teach contrary to the
biblical doctrine (Romans 16:17); and,

Whereas Christians are forbidden from eating with idolaters (1 Cor. 5:11)let alone joining together in worship with them; and

Whereas Christians are forbidden from even receiving a false teacher into
their homes, or greeting them (2 John 911); and

Whereas the Word of God commands that Christians withdraw from false teachers ("If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings; perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself" (1 Tim. 6:
35); and

Whereas the Word of God clearly teaches that the Triune God promises to
punish churches which tolerate false doctrine, saying to the Church in
Pergamos, "Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against
them with the sword of My mouth" (Rev. 2:16); and

Whereas we confess in the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope,
"Paul commands that godless teachers should be avoided and execrated as
cursed (Gal. 1:8; Tit. 3:10). And (2 Cor. 6:14) says: "Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers; for what communion hath light with
darkness?" (Par.41); and

Whereas the "Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri
Synod" teaches, "Since God ordained that His Word only, without the
admixture of human doctrine, be taught and believed in the Christian Church,
1 Pet. 4:11; John 8:31, 32; 1 Tim. 6:3, 4, all Christians are required by God
to discriminate between orthodox and heterodox church-bodies, Matt. 7:15, to have church-fellowship only with orthodox church-bodies, and in case they
have strayed into heterodox church-bodies, to leave them, Rom. 16:17. We
repudiate unionism, that is, church-fellowship with the adherents of false
doctrine, as disobedience to Gods command, as causing divisions in the
Church, Rom. 16:17; 2 John 9, 10, and as involving the constant danger of
losing the Word of God entirely, 2 Tim. 2:17-21." (Par.28); and

Whereas Synodical President Gerald Kieschnick has committed the public sin of unionism by worshiping with the synodical bishop (and others) of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at a "Reconciled in Christ"
(i.e., homosexuality tolerating) congregation thereof on September 18, 2001,
the ELCA having been recognized by The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod (LCMS) 2001 Convention as not being a Lutheran body in an orthodox sense of that term; and,

Whereas District President David Benke has publicly sinned by worshiping with non-Christians at the "Prayer for America" service held at Yankee Stadium on September 23, 2001, in direct violation of his previous promise not to engage in unionistic services, which promise he made following a previous violation of Scripture's sacred trust to "keep away from them"; and

Whereas Rev. Gerald Kieschnick has publicly supported and defended Rev. David Benke in his public sin of worshiping with non-Christians and making the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ seem to be just one of many good religions, contrary to the clear and exclusive claims of Christ, there be it

Resolved, that our congregation subscribes to points 1 through 14 of the
document, "That They May Be One" as a true exposition of Holy Scripture, and therefore in harmony with the Book of Concord (1580); and be it further

Resolved, that we recognize points 1 through 14 of "That They May Be One" as a confession of what we believe, teach, and confess concerning Church
Fellowship and Public Prayer; and be it further

Resolved, that, in keeping with its status as a public confession, we will
practice church fellowship with those congregations and pastors subscribing
to this confession; and be it further

Resolved, that, in keeping with our public confession, we mark and avoid
(Romans 16:17) Rev. Gerald Kieschnick and Rev. David Benke as those have publicly participated in, and defended such participation in, unionistic and/or syncretistic worship services; and be it further

Resolved, that in keeping with our public confession, we will not practice
Church Fellowship with those who defend the public sins of Rev. Gerald
Kieschnick and Rev. David Benke outlined above, nor will we practice Church Fellowship with those who reject the biblical doctrine set forth in points 1 through 14 of "That They May Be One"; and finally, be it further

Resolved, that, if Rev. Gerald Kieschnick and Rev. David Benke have not
public repented and amended their sinful lives by the Festival of the Reformation, 2002giving public, unambiguous testimony to their repentance of their willful, public sinthis congregation will gather with other
congregations which have adopted this resolution to take further action in
keeping with our common confession of the Scriptural teaching of Church
Fellowship.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (LCMS) - North Zulch, TX
Faith Lutheran Church (LCMS) - Plano, TX
Messiah Lutheran Church (LCMS) - Keller, TX
Salem Lutheran Church (LCMS) - Malone, TX