From Carl L. Manfred
Author: Manfred, Carl L.
Date: June 8, 1962
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Genre: Letter
Details
Manfred, newly elected executive secretary of the Luther League of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA), regretfully withdraws his invitation for King to speak at the organization’s Constituting Convention in San Francisco.1 “It has been brought to my attention that in some areas of our Church,” Manfred wrote, “you are considered to be a somewhat ‘controversial’ person.” On 14 June 1962 King’s secretary replied that King could not attend the convention anyway and that he was not offended by the matter as he has become “accustomed to being considered ‘controversial’ by many who do not share his position.”
Dr. Martin Luther King
Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church
Atlanta, Georgia
Dear Dr. King:
A week ago I spoke to you on the phone (and later confirmed the message in a letter) inviting you to address the Constituting Convention of the Luther League—Lutheran Church in America—on Saturday afternoon or evening, August 25, at San Francisco.
Now, with a heavy heart, I find that I must withdraw this invitation.
I will explain the situation as candidly as I can. It has been brought to my attention that in some areas of our Church you are considered to be a somewhat “controversial” person. Of this, of course, I was fully aware at the time the invitation was extended. However, my advisors have raised this question: Is it wise for us to introduce the note of controversy at the initial convention of the official youth auxiliary of a newly merged Church, when the emphasis at this strategic time should be given to issues which will unite rather than divide the delegation?2
In all candor, let me say that those who have counseled with me on this matter were not opposed to you, personally, nor to your message. They felt, to the contrary, that it is important that the youth of our new Church be exposed to the stimulation of new and dynamic insights into all areas of thought and life. The only question which was raised, as I indicated above, was the matter of timing.
I want to assure you that we are very interested in having you address a national convention of our Luther League at a future date. I am persuaded, however, that we will best serve the youth of our Church if we make arrangements for such an address after we have perfected the organization of our church-wide auxiliary, and that this will provide for you a more favorable climate of acceptance.
Perhaps you will feel that by our withdrawal of this invitation we have also forfeited our chances to hear you at a later date, but I earnestly hope that this is not the case.
We have not given any publicity of any kind to our invitation to you, and thus are hopeful that its withdrawal will not be a source of any embarrassment to you.
I have not yet heard from you with respect to the invitation. I realize that I could hold up this letter until I receive your response, reasoning to myself that if it is negative, no more need be said. However, this strategy to my way of thinking would be something less than being entirely honest with you—an honor which you deserve.
Again, my deep regrets for the situation which compels the withdrawal of my invitation of last week.
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Carl L. Manfred
CLM:kt
1. Manfred to King, 29 May 1962. Carl Lawrence Peterson Manfred (1918–2011), born in St. Peter, Minnesota, earned a B.A. (1939) from Gustavus Adolphus College, a B.D. (1943) from Augustana Seminary, and a D.D. (1963) from Luther Seminary. He pastored at St. Mark’s (1943–1946) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Gloria Dei (1946–1952) in Duluth, Minnesota. Manfred served as youth director of the LCA from 1963–1964, when he become assistant to the president of the LCA, Minnesota Synod from 1965–1976. Manfred published several books, including Facing Forward: The Minnesota Synod of the Lutheran Church in America, 1963–1987 (1987). He retired in 1982.
2. King had addressed the youth department of the American Lutheran Church in Miami on 16 August 1961. Prior to the convention in Miami, Reverend David Brown, the executive director of the youth department, reported he had received an official censure from the Council of Bishops for inviting King to speak (Brown to King, 23 August 1961). On 28 June 1962, the United Lutheran Church in America, the Augustana Lutheran Church, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the American Evangelical Lutheran Church merged to form the Lutheran Church in America, representing 3.2 million people.
Source: MLKJP-GAMK, Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers (Series I–IV), Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.