# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S170
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

170

IV. THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
2
POLICY
for
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH—MISSOURI SYNOD
Declaring
ALTAR AND PULPIT FELLOWSHIP
with
ANOTHER CHURCH BODY*
Article III of the constitution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod lists as the first
objective of the Synod that


The Synod, under Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, shall—Conserve and promote
the unity of the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official structure
toward fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and provide a united defense
against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17), and heresy.

This policy statement describes the procedure which The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
follows in declaring Church Fellowship with another church body.

2. The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
The Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) is “to assist the President of
the Synod in matters of church relationships” (Bylaw 3.9.5). The Commission is to
“assist the President at his request in discharging his constitutional responsibilities for
maintaining doctrinal integrity as he relates to other church bodies” (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2).
The Bylaw further explicates the CTCR’s responsibilities as follows:
a) It shall address itself to and evaluate existing fellowship relations for the purpose of
mutual admonition and encouragement.
b) When a church body applies for formal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with
the Synod, such recognition shall be proposed at a convention of the Synod only after
the approval of the commission.
c) When a small, formative, emerging confessional Lutheran church body (identified as
such by the President of the Synod as chief ecumenical officer) requests recognition
of altar and pulpit fellowship with the Synod, after consultation with the Praesidium
and approval by the commission, such recognition may be declared by the President
of the Synod subject to the endorsement of the subsequent Synod convention.
d) When a mission of the Synod applies for formal recognition as a self-governing
partner church, such recognition shall be proposed at convention of the Synod by the
Board for International Mission with the approval of the commission. (Bylaw
3.9.5.2.2(a)(b)(c)(d))
3. The Synod in Convention

I. Delineation of Responsibilities
1. The President of the Synod
The President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is “the chief ecumenical officer
of the Synod” and is therefore responsible for all church relations matters involving the
Synod and other church bodies.
a) He shall represent the Synod, in consultation with the appropriate Board or
Commission, in official contacts with all partner churches by aiding, counseling, and
advising them and strengthening the relations with and among them.
b) He shall develop protocol documents between the Synod and partner church bodies
according to which the Synod and its agencies will work together with its partner
churches in foreign mission fields, which documents are also to be respected by
agencies, auxiliaries, and recognized service organizations.”
c) He or his representative shall represent the Synod in official contacts with other
church bodies.
(Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2 (a)(b)(c))

*An earlier “Policy for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Declaring Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Another
Church Body” was adopted by the CTCR in April 2003 in response to a request from the President of the Synod.
This revised policy incorporates subsequent convention action (2010 Res. 3-04A) and also includes policy
guidelines for recognizing as a partner church a former mission of the Synod that achieves self-governing status.
Citations of the LCMS Constitution and bylaws are from the most recent (2013) Synod Handbook.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention, acting on the basis of a
recommendation of the CTCR, declares altar and pulpit fellowship with another church
body.
In cases wherein the President of Synod has declared a recognition of altar and pulpit
fellowship with “a small, formative, emerging confessional Lutheran church body” the
subsequent Synod convention is asked to endorse the declaration. (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2(c))
4. Members of the Synod
Members and officers of the Synod will respect this orderly procedure and shall not move
ahead of the Synod as a whole by engaging in altar and pulpit fellowship before such has
been declared. Moreover, members and officers shall consult with the Office of the
President and the Office of International Mission, where necessary, before making
contacts with or making overseas trips to church bodies with whom we are not yet in
fellowship (see article VI of the Synod’s Constitution; also Bylaws 3.8.3; 6.1.1).
So that these provisions may be carried out with consistency and in faithfulness to the
Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, a relationship of altar and pulpit fellowship
between another autonomous church body and the Synod shall be declared in the following
manner.

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II. Basic Considerations
In considering whether the Synod should declare altar and pulpit fellowship with another
church body, the President of the Synod and the CTCR shall take into consideration the
following criteria.
1. Altar and pulpit fellowship is a relationship that has as its basis agreement “in doctrine
and in all its articles.” (FC SD X 31)
“While the church’s internal unity is perfect and known only to God (Eph. 1:4), the limits
of external fellowship are determined by whether the Gospel is preached purely and the
sacraments are administered according to Christ’s institution. The Gospel and the
sacraments are in themselves always pure. In this way they create and preserve the
church in her hidden unity throughout the world. Yet, when church bodies make public
confession of the Gospel and the sacraments, tragically some obscure or explicitly
contradict the teaching of the Gospel and the proper administration of the Sacraments.
For this reason the limits or boundaries of the external fellowship are creeds and
confessions. Churches in altar and pulpit fellowship share the same confession, including
the rejection of errors that contradict this confession. Where churches cannot agree on a
common confession, the basis for church fellowship does not exist.” (Lutheran
Understanding of Church Fellowship, p. 5)
2. Altar and pulpit fellowship is a relationship which signifies agreement not only in a
church body’s formal statements but also agreement in the implementation of the formal
confessions of a church body in its actual life and practice.
“Confessional ecumenism recognizes the importance of practice as the application of
doctrine to life. Proper formulations of the meaning of the Gospel on the basis of the
Scriptures, necessary as such formulations are, are no substitute for actually preaching,
teaching, and living the Gospel and using the sacraments. Practice is a fair indication of
fidelity to the Gospel. For example, it does little good to point to an excellent formulation
of the lodge problem in a synodical constitution if in fact that policy is not being followed
in the parishes. It means little to point to a fine statement on the inerrancy of Holy
Scripture in the Brief Statement or the United Testimony of Faith and Life if, in fact, that
position is no longer consistently followed. We need to remember that the Augsburg
Confession (VII) is talking about a Gospel that is actually taught and proclaimed and
about sacraments that are actually administered. Why? Because it is through the
‘practice’ of the Gospel, if you will, that the Holy Spirit creates and sustains His church.
To be sure, not all items in the area of practice are clearly defined in the Word of God,
and this needs to be recognized. But where they are, or where they clearly relate to the
Gospel, there can be no ecumenical retreat to the safety of written formulations at the
expense of what is actually happening in the church’s parishes as well as its seminaries,
colleges, publishing houses, boards and commissions. Herein lies one of the chief reasons
why The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod holds doctrinal discussions with other
Lutheran groups prior to the establishment of altar and pulpit fellowship.” (Ralph
Bohlmann, “Celebration of Concord” in Theologian’s Convocation Formula for
Concord, 1977, pp. 69-70)

2016 Convention Workbook

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3. Altar and pulpit fellowship is a formal relationship between two autonomous church
bodies that are institutionally viable.
In addition to agreement in confession, factors to be taken into account in making a
recommendation for altar and pulpit fellowship with another church body include its
history, size, self-understanding, and confessional and organizational maturity. That is,
the process for declaring church fellowship must be realistic with regard to external
circumstances of the two churches. In the case of established church bodies with
significant traditions of theology and practice, a more formal process is appropriate. In
the case of a small, formative, emerging confessional church body without extensive
structures or organizations a simpler process is appropriate.
4. Altar and pulpit fellowship is a relationship which affects all those church bodies with
which each of the two newly related church bodies holds church fellowship.
Early on in the process of contemplating the possibility of altar and pulpit fellowship, the
churches with which the Synod is already in church fellowship are to be informed of this
prospect and their input requested. The President of the Synod and the Commission on
Theology and Church Relations will take into account the responses of the Synod’s
partner churches in reaching its recommendation regarding the possibility of church
fellowship with this church body.
III. Procedures
A. In the case of considering formal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with an
established church body (in distinction from “a small, formative, emerging” church—see
III.B., below), the following procedures are in order:
1. When relationships between the Synod and another church body have reached the
point that church fellowship between them is contemplated, the President of the
Synod, following consultation with the CTCR, is responsible for formally initiating
this process. He will inform the CTCR of this decision, as well as the Synod itself
and, immediately thereafter, the partner churches of the LCMS. The President will
invite the partner churches of the Synod to provide input to him and to the CTCR
regarding possible altar and pulpit fellowship with this church body.
2. Working together with the head of the church body with which church fellowship is
contemplated, the President shall arrange for formal doctrinal discussions between
representatives of the two church bodies. Synod representatives to these discussions
shall be appointed by the President of the Synod, preferably including representation
from CTCR membership or staff. These representatives shall report regularly to the
President on these doctrinal discussions.
3. At the conclusion of these discussions, a comprehensive written report shall be
prepared by the Synod representatives for presentation to the President. The President
shall formally forward this report to the CTCR, together with his recommendation
regarding church fellowship with this church body.