# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S151
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

5. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
Resolved, That in celebration and thanksgiving of this
partnership in the Gospel, the convention assembly signify
its approval by rising and singing the common doxology.
Action: Adopted (3)
After discussion by the assembly, the convention adopted the
resolution by saying, “Yea, yea, it shall be so,” and the common
doxology was sung. ELFCD President Leif Jensen spoke of the
importance of having confessional Lutheran partners; of the
blessing of the exchange of faithful church workers among such
partners, which ELFCD now formally enjoys with the LCMS;
and of his church body’s thankfulness for the faithful, biblical,
and confessional leadership of the LCMS.

Resolved, That the convention give thanks for the Synod’s
mission work and the work of the Office of International
Mission (OIM) in Sri Lanka; and be it further
Resolved, That the convention and the Synod will
continue to pray to the Lord of the harvest for the work
being done in Sri Lanka by the CELC; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod will continue to support and
pray for the work being done by the OIM in Sri Lanka and
by the CELC.
Action: Adopted (6)
Without discussion, the resolution was adopted [Yes: 824; No: 8].

To Clarify Status of LCMS Relationships
in Sri Lanka

To Amend Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2
regarding Altar and Pulpit Fellowship
with New Church Bodies
Formed by Partner Churches

RESOLUTION 5-05
Overture 5-04 (CW, 427)

Preamble
The Lanka Lutheran Church was a mission start of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod beginning in 1927,
achieving recognition as a self-governing church by the
Synod in 2001. In 2001 the Lanka Lutheran Church also
became a member of the International Lutheran Council
(ILC) and the Lutheran World Federation. The Lanka
Lutheran Church was declared defunct by the Sri Lankan
government in 2007. The Synod continued to work in Sri
Lanka, and the former Lanka Lutheran Church was
reconstituted as the legally registered Ceylon Evangelical
Lutheran Church (CELC) in 2017. The CELC was inducted
as a member of the ILC in 2018 at the same time that the
defunct Lanka Lutheran Church was removed from
membership. The CELC has requested recognition by the
Synod as a self-governing partner church body.
WHEREAS, The Lanka Lutheran Church was recognized in
2001 as being in altar and pulpit fellowship with the Synod;
and
WHEREAS, The Lanka Lutheran Church ceased to exist as
a legal entity in 2007; and
WHEREAS, The Synod has continued its mission work in
Sri Lanka that began in 1927 and has assisted in the
reorganization of the former Lanka Lutheran Church as the
new and legal CELC; and
WHEREAS, The ILC in 2018 removed the Lanka Lutheran
Church from its membership and welcomed the CELC into
membership; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod formally recognize that it is no
longer in altar and pulpit fellowship with the now-defunct
Lanka Lutheran Church and that it has removed the Lanka
Lutheran Church from the roster of church bodies with
whom it is in altar and pulpit fellowship; and be it further

Resolutions

RESOLUTION 5-06
Overture 5-06 (CW, 428–29)

WHEREAS, The first objective of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS) is to: “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”; and
WHEREAS, The President of the Synod is its chief
ecumenical officer (Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2) and the Commission on
Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) has the
responsibility to “assist the President of the Synod at his
request in discharging his constitutional responsibilities
for maintaining doctrinal integrity as he relates to other
church bodies” (Bylaws 3.9.5.2.2); and
WHEREAS, This bylaw requires CTCR approval before a
church body may apply “for formal recognition of altar and
pulpit fellowship with the Synod” at a Synod convention
(Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 [b]); and
WHEREAS, The President of Synod may declare fellowship
with a small, formative emerging confessional Lutheran
church body that requests recognition of altar and pulpit
fellowship with Synod, after consultation with the
Praesidium and approval by the commission, subject to the
endorsement of subsequent Synod convention (Bylaw
3.9.5.2.2 [c]); and
WHEREAS, The Board for International Mission may
propose at convention a recognition of fellowship with a
mission of the Synod that becomes a self-governing church
body with the approval of the commission (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2
[d]); and
WHEREAS, Partner churches of the Synod may on
occasion amicably reorganize, divide, or release a mission
or group of congregations to become a self-governing,
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 151