# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S154 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 3. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 3-01 To Formally Declare Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Lanka Lutheran Church of Sri Lanka Rationale In a January 31, 1999, letter to President Barry, President M. Sathiyanathan of the Lanka Lutheran Church forwarded a re- quest for “partner church” status with the LCMS. In keeping with the provisions of Bylaw 13.03 and after reviewing appro- priate documents, the Commission at its September 2000 meet- ing adopted the following resolution for submission to the 2001 convention of the Synod: Preamble The Lutheran Church—Missoun Synod began mission work in the country of Ceylon (now Sn Lanka) in 1927. Sri Lanka is an island country off the coast of India with a population of 19,000,000. It is predominately a Buddhist and Hindu country with a very sparse evangelical] Christian population. Since 1960 there has been a consistent Lutheran ministry of Word and Sacrament in Sri Lanka. The Lanka Lutheran Church was established through the mission work of the LCMS. There are presently 600 Lutherans with five ordained pastors and four commissioned evangelists. There are four church buildings in the upcountry region, where ministry has been mostly to the Tamil people. There is one church building in the commercial center of Colombo. Regular worship is also held in at least 12 house churches. Nearly 300 children are attending preschools in all churches. Sunday schools, youth organizations, evangelism programs, seminars, and teacher training programs take place on a regular basis. Three or four visits by short-term missionaries of the LCMS each year offer ongoing education and encourage- ment in ministry. Relations with the India Evangelical Lutheran Church (a part- ner church with the LCMS) are nurtured when the political cli- mate between the nations of India and Sri Lanka allows. Holy Scripture is available in all languages. Lutheran hymnals in Tamil, catechisms in Tamil and Sinhala languages, and The Book of Concord are available and studied in both Tamil and Sinhala. The Lanka Lutheran Church was recently (in 1999) accepted into the International Lutheran Council. WHEREAS, Since 1927 Sri Lanka has been a mission field of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and WuereasS, Through the effort of those early missionaries, the Lanka Lutheran Church was established; and WHEREAS, Ongoing education and encouragement in ministry continue to be offered by the LCMS, evidence of the close rela- tionship that has existed between our two church bodies from the very beginning until the present; and Wuereas, The Lanka Lutheran. Church has been accepted into the membership of the International Lutheran Council in 1999; and WHueREAS, The Lanka Lutheran Church has requested the for- mal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between itself and the LCMS; and Wuereas, The President of the LCMS has expressed support for this request and has asked the CTCR to address it in accor- dance with Bylaw 13.03; and WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Rela- tions has reviewed all documents submitted by the Lanka Lutheran Church, including their constitution and Bylaws, and has recommended that the LCMS formalize this relationship; therefore be it Resolved, That we gratefully praise God for the efforts of the missionaries of the LCMS to Sri Lanka and for the formation and ministry of the Lanka Lutheran Church; and be it further Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude to God the unity of confession that has been given to our church bodies under the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS formally recognize the existence of altar and pulpit fellowship with the Lanka Lutheran Church of Sri Lanka; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS officially recognize the Lanka Lutheran Church of Sri Lanka as a partner church and that the Pres- ident of the Synod be responsible for continuing to implement this relationship; and be it finally Resolved, That we pray for God’s continued blessings in the coming years on our two churches and on the fellowship and part- nership in the Gospel that we share. Commission on Theology and Church Relations 3-02 To Formalize Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti Rationale In the fall of 2000 the President of the The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH) forwarded a formal request to the President of the LCMS to conduct theological discussions be- tween representatives of the LCMS and the ELCH that would lead to a “formal partner church relationship.” The ELCH is also apply- ing for membership in the International Lutheran Council. Repre- sentatives of the ELCH and the LCMS met in St. Louis on January 26, 2001. There was consensus among all present that a genuine agreement in doctrine and practice exists between the two churches. In keeping with its Bylaw responsibilities, the CTCR at its February 2001 meeting completed its review of the ELCH’s re- quest and submits this resolution to the 2001 convention of the Synod. Preamble Haiti is a small, densely populated country on the western side of the Island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. A large majority of the country’s 6.8 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty and suffer from severe social and spiritual problems. Most Haitians call themselves Christians, but the practice of voodoo, a native tribal religion of West Africa, is widespread and present at all levels of society. Individuals and groups in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod began mission work in Haiti in 1978. Under God’s blessing and through the work of faithful pastors, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti has grown to a membership of over 14,000 bap- tized in 143 congregations and preaching stations. The ELCH op- erates over 60 schools, served by some 400 teachers. In spite of the many difficulties it has faced over the years, the ELCH has ex- pressed the desire to remain a strongly confessional Lutheran church. A number of mission societies and individuals from the LCMS have continued to provide personal and financial support to the ELCH as it carries out Christ’s mission in Haiti. In the fall of 2000 the President of the ELCH forwarded a for- mal request to the President of the LCMS to conduct theological discussions between representatives of the LCMS and the ELCH that would lead to a “formal partner church relationship.” The ELCH is also applying for membership in the International Lutheran Council. On January 26, 2001, representatives of our two churches met in St. Louis. There was consensus among all present that a genuine agreement in doctrine and practice exists between the LCMS and the ELCH. Upon the recommendation of the Presi- dent of the Synod and in keeping with its constitutionally given re- sponsibilities, the CTCR has reviewed the ELCH’s request and now submits the following resolution in recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between the LCMS and the ELCH. WuerEAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH) began as a result of mission work begun in 1978 by individuals and groups in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and WHEREAS, The ELCH under God's blessing has sought to re- main a strongly confessional Lutheran church and to do so in a land 2001 Convention Workbook