# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S156 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 156 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS where profound economic and social problems have presented se- rious challenges to those committed to proclaiming the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ; and Wuereas, Individuals and groups in the LCMS have steadily offered their support and personal assistance over the years to our brothers and sisters in Haiti as they carry out Christ's mission; and WHEREAS, The ELCH has formally requested a partner church relationship with the LCMS; and WHEREAS, Formal theological discussions between representa- tives of the ELCH and the LCMS have revealed that complete agreement in doctrine and practice exists between our churches; and WHEREAS, The President of the LCMS has expressed support for the ELCH’s request and has asked the CTCR, in keeping with its constitutional responsibilities, to review the request and make an appropriate recommendation to the Synod; and WHEREAS. The CTCR has carried out this assignment and has recommended that the LCMS formally recognize that altar and pul- pit fellowship exists between the ELCH and the LCMS; therefore be it Resolved. That we give praise to God for the faithful pastors and members of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti who in the midst of poverty and the hardships it brings have retained a strong desire to remain a strongly confessional Lutheran church; and be it further Resolved, That we further give thanks to our gracious Lord for the genuine agreement in doctrine and practice that exists between our churches; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS formally recognize that altar and pul- pit fellowship exists between the LCMS and the ELCH; and be it further Resolved, That the LCMS formally recognize the ELCH as a partner church of the LCMS and that the President of the Synod be responsible for continuing to implement this relationship: and be it finally Resolved. That we ask our brothers and sisters in Christ in the ELCH to join us in the fervent prayer that our Lord will continue to provide the personal and financial resources needed in Haiti for the unhindered proclamation of the Gospel and administration of the sacraments, to His glory and to the building up of His church. Commission on Theology and Church Relations 3-03 To Declare Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania Rationale In May 2000, representatives of The Lutheran Church—Mis- souri Synod met with representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania for a full day’s discussion. In July 2000, at the President of the Synod’s request, officials of the Synod represented the LCMS at the convention of the Lithuanian church. The con- vention approved a resolution to enter into church fellowship with the LCMS. On Sept. 7, 2000, representatives of the LCMS and the Lithuanian church met in St. Louis for further discussion regard- ing church fellowship between our churches. A protocol document has been drawn up and accepted by representatives from each church body. In keeping with the provision of Bylaw 13.03 and after reviewing the appropriate documents, the commission at its February 2001 meeting adopted the following resolution for sub- mission to the 2001 convention: Preamble Predominately Roman Catholic, Lithuania is a small country in northeastern Europe on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, with Latvia to the north and Poland to the south. Beginning in the mid- 16th century the Lutheran Reformation spread rapidly throughout this country as pastors and congregations learned to know and ac- 2001 Convention Workbook cept Lutheran confessional doctrine. The spread of Reformation teaching was aided by the translation of Luther’s Small Catechism into Lithuanian in 1547 and the publication of a Lutheran hymnal in 1560. By the early part of the 20th century the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania (ELCL or LELC) had grown to about 120,000 members. World War II and Soviet occupation from 1944 to 1991 brought great hardship upon the people of Lithuania. Many Lutheran churches were closed and their members deported to Siberia, some never to be seen again. In spite of the persecution and distress the members of the ELCL endured, they have remained faithful to Lutheran confessional teaching. They have begun to rebuild and have now grown to a size of some 30,000 communicants. with 17 pastors and two deacons serving 53 congregations. In recent years The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the ELCL have had numerous informal contacts revealing a common doctrinal commitment. In response to a specific request from the Bishop of the ELCL for official theological discussions between our churches, a preliminary meeting was held in St. Louis in March 2000. followed by formal theological discussions held in Klaipeda, Lithuania, in May 2000. LCMS representatives attended the ELCL’s convention in July 29, 2000. in Taurage. when the ELCL adopted a resolution calling for closer relationships with the LCMS. This resolution states: LELC possesses and strives towards the preservation of the right and pure preaching and teaching of the apostolic Word of God and the right administration of the Sacraments as they were instituted by our Lord Himself. This has been the goal of the confessors of the Augsburg Confession (AC VID) and of the For- mula of Concord (FC X, 31). However, we are faced with the false docirines which endanger the biblical and confessional identity of our Lutheran Church in Lithuania. Rejecting these false doctrines, we confess complete au- thority of the Bible and its teaching, as it is rightly and un- changingly stated in the Book of Concord. Therefore we can have full fellowship with those Churches who share with us the same faith and teaching, and which do not ordain or promote or- dination of women, do not stand for homosexual behavior, do not make compromises on the matter of justification, and who confess that each communicant in the Holy Supper under the bread and wine is given and receives the true body and blood of the Lord. Additional meetings took place between ELCL and LCMS rep- resentatives in September and November 2000, when additional steps were taken toward the formal recognition of church fellow- ship between our churches. WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania has its origin in the spread of the Lutheran Reformation into eastern Europe in the 16th century; and WHEREAS, The pastors and congregations of the ELCL have re- mained faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions in spite of severe hardship and testing during certain periods of their history as a Lutheran church; and WHEREAS, There have been increasing contacts between The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the ELCL in recent years; and Wuereas, Doctrinal discussions between official representa- tives of the LCMS and ELCL have revealed that complete agree- ment between our two churches in doctrine and practice exists; and WHEREAS, The ELCL has in convention resolution indicated its readiness to enter into altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS; and WHEREAS, The President of the LCMS has expressed support for this request and has asked the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) to address it in keeping with Bylaw 13.03; and WHEREAS, The CTCR has reviewed pertinent information re- garding the ELCL and has recommended that the LCMS enter into altar and pulpit fellowship with the ELCL; therefore be it Resolved, That we give thanks to God for the goodness and grace that He has shown to our brothers and sisters in Christ in the