# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2001_S157
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 157

ELCL throughout their long history, preserving them steadfast in
their faith and confession; and be it further

Resolved, That we acknowledge with thanksgiving to God the
unity of confession that He has given to our church bodies under
the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That the LCMS declare altar and pulpit fellowship
with the ELCL; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS formally recognize the ELCL as a
partner church and that the President of the Synod be responsible
for continuing to implement this relationship; and be it finally

Resolved, That we ask our gracious Lord to continue to
strengthen the bond of fellowship between our churches and
deepen our common commitment to the proclamation of the Gospel
for the life and salvation of many,

Commission on Theology and Church Relations

To Extend Altar and Pulpit Fellowship _
to Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania

WuHerEAS, Zion Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran congregation
in Chicago, and since 1974 in Oak Lawn, IL. was organized by
Pastor Martin Keturakaitis in 1910, who had come to these shores
from Lithuania at the end of the 19th century to serve Lithuanian
Americans proclaiming God’s Word, and is a member of the
LCMS; and

WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania fully
subscribes to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the
Word of God; and

WHEREAS, The Evangelica) Lutheran Church in Lithuania does
not ordain women as pastors; and

WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania ex-
"pressed its desire to come into fellowship with the LCMS at its syn-
odical convention held on July 29, 2000; and

WHEREAS, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.
through the auspices of the LCMS held last year a seminar for
two-thirds of the Lithuanian pastors and has been equipping future
pastors through their educational program for the ministry; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS assembled in convention July 14-20,
2001, extend full pulpit and altar fellowship to the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Lithuania.

Zion
Oak Lawn, [L

To Reach Out Aggressively to Emerging
Lutheran Churches

WuHeREAS, God has opened the door for service to Lutheran
brothers and sisters throughout the lands of the former Soviet
Union; and

WHEREAS, These opportunities are vast and certainly too large
for any single church body or any single partner church of our
Synod to pursue completely; and

WHEREAS, There is an ever-increasing call for aid and support
from a wide variety of Lutheran groups throughout Central Europe.
Siberia, and clsewhere; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct and encourage
the Synod President, in his role as the Synod’s chief ecumenical
officer, to pursue aggressively and vigorously all requests for as-
sistance; and be it further

Resolved, That our Board for Mission Services make the most
of every opportunity to work with confessional Lutheran church
bodies in the lands of the former Soviet Union; and be it finally

Resolved, That should opportunity arise to enter into altar and
pulpit fellowship with these church bodies, that it be brought to the
next synodical convention for approval.

Lamb of God
Pleasant Prairic, WI

3-06

To Promote True Unity of Doctrine and Practice

WHEREAS, Our pastors, teachers, and congregations, as a con-
dition of membership in our Synod, have vowed that all their teach-
ings and practices will be in conformity with the Scriptures: and

WHEREAS, Our Synod has repeatedly affirmed our historic
stance on the scriptural practice of closed Communion, pleading
with its members to honor their commitment to uphold our doc-
trine and practice (1998 Res. 3-05, 1995 Res. 3-08); and

WHEREAS, Our Synod has also repeatedly affirmed that the pas-
toral office is to be entrusted only to males (1998 Res. 3-25A, 1989
Res. 3-14); and

WuereasS, Departure from such teachings and practices is not
only in conflict with the Scriptures, but also causes great confusion
and harm both within our Synod and to those outside by giving a
divided witness; therefore be it

Resolved, That all the members of the Synod be required to
reaffirm their commitment to faithfully teach and practice accord-
ing to the Scriptures and in conformity with the historic teachings
and practices of our Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That those members of Synod who do not hold faith-
fully to the scriptural practice of closed Communion or do not teach
that only males may hold the pastoral office be called to repentance
in the hope that they might be absolved and receive whatever guid-
ance and assistance might be needed to implement faithful teaching
and practice in their midst; and be it finally

Resolved, That those members of Synod who refuse to repent
and to diligently work toward a faithful teaching and practice
should be directed to seek the fellowship of a church body that en-
dorses the teachings and practices they have chosen to follow so
that, first, they might be able to make an honest confession of what
they intend to teach and practice, and second, our Synod’s witness
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ might remain pure.

St. Paul, Decatur, IN; Prince of Peace, Harttord City, IN

To Continue Study of Fellowship
Principles and Practices

WHEREAS, The action of the Synod in its 1998 convention (Res-
olutions 3-08A and 3-10C) calling for “Synodwide study of our fel-
lowship principles and practices (why we do what we do)” points
to a vitally important task among us: and

Wuereas, Effective study of fellowship issues among us re-
quires the involvement and participation of nearly all pastors and
congregations; and

Wuereas, Partly because of failure to respeet the prayerful. pas-
toral judgment of ordained pastors, Circuit Counselors, and Dis-
trict and synodical Presidents, the LCMS suffers with pastors and
people and conventions and officials talking at rather than with one
another on fellowship issues, which are of utmost significance for
our walking together: and

WHEREAS, There is a danger in the LCMS that distant political
process may come to replace prayerful, diligent, and responsible
pastoral practice in matters of fellowship with other baptized Chris-
tians; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Pacific Southwest District request the LCMS
in convention in 2001 to adopt the following approach to the man-

2001 Convention Workbook