# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S419
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OTHER PERTINENT DOCUMENTS 419

at its table was an important supporting factor in the decision to move
AALC seminary operations to the Fort Wayne seminary. He also re-
ported that AALC response to LCMS documents on this subject is pos-
itive and that any concerns that may exist have to do with local experi-
ences.

The final subject discussed at the meeting, “The Practice of Church Fel-
lowship,” entailed a review and discussion of section 4 of the 1981
CTCR document “The Nature and Implications of the Concept of Fel-
lowship,” “4. Ecclesiastical Declaration of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship,”
and a review of documentation from the LCMS Council of Presidents
that provides models of partnership with other church bodies. Discus-
sion followed regarding the process to be followed by the AALC and
the LCMS leading to convention actions, including the development of
an accompanying protocol document.

III. Recommendation of the Committees

Upon completion of the discussions, representatives of the
AALC and the LCMS caucused separately to discuss the recom-
mendations they would bring forward from the meeting. Both
groups reported that they had reached unanimous decisions to sup-
port moving forward with their respective processes for declaring
altar and pulpit fellowship with the other church body, as evidenced
by the press release after the meeting:

Representatives of The American Association of Lutheran Churches
(AALC) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) unani-
mously recommend that their respective church bodies proceed toward
entering into Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with each other.

This recommendation was reached at the conclusion of the third in a
series of formal meetings held in St. Louis July 13-14. Discussion at
this meeting focused on church fellowship practices, including discus-
sions about the practice of close(d) communion. Previous meetings
were held in St. Louis and in Albuquerque in 2005.

In the earlier two sessions of these meetings, participants discussed
each church body’s official position on “Church and Ministry,” “Lay
Ministry,” “Charismatic Concerns,” “Inter-Christian Relations,” “Piety
vs. Pietism,” and the Role of Women in the Church.” Also discussed at
length were each church body’s understanding of the authority of Scrip-
ture and the binding nature of subscription to the writings in the Book of
Concord.

The participants expressed their thanksgiving to God for the agree-
ment reached in these discussions. “We are grateful to God for this
godly opportunity to work together toward the expression of our com-
mon confession and witness to Christ, and we look forward to the
prospect of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with the Missouri Synod,” said
Rev. Thomas Aadland, Presiding Pastor of the AALC. “How good and
pleasant it is when brothers and sisters in Christ dwell in unity,” stated
Dr. Samuel Nafzger, Executive Director of the LCMS Commission on
Theology and Church Relations, echoing the words of Psalm 133. “I
pray that this important step in the process of working toward fellow-
ship with other Christian church bodies, one of the important objectives
of our Synod, will be a genuine blessing to both the AALC and the
LCMS, strengthening the Gospel witness of both,” said Dr. Gerald
Kieschnick, President of the LCMS. The meeting concluded with the
singing of the doxology.

This recommendation will now be presented by each set of repre-
sentatives to their respective church bodies for consideration in accor-
dance with the procedures required for entering into church fellowship.
Expressions of thanksgiving and appreciation for brotherly re-

ception and generous hospitality were exchanged before the final
meeting was closed with prayer.

TV. Recommendation to the President of the LCMS

The LCMS representatives to the meetings with representatives
of the AALC have concluded unanimously that the discussions that
have taken place as described in this document have revealed no
valid reason for discontinuing the process leading to a declaration
of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with the American Association of
Lutheran Churches. The President therefore is encouraged to ad-
vocate such fellowship and advance the process that will allow its
consideration and declaration by the 2007 convention of the Synod.

Submitted to President Gerald Kieschnick, October 2006, by
the Committee

Dr. Charles Arand

Dr. William Diekelman
Dr. Raymond Hartwig
Dr. Samuel Nafzger

2007 Convention Workbook