# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S165
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Theology and Church Relations
Communion practice, unionistic worship practices, and teaching on
lodge membership; therefore be it
Resolved, That where formal altar and pulpit fellowship ties have
been established but true unity remains in question, the congregations
of the district patiently and humbly seek that true unity with neighboring congregations through joint study under the Word of God and
the Lutheran Confessions; And be it further
Resolved, That congregations of the district be reminded that in
situations where resolutions of the Synod are truly inexpedient to the
faithful teaching and practice of the member congregation, such resolutions of the Synod are not to be followed; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Montana District of the LCMS memorialize
the 2013 LCMS convention to direct the Synod President to reconsider fellowship with The AALC.
Montana District
4-04

To Evaluate Fellowship with AALC
Whereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention
from 1967 through 1995 has repeatedly reaffirmed its historic position of close(d) Communion; and
Whereas, The 2007 LCMS convention entered into fellowship
with The American Association of Lutheran Churches (The AALC),
which officially does not practice close(d) Communion (“Do you
practice open or closed communion? We practice ‘responsible communion,’ which is neither open nor closed” [http://taalc.org/FAQ/
CommunionInTheAALC.html]); and
Whereas, Remaining in fellowship with a church body that does
not practice close(d) Communion is inconsistent with our LCMS
practice of close(d) Communion; and
Whereas, The AALC sends its theological students to Concordia
Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne for pastoral education and maintains its national office on its campus; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention direct the CTCR,
Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and Concordia Theological
Seminary in Fort Wayne to give a theological evaluation and opinion
about reentering discussions with The AALC and remaining or breaking fellowship with The AALC, to be presented at the 2016 LCMS
convention; And be it further
Resolved, That the Synod encourage the faculty of Concordia
Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne to discuss the matter of our differences in whom we admit to the altar in Holy Communion with The
AALC students and officials in their midst.
Zion Lutheran
Chippewa Falls, WI
4-05

To Address Doctrinal and Fellowship Differences
with AALC
Whereas, The LCMS declared altar and pulpit fellowship with
The American Association of Lutheran Churches (The AALC) at the
2007 LCMS convention, approving Res. 3-01; and
Whereas, A congregation of The AALC has opened in Gillette,
Wyoming, such congregation being named Abiding Grace; and
Whereas, It is known that Abiding Grace is being served by a
layman, defined by the AALC Policy and Procedures Manual (chapter 8, page 14, found on the AALC Web site, TAALC.org) as an

165

“Unrostered Licensed Lay Minister” who is “approved for temporary, short-term Word and Sacrament ministry”; and
Whereas, On the AALC Web site, in response to the question “Do
you practice open or closed communion?” the following answer is
given, “We practice ‘responsible communion,’ which is neither open
or closed. That is, according to the Bible we have a responsibility to
tell people what we believe (‘we receive the body and blood of Jesus
Christ with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of sin’), based on
Matthew 26:26–28, Mark 14:22–24, Luke 22:19–20, 1 Corinthians
10:16–17, 1 Corinthians 11:23–28. The person has responsibility to
check with the Bible to ensure that it does teach that, and that the person agrees with that. Administration is left with the local pastor as
part of his pastoral care”; and
Whereas, Augsburg Confession Art. XIV, “Ecclesiastical Order,”
which confesses that “nobody should preach publicly in the church or
administer the sacraments unless he is regularly called,” is being violated by a layperson being allowed to administer the Lord’s Supper
and to publicly preach in the church; and
Whereas, The stated communion practice of The AALC is incongruent with that of the LCMS as stated in adopted 2007 Res. 3-09,
which says in part, “Resolved, that all pastors and congregations who
have established and practice communion fellowship contrary to the
Word of God and the Lutheran Confessions be encouraged by the
2007 LCMS convention to immediately cease such practice and return
to the faithful practice and administration of the Sacrament of Holy
Communion by practicing close(d) Communion”; and
Whereas, The Wyoming District president, at the request of the
Powder River Circuit of the Wyoming District, has made repeated
attempts to contact The AALC for answers to the question of why
these practices are permitted, but no answers have been provided to
clarify or explain; therefore be it
Resolved, That all congregations and pastors of the Wyoming District be aware of these existing doctrine and fellowship issues; And
be it further
Resolved, That the Wyoming District memorialize the LCMS to
address these doctrine and fellowship differences with the leadership
of The AALC as soon as possible; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Wyoming District memorialize the LCMS that
if the doctrine and fellowship differences cannot be resolved, altar and
pulpit fellowship with The AALC be declared broken.
Wyoming District
4-06

To Restore to Synod Conventions Sole Authority
for Declaring Fellowship
Whereas, Altar and pulpit fellowship should not be entered into
lightly, as our fellowship shows our unity in all aspects of faith and
doctrine; and
Whereas, The 2010 LCMS convention passed Res. 3-04A, which
added paragraph (c) to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2, stating, “(c) When a small,
formative, emerging confessional Lutheran church body (identified
as such by the President of the Synod as chief ecumenical officer)
requests recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with the Synod, and
after consultation with the Praesidium and approval by the commission, such recognition may be declared by the President of the Synod
subject to the endorsement of the subsequent Synod convention,” this
potentially conflicts with Bylaw 3.1.1, which states, “Only a national
convention of the Synod shall authorize affiliation or association and
2013 Convention Workbook