LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 153

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 133

doctrinal agreement necessary for altar and pulpit fellowship.
The relationship between such church bodies seeking altar and
pulpit fellowship should be characterized by the mutual recog-
nition of their common confessional heritage as they work to
achieve and express greater consensus in the doctrine of the
Gospel.

Churches seeking to establish altar and pulpit fellowship,
whether or not they are associated in a council, may choose to
cooperate and work together in certain areas (cooperatio in
externis). However, such cooperation and joint work does not
properly include the joint worship and activity in Word and
sacraments fcommunio in sacris) associated with church
bodies which have altar and pulpit fellowship with each other.

Pastors, teachers, and congregations (the official members
of the Synod), as well as the official representatives of the
Synod (e.g., synodical and District officers and executives,
board and commission members) and the official entities and
agencies of the Synod (e.g., synodical and District conventions,
pastors and teachers conferences, educational institutions,
service agencies), are all expected to honor and uphold the
Synod’s ecumenical principles and its official relationships
with other church bodies.

This “responsible commitment” to one another in the Synod
is balanced by the “responsible freedom” which the Synod
accords its pastors and congregations as they faithfully carry
out their Gospel ministries to people, particularly in extraordi-
nary or unusual circumstances. The Synod also recognizes
that the members of its congregations, as they live out their
lives as Christian individuals, frequently face involvements
and activities with other Christians who belong to church
bodies not in altar and pulpit fellowship with the Synod. Such
situations call for a witness that is faithful to the Biblical and
confessional principles of the Synod while at the same time
manifesting Christian love to all professing Christians
whether members of our church body or not.

In relationships with other Christians, commitment and
freedom frequently appear to be in tension, and decisions are
seldom simple. Members of the Synod will do well, therefore, to
exercise a high degree of mutual understanding and forbear-
ance toward one another, to put the best construction on
everything, and to refrain from loveless and uninformed
criticism of brethren. Above all, we need to pray ceaselessly for
the gift of the Spirit to enable us, however imperfectly, ‘‘to
maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”’ (Eph. 4:3).

I. We Confess Our Sins

We recommend that the Synod, confident of God’s forgive-
ness through the merits of Jesus Christ, call upon all its
members to recognize and penitently confess before God and
Christian brethren everywhere that our sins of pride, indiffer-
ence, and lovelessness have all too often impeded our relation-
ships with our brethren, both within our Synod and in other
church bodies.

II. We Express Gratitude to God

We recommend that the Synod express its gratitude to God

for

—the spiritual fellowship which we have with our Lord and
with all believers in the body of Christ.

—the confessional heritage of Lutheranism and the efforts
of Lutherans in all parts of the world to be faithful to that
heritage.

—the agreement in Biblical and confessional doctrine
which binds our Synod together.

—the altar and pulpit fellowship which the Synod has
enjoyed with other Lutheran church bodies during its
history.

—the mutual ministry which the Synod shares with its
partner churches throughout the world.

—the opportunity to be associated with other Lutheran
church bodies in seeking greater doctrinal consensus and
in working together to meet human needs.

III. Our Relationship to the ALC
Church Body Relationship

WHEREAS, Both the ALC and the LCMS recognize that
doctrinal differences exist between the two church bodies; and

WHEREAS, Twelve years of doctrinal discussion between the
ALC and the LCMS, including four years of “fellowship in
protest,” have neither resolved existing doctrinal differences,
nor offered any basis for assuming that they will soon be
resolved; and

WHEREAS, The LCMS understands “altar and pulpit fellow-
ship” to be an official relationship between two church bodies
based on their agreement in Biblical and confessional doctrine
and practice: therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS herewith declare that it is notin
altar and pulpit fellowship with The American Lutheran
Church.

Reexamination of Joint Efforts

WHEREAS, Some pastors and congregations of the LCMS are
presently involved in joint fellowship efforts with their counter-
parts in The American Lutheran Church; and

WHEREAS, The abrupt discontinuation of such efforts may
in some cases be disruptive to the ministry of the Gospel; and

WHEREAS, The prolonged continuation of such joint efforts
when the church bodies themselves are not in altar and pulpit
fellowship may cause harm to the ministry of the Gospel;
therefore be it

Resolved, That pastors and congregations reexamine such
joint efforts in order to determine their Christian responsibility
both to their fellow members in the LCMS and to those
members of the ALC involved with them in these efforts; and
be it further

Resolved, That the members of the LCMS pledge to one
another and to the members of the ALC their mutual trust and
understanding in resolving such cases, recognizing that the
best interests of the Kingdom call for our confessional commit-
ment to be exercised with both patience and love.

Pastoral Care

WHEREAS, The LCMS has long encouraged its pastors and
congregations in extraordinary circumstances to provide respon-
sible pastoral care, including the administration of Holy
Communion, to Christians who are members of denominations
not in fellowship with the LCMS; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS recognize that its pastors and
congregations, as circumstances warrant, may provide
responsible pastoral care to individual members of the ALC.

Continued Doctrinal Discussions

WHEREAS, The LCMS considers agreement with other
Lutheran church bodies in Biblical and confessional doctrine
and practice to be one of its highest priorities; and

WHEREAS, The lack of such agreement with The American
Lutheran Church is particularly grievous in view of the long
and cherished relationships and the common confessional
heritage enjoyed by the two church bodies; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS herewith commit itself to con-
tinued doctrinal discussions with the ALC with the prayer that
the Lord of the church will send His Holy Spirit to guide and
bless those discussions, to enable both church bodies to reach
agreement in their confession and practice of Biblical and
confessional doctrine and thereby to hasten the day when the
two church bodies can enjoy a God-pleasing altar and pulpit
fellowship relationship.

IV. Our Association in LCUSA

WHEREAS, The LCMS is closely associated with The Ameri-
can Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America and
the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches through
our membership in the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.; and

WHEREAS, This association is an important recognition that
the participating church bodies share a common confessional
heritage; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod assure the church bodies with
whom it is associated in the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.
that it values the opportunity provided by the council to work
toward theological consensus and to engage in joint efforts to
meet human needs; and be it further