LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 394

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394

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

Ir was on the basis of these principles that the Missouri Synod participated in
the free conferences which took piace during the last half of the 19th century
and tnar st declared aitar and pulpit fellowship with other Lutheran synods
and was instrumental in organizing the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical
Conference of North America in 1872. These principles also manifest
themselves in the long history of doctrinal discussions which took place with
The American Lutheran Church (and its predecessor bodies) prior to the
deciaranon of altar and pulpit fellowship with this church body by majority
vote at the 1969 convention of the Synod.

The practical implications of a declaration of altar and pulpit fellowship
with another church body are set forth in the resolution in which the LCMS
deciared altar and pulpit fellowship with The ALC.* First noting that “with
the establishment of fellowship each church body retains its separate identity
and organizational structure, procedures, and policies.” this resolution holds
that’’a congregation of one church body may cail as its pastor a clergyman of
the other church dody. provided that prior consultation has resulted in
mutual approval by the respective administrative officials of both church
bodies involved in such a call.” This document then proceeds to state that
altar and pulpit fellowship will express itself in the following ways

2. Pastors in good standing in each church body may be invited to
preach from the pulpits of congregations of the other church body

2. Congregations of church bodies in feliowship may hoid :oint worship
services

Members of the congregations of each church body who are in good
standing in :heir own congregation and do not violate principles
regulating Commumion practices :n the host congregation shali be
weicome guests at the altar of congregations of the other church
body. In the interest of the pastoral care and responsibility of the
congregation of which an individual is a member. there should not be
an indiscriminate visiting of the altars of churches either within his
own church dody or at the altars of congregations of that church
body with which his church is in feliowship

4 Members in good standing may transfer their membership from a

w

**Charter members of this organization were six synods
which had prev:ously declared themselves to be in altar and pulpit
fellowship with each other

Resolution 3-15, Convention Proceedings, 1969, pp. 96
ff. This understanding of the meaning of pulpit and altar fellowship
had previously been accepted in substance by the national and
District presidents of The American Lutheran Church and The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

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This model of ecciesiastical declaration of altar and pulpit fellowship
does not in and of itself stand in conflict with any of the Scriptural principles of
fellowship set forth in the first section of this report. On the contrary, with its
insistence that external unity in the church be based on agreement in
doctrine and practice. for example, this mode! allows for making a clear
distinction between spiritual unity in the body of Christ. which is given with
faith (Thesis 1), and external unity, which is constituted by agreement in the
faith which is confessed for the sake of the umity of the church (Thesis 7). * By
making the declaration of altar and pulpit fellowship dependent on the prior
assurance that agreement in doctrine and practice actually exists between
the church bodies involved, it takes seriously the divine mandate that the
faith be confessed in accordance with the Scriptures for the sake of the
edification and extension of Christ's body. the church (Thesis 6). It is in this
way that this model seeks to guard against the loveless toleration of any
compromising of the Gospel through which the spiritual unity of the church
comes into being (Thesis 8). And by requiring that the declaration of church
fellowship be a church-body: decision rather than merely a congregational
decision, it seeks to minimize the danger of being misled by a false witness of
external unity where agreement in confession does not in fact exist (Thesis 5).

“Cf. “A Lutheran Stance Toward Ecumenism,” p. 9:
“Since the sphere of ecumenical endeavors is properly the Una
Sancta, it is self-evident that the goal of such efforts is not to
create the unity of the church (unitas, Einigkeit der Kirche). The
unitas of the Una Sancta is given with the faith that joins all
Christians to their one Head, Christ, and to each other in the little
holy flock which is without sect or schism (LC, Il, 51). The unity of
the church is the presupposition, not the goal, of ecumenical
endeavors (AC, Preface, 10).”

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congregation of one church body to a congregation of the other
church body in conformity with the pracnces of the receiw:ng
congregation.

These provisions make it clear that the Synod regards altar and pulpit
fellowship to be an alternative to organic merger as an acceptable way of
satisfying the divine mandate that the members of the body of Christ seek to
manifest their unity externally. *°

“°Cf. Toword Fellowship, p. 13. This brochure was
distributed throughout the LCMS by President Oliver Harms
prior to 1969 in response to 1967 Resolution 3-23. This document
states: “The same doctrinal requirements obtain for establisning
church merger as for establishing altar and pulpit fellowship. The
practice of fellowship would be essentially the same under either
arrangement. Either arrangement offers the same demands and
the same latitude with respect to fellowship. If church bodies wish
to form achurch merger or some other type of association. then it
is assumed they are prepared to make the necessary structural or
organizational adjustments. Under the altar and pulpit fellowship
being proposed now, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
will be free to give full expression to its fraternal relations while
maintaining simultaneously its operational and institutiona: auto-
nomy.” Cf. also 1971 Resolution 3-26, which states: “Resolved,
That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod restate its desire
to initiate and work toward fellowship with those Lutheran
churches with whom it is not in altar and pulpit fellowship. and
continue to work toward a greater degree of unity with those with
whom it ts in altar and pulpit fellowship, and that the activity
proceed as follows: 1) Multilevel discussion of the Scriptures and
the Lutheran Confessions unth those Lutheran churches with
whom we are not in fellowship in order to seek agreement in
doctrine and practice leading to a declaration of altar and pulpit
fellowship. These discussions may serve to provide guidelines for
additional cooperative activity, 2) Declaration of altar and pulpit
fellowship by a majontty vote of the church delegates assembled in
church convention after the President of the Synod and the
CTCR make a recommendation in the matter: 3) Continued
negotiations to find the proper ensuing steps to implement
additional forms of cooperative activity: and be it further
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missoun Synod express
the position that, at this time, it is ppmarily onented toward altar
and pulpit fellowship and further cooperative activities, rather
than organic union” (Convention Proceedings. 1971, p. 139).

CONCLUSION