LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 86

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86 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

uncoordinated, and perhaps undisciplined approach to
inter-Lutheran activities that could cause considerable
confusion and difficulty. May our consideration of this
matter assist our efforts to serve our Lord and his
church more faithfully and effectively.
Ralph A. Bohlmann
Sept. 16, 1982

Appendix E

Planning Process
for Inter-Lutheran Cooperation

We, the presiding officers of the church bodies
belonging to the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A., concur
in the following planning process for inter-Lutheran
cooperation and respectfully urge its implementation
by our respective constituencies:

1) That planning for future inter-Lutheran coopera-
tion will be developed by the churches now participating
in the council, with the Commission for a New Lutheran
Church as the group through which the ALC, LCA, and
AELC will participate with the other two churches in
that planning;

2) That other Lutheran church bodies will be invited
to join in such planning;

3) That such planning will begin as soon as the work
of the commission has progressed to the point that
ecumenical relationships and interchurch cooperation
can responsibly be discussed and will be completed at
about the same time that completed plans for the new
church are approved by the three churches which have
joined in forming it. The present Commission for a New
Lutheran Church time frame would enable all churches
to deal with a proposal at their 1986 convention.

4) That the process, timetable and progress reports
will be shared at the next general conventions of all
churches participating in the process and that present
inter-Lutheran agencies be consulted and kept informed
of developments;

5) That the Lutheran Council and its programs will
be maintained until such time as they are relocated in a
restructured Lutheran Council or a new inter-Lutheran
cooperative structure or are lodged in one or several
Lutheran church bodies.

Signed:
Ralph A. Bohlmann, President,
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
James R. Crumley, Bishop,
Lutheran Church in America
William H. Kohn, Bishop,
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
David W. Preus, Presiding Bishop,
The American Lutheran Church
Arturs Voitkus, President,
Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Jan. 21, 1983

Appendix:

Church Relations Principles and .
Practices: Developing Guidelines:

Many factors today compel The Lutheran Church’&
Missouri Synod to undertake a careful study in order to
provide concrete guidelines for itself and its people in:
the broad area of Christian interrelationships and
involvements. These factors include the following: ~.

—The sadly divided state of Christendom with
negative impact on the mission of the church, .. 7
—The widespread departure from Biblical doctri
within Christian churches with its negative impa
on the mission of the church; .
—The increased popularity and influence of para- a
transdenominational groups and activities;
—The growing impact of the electronic church
other religious media efforts; wg
—New configurations in American conciliar and dem
inational structures; .
—The growing use of common or similar liturgical tex:
forms, and hymns by church bodies whose doctrin
remain divergent; .
—The deep involvement of many church bodies, incl
ing Lutherans, in political and social questior
sometimes at the expense of emphasis on evange
mission, and nurture; x
—The recent decision to form a new church b
serving 5.5 million American Lutherans; com
—The diminished priority given by fellow Lutherans
the achievement of theological consensus, a8:k
denced by their decisions to establish Interim Euch
istic Sharing with the Episcopalian Church;
—An exaggerated individualism and congregation
ism with a correspondingly diminished sensé
responsibility for the whole church; ;
—An inadequate understanding of our own posi
and policies, together with the reasons that un
them, on the part of a significant number of ow:
members and the members of other Lutheran chut
bodies; °
—The deepened sense of partnership between
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and its
churches, including a growing awareness 0}
responsibility to provide strong leadership foro
sional Lutheranism throughout the world. —

Our CTCR will give direction and shape to this
and the development of guidelines. But the involve
and leadership of all synodical officials is critica!
are to achieve widespread participation, understan
and acceptance by our people.

Our study and guidelines need to be espet
thorough, comprehensive, and concrete, and they.
to deal with the application of our Biblical and.e¢
sional position and principles to our contemp
situation—a situation that has changed 12
respects since some of our traditional applicatio
developed. We will need to ask some new questi
explore various approaches to new situati