LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1992, Page 51

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REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT . 51

ing projects to assist independent Lutheran. congregations
in Russia, primarily German-speaking. Associate Lu-
theran Hour Speaker Wallace Schulz has given personal
leadership to these efforts. More recently, the Board for
Mission Services has appointed Dr. Thomas Sluberski to
serve in the St. Petersburg area, and additional English
language teachers have been provided. Much of the work
we are attempting to do in Eastern Europe is not what we
have typically understood as “mission work.” We have not
focused on starting new Lutheran congregations but have

attempted to support established Lutheran churches with .

whom we do not enjoy an official fellowship relationship
at the present time. However, I am pleased to report that
all of our contacts to date, particularly with the Lutheran
Church in Czechoslovakia and its Bishop, Pavel Uhorskai,
have been most graciously received and blessed by the
Lord. I feel very hopeful about the future of these efforts.

Church Relations
' According to the synodical Constitution and Bylaws, the

synodical President is primarily responsible for contacts

and relationships with other church bodies, many of which
are described in tbe report of the Commission on Theology
and Church Relations. This includes partner churches
around the world, other Lutheran churches, inter-Chris-
tian dialogs and contacts, ecumenical organizations, and
the like.

Because of the considerable correspondence, travel, and
meetings entailed in these far-flung relationships, the
President's office in 1988 developed a “Church Relations
Department’ within the structure of the office. Its steering
committee consists of the President, First Vice-President,
and the executive directors of the Board for Mission Ser-
vices and the Commission on Theology and Church Rela-
tions. This administrative arrangement, which is currently
operating without direct staff services, has been of great
value in coordinating the various church-relations contacts
of the synodical boards, educational institutions, and Dis-
tricts, as the Synod remains in continuing contact with
more than 35 partner churches and.other Christian groups
worldwide. . '

There have been relatively few official contacts with the
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Evangel-
ical Lutheran Synod during the past triennium, but a num;
ber of informal contacts, as well as meetings involving
synodical staff persons, have continued to bring evidence
of cordial and friendly relationships. However cordial such
contacts have been, it remains a disappointment to me that
these two church bodies have demonstrated very little in!
terest in responding to our standing invitation to meet at
any time to discuss our long-standing differences as well
as the possibilities of closer relationships. Both of these

church bodies have been invited to bring greetings to our
convention.

Dealing with other autonomous church bodies requires
not only doctrinal integrity but a special sensitivity and
fraternal collegiality, particularly with smaller third-world
churches, who remember only too well the days of pater,
nalism and colonialism. The LCMS has assigned such
church relations responsibilities to the synodical President
(cf., Bylaw 3.101, f and g). This responsibility could easily.

engage a small staff of full-time LCMS “ambassadors,”
something we obviously cannot afford. Accordingly, key
BFMS staff help by carrying out such ambassadorial,
church relations duties, in addition to their many admin-
istrative tasks.

Confessional and mission ties remain very strong with
our newest partrier church, the Lutheran Church—Can-
ada, which began its autonomous existence on Jan. 1, 1989.
Regular meetings are held between the officers and staffs
of the two church bodies to maintain the highest possible
level of solidarity and cooperation.

Annual meetings are also held with the leadership of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This “Com-
mittee on Lutheran Cooperation” monitors the work the
two church bodies do together in Lutheran World Retief,
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, and various
other inter-Lutheran agencies. Theological differences,
which keep the two churches from enjoying altar and pul-
pit fellowship, have also been addressed during this past
triennium. With the aid of a generous grant, the Bishops
and Presidents of the two church .bodies, together with
their counterparts in Canada, held a conference in 1990
to discuss common problems faced by the two church bodies
in strengthening and supporting the pastoral office, and,
in informal small groups, to understand better what steps
need to be taken to improve relationships between the
church bodies. Contrary to some reports that have circu-
lated in the Synod, the devotional exercises at this con-
ference faithfully observed synodical principles. Another
such meeting is planned for the fall of 1992. .

On a worldwide basis, we have had only marginal con-
tacts with the Lutheran World Federation during the past
triennium. These contacts have consisted primarily in vis-
its between key staff persons, correspondence, and occa-
sional telephone conversations. The Lutheran World
Federation continues to emphasize its self-understanding
as a “communion” of churches in full fellowship with each
other—an understanding that is contrary to our theolog-
ical position. In the meantime, in contacts with our sister
church in Australia, the LWF has made it clear that it is
now open to a kind of “associate membership” with that
church body that will not entail automatic altar and pulpit
fellowship. Although the Synod has been in conversations
with leadership of the Lutheran Church of Australia, as
well as the Lutheran Church—Canada, about the LCA’s
interest in such associate membership, synodical leaders
have expressed no interest in pursuing that possibility.

Conversations have also taken place during the trien-
nium with representatives of the American Association of
Lutheran Churches, a group of congregations that chose
not to join the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
but to form its own church body. Several of these conver-

. Sations have focused on our common opposition to abortion

on demand.

Considerations are also underway concerning the pos-
sibility of mutual partner church recognition with our sis-
ter church in Paraguay. If at all possible, a rec-
ommendation to that end will be forthcoming at the con-
vention itself.

During this triennium, the Commission on Theology