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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 300

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

300

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

4. The Synodical representatives to these formal doctrinal discussions
shall present regular reports on these conversations to the President
of the Synod (if he is not himself one of the official representatives)
and to the CTCR.
5. At the conclusion of these discussions, a comprehensive written
report shall be prepared by the Synodical representatives to these
discussions for presentation to the President of the Synod, with a
copy given to the CTCR.
6. The President of the Synod shall formally forward this report to
the Commission on Theology and Church Relations together with
his recommendation regarding church fellowship with this church
body.
7. Following its review of this report and the President’s recommendation, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations shall either recommend that the Synod declare altar and pulpit fellowship
with this church body, or that it decline to approve altar and pulpit
fellowship.
8. If the Commission on Theology and Church Relations recommends that the Synod enter into altar and pulpit fellowship with
this church body, it shall immediately report this to the President of
the Synod. The President shall inform this church, and also all of
the Synod’s partner churches, about this recommendation.
9. If the Commission on Theology and Church Relations recommends
that the Synod enter into altar and pulpit fellowship with another
church body, it shall prepare an overture to this effect for inclusion
in its Report to the next Synodical Convention.
10. If the Commission on Theology and Church Relations declines to
approve altar and pulpit fellowship with this church body, it shall
prepare a statement delineating the reasons for this decision, which
is to be shared with the President of the Synod. The President shall
inform this church body of the Commission on Theology’s action.
If the concerns which caused the Commission to decline to approve
altar and pulpit fellowship are not able to be resolved, the President will inform the members of the Synod and the Synod’s sister
churches, regarding this action of the Commission on Theology
and Church Relations.

11. The Executive Director of the CTCR, in consultation with the heads
of the two church bodies, is to coordinate the preparation of a Protocol Document in the language of each church body to be signed
by the heads of the respective churches following the declaration of
altar and pulpit fellowship at the next Synodical Convention.

IV. Glossary
1. Altar and Pulpit Fellowship is used synonymously with Church
Fellowship.
2. Sister Church—A church with which the Synod is in altar and pulpit fellowship.
3. Partner Church—A sister church with which the Synod has a mutually prepared and signed Protocol Document.
4. Protocol Document—A statement jointly prepared by the Synod
and a sister church which delineates the specific relationship between the two church bodies.
5. Operating Agreement—A document jointly prepared by the Synod
and another church body delineating the terms of agreement on a
specific project.

Adopted April 30, 2003
Commission on Theology and Church Relations
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Note
* This document was adopted by the CTCR in April 2003 in response
to a request from the President of the Synod. Citations from the LCMS
Constitution and Bylaws, therefore, are taken from the 2001 Handbook of
the Synod which was in use at that time. Included in square brackets are
parallel references to the most recent (2007) Synod Handbook.

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 300

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