LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 149

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5. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, compiled in the Book of
Concord of 1580 as a correct exposition of the Sacred
Scriptures, and it will not admit any modification to this
rule; and
WHEREAS, The IELP is in altar and pulpit fellowship with
other partner church bodies of the Synod such as the IELB
and the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church in
Europe; and
WHEREAS, The 2016 Handbook says, “When a small,
formative, emerging confessional Lutheran church body
(identified as such by the President of the Synod as chief
ecumenical officer) requests recognition of altar and pulpit
fellowship with the Synod, after consultation with the
Praesidium and approval by the commission, such
recognition may be declared by the President of the Synod
subject to endorsement of the subsequent Synod
convention” (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 [c]); and
WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church
Relations (CTCR) has examined pertinent theological and
organizational documents of the IELP and found these
documents to be faithful to Scripture and the Lutheran
Confessions; and
WHEREAS, Church fellowship has been recognized by the
President of the Synod after consultation with the
Praesidium and approval by CTCR; therefore be it
Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude the unity
of confession that has been given to our churches under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit; and be it further
Resolved, That we give thanks to God for the Lutheran
confession of the Gospel the IELP provides to its country;
and be it further
Resolved, That this convention endorse the President of
Synod’s recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between
the Synod and the IELP; and be it further
Resolved, That we encourage and walk with the IELP as
they proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost
world; and be it further
Resolved, That we pray for God’s blessings in the coming
years on this agreement in the confession of the Gospel that
we enjoy as partner churches; and be it finally
Resolved, That in celebration and thanksgiving of this
partnership in the Gospel, the convention assembly signify
its approval by rising and singing the common doxology.
Action: Adopted (3)
After discussion by the assembly, IELP President Adalberto Hiller
was invited forward and the convention adopted the resolution
by saying, “Yea, yea, it shall be so,” and the common doxology
was sung. President Hiller brought the warm greetings of his
church body, which sees the LCMS as its “grandmother” church,
and the church bodies’ respective members as brothers and as
children, together, of God. He spoke of the great encouragement
it is for the synods to be part of the same confessional “family.”

Resolutions

To Recognize Altar and Pulpit
Fellowship with the Confessional
Lutheran Church of South Africa
RESOLUTION 5-03
Overture 5-03 (CW, 426–27)

Preamble
The Confessional Lutheran Church of South Africa (CLCSA)
was established as an independent church body in 1989.
The church is primarily located in Middelburg, South
Africa. The church reports 10 congregations and six
preaching stations with a total of about 15,000 members.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has had a
long relationship with this church body and its founding
pastor and bishop, Mandla Khumalo, via St. Peter Lutheran
Church in Arlington Heights, Ill., and more recently
through the Michigan District. In 1988, St. Peter Lutheran
Church, in cooperation with Dr. Robert Preus of Concordia
Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, provided Rev.
Khumalo with a Synod seminary education.
The Synod is in altar and pulpit fellowship with two other
church bodies in southern Africa. The first of those
churches, the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South
Africa (FELSISA) was founded in 1892 to avoid unionistic
practices found in Germany. The Synod is also in altar and
pulpit fellowship with the Lutheran Church in Southern
Africa (LCSA) which was founded as an independent
church in 1967 with roots in the missionary work of
FELSISA. These two church bodies have maintained
friendly relations with the CLCSA over the years. It is our
prayer that the three church bodies will grow closer to one
another. In 2018, the International Lutheran Council
welcomed the CLCSA into membership.
WHEREAS, The CLCSA formally requested altar and pulpit
fellowship with the LCMS in October 2015; and
WHEREAS, The CLCSA accepts all the canonical books of
the Sacred Scriptures of the Old and of the New Testaments
as the infallible, revealed Word of God. As a correct
exposition of the Sacred Scriptures, the CLCSA accepts the
symbolic books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church,
compiled in the Book of Concord of 1580, and it will not
admit any modification to this rule; and
WHEREAS, The 2016 Handbook, Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b), says,
“When a church body applies for formal recognition of altar
and pulpit fellowship with the Synod, such recognition
shall be proposed at a convention of the Synod only after
the approval of the commission;” and
WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church
Relations has examined pertinent theological and
organizational documents of the CLCSA and found these
documents to be faithful to Scripture and the Lutheran
Confessions; therefore be it
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 149