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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 103

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
North America (ACNA) have occurred since 2010. Topics for
the meetings have included the history and background of the
two churches, understandings of authority and ministry in the
church, the ordination of women to public ministry, contemporary challenges and opportunities facing American Christianity,
worship and catechesis, issues related to marriage and human
sexuality, and the doctrine and practice of the Lord’s Supper.
The meetings have been open and cordial, with the churches’
representatives learning from one another and discovering
many important areas of common ground, but also differences
in doctrine and practice that require further discussion.
LCMS representatives have included President Matthew
Harrison; Dr. Collver, Director of Church Relations; Dr. Lehenbauer and Rev. Vogel of the CTCR; Dr. Lawrence Rast, President of CTSFW; and Dr. Frederick Baue. Because the ACNA
has a number of congregations in Canada, representatives from
the Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC), including Dr. John Stephenson and (former) LCC President Dr. Robert Bugbee, have
also been full and active participants in these discussions. In addition to a May 2012 joint statement by dialogue participants,
a joint affirmation of marriage was prepared by the representatives and then published by the heads of both church bodies,
together with the bishop of the NALC (see next item). A further
joint report on the discussions was prepared by the representatives in February of 2016. Discussions will continue to address
such topics as the understanding of Law and Gospel, the theology and practice of the Lord’s Supper, contemporary cultural
challenges, and potential joint endeavors, especially in relationship with churches in the southern hemisphere.

2. North American Lutheran Church
Representatives of the LCMS, Lutheran Church—Canada
(LCC) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC)
have been meeting together since 2011 and have held discussions on the following topics: authority of Scripture, Gospel
and Scripture, ordination of women, human sexuality and marriage, and threats to religious freedom. LCMS representatives
include Dr. Albert Collver, Dr. John Pless, Dr. Lehenbauer, and
Rev. Vogel. The NALC is represented by Bp. John Bradosky, Dr.
James Nestingen, Rev. Mark Chavez, and Dr. David Wendel.
Dr. Robert Bugbee represents the LCC. Discussions continue
to be both cordial and beneficial. The dialogue participants
jointly drafted a statement on biblical authority in 2016 titled
“God’s Word Forever Shall Abide.” The CTCR commended the
statement at its May 2016 meeting (available in the Appendix
or at http://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=726&DocID=2384).
At their Fall 2017 meeting, the NALC, LCMS, and LCC representatives adopted a three-year guided reading schedule of the
Bible including quotations from J. Michael Reu’s book, Luther
and the Scriptures. The guide is available at https://www.lcms.
org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=4903.

3. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
(WELS) and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS)
Informal discussions between leaders of the LCMS, WELS,
and ELS began in 2012 and have continued on a yearly basis
since then, with the most recent discussions held in November
2018. The meetings have dispelled many caricatures regarding
the different churches and helped to identify what currently
unites and divides them. All three synods have encouraged fu-

103

ture meetings by national convention action. Among the topics
that have been addressed in the discussions are church and ministry, church fellowship, hermeneutics, catechesis, the service of
women in the church, the issue of “cooperation in externals,”
and specific obstacles to fellowship. The meetings will continue
in the coming triennium.

III. Religious Organizations and Movements
The CTCR is charged with assisting “congregations and
ordained and commissioned ministers of religion in fulfilling
their commitment to witness publicly and privately to the one
and only Gospel set forth in the Holy Scriptures” (2016 Bylaw 3.9.5.4 “Fraternal and Other Organizations”). This bylaw
includes the Synod’s longstanding provisions for dealing with
lodges as well as other organizations which have “an unchristian or anti-Christian character.” In providing resources and
information to the members of the Synod regarding such organizations, philosophies, and religious movements, the CTCR
includes a section of its website designated “Evaluations” (see
www.lcms.org/ctcr). Evaluations fall into two general categories:
(1) Lodge Organizations and (2) Religious Organizations and
Movements. The evaluations consider, from a Lutheran theological perspective, a broad range of religious practices, organizations, movements, claims, and individuals—both Christian
and non-Christian. In addition to material previously available,
during the past triennium the Commission has provided several
new evaluations. A goal of the Commission is to continue to
provide Spanish-language translations of its evaluations. The
entire current listing of topics addressed by CTCR evaluations
includes:
••

••

Lodge Organizations
oo

Elks Lodge

Fraternal Order of Eagles

The Lodge

Membership in Certain Fraternal Organizations: A Pastoral Approach (also available in
Spanish)

Moose International

Other Religious Organizations and Movements
oo

Abrahamic Religions

Baha’i Faith

Beth Moore Ministries (also available in
Spanish)

Buddhism (also available in Spanish)

Center for Progressive Christianity

Christian Identity Movement

Christian Reconstructionism

Christian Science (also available in Spanish)

Church of Scientology (also available in
Spanish)
2019 Convention Workbook