Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2019 · 67th Convention, Tampa › Page 428
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 428

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

428

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

its two seminaries most if not all the pastors needed to fill its
vacancies; and
WHEREAS, In that Operating Agreement, Section 3, Membership
Matters, paragraph (a), Congregations, states:
“However, all congregations in Canada shall be regularly
encouraged by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to join
Lutheran Church—Canada as soon as possible, and thereupon to
sever their membership in The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod… Both church bodies acknowledge that except as set
forth in this paragraph, they will neither accept new member
congregations located in the country of the other, nor establish
or recognize mission or preaching stations in the country of the
other, without the mutual consent of the two church bodies.”;
and
WHEREAS, Given this wording, the agreement could be
understood to restrict LCMS congregations and pastors not only
from planting daughter congregations, college/university campus
ministry, or even chaplaincy (hospital, police, fire, military), the
very ways a congregation of Lutheran Christians would want to be
involved locally in mission in Canada; and
WHEREAS, In order to support the new synod and not be in
competition with LCC congregations attempting to plant daughter
congregations or begin other local efforts at outreach, LCMS
congregations in Canada voluntarily agreed to restrict their outreach
efforts in accord with the operating agreement. Now that the LCC
has been established over these three decades, the time seems to
have come for this voluntary restriction to be removed so that
LCMS congregations in Canada are able to act locally in such
mission efforts in accord with the Scriptures, especially as stifling
such mission vision now would seem to be contrary to Scripture
even if it works bureaucratically; and
WHEREAS, The only point of discussion that has caused debate
between the two Synod presidents over the years has really revolved
around a handful of pastors and congregations who have wanted to
leave LCC and join English District of the LCMS. This has been
interpreted as a violation of paragraph 3(a); LCMS congregations
can and are encouraged to join the LCC but it is not allowed for an
LCC congregation to go the other way; and
WHEREAS, Those few congregations in Canada that have joined
the English District after the formation of the LCC have had a
variety of reasons for this change in membership, and have only
done so after due process in their voters’ assemblies; and
WHEREAS, This has not radically undermined the Operating
Agreement, nor the stability of the LCC, and the East District in
particular; and
WHEREAS, The fact that the Operating Agreement paragraph 3(a)
specifically mentions that “mutual agreement is required” to
“accept new member congregations located in the country of the
other” means the two church bodies recognize that such cases might
come up as an English District congregation in Canada expanding
its ministry with a satellite church; or a mission plant that wants to
remain in the English District when it is recognized as a
congregation independent of its mother congregation; or an LCC
congregation for other than doctrinal reasons decides it wants to join
the LCMS. It seems logical that for the incidental happening of
these events, partner church bodies as close as the LCMS and LCC
should be able to work through this; therefore be it

2019 Convention Workbook

Resolved, That the Synod in Convention instruct the President of
Synod to draft a new paragraph 3(a) with the President of Lutheran
Church—Canada, also including in these discussions the East
Regional Pastor of LCC and the Presidents of the English District
and the SELC District, as well as appropriate staff members. We
ask that particular attention be given to these two issues in regard to
the current Operating Agreement: the free movement of
congregations and pastors between LCMS and LCC in both
directions including those now in process, and the ability to plant
daughter congregations or other ministries such as chaplaincies
freely by LCMS churches; and be it further
Resolved, That this be done in a timely manner and that the
LCMS Synod President report to the 2022 Synod convention on
progress in this revision; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention reaffirm our desire to
seek to continue good fraternal cooperation between our two
synods, supporting each other in times of need as well as celebration
as we have done over these past 32; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage LCMS
congregations in Canada to do the same, through such activities as
preaching for one another in times of sickness or vacancy and
sharing educational opportunities, as together we seek to proclaim
Christ Crucified and Risen for a fallen world.
Gethsemane, Windsor, ON; Peace, Windsor, ON; Saint Luke,
North York, ON; Circuit 7 (Canada East), English District;
Circuit 8 (Canada West), English District
Ov. 5-06

To Amend Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 Regarding Altar and
Pulpit Fellowship with New Church Bodies
Formed by Partner Churches
WHEREAS, The first objective of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod (LCMS) is to: “Conserve and Promote the unity of
the true faith (Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor. 1:10), work through its official
structure toward fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and
provide a united defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16:17),
and heresy”; and
WHEREAS, The President of the Synod is its chief ecumenical
officer (Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2) and the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations (CTCR) has the responsibility to “assist the
President of the Synod at his request in discharging his
constitutional responsibilities for maintaining doctrinal integrity as
he relates to other church bodies” (Bylaws 3.9.5.2.2); and
WHEREAS, This bylaw requires CTCR approval before a church
body may apply “for formal recognition of altar and pulpit
fellowship with the Synod” at a Synod convention (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2
[b]); and
WHEREAS, The President of Synod may declare fellowship with
a small, formative emerging confessional Lutheran church body
that requests recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with Synod,
after consultation with the Praesidium and approval by the
commission, subject to the endorsement of subsequent Synod
convention (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 [c]); and
WHEREAS, The Board for International Mission may propose at
convention a recognition of fellowship with a mission of the Synod
that becomes a self-governing church body with the approval of the
commission (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 [d]); and