LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 58

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

58

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Harrison accordingly declared recognition of fellowship with the
ELMDF in October 2020. The CTCR has submitted an overture
to the 2023 convention urging formal endorsement by the Synod
in convention.

2. Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan/Sudan
(ELCSS/S)
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan and Sudan
(ELCSS/S) was established in 1993 and initially submitted a request for fellowship in 1999, which was subsequently renewed in
2005 and 2013 due to various tensions within the church body and
changes to its administration. Following discussion by the CTCR
in 2013 and meetings between LCMS officials and ELCSS/S representatives in 2015, new bishop Peter Anibati Abia renewed the
request for fellowship in 2018. After further deliberations by the
CTCR and a meeting between CTCR representatives and Bishop
Abia in April 2021, the CTCR invited Bishop Abia to join the full
commission at its September 2021 meeting for formal discussions
toward church fellowship. At its subsequent meeting in December
2021, the CTCR voted unanimously to recommend the formal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with the ELCSS/S pursuant
to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (c), forwarding its recommendation to the Office
of the President for declaration and subsequent endorsement by the
Synod in convention. President Harrison accordingly declared recognition of fellowship with the ELCSS/S in August 2022, and the
fellowship between our churches was publicly announced in a joint
worship service held on Sept. 18, 2022, in Kisumu, Kenya. The
CTCR has submitted an overture to the 2023 convention urging
formal endorsement by the Synod in convention.

3. Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU)
The Lutheran Church of Uganda (LCU) began as a mission
effort of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana (ELCG) in
1993, with the support and cooperation of the LCMS, including
service by the Synod’s missionaries. In 2015, the LCU officially
became a self-governing church body independent of the ELCG
and subsequently, in 2016, submitted a request for altar and pulpit fellowship. The commission took the request into consideration
during the 2016–2019 triennium and continued discussion into the
present extended triennium, before finally inviting Bishop Charles
Bameka and other representatives of the LCU for discussion at its
October 2022 meeting. At that October 2022 meeting, the commission voted unanimously to recommend the recognition of altar and
pulpit fellowship under Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b) and has submitted an
overture urging this action for consideration by the Synod at the
2023 convention.

4. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (ELCU)
Lutheranism came to Ukraine near the end of the 18th century
with the migration of German farmers and craftsmen invited by the
Russian czar to work in and help develop Ukraine. The ELCU has
its roots in the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine
(GELCU), which was established in 1992. The Rev. Serge Maschewski was elected as Bishop of GELCU in 2013 and took office
in 2014. At its Feb. 16–18, 2023, meeting, the CTCR met face-toface with Bishop Maschewski to consider a 2019 request by the
ELCU to enter into church fellowship with the LCMS. Following
extensive discussion and thorough examination of documents setting forth the ELCU’s doctrine, practice, and polity, the commission voted unanimously to recommend recognition of altar and
pulpit fellowship under Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b) and has submitted an
2023 Convention Workbook

overture urging this action for consideration by the Synod at the
2023 convention.

5. Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sri Lanka
(CELC)
The Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sri Lanka (CELC)
traces its origins to the efforts of LCMS missionaries. It was formerly known as the Lanka Lutheran Church and enjoyed altar and
pulpit fellowship with the LCMS for a number of years until it
ceased to exist in 2007. The Synod continued work in Sri Lanka,
and the former Lanka Lutheran Church was reconstituted as the
CELC in 2017. At its Feb. 16–18, 2023, meeting, the CTCR considered and ultimately approved (unanimously) a recommendation from the Synod’s Board for International Mission (per Bylaw
3.9.5.2.2 [d]) to memorialize the Synod to recognize the CELC as
a self-governing partner church with which the LCMS is in altar
and pulpit fellowship. The BIM has submitted an overture urging
this action for consideration by the Synod at the 2023 convention.

C. Dissolution of Church Fellowship
Japan Lutheran Church (JLC)
The Japan Lutheran Church (JLC) began with LCMS mission
work in 1948, eventually forming its own autonomous church body
in 1968 and entering altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS in
1971. In recent decades, however, advocacy for women’s ordination within the JLC has led to serious concerns from the perspective
of the Synod. After nearly three decades of internal debate, at its
2008 convention, the JLC proposed an alteration of its bylaws to
allow for the ordination of women. As a result, then LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick raised strong concerns with the JLC and
initiated conversations between LCMS representatives and leaders
of the JLC, who met four times between February 2009 and August
2010. President Matthew Harrison resumed those conversations
through his Office of Church Relations between August 2017 and
June 2019.
Though JLC did not act upon its 2008 proposal, which was attempted again in 2011, they had already permitted one female deacon to be ordained and subsequently ordained another in 2021. On
April 20, 2021, the JLC officially changed its position and amended
its bylaws to allow for the ordination of women. Upon notification,
President Harrison advised the JLC, with much sadness and regret,
that its actions had severed the theological basis for altar and pulpit
fellowship (that is, complete agreement in doctrine and practice)
that it had shared with the LCMS and that he intended to bring this
matter before the Synod convention for consideration.
As part of its newly revised policy regarding theological and
procedural guidelines for church fellowship, the commission inserted a specific process detailing the procedure for recognizing
the cessation of church fellowship with a partner church (see II.A.1
above). It concludes with the following step (III.E.7):
If as a result of these discussions the concerns leading to
the initiation of this process are not able to be resolved, the
president of the Synod, speaking the truth in love, shall convey this decision clearly to the head of the church body in
question, indicating the need to bring this serious matter to
the attention of the Synod in convention. The president may
then advise the CTCR to prepare an overture regarding this
matter for consideration by the next Synod convention. He
shall also determine the best and most appropriate way(s) to
inform the members of the Synod and the Synod’s partner