LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 59

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
churches of this regrettable situation and the need to place
this matter before the Synod in convention.
After consultation with the President and his Office of Church
Relations, the CTCR has adjudged that such a dissolution is warranted. At its February 2023 meeting, the commission approved an
overture for submission to the 2023 convention recommending recognition of dissolution of fellowship with the JLC.

D. Meetings and Discussions with Other Churches
and Groups
Since the inception of the CTCR in 1962, when it absorbed
the responsibilities of the church relations–focused Committee on
Doctrinal Unity (1962 Res. 6-03), the commission has regularly
represented the President of Synod in official contacts with other
church bodies. At the President’s request, the CTCR has been involved in many official and unofficial theological conversations
with a variety of Christian denominations and organizations over
the years. For an explanation of the role and benefits of such conversations, even where full altar and pulpit fellowship may not
be immediately foreseen, the commission commends its 2011
report Theological Dialogue with Other Christian Bodies. In the
last decade, the CTCR has participated in three such discussions:
the Anglican Church in North America (in collaboration with the
Lutheran Church‒Canada), the North American Lutheran Church
(in collaboration with the Lutheran Church‒Canada), and jointly
with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Evangelical
Lutheran Synod.

1. Anglican Church in North America
Four rounds of meetings with the Anglican Church in 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, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Shaw and the Rev. Michael Frese of
the Office of the President; the Rev. Dr. Lehenbauer, the Rev. Dr.
Serina, and the Rev. Dr. Vogel of the CTCR; the Rev. Dr. Lawrence
Rast, president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne;
and the Rev. Dr. Frederick Baue. Because the ACNA has a number of congregations in Canada, representatives from the Lutheran
Church‒Canada (LCC), including the Rev. Dr. John Stephenson,
LCC President the Rev. Timothy Teuscher, former LCC President
the Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, and the Rev. Joel Kuhl, chair of the
LCC’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations, 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. Meetings were limited during the pandemic, but discussions
continued to address questions of ordination, women in ministry,
and increasing cultural challenges to moral issues. The agenda

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for the next triennium is to include discussion of a theologically
faithful approach to ecumenical dialogue, the office and role of
the diaconate in the respective theological traditions, and possible
collaborations in public advocacy for First Article matters, such as
biblical marriage, biblical sexuality, and pro-life positions.

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 during the last triennium
included the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Shaw and the Rev. Michael Frese
of the Office of the President; the Rev. Dr. John Pless of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne; and the Rev. Dr. Lehenbauer, the Rev. Dr. Serina, and the Rev. Dr. Vogel of the CTCR.
The NALC was represented by Bp. Dan Selbo, the Rev. Dr. David
Wendel, the Rev. Dr. James Nestingen, the Rev. Mark Chavez, the
Rev. Dr. Eric Riesen, and the Rev. Dr. Maurice Lee. The Rev. Dr.
Bugbee and the Rev. Michael Keith represented the LCC. Due to
the pandemic and much turnover among delegations, much of the
triennium was spent revisiting prior discussions, including its 2016
joint statement on biblical authority, titled “God’s Word Forever
Shall Abide.” In the coming triennium, the dialogue will address
the background to the various Lutheran synods in America and the
relations among them, the nature of the relationship among our
synods at the present time and going forward, and the Lutheran
view of Scripture and the Confessions in contrast with Protestant
fundamentalism and evangelicalism.

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 been held on an annual basis,
with the most recent discussions in December 2022. 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 future meetings by national convention action. Among the topics that have been addressed in the
recent triennium were the office of the pastoral ministry, church
fellowship, the role of women, the interpretation of the Lutheran
Confessions, and the current hymnals published by each church
body. 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 web site designated
“Evaluations” (see lcms.org/ctcr). Evaluations fall into two general categories: Lodge Organizations and 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
2023 Convention Workbook