LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 113

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3. Theology and Church Relations
To Declare Altar and Pulpit Fellowship
with Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Ingria in Russia
RESOLUTION 3-01
Overture 3-01 (CW, p. 153)
Preamble
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia
traces its roots back to the late 16th century when the
Lutheran faith first established itself in Scandinavia. The
region of Ingria is located south and east of the Gulf of Finland in the area around present-day St. Petersburg, Russia. Finnish immigrants settled in this area in the 17th century, and before the 1917 revolution this church had a
membership of 147,000. During the atheistic Soviet regime
its churches were closed and countless Ingrians were
shipped off to prison camps or deported to Siberia and central Russia. By the beginning of World War II, virtually all
Lutheran pastors had been killed or were in prison. In the
1950s surviving Ingrians gradually began to return to this
area, and in 1992 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria reestablished itself as an independent church. Today
it has a membership of approximately 16,000 baptized
members in 40 congregations.
WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in
Russia traces its origin to the work of Scandinavian immigrants of the Lutheran faith going back to the late 16th
century; and
WHEREAS, This once thriving church suffered greatly
from persecution during the time of the atheistic Soviet
regime; and
WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran confession was
nevertheless not extinguished but was preserved by God’s
grace; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in
obedience to God’s Word and the Lutheran Confessions, endeavors to seek out other Lutheran churches that believe,
teach, and confess the same true faith; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod already enjoys church fellowship with 25 other Lutheran
churches throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria
was reestablished as an independent Lutheran church in
1992; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
(LCMS) has enjoyed a working relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCIR) since
1992, providing teachers and lecturers for the training of
pastors and other workers in the church; and
WHEREAS, Doctrinal discussions between official representatives of the LCMS and the ELCIR have revealed that
complete agreement between our two churches in doctrine
and practice exists; and
WHEREAS, The Sixth General Synod of the ELCIR has
declared itself to be in altar and pulpit fellowship with the
LCMS; and

Committee 3 Chairman Raymond Hartwig

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations has reviewed the charter of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Ingria, and in accordance with Bylaw
13.03 a has recommended that The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod declare itself to be in altar and pulpit fellowship with this church body; 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 that doctrinal discussions between official representatives of the LCMS and
the ELCIR have revealed that complete agreement between
our two churches in doctrine and practice exists; and be it
further
Resolved, That we formally declare The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod to be in altar and pulpit fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in
Russia; and be it further
Resolved, That we give thanks that God, by His grace,
equipped and upheld the members of this church body with
a faithful witness during difficult times of persecution and
suffering; and be it further
Resolved, That we pray for God’s blessings in the coming years on the agreement in the confession of the Gospel
which we enjoy; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod officially recognize the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia as a partner
church and that the President of the Synod be responsible
for implementing this relationship as soon as possible; and
be it finally
Resolved, That in celebration and thanksgiving of this
partnership in the Gospel, the convention assembly signify
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