LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 56

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56 SYNODICAL REPORTS

and to establish a forum for discussion between the seminanes of
ILC churches. The executive committee will meet again in March
1998 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to make plans for a regional
conference in Africa later in 1998.

The participating churches of the ILC:

Africa
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana
Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa

Lutheran Church of Nigeria
Lutheran Church in Southern Africa

East Asia

China Evangelical Lutheran Church (Taiwan)
Japan Lutheran Church

Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod
Lutheran Church in Korea

Europe

Confessional Lutheran Church of Finland

Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Denmark

Evangelical Lutheran Church of England

Evangelical Lutheran Church—Synod of France and Belgium
Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (Germany)

Latin America

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil

Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Chile
Lutheran Church of Guatemala

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay

Lutheran Church of Venezuela

Lutheran Synod of Mexico

North America

Lutheran Church—Canada
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (U.S.A.)

Southeast Asia and Australia

Gutnuis Lutheran Church (Papua New Guinea)
India Evangelical Lutheran Church

Lutheran Church of Australia

Lutheran Church in the Philippines

2. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria

During the past triennium a series of official discussions has
taken place between representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCIR) and The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod. Preliminary conversations were held March 3I—
April 1, 1995, in St. Petersburg, Russia. A second round of talks
took place in St. Louis March 10-12, 1997. The representatives
met for a third time in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 13-15,
1997. During the course of these conversations the representatives
discussed the doctrinal positions of the respective church bodies in
light of the official confessional articles of their churches’ consti-
tutions. On the basis of these talks, which included the position of
the churches on a wide variety of contemporary issues in debate in
Christendom today such as the doctrine of Scripture, the doctrine of
the ministry, the role of women, and ethical issues such as homo-
sexuality and abortion, the representatives of our churches reported
that our churches are in doctrinal agreement with each other. The
representatives therefore unanimously recommended that the Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church of Ingria and The Lutheran Church—Mis-
souri Synod officially declare themselves to be in church fellow-
ship with each other. On October 15, 1997 the six representatives
of our two churches signed a “Joint Statement of Agreement,”
which was then forwarded to President Barry (LCMS) and Bishop
A. Kuukauppi (ELCIR). Representing the churches and signing the
statement were: ELCIR—Aare Kuukauppi, Sergei Preiman, Isto
Pihkala; LCMS—Robert T. Kuhn, Samuel H. Nafzger, Raymond
L. Hartwig.

In keeping with Bylaw 13.03 which requires that the CTCR ap-

prove applications for formal recognition of altar and pulpit fel-
lowship with the Synod, the CTCR has received the charter of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria and is submitting a recom-
mendation to the Synod, which is printed elsewhere in the Con-
vention Workbook.

3. Committee on Lutheran Cooperation (CLC)

When the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America came into
existence on January 1, 1988, the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.,
founded in 1966, was dissolved. The Committee on Lutheran Co-
operation composed of six representatives from each church body
was then formed, with official approval from the constituent church
bodies. In keeping with its original purposes, the CLC meets twice
a year to discuss relationships between the ELCA and the LCMS
and to review and monitor cooperative endeavors carried out in the
two church bodies. Such cooperative endeavors include separately
incorporated inter-Lutheran agencies such as Lutheran World Re-
lief, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, Lutheran Re-
sources Commission, Lutheran Education Conference of North
America and Lutheran Film Associates. The CLC’s meetings have
been devoted chiefly to reports and discussions regarding these
areas of joint work. Presently serving as representatives on the CLC
are the following: LCMS—Dr. Alvin L. Barry, Dr. Walter L.
Rosin, Dr. Robert T. Kuhn, Dr. John P. Schuelke, Dr. Samuel H.
Nafzger, and Dr. Arleigh L. Lutz; ELCA—Dr. H. George Ander-
son, Dr. Lowell G. Almen, Dr. Addie J. Butler, Dr. Robert N.
Bacher, Dr. Daniel Martensen, and Dr. Charles S. Maahs.

4. Lutheran World Federation (LWF)

The LCMS received a formal invitation to send an ecumenical
guest to the Lutheran World Federation Assembly in Hong Kong,
July 8-16, 1997. President Barry asked Dr. Samuel Nafzger, exec-
utive director of the CTCR, to represent the Synod at this assembly.
The “ecumenical guests” were invited to bring greetings to the as-
sembly. Dr. Nafzger gave a full report on the Assembly to Presi-
dent Barry and to the CTCR at its September 1997 meeting.

B. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue

Although the Synod was a part of the Lutheran/Roman Catholic
Dialogue in the U.S.A from its beginning in 1965 until September
1992 (end of the ninth round), ELCA and Roman Catholic offi-
cials—without inviting the LCMS to participate—proceeded to
make plans for future dialogue between their churches. Both the
President of the Synod and the CTCR in 1992 expressed concern
and disappointment to the ELCA and Roman Catholic officials re-
garding this development. In monitoring continuing developments
regarding this dialogue, the commission noted that “Guidelines for
Round 10 U.S.A. Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogue” included
provision for “consultant-observers; LCMS ... noted.” Taking into
account previous developments and in light of these “Guidelines,”
the commission at its February 1997 meeting adopted the following
resolution: “Resolved, That since the LCMS has been excluded
from full participation in Round 10 of the Lutheran/Roman
Catholic Dialogue, the CTCR encourage President Barry to pursue
the possibility of arranging for ‘observers’ from the LCMS to be
present at the next round of this dialogue.”

C. National Association of Evangelicals

The LCMS is not a member of the National Association of
Evangelicals (NAE). On the recommendation of the CTCR, how-
ever, the executive director attends the annual meetings of the NAE
and reports to the CTCR. The NAE met in Orlando, Florida, Mar.
3-6, 1997, and Mar. 2-4, 1998.

D. National Council of Churches

The LCMS is not a member of the National Council of
Churches. On the recommendation of the CTCR, however, the ex-
ecutive director participates in the NCC’s Faith and Order Com-
mission as a representative from a nonmember church body. The
Faith and Order Commission meets twice each year.

Richard G. Kapfer, Chairman
Samuel H. Nafzger, Executive Director