LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 168

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168 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-43

To Study Nature of Lutheran Identity

WHEREAS, When two or more churches accept mutual pulpit
and altar fellowship, they thereby become one church; and

WHEREAS, The ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amer-
ica) in 1997 formally declared pulpit and altar fellowship with the
Presbyterian Church (USA), the Reformed Church in America, and
the United Church of Christ, all of which belong to the Calvinist-
Reformed tradition and confession; and

Wuereas, The ELCA in 1997 formally accepted a “Joint Dec-
laration on the Doctrine of Justification” with the Roman Catholic
Church; and

WHEREAS, The Reformed churches have historically affirmed
an understanding of the Lord’s Supper which denies the real pres-
ence of the body and the blood of Jesus in the Sacrament (see the
Formula of Concord, Art. VII); and

WHEREAS, Roman Catholic understandings of justification con-
tinue to confuse Law and Gospel; and

WHEREAS, This tragedy for American Lutheranism has a com-
plex background and global implications (for sample documenta-
tion see overtures in the Convention Workbook of the Synod in
1977 (pp. 112-13); 1979 (p. 113); 1981 (pp. 177-78, 188); 1983
(pp. 116, 120-21); 1986 (pp. 128, 133-34), and 1989 (pp. 178-79);
and

WHEREAS, These actions by the ELCA raise fundamental ques-
tions about the Lutheran character of the ELCA and about the ap-
propriate relationship which the LCMS should have with the ELCA
at local, District, and national levels; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention express its deep regret that the ELCA through these actions
has ceased clearly and unambiguously to confess the two most cen-
tral confessional Lutheran distinctives (justification and the sacra-
mental presence); and be it further

Resolved, That the President of the Synod be requested to take
all appropriate steps to lead the Synod at all levels in a careful study
of the nature of Lutheran confessional identity, and to do so in the
closest possible cooperation with our sister churches throughout
the world.

Faculty
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, IN

3-44

To Prohibit All Forms of Joint Worship with ELCA

WHEREAS, Art. VI of our Synod’s Constitution establishes con-
ditions for membership in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,
mandating, among other things, “renunciation of unionism and syn-
cretism of every description”; and

Wuereas, Reports that members of the Synod are violating this
condition of membership continue to trouble the Synod; and

WHEREAS, The most frequent and aggravating of these viola-
tions involve joint services with clergy and/or congregations of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Constitutional Matters has de-
clared that joint services with church bodies not in fellowship with
our Synod, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
are. in fact, in violation of the synodical Constitution; therefore be
it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention assembled expressly forbid its members from participating
in joint worship services, including those that do not involve par-
ticipation in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, involving either
the members of the ministerium or the congregations of the Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church in America; and be it further

Resolved, That all District Presidents be directed to scrupu-
lously enforce the synodical Constitution and Bylaws with respect
to unionism; and be it finally

Resolved, That District Presidents of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod who fail to enforce the synodical Constitution and
Bylaws with respect to unionism be considered in violation of said
directives themselves and dealt with as such by the Synod.

Bethany
Fort Wayne, IN

3-45

To Withdraw Recognition of ELCA
as Legitimate Lutheran Church

WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) has declared itself in full communion with the Presbyter-
ian Church (USA), the Reformed Church in America and the
United Church of Christ; and

WHEREAS, These three churches deny the real presence of the
true body and blood of our Lord in the Sacrament of the Altar; and

WHEREAS, The ELCA has adopted a statement which asserts
that “‘a consensus in the basic truths of the doctrine of justification
exists between Lutherans and Catholics”; and

WHEREAS, The Roman Catholic Church, in its official cate-
chism, states that, “Justification establishes cooperation between
God’s grace and man’s freedom. On man’s part it is expressed by
the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to con-
version, and in the cooperation of charity”: and

WHEREAS, The President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, the Rev. Dr. Al Barry, has stated, “It is important to note
that The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is not part of these
proposals, nor do we agree with them. In our view these proposals
represent a significant movement away from the scriptural and con-
fessional position of historic Lutheranism”; and

Wuereas, Many people, both within the Lutheran church and
without, are confused and uncertain as to what these proposals
mean and what, in fact, it means to be a Lutheran, therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod at its
1998 convention publicly deplore and disassociate itself from the
actions of the ELCA; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod at its
1998 convention withdraw recognition of the ELCA as a legitimate
Lutheran church until these proposals are withdrawn; and be it fi-
nally

Resolved, That the congregations of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod be encouraged to receive into membership only
those people from congregations of ELCA who have been prop-
erly instructed and have shown an understanding and acceptance
of the historic teachings of the Lutheran church.

Messiah
Danville, CA

3-46

To Initiate Steps for Dialogue

Wuereas, Jesus envisions the demonstrable unity of the church
as a physical witness to the world (John 17) and therefore a goal
to be actively pursued by all who follow Him; and

WHEREAS, Lutherans of the LCMS and ELCA share a funda-
mental doctrinal commitment to the Lutheran Confessions promot-
ing the realization that there’s more that unites us than divides us;
and

Wuereas, Laity of each church body regularly transfer mem-
bership between the two churches suggesting that leaders, or at
least the clergy of these two bodies, should be seeking to minimize
confusion about our mutual beliefs; and

WHEREAS, ELCA and LCMS pastors who do dialogue together
frequently discover considerable agreement in contrast to more
highly publicized and extreme positions attributed to either national
body (such as in areas of pro-life issues and concems over irre-
sponsible ecumenical activity); and