LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 154

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3. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-01

To Formally Declare Altar and Pulpit Fellowship
with Lanka Lutheran Church of Sri Lanka

Rationale

In a January 31, 1999, letter to President Barry, President M.
Sathiyanathan of the Lanka Lutheran Church forwarded a re-
quest for “partner church” status with the LCMS. In keeping
with the provisions of Bylaw 13.03 and after reviewing appro-
priate documents, the Commission at its September 2000 meet-
ing adopted the following resolution for submission to the 2001
convention of the Synod:

Preamble

The Lutheran Church—Missoun Synod began mission work
in the country of Ceylon (now Sn Lanka) in 1927. Sri Lanka is
an island country off the coast of India with a population of
19,000,000. It is predominately a Buddhist and Hindu country
with a very sparse evangelical] Christian population.

Since 1960 there has been a consistent Lutheran ministry of
Word and Sacrament in Sri Lanka. The Lanka Lutheran Church
was established through the mission work of the LCMS. There
are presently 600 Lutherans with five ordained pastors and four
commissioned evangelists. There are four church buildings in
the upcountry region, where ministry has been mostly to the
Tamil people. There is one church building in the commercial
center of Colombo. Regular worship is also held in at least 12
house churches. Nearly 300 children are attending preschools in
all churches. Sunday schools, youth organizations, evangelism
programs, seminars, and teacher training programs take place on
a regular basis. Three or four visits by short-term missionaries
of the LCMS each year offer ongoing education and encourage-
ment in ministry.

Relations with the India Evangelical Lutheran Church (a part-
ner church with the LCMS) are nurtured when the political cli-
mate between the nations of India and Sri Lanka allows. Holy
Scripture is available in all languages. Lutheran hymnals in
Tamil, catechisms in Tamil and Sinhala languages, and The Book
of Concord are available and studied in both Tamil and Sinhala.
The Lanka Lutheran Church was recently (in 1999) accepted into
the International Lutheran Council.

WHEREAS, Since 1927 Sri Lanka has been a mission field of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WuereasS, Through the effort of those early missionaries, the
Lanka Lutheran Church was established; and

WHEREAS, Ongoing education and encouragement in ministry
continue to be offered by the LCMS, evidence of the close rela-
tionship that has existed between our two church bodies from the
very beginning until the present; and

Wuereas, The Lanka Lutheran. Church has been accepted
into the membership of the International Lutheran Council in
1999; and

WHueREAS, The Lanka Lutheran Church has requested the for-
mal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between itself and
the LCMS; and

Wuereas, The President of the LCMS has expressed support
for this request and has asked the CTCR to address it in accor-
dance with Bylaw 13.03; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Rela-
tions has reviewed all documents submitted by the Lanka
Lutheran Church, including their constitution and Bylaws, and
has recommended that the LCMS formalize this relationship;
therefore be it

Resolved, That we gratefully praise God for the efforts of the
missionaries of the LCMS to Sri Lanka and for the formation
and ministry of the Lanka Lutheran Church; and be it further

Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude to God the
unity of confession that has been given to our church bodies

under the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it
further

Resolved, That the LCMS formally recognize the existence of
altar and pulpit fellowship with the Lanka Lutheran Church of Sri
Lanka; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS officially recognize the Lanka
Lutheran Church of Sri Lanka as a partner church and that the Pres-
ident of the Synod be responsible for continuing to implement this
relationship; and be it finally

Resolved, That we pray for God’s continued blessings in the
coming years on our two churches and on the fellowship and part-
nership in the Gospel that we share.

Commission on Theology and Church Relations

3-02

To Formalize Altar and Pulpit Fellowship
with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti

Rationale

In the fall of 2000 the President of the The Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH) forwarded a formal request to
the President of the LCMS to conduct theological discussions be-
tween representatives of the LCMS and the ELCH that would lead
to a “formal partner church relationship.” The ELCH is also apply-
ing for membership in the International Lutheran Council. Repre-
sentatives of the ELCH and the LCMS met in St. Louis on January
26, 2001. There was consensus among all present that a genuine
agreement in doctrine and practice exists between the two
churches. In keeping with its Bylaw responsibilities, the CTCR at
its February 2001 meeting completed its review of the ELCH’s re-
quest and submits this resolution to the 2001 convention of the
Synod.

Preamble

Haiti is a small, densely populated country on the western side
of the Island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. A large majority of
the country’s 6.8 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty and
suffer from severe social and spiritual problems. Most Haitians call
themselves Christians, but the practice of voodoo, a native tribal
religion of West Africa, is widespread and present at all levels of
society.

Individuals and groups in The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod began mission work in Haiti in 1978. Under God’s blessing
and through the work of faithful pastors, The Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Haiti has grown to a membership of over 14,000 bap-
tized in 143 congregations and preaching stations. The ELCH op-
erates over 60 schools, served by some 400 teachers. In spite of the
many difficulties it has faced over the years, the ELCH has ex-
pressed the desire to remain a strongly confessional Lutheran
church. A number of mission societies and individuals from the
LCMS have continued to provide personal and financial support to
the ELCH as it carries out Christ’s mission in Haiti.

In the fall of 2000 the President of the ELCH forwarded a for-
mal request to the President of the LCMS to conduct theological
discussions between representatives of the LCMS and the ELCH
that would lead to a “formal partner church relationship.” The
ELCH is also applying for membership in the International
Lutheran Council. On January 26, 2001, representatives of our two
churches met in St. Louis. There was consensus among all present
that a genuine agreement in doctrine and practice exists between
the LCMS and the ELCH. Upon the recommendation of the Presi-
dent of the Synod and in keeping with its constitutionally given re-
sponsibilities, the CTCR has reviewed the ELCH’s request and
now submits the following resolution in recognition of altar and
pulpit fellowship between the LCMS and the ELCH.

WuerEAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH)
began as a result of mission work begun in 1978 by individuals and
groups in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, The ELCH under God's blessing has sought to re-
main a strongly confessional Lutheran church and to do so in a land

2001 Convention Workbook