LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 402

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402 ADDITIONAL THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS—OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

51. The use of the sign of the historic episcopal succession does
not by itself guarantee the fidelity of a church to every aspect of
the apostolic faith, life and mission. There have been schisms in
the history of churches using the sign of historic succession. Nor
does the sign guarantee the personal faithfulness of the bishop.
Nonetheless, the retention of the sign remains a permanent chal-
Ienge to fidelity and to unity, a summons to witness to, and a com-
mission to realise more fully, the permanent characteristics of the
Church of the apostles.

52. Faithfulness to the apostolic calling of the whole Church is
carried by more than one means of continuity. Therefore a church
which has preserved the sign of historic episcopal succession is free
to acknowledge an authentic episcopal ministry in a church which
has preserved continuity in the episcopal office by an occasional
priestly/presbyterial ordination at the time of the Reformation. Sim-
ilarly a church which has preserved continuity through such a suc-
cession is free to enter a relationship of mutual participation in
cpiscopal ordinations with a church which has retained the histori-
cal episcopal succession, and to embracc this sign, without denying
its past apostolic continuity.

53. The mutual acknowledgement of our churches and min-
istries is theologically prior to the use of the sign of the laying on of
hands in the historic succession. Resumption of the use of the sign
does not imply an adverse judgement on the ministries of those
churches which did not previously make use of the sign. It is rather
a means of making more visible the unity and continuity of the
Church at all times and in all placcs.

54.To the degree to which our ministrics have been separated all
our churches have lacked something of that fullness which God de-
sires for his people (Eph. t: 23 and 3: 17-19). By moving together,
and by being served by a reconciled and mutually recognizcd epis-
copal ministry, our churches will be both morc faithful to their call-
ing and also morc conscious of their nced for rencwal. By the shar-
ing of our life and ministrics in closer visible unity, we shall be
strengthened for the continuation of Christ’s mission in the world.

E. A New Stage

55. By the far-reaching character of our agreement recorded in
the previous paragraphs it is apparent that we have reached a new
stage in our journey together in faith. We have agreed on the nature
and purpose of the church (Chapter IL), on its faith and doctrine
(Chapter III), specifically on the apostolicity of the whole Church,
on the apostolic ministry within it, and on the episcopal office in
the service of the Church (Chapter IV).

56. On the basis of this agreement we believe that our churches
should confidently acknowledge one another as churches and enter
into a new relationship; that each church as a whole has maintained
an authentic apostolic succession of witness and service (1V A);
that each church has had transmitted to it an apostolic ministry of
word and sacrament by prayer and the laying on of hands (IV B);
that each church has maintained an orderly succession of episco-
pal ministry within the continuity of its pastoral life, focused in the
consecrations of bishops and in the experience and witness of the
historic sees (LV C).

57. In the light of all this we find that the time has come when
all our churches can affirm together the value and use of the sign of
the historic episcopal succession (IV D). This means that those
churches in which the sign has at some time not been used are free
to recognise the value of the sign and should embrace it without
denying their own apostolic continuity. This also means that those
churches in which the sign has been used are free to recognise the
reality of the episcopal office and should affirm the apostolic con-
tinuity of those churches in which the sign of episcopal succession
has at some time not been used. [Contents]

2001 Convention Workbook

V. Towards Closer Unity.
A. Joint Declaration

58. We recommend that our churches jointly make the follow-
ing Declaration:

THE PORVOO DECLARATION

We, the Church of Denmark, the Church of England, the Es-
tonian Evangelical-Lutheran Church, the Evangelical-Lutheran
Church of Finland, the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Iceland,
the Church of Ireland, the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Latvia,
the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Lithuania, the Church of Nor-
way, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Church of Sweden and the
Church in Wales, on the basis of our common understanding of the
nature and purpose of the Church, fundamental agreement in faith
and our agreement on cpiscopacy in the service of the apostolicity
of the Church, contained in Chapters I-IV of The Porvoo Com-
mon Statement, make the following acknowledgements and com-
mitments:

a. (i) we acknowledge one another’s churches as churches be-
longing to the One. Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus
Christ and truly participating in the apostolic mission of the whole
people of God;

(ii) we acknowledge that in all our churches the Word of God is
authentically preached, and the sacraments of baptism and the eu-
charist are duly administered;

(iii) we acknowledge that all our churches share in the common
confession of the apostolic faith;

(iv) we acknowledge that one another’s ordained ministries are
given by God as instruments of his grace and as possessing not
only the inward call of the Spirit, but also Christ’s commission
through his Body, the Church;

(v) we acknowledge that personal, collegial and communal
oversight (episcope) is embodied and exercised in al] our churches
in a variety of forms, in continuity of apostolic life, mission and
ministry;

(vi) we acknowledge that the episcopal office is valued and
maintained in all our churches as a visible sign cxpressing and serv-
ing the Church’s unity and continuity in apostolic life, mission and
ministry.

b. We commit ourselves:

(i) to share a common life in mission and service, to pray for
and with one another, and to share resources;

(ii) to welcome one anothcer’s members to receive sacramental
and other pastoral ministrations;

(iii) to regard baptized members of all our churches as mem-
bers of our own;

(iv) to welcome diaspora congregations into the life of the in-
digenous churches, to their mutual enrichment;

(v) to welcome persons episcopally ordained in any of our
churches to the office of bishop, priest or deacon to serve, by invi-
tation and in accordance with any regulations which may from time
to time be in force, in that ministry in the receiving church with-
out re-ordination;

(vi) to invite one anothcr’s bishops normally to participate in
the laying on of hands at the ordination of bishops as a sign of the
unity and continuity of the Church;

(vii) to work towards a common understanding of diaconal min-
istry;

(viil) to establish appropriate forms of collegial and conciliar
consultation on significant matters of faith and order, life and work;

(ix) to encourage consultations of representatives of our
churches, and to facilitate learning and exchange of ideas and in-
formation in theological and pastoral matters;

(x) to establish a contact group to nurture our growth in com-
munion and to co-ordinate the implementation of this agreement.