LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 158

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3. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-01

To Formally Declare Altar and Pulpit Fellowship
with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya

Preamble

Kenya is an Eastern Africa country bordering the Indian Ocean,
located between Somalia and Tanzania. Slightly more than twice
the size of Nevada, Kenya has a population of about 32 million
people. Nairobi, a city of 2 million, is the capital of Kenya. Kenya
became a British Crown colony in 1920 and in 1963 became fully
independent. The official languages of Kenya are English and
Swahili, with several other languages spoken by 25 ethnic groups.
The vast majority of Kenyans are Christians.

In recent decades the people of Kenya have suffered greatly
from economic deprivation, internal strife, and from disease that
has touched the lives of all. Most seriously, the country has experi-
enced rising mortality rates due to HIV/AIDS, tragically among in-
fants in large numbers. The infant mortality rate is estimated to be
60-70 per 1000 live births.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) traces its
beginning to mission work begun in 1948 by the Swedish Mission
of Bible True Friends (SMBTPF), with the help also of other mission
societies in Sweden, Finland, and Norway, and the World Mission
Prayer League. The church was organized with an interim consti-
tution in 1958 (revised in 1963) and in 1965 registered with the
government as an independent church. Currently the membership
of the ELCK is estimated to be 70,000 members, with about 110
pastors and 440 congregations in the 8 provinces of Kenya. The
majority of these congregations are served by trained laymen
(evangelists) and non-trained helpers under the supervision of a
pastor. The ELCK maintains two schools for theological training,
one for training pastors at Matongo Lutheran Theological College
and another for training evangelists at Kapenguria Bible Centre.

Following contacts between representatives of the ELCK and
the LCMS in April 2000, newly elected Bishop Walter Obare wrote
to President Kieschnick with the request that discussions be re-
newed. A meeting subsequently took place in Nairobi, at which
time Bishop Obare expressed the desire of his church to be in fel-
lowship with other confessional Lutherans throughout the world,
including especially The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Two
formal meetings between representatives of the LCMS and the
ELCK soon took place, the first of these on November 26, 2003, at
Ufungamano House in Nairobi. Representing the LCMS were Vice
President Daniel Preus and the Rev. Ken Greinke, Acting Africa
Area Director.

A second meeting took place on January 27-28, 2004, in St.
Louis. Representing the LCMS in these discussions were: Presi-
dent Gerald Kieschnick; Dr. Samuel Nafzger, Executive Director of
the CTCR; Rev. Robert Roegner, Executive Director of the Board
for Mission Services; Dr. Daniel Mattson, Associate Executive Di-
rector, Board for Mission Services; and Dr. David Scaer, Profes-
sor of Theology, Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne. At
this meeting the representatives of the two churches discussed nu-
merous theological issues of mutual interest and concern, including
the ELCK’s opposition to the ordination of women. Also discussed
was the ELCK’s membership in the Lutheran World Federation.
Bishop Obare reported that the ELCK had joined the Lutheran
World Federation in 1977. He expressly pointed out, however, that
his church does not view membership in the LWF as placing it into
fellowship with other LWF churches simply by virtue of its mem-
bership. The ELCK stands in solidarity with other like-minded
churches on this point, in their effort to be a strong witness to
Lutheran confessional doctrine (9 other partner churches of the
Synod belong to the LWF).

159

On the basis of these contacts and discussions, the LCMS rep-
resentatives have concluded, and reported to the President of the
Synod, that doctrinal agreement exists between the ELCK and the
LCMS and that there is nothing which would prohibit the churches
from entering into altar and pulpit fellowship with one another. In
accordance with the procedures established by the Synod and set
forth in its bylaws, the Commission on Theology and Church Re-
lations unanimously adopted a resolution at its February 16-18,
2004, meeting recommending that the LCMS enter into altar and
pulpit fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya.

WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK)
began as a result of mission work done by confessional Lutherans
representing Scandinavian mission societies in the mid-twentieth
century; and-

WHEREAS, The ELCK, in the midst of hardship and deprivation,
has remained faithful to the Scriptures and to Lutheran confessional
doctrine during the 50 years of its existence, taking bold and coura-
geous stands on issues that have been divisive in world
Lutheranism; and

WHEREAS, The ELCK has expressed a desire to join together with
strongly committed confessional Lutherans throughout the world in
bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel, and in particular ap-
proached The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for the purpose of
conducting formal doctrinal discussions aimed at the establishment
of altar and pulpit fellowship between the churches; and

WHEREAS, Formal theological discussions between representa-
tives of the ELCK and the LCMS have revealed that agreement in
doctrine and practice exists between our churches; and

WHEREAS, The President of the Synod has expressed support for
this resolution and has asked the CTCR to address the declaration
of altar and pulpit fellowship in keeping with Bylaw 12.03; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and Church Relations
has received comprehensive reports on these discussions and in ac-
cordance with its bylaw responsibilities has recommended the es-
tablishment of altar and pulpit fellowship between the LCMS and
ELCK; therefore be it

Resolved, That we give thanks and praise to God for the faith-
fulness of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Kenya to the Scriptures and to Lutheran con-
fessional theology over the years, and for their consistent and bold
witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the midst of many burdens;
and be it further

Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude to God the unity
of confession that He has given to our churches under the Holy
Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for-
mally declare altar and pulpit fellowship with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Kenya; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS recognize the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Kenya as a partner church and that the President of the
Synod be responsible for implementing this relationship; and be it
finally

Resolved, That we implore the Lord of the church to continue to
strengthen the bond of fellowship between our churches and that,
ablaze with His Spirit, we may together be renewed in our com-
mitment to the proclamation of the Gospel of peace to people
everywhere in our nations and abroad.

Commission on Theology and Church Relations

3-02

To Clearly Confess in Public Realm the True God
and Atonement of Christ for Sins of All Mankind

WHEREAS, The clear and unequivocal witness of all Holy Scrip-
ture is that there is only one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit; and