LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 7

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SYNOD REPORTS 7

are the caring arms of Christ that extend to our churches, to our
communities, and to our world.

Church Relations

The Bylaws of the Synod state, “The President shall be the chief
ecumenical officer of the Synod” and “He or his representative
shall represent the Synod in official contacts with other church bod-
ies” (Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2). Much time and energy are spent by the
President of the Synod in relating to other church bodies and, under
Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, working “through its offi-
cial structure toward fellowship with other Christian church bod-
ies” (Constitution, Art. III).

At the present time, the LCMS enjoys the official relationship
of altar and pulpit fellowship with 29 other Christian church bodies,
all bearing the name “Lutheran,” none of them located in the
United States of America, but in the following countries:

. Argentina—Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina
. Brazil—Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil
. Canada—Lutheran Church—Canada
. Chile—Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of
Chile
. Denmark—Evangelical Lutheran Free Church in Denmark
. England—The Evangelical Lutheran Church of England
7. France and Belgium—Evangelical Lutheran Church—Synod
of France and Belgium
8. Germany—Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church
9. Ghana—Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana
10. Guatemala—Lutheran Church of Guatemala
(1. Haiti—The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti
12. Hong Kong—The Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod
13. India—India Evangelical Lutheran Church
14, Japan—Japan Lutheran Church
15. Kenya—Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya
16. Korea—Lutheran Church in Korea
17. Latvia—Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
18. Lithuania—Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania
19. Mexico—Lutheran Synod of Mexico
20. Nigeria—The Lutheran Church of Nigeria
21. Papua New Guinea—Gutnius Lutheran Church
22. Paraguay—The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay
23. Philippines—The Lutheran Church in the Philippines
24. Russia—Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia
(formerly part of Finland, now St. Petersburg)
25. South Africa—Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
26. South Africa—Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South
Africa
27. Sri Lanka—Lanka Lutheran Church
28. Taiwan—China Evangelical Lutheran Church
29. Venezuela—Lutheran Church of Venezuela
We are also engaged in dialogue or have had preliminary con-
tacts with the following church bodies:
1. The American Association of Lutheran Churches
2. The Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia
3. Malagasy Lutheran Church (Madagascar)
4. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia
5. Protestant Christian Batak Church in Indonesia
6. Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church
7, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sudan
8. It should also be noted that we continue to have many
opportunities for contacts with the Lutheran Church of
Australia, especially in the International Lutheran Council.
Furthermore, the Commission on Theology and Church Rela-
tions is recommending that this summer’s synodical convention de-

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clare the Synod to be in altar and pulpit fellowship with The Amer-
ican Association of Lutheran Churches. The report of the Com-
mission on Theology and Church Relations that recommends
approval of this fellowship relationship is included in this Conven-
tion Workbook.

We pray that God will bless all of these relationships as we seek
to strengthen them and to deepen our biblical and confessional
unity in doctrine and practice with other Christian church bodies
around the world, in accordance with our Lord’s will as expressed
in His high priestly prayer in John 17:20—23:

I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message,
2!that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and 1
am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe
that You have sent Me. *I have given them the glory that You gave
Me, that they may be one as We are one: ”] in them and You in
Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know
that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.

2004 Convention Resolutions Assigned
to the President of the Synod

Following is a succinct summary of the 2004 Convention reso-
lutions directly assigned to the President of the Synod, together
with a report of my actions in response:

Action on Resolutions Assigned
to the LCMS President’s Office

2004 Synodical Convention

3-07 To Continue Discussions with the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America ,
Resolved:

“Encourage the President of the Synod and our representatives
on the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation (CLC) to pursue sub-
stantive conversations between representatives of the ELCA and
the LCMS, in a continuing effort to bear witness to the truth of the
Scriptures and the Confessions in the hope that agreement can be
reached in those areas where we disagree” and “report to the next
synodical convention any recommendations concerning changes in
joint activity with the ELCA.”

Action Taken:

Continuing conversations on numerous substantive issues between
the ELCA and LCMS have been held semiannually. Participating
with the President in these discussions were our representatives on
the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation (CLC), namely First Vice-
President William Diekelman, COP Chairman William Hoesman,
Secretary Raymond Hartwig, Chief Administrative Officer Ronald
Schultz, and CTCR Executive Director Samuel Nafzger. Also partic-
ipating in the specifically theological discussions were Rev. Ralph
Blomenberg, and Professor Walter A. Maier III. At one such sub-
stantive theological discussion, LCMS President Emeritus Ralph
Bohlmann also was an invited participant.

Some discussions have utilized the 1978 document prepared
and distributed by the Division of Theological Studies, Lutheran
Council in the USA, titled, “The Function of Doctrine and Theol-
ogy in Light of the Unity of the Church (FODT).” This report, pre-
pared in the 1970s by official representatives of the LCMS and
predecessor bodies of the ELCA, continues to represent a respon-
sible description of the principal theological differences between
the LCMS and the ELCA. These differences include the authority
and interpretation of Scripture, the nature of confessional subscrip-
tion, and the nature and basis of church fellowship. The FODT doc-
ument therefore provides a helpful basis for ongoing theological
discussions (also involving representatives of the seminaries of

2007 Convention Workbook