LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 73

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SYNOD REPORTS 73

marized the principal theological differences that then divided the
LCMS and the other member churches of the LCUSA. At the Oc-
tober 4 session, Dr. Ralph Bohlmann and Dr. H. George Anderson,
who were involved in the preparation of the FODT report, led the
group in a discussion of the issues presented in it. It was agreed by
the CLC that the differences summarized in the report continue to
represent a responsible description of current differences between
the ELCA and the LCMS. The CLC agreed to hold future dia-
logues based on material in the FODT report, beginning in October
2007 with papers on biblical hermeneutics taught at the two
churches’ seminaries. The LCMS representatives of the CLC are:
Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, President; Dr. William Diekelman, First
Vice-President; Dr. Raymond Hartwig, Secretary; Dr. Samuel
Nafzger, CTCR Executive Director; Mr. Ronald Schultz, Chief Ad-
ministrative Officer; Dr. C. William Hoesman, President of the
Michigan District and Chairman of the Council of Presidents. Also
participating in the theological dialogues are: Dr. Walter A. Maier
III, professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, and
Rev. Ralph Blomenberg, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church,
Seymour, IN.

Dr. Nafzger attended the ELCA churchwide gathering in Or-
lando, FL as an observer on Aug. 11-12, 2005 and gave a report
to the CTCR at its September 2005 meeting regarding issues de-
liberated there (particularly on matters of human sexuality).

7. Lutheran World Federation

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is not a member of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) but the Commission on Theol-
ogy has been kept informed regarding developments in the LWF
by its executive director, who participates in annual meetings be-
tween representatives of the International Lutheran Council and of
the LWF. During the past triennium, this group met twice: in
Geneva, Switzerland, Dec. 8-10, 2005, and in Toronto, Canada,
Feb. 21-23, 2007. In addition, the executive director accepted an
invitation from the LWF to attend the 60th anniversary of the
LWF’s organization in Lund, Sweden, on March 24-25, 2007, as a
guest from the International Lutheran Council.

B. Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogue

In 1965, official discussions began between Lutherans and
Roman Catholics in the USA. These talks were held under the
sponsorship of the USA National Committee of the LWF (made up
of members of the LWF in the USA) and the U.S. Roman Catholic
Bishops’ commission for Ecumenical Affairs. Although the LCMS
was not a member of the LWF’s USA National Committee, it was
invited to send two representatives to the first nine rounds of this
dialogue. The Synod, however, was only invited to send an ob-
server to the tenth round of discussions (1996-2005). As a result
of the Synod’s objection to not being included as full participants in
this dialogue, the LCMS in the fall of 2005 was once again invited
to send two representatives to the eleventh round of these dis-
cussions on the topic “The Hope of Eternal Life.” President
Kieschnick appointed Dr. Nafzger, the executive director of the
CTCR, and Dr. Dean Wenthe, president of Concordia Theological
Seminary in Fort Wayne, to represent the Synod in this dialogue.
Three meetings of this round of discussions—which has discussed
the topics of purgatory, indulgences, and prayers for the dead—
have been held: December 2005 in Chicago, April 2006 in
Phoenix, and October 2006 in Baltimore. A fourth meeting is
scheduled to be held in Columbia, South Carolina, in March 2007.

C. National Council of Churches

The LCMS is not a member of the National Council of
Churches. On the recommendation of the CTCR, however, the ex-
ecutive director participates in the NCC’s Faith and Order com-
mission as a representative from a nonmember church body and

regularly reports to the CTCR on developments in this commis-
sion. The Faith and Order commission meets twice a year. During
the past triennium the NCC (in 2006) published a book titled An-
cient Faith and American Born Churches: Dialogues Between
Christian Traditions, which includes an essay prepared by Dr.
Samuel Nafzger on “The Authority and Function of Scripture in
the Understanding of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.”

IIL. Religious Organizations and Movements

Since the 2001 convention, the CTCR has been carrying out the
functions of the former Commission on Organizations. At that con-
vention, the Synod discontinued the Commission on Organizations
(COO) as a separately functioning commission and enacted Bylaw
changes that directed the CTCR to carry out the functions of the
COO (Res. 7-27A). These functions are contained in Bylaw 3.9.6.3
under the title “Fraternal and Other Organizations.” This Bylaw in-
cludes the Synod’s longstanding provisions for dealing with the
lodge issue.

In keeping with its responsibility to provide resources and in-
formation to the members of the Synod regarding organizations,
philosophies, and religious movements, the CTCR inaugurated dur-
ing this triennium a section of its Web site designated by the gen-
eral title “Religious Organizations and Movements.” This portion
of the Web site provides evaluations, from a Lutheran theological
perspective, of a broad range of religious organizations and move-
ments—both Christian and non-Christian (see www.lcms.org/
pages/internal.asp?NavID=2150). During the triennium, the com-
mission has made available twenty-eight evaluations on a variety of
topics. Presently available are the following:

¢ Baha’i Faith,

¢ Christian Identity Movement,

* Christian Science, Church of Scientology,
¢ Cursillo Movement,

¢ Elks Lodge,

¢ International Church of Christ ((COC),

¢ Jehovah’s Witnesses, Judaism, Kabbalah,
* Latter Day Saints,

* Moose International,

* New Age Movement,

* The Occult,

* Overview of Cults,

* Reiki,

¢ Restorationism,

¢ Satanism,

* The Salvation Army,

¢ Unification Church,

* Unitarian-Universalist Association (UUA),
* United Pentecostal Church International,
¢ Unity School of Christianity,

* Vineyard Ministries,

¢ Wicca,

* Word-Faith Movement,

* Yoga.

The commission through its staff continues to respond to a large
number of inquiries, making use of resources accumulated in its li-
brary and files and information available on the Internet.

Loren Kramer, Chairman
Samuel H. Nafzger, Executive Director

2007 Convention Workbook