LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 130

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Whereas, On March 1, 2013, the Board for International
Mission recommended that “the Lutheran Church of Togo be recognized as a self-governing partner church”; and
Whereas, At its April 2013 meeting, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations formally approved the granting of such
recognition; and
Whereas, Appropriate protocol documents guiding interactions between the LCMS and the ELT have been developed;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the LCMS give thanks to God for the efforts of
its missionaries, Togolese national pastors, and evangelists of the
ELT; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS give thanks that God, by His grace, has
equipped and prepared the members of the ELT to give a faithful
confessional Lutheran witness in Togo; and be it further
Resolved, That we give thanks for the growth of this “daughter church” of the LCMS and its establishment as a self-sustaining
Lutheran church body; and be it further
Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude the unity of confession that has been given to our churches under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS recognize Eglise Luthérienne du
Togo as a self-governing partner church in compliance with Bylaw
3.9.5.2.2 (d); and be it further
Resolved, That we pray for God’s blessings in the coming years
on this agreement in the confession of the Gospel which we enjoy
as partner churches, and for the power and blessing of the Lord
upon the members and leaders of the Lutheran Church of Togo;
and be it finally
Resolved, That in celebration and thanksgiving of this partnership in the Gospel, the convention assembly signify its approval by
rising and singing the Doxology.
Action: Adopted (8)
(Without discussion, Res. 4-03 was adopted by the assembly rising and singing the Doxology.)

To Affirm Growing Mutual Relationships
among International Lutheran Church Bodies
RESOLUTION 4-04
Reports 1-7, 4-01 (CW, pp. 9, 80); Overture 4-08 (CW, p. 166)
Preamble
During the past triennium, The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod has been more ecumenically engaged than perhaps at any
time in her history. In addition to ongoing work with her 34 partner
churches, the LCMS maintained an active role in the International Lutheran Council (ILC) and held conversations with several
Lutheran churches with whom it is not presently in fellowship, as
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2 0 1 3 C o n v e n t io n P r o c e e d i n g s

well as conservative Anglicans and Roman Catholics, particularly
in matters related to the public square and natural law.
World Lutheranism is in the process of a seismic realignment,
which creates tremendous opportunities and challenges. Since
the decisions to support same-sex marriage and the ordination
of practicing homosexuals by the Evangelical Lutheran Church
of America (ELCA) and the Church of Sweden (CoS) in 2009, the
memory and theology of the Reformation in the Lutheran World
Federation is in serious danger of extinction (see President’s Report,
Convention Workbook, p. 9)
Indicative of this trend was the momentous and difficult decision taken and the bold confession made earlier this year by the
Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), the largest Lutheran church in Africa with over six million members. The
EECMY made the decision to sever fellowship with the ELCA and
with the CoS, which has been her historic partner for approximately a hundred years. The EECMY indicated that the CoS and
the ELCA no longer teach the same Lutheran doctrine that the missionaries who came to Ethiopia a century ago taught. Other large
African churches have noticed this action of the EECMY and are
encouraged by her confession to remain steadfast to the Holy Scriptures and to the Lutheran Confessions. These churches also are
encouraged by the confessional stand proclaimed by the Missouri
Synod. Ecumenical Lutheranism offers mutual encouragement
while proclaiming Christ crucified.
Whereas, God’s Word encourages us to help others in the faith:
“Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these
brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the
church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God” (3 John 5–6); and
Whereas, God would have Christians serve as models for one
another in their lives of discipleship: “Brothers, join in imitating
me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Phil. 3:17); and
Whereas, The LCMS has been blessed abundantly by our Lord
in resources and in its rich theological heritage and works in conjunction with the ILC; therefore be it
Resolved, That we, as a Synod, give thanks for the encouragement of the bold witness and dedication to the Word of God of
confessional Lutheran church bodies around the world and urge
the members of the Synod to pray for these church bodies and ask
them to remember our Synod in their prayers that God may continue to bless us and them; and be it further
Resolved, That we give thanks to God for the International Conference on Confessional Leadership held near Atlanta in the fall of
2012 (with generous support from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Foundation, as well as from the Lutheran Church Extension Fund),
which brought together over 120 Lutheran leaders from around the
world for edification and encouragement; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations and the President’s Office to continue their planning for a similar international conference tentatively scheduled
for the spring of 2015 and encourage participants at this conference
to discuss possibilities for collaborative efforts among confessional
R e s olu t i on s