LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 86

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86

SYNOD REPORTS

America. The LCC hosted the most recent triennial meeting of the
International Lutheran Council (see II A 1 above). As noted above,
President Bugbee of the LCC participates in the ongoing theological discussions between the LCMS and the NALC (see II A 3 c). A
representative of the LCC is also a full participant in the theological discussions between the LCMS and Anglican Church in North
America (see II B 1 below).
5. Relationships with Other International Lutheran Churches and
Confessing Movements
a. Ethiopian Evangelical Church—Mekane Yesus

The Ethiopian Evangelical Church—Mekane Yesus (EECMY)
is the largest Lutheran church body in Africa with over 6 million
members. Although the LCMS and the EECMY are not in altar and
pulpit fellowship, in recent years a mutually beneficial relationship
has developed between our two church bodies. Ethiopian students
have studied at LCMS seminaries and several EECMY pastors have
become members of the Synod through colloquy and serve in various
capacities and locations—including Dr. Tilahun Mekonnen Mendedo,
formerly a pastor of the EECMY and now a rostered LCMS pastor
serving as President of Concordia College in Selma, Alabama. Dr.
Berhanu Ofgaa of Ethiopia has served as an LCMS pastor and was
elected by the EECMY in 2010 to be its general secretary. In this position he is responsible for the administration of the church-at-large,
serving next to the president of the EECMY, Dr. Wakseyoum Idosa.
The 2009 sexuality decisions of the ELCA have been deeply
troubling to the EECMY and to other African Christians. In January
2010, representatives of the LCMS and EECMY signed a document
titled “Partnership Agreement Between the Ethiopian Evangelical
Church—Mekane Yesus and the Department of World Missions
Representing The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,” which outlines the basis for cooperation and mutual support in certain areas as
well as a common commitment to work toward doctrinal agreement
as the basis for altar and pulpit fellowship. Dr. Albert Collver and
Dr. Joel Lehenbauer visited Ethiopia in the fall of 2012 where they
were cordially received and found a great willingness on the part of
the EECMY to establish even closer ties with the LCMS. President
Idosa represented the EECMY at the International Conference on
Confessional Leadership (I C 1 above) hosted by the CTCR and the
President’s Office October 31–November 2, 2012, where he delivered a paper on the EECMY’s work.
b. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia

2010 Res. 3-04A, “To Amend Bylaw 3.9.6.2.2 re Altar and
Pulpit Fellowship with Small, Formative, or Emerging Confessional
Churches,” commended the CTCR report “Church Relations in the
21st Century,” which recognized that in the case of “small, formative, or emerging confessional Lutheran churches” a stream-lined
approach to altar and pulpit fellowship would be beneficial. Res.
3-04A then resolved “[t]hat the President, following consultation with
the Praesidium and approval by the CTCR, be enabled to declare
recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with such formative confessional Lutheran church bodies, subject to the endorsement of the
subsequent Synod convention” and amended the Bylaws accordingly.
At its April 2012 meeting, the Commission considered a request
for church fellowship from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Liberia (ELCL). The ELCL’s roots are in missionary efforts by the
LCMS. During the Liberian civil war, the church suffered greatly,
divisions occurred, and many Liberian Lutherans fled the fighting.
While in exile, however, the Lutheran remnant renewed its mission
efforts, baptizing, teaching, and studying the Word and Lutheran confessional literature. Converts were added and divisions were healed to
such a point that after the Civil War, the ELCL was established as an
2013 Convention Workbook

independent church body with its own leadership. After contacts and
visits from the ELCL’s bishop, Amos Bolay, Dr. Albert Collver and
Dr. Joel Lehenbauer traveled to Liberia in December 2011/January
2012 to visit churches, meet with ELCL leadership, and examine the
ELCL constitution, theological statements, and working documents.
After consideration of their report to the Commission indicating that
there were no obstacles to altar and pulpit fellowship between the
LCMS and ELCL, the Commission affirmed the unity of doctrine
which exists between the churches and recommended a declaration
of church fellowship to President Harrison in compliance with 2010
Res. 3-04A. President Harrison’s consultation with the Praesidium
and declaration of fellowship followed. The CTCR is submitting an
overture to this (2013) convention asking the Synod to endorse this
declaration of church fellowship with the ELCL in accordance with
Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (c).
c. Indonesian Lutheran Churches

The LCMS has had a number of contacts with the Indonesian
Lutheran Christian Church (GKLI), including letters and visits by
LCMS personnel. In this past triennium, the GKLI asked the LCMS to
consider altar and pulpit fellowship. Bishop Aladin Sitio of the GKLI
was a participant in the International Conference on Confessional
Leadership (see section I C 1 above). Discussions with the GKLI
are continuing.
In addition to the GKLI, the LCMS has had a number of cordial contacts with the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP)
of Indonesia. Dr. Collver and other LCMS leaders have visited
with representatives of HKBP and Bishop Nelson Siregar of HKBP
was a participant in the International Conference on Confessional
Leadership (see section I C 1 above).
d. Lutheran Church in Norway

The Lutheran Church in Norway, a small, emerging confessional
church, has requested altar-pulpit fellowship with the LCMS. A
CTCR committee is presently examining this request.
e. Mission Province of Sweden and Finland

The Mission Province of Sweden and Finland is a free and nongeographical province of pastors and congregations in the Lutheran
Church in Sweden. The Mission Province seeks to remain faithful to
the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, opposing the Church of
Sweden’s decisions to ordain women to the pastoral office, to bless
and to perform gender neutral “marriages,” and to ordain non-celibate homosexual persons. In recent years, the Church of Sweden has
sought to mute the voices of those who dissent from its unbiblical
theology and practices. As a consequence, seminarians who share the
Mission Province’s beliefs have been denied ordination, some of its
pastors have been defrocked, and the Province has been denied the
right to have a bishop officially recognized by the Church of Sweden.
Representatives of the LCMS and Mission Province have met on a
number of occasions in recent years both in the U.S. and in Sweden.
Bishop Roland Gustafsson represented the Mission Province at the
International Conference on Confessional Leadership (see section I
C 1 above), where he delivered a paper on the efforts of confessional
Lutherans in Sweden and Finland.
f. Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

In January 2010, representatives of the Siberian Evangelical
Lutheran Church (SELC) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod (LCMS) met for discussions toward the goal of formal altar
and pulpit fellowship. In 2010, Drs. Albert Collver, Timothy Quill,
and Joel Lehenbauer conducted an on-site visit to the SELC, hosted
by SELC Bishop Vsevolod Lytkin and other SELC leaders. Bishop
Lytkin expressed appreciation for his church body’s relationship with