LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 87

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SYNOD REPORTS
the Missouri Synod, which began in the 1990s. The SELC was officially licensed by the Russian government in 2002 and that same year
Bishop Lytkin was consecrated. In 2007, the church formally took
the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church as its name. The SELC
has about 2,000 parishioners, 22 parishes and mission stations, and
17 clergy, but it covers a geographical area that extends 5,000 miles
from east to west. The on-site visit was very productive and, while
there are differences in emphases between the LCMS and SELC, no
obstacles to altar-pulpit fellowship were identified.
At its December 2010 meeting, the CTCR formally recommended
church fellowship with the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church
(SELC) to the Synod President in keeping with the newly constituted
Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (c) (see II 5 b above). President Harrison declared
fellowship that same month after consultation with the Praesidium.
Necessary protocol documents guiding interactions between the
LCMS and SELC were reviewed at the February 2011 CTCR meeting. The CTCR is submitting an overture to this (2013) convention
asking the Synod to endorse this declaration of church fellowship with
the SELC in accordance with Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (c).
g. Tanzanian Lutheran Churches

The LCMS has cooperated in several projects with the East of
Lake Victoria Diocese (ELVD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in Tanzania (ELCT). The ELVD is one of 20 dioceses of the ELCT, a
Lutheran church body of more than three million members, and the
diocese is led by Bishop Andrew Gulle. Bishop Gulle represented the
ELCT at the International Conference on Confessional Leadership
(see section I C 1 above) and Dr. Collver, Director of Church
Relations, as well as Dr. Lehenbauer, have travelled to Tanzania and
met with ELCT leaders in the past triennium.
Dr. Collver has also had conversations with an independent
Lutheran church in Tanzania, The Lutheran Church in East Africa
(LCEA). This group, a break-away from the Northern Diocese of the
ELCT, consists of 10,000 members, 20 pastors and a seminary with
13 students. Thus far, it has grown without the involvement of any
foreign missionaries.
B. Meetings and Discussions with Other Churches
1. Anglican Church in North America

A four-part series of meetings with the Anglican Church in
North America (ACNA) commenced on November 10–11, 2010, at
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Additional meetings were held at
Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and at
Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. The fourth meeting
occurred on March 29–30, 2012 at Nashotah House (Nashotah, WI).
Topics for the meetings were the two churches’ respective history and
background (I), understanding of authority (II), contemporary challenges and opportunities (III), and worship and catechesis (IV). The
meetings have been open and cordial, with the churches’ representatives learning from one another and discovering many important
areas of common ground, but also differences in doctrine and practice that require further discussion.
LCMS representatives have included President Matthew Harrison,
Dr. Collver, Director of Church Relations, Dr. Lehenbauer and Rev.
Vogel of the CTCR, Dr. Lawrence Rast, President of CTSFW, and Dr.
Frederick Baue. In addition, the LCMS delegation has been joined
by Dr. John Stephenson of the LCC because the ACNA has a number of congregations in Canada. A joint statement by the participants,
approved by Archbishop Robert Duncan and President Matthew
Harrison as well as President Robert Bugbee of the LCC, was released
May 26, 2012 (see www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=1443).
A second round of discussions began with a meeting in St. Louis,
October 18–19, 2012. Among other topics, the second round will

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focus on specific ways in which our churches can cooperate without
theological compromise.
2. LCMS and Roman Catholic Relations

There have been a number of contacts between representatives
of the LCMS and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB) in the past triennium. Both churches have cooperated
together and with other religious groups in drafting and issuing public
statements and open letters with regard to social-cultural issues, pending legislation, and governmental decisions on national, state, and
local levels. Discussions continue between the LCMS and USCCB
with regard to matters of mutual concern. A meeting of ILC and
LCMS leaders with Father John Crossin, executive director of the
Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the USCCB,
is planned for the spring of 2013 at the International Center in St.
Louis.
C. National Council of Churches
The LCMS is not a member of the National Council of Churches
(NCC). Over the years and also in the past triennium, the executive
director of the CTCR has participated in the NCC’s Faith and Order
Commission as a representative from a nonmember church body.
III. Religious Organizations and Movements
The CTCR is charged with assisting “congregations and ordained
and commissioned ministers of religion in fulfilling their commitment to witness publicly and privately to the one and only Gospel set
forth in the Holy Scriptures” (Bylaw 3.9.5.3, “Fraternal and Other
Organizations”). This bylaw includes the Synod’s longstanding provisions for dealing with the lodge issue as well as other organizations
which may be of concern to LCMS members. In keeping with this
responsibility to provide resources and information to the members
of the Synod regarding organizations, philosophies, and religious
movements, the CTCR includes a section of its Web site designated
“Evaluations” (see www.lcms.org/ctcr). Evaluations fall into two
categories, Lodge Organizations and Religious Organizations and
Movements. The evaluations consider, from a Lutheran theological
perspective, a broad range of religious practices, organizations, and
movements—both Christian and non-Christian. In addition to material previously available, during the past triennium the Commission
has provided evaluations on the topics of Churchless Christianity,
Emergent Church, Enneagram, God’s Learning Channel, SeventhDay Adventism, The Center for Progressive Christianity, and
Transhumanism. The current listing of topics in its entirety includes
the following:
• Baha’i Faith
• Center for Progressive Christianity
• Christian Identity Movement
• Christian Science
• Church of Scientology
• Churchless Christianity
• Cults—An Overview (also available in Spanish)
• Cursillo Movement
• Elks Lodge
• Emergent Church
• Enneagram
• Fraternal Order of Eagles
• God’s Learning Channel
• Human Potential Movement
• International Church of Christ (ICOC)
• Islam
• Jehovah’s Witnesses

2013 Convention Workbook