LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2023, Page 144

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5. THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
WHEREAS, The ELMDF accepts all the canonical books of
the sacred Scriptures of the Old and of the New Testaments as
the infallible, revealed Word of God and the symbolic books of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church, compiled in the Book of
Concord of 1580, as a correct exposition of Holy Scripture; and
WHEREAS, The ELMDF is in altar and pulpit fellowship
with several partner churches of the LCMS in Europe and
Canada; and
WHEREAS, The ELMDF has requested altar and pulpit
fellowship with the LCMS; and
WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (c) says:
When a small, formative, emerging confessional
Lutheran church body (identified as such by the
President of the Synod as chief ecumenical
officer) requests recognition of altar and pulpit
fellowship with the Synod, after consultation
with the Praesidium and approval by the
commission, such recognition may be declared
by the President of the Synod subject to the
endorsement of the subsequent Synod
convention;
and
WHEREAS, The CTCR has recommended the recognition of
fellowship with the ELMDF as a faithful Lutheran church
body, after having carefully and thoroughly considered this
matter by means of extensive correspondence, meetings with
ELMDF representatives, and the examination of pertinent
documents that describe the doctrine and practice of the
ELMDF; and
WHEREAS, President Matthew C. Harrison, by virtue of the
authority vested in him according to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (c), wrote
to then-Bishop Risto Soramies on Oct. 5, 2020, stating: “I am
able to declare recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship
between our two churches. Praise God!”; therefore be it
Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude the unity
of confession that has been given to our church bodies under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and be it further
Resolved, That this convention formally endorse the
recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between the ELMDF
and the LCMS; and be it further
Resolved, That we give thanks to God for the faithful and
courageous Lutheran witness the ELMDF provides within its
own country, to the Nordic world, and beyond; and be it
further
Resolved, That we encourage and walk with the ELMDF as
they proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world;
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 that
we enjoy as partner church bodies; and be it finally
Resolved, That in thanksgiving for this partnership in the
Gospel, the convention assembly celebrate its approval by
rising and singing the common doxology.
144 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2023 (68TH) LCMS CONVENTION

Action: Adopted (2)

The resolution being put to a “yea, yea, it shall be so” voice vote,
the resolution was so adopted, unanimously, and the common
doxology was sung. President Harrison having read a
commemorative plaque, Bishop Juhana Pohjola addressed the
assembly, with his remarks included in Today’s Business 3.

To Recognize Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with
the Lutheran Church of Uganda
RESOLUTION 5-03
Report R12 (CW, 58); Overture 5-03 (CW, 285–87)
Preamble
Work to establish a Lutheran mission in Uganda began in
early 1993 in Jinja town. This work was initiated by five local
Ugandans, who—dissatisfied with divisions and infighting in
local Bugosa dioceses of the Anglican Church—were yearning
for a church that truly proclaimed the Word of God and that
could worship and work together in peace.
In early 1993, these five lay Christians (three men, two
women) visited Kenya and urged the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Kenya (ELCK) to initiate Lutheran mission work in
Uganda. The ELCK, then under the leadership of Rev. Francis
Nyamwalo, was not able to fulfill the request due to logistical
challenges. Soon thereafter, contact was made with the Rev.
Dr. Paul Kofi Fynn, then-president of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Ghana (ELCG), a longtime partner church of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). In July 1993,
President Fynn sent Rev. Isaac Gyampadu to Uganda to assess
the possibility of beginning mission work there. Rev.
Gyampadu returned with a positive report, which was
followed by a visit of Bishop Fynn to Uganda in February 1994.
In September 1994, the ELCG sent two missionaries, Rev.
Gyampadu and Evangelist John Donkoh (bishop of the ELCG
since 2018), to establish the Lutheran mission in Uganda.
They organized the first training session on Lutheran doctrine
and teaching, which was attended by 200 individuals from 30
Bible study groups that had already been organized by the lay
pioneers of these mission efforts. The two missionaries
presided over the first Lutheran worship service on Oct. 30,
1994, in Jinja town.
In November 1994, President Fynn invited a delegation of
leaders from the LCMS to visit Uganda. This delegation
included Rev. Allan Buckman, Rev. Robert Roegner, and Rev.
Bryant Clancy. This visit officially marked the beginning of
LCMS mission efforts in Uganda.
On April 27, 1995, the Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda
(LCMU) was officially established and registered with the
government of Uganda. A nine-member board of directors
was formed, and additional missionaries from both the ELCG
and the LCMS were sent in subsequent years. As a result, by
God’s grace, the LCMU experienced significant numerical
growth.
Resolutions