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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 340

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

340

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

WHEREAS, The LCMS has also confessed that “The orthodox
character of a church is established not by its mere name nor by its
outward acceptance of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed, but
by the doctrine which is actually taught in its pulpits, in its
theological seminaries, and in its publications,” (A Brief Statement,
29); and
WHEREAS, In September 2023, then Archbishop Janis Vanags
publicly communed two bishops of the Anglican Church in North
America (ACNA), a heterodox church body which permits its
dioceses to ordain women, and as a matter of policy permits its
preachers to advance many false doctrines held by the Reformed,
charismatic, and Romanist churches; and
WHEREAS, During the ACNA’s 2024 Provincial Assembly, an
ecumenical dialogue report was presented that additionally testified
to this fact; and
WHEREAS, The same report testifies that the ACNA had been
accorded full altar and pulpit fellowship by the ELCL on the basis
that the ELCL already had fellowship with the wider Anglican
Communion; and
WHEREAS, Our Lord does not tell us to treat our erring brother as
a Gentile after a single rebuke, but instead requires patience (Matt.
18:16–17); and
WHEREAS, The LCMS has previously, in response to the errors
of her sister churches, declared she is in statu confessionis, in a state
of confession, which “is not tantamount to the breaking of
fellowship. If, however, the circumstances which called forth the
protest are not corrected in due time, the implication is that the
protest will lead to the severance of fellowship relations,” (1971
Convention Report 2-01, Commission on Theology and Church
Relations, Workbook, Appendix B, 39); therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod recognize that there is not complete
doctrinal agreement with the ELCL on account of differences in the
doctrine of church fellowship; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod declare that she is in a state of
confession against the ELCL for her unionist fellowship with the
Anglican Communion; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod direct its President, as its chief
ecumenical officer, as well as the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations (CTCR), to provide for new doctrinal discussions
with the ELCL on the issue of church fellowship, to the end that the
ELCL might be brought to repentance; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod implore its members to pray fervently
for true doctrinal agreement to be established by these discussions,
that we may dwell together in unity; and be it further
Resolved, That the CTCR produce a report on the status of these
discussions and their fruits, and to disseminate this report for
widespread study prior to the 2029 Synod convention; and be it
finally
Resolved, That in light of the results of these dialogues, the
Synod reconsider its relationship to the ELCL in the 2029 Synod
convention, whether to (1) rescind the state of confession; (2)
continue the state of confession; or (3) break fellowship.
Good Shepherd
Lincoln, NE

2026 Convention Workbook

Ov. 5-08

To Recognize That the Synod
Is Not in Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with
Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche
Preamble
Attempts to introduce women’s ordination into Selbständige
Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, or the Independent Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Germany (SELK) (which is currently listed as
a Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod [LCMS] partner church and a
member of the International Lutheran Council), have been actively
underway for at least 25 years. At best, the SELK is unable to give
a clear confession on God’s Word as applied to the Office of the
Holy Ministry, and accordingly, is not in altar and pulpit fellowship,
which is a gift of God that exists by His grace on the basis of
complete agreement in doctrine and practice.
In 2000, the SELK published “Die wesentlichen Argumente zur
Frage einer Ordination von Frauen zum Amt der Kirche, soweit sie
bisher in der Selbständigen Evangelischlutherischen Kirche
(SELK) geäussert wurden” (www.selk.de/download/fo-pap.pdf), or
“The Main Arguments on the Question of the Ordination of Women
to the Office of the Church, as far as they have been expressed so
far in the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK)”.
In 2009, the SELK further published Dokumentation zum
Beratungsprozess “Ordination von Frauen zum Amt der Kirche” in
der Pfarrerschaft der SELK 1999–2009, or Documentation of the
Consultation Process “Ordination of Women to the Office of the
Church” in the Clergy of the SELK 1999–2009. One of the
documents contained therein, entitled “Gruppenantrag an den 11.
Allgemeinen Pfarrkonvent im Mai 2009 als Gegenantrag zum
Antrag der Kirchenleitung und des Kollegiums der
Superintendenten” (p. 43), 31 SELK pastors asserted in a proposed
overture (never adopted) that no consensus was reached on the
theological interpretation of Scripture regarding women’s
ordination and further, that while the ordination of women remains
prohibited in the SELK, the ordination of women was to be deemed
a matter of church order, not doctrine, and left to the church’s
discretion, and discussion would remain open.
Most recently, at the 15th General Pastoral Convention of the SELK
held June 23–27, 2025, 47 percent of the pastors present considered
it theologically possible for the SELK to have some members who
practice women’s ordination. Yet rather than repenting of the fact
that nearly half of its pastorate would allow the possibility of a
position clearly contrary to Scripture, 80 percent of the pastors
voted to assure supporters of women’s ordination of “brotherly
cooperation, respect for their position, and a willingness to listen to
their concerns” rather than rebuking those holding to this false
doctrine (Matthew Block, “SELK Pastoral Convention Offers
Clarity
on
Ordination,”
Aug.
14,
2025,
ilcouncil.org/2025/08/14/selk-pastoral-convention-offers-clarityon-ordination).
Further, 88 percent of the SELK delegates voted to “commit
themselves to continuing to promote the services of women in the
SELK as provided for in the church regulations: pastoral assistants,
lectors, church council members, church councilors, deacons,
catechists, lecturers at the Lutherischen Theologischen Hochschule,
etc.” (ibid.)
To assert that there are scriptural and confessional arguments in
favor of women’s ordination, and that the issue is not a matter of