wfn.org | ELCA Council Sees Draft Agenda of First Missouri Synod Talks

[NEWS <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 11, 1999

ELCA COUNCIL SEES DRAFT AGENDA OF FIRST MISSOURI SYNOD TALKS
99-89-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), shared with the ELCA
Church Council a proposed agenda for the first discussions between the
ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between its meetings of the
Churchwide Assembly.  The council is meeting April 9-12 in Chicago. 
Assemblies are held every other year; the next is August 16-22 in
Denver.
     The first day of the ELCA-LCMS meeting here June 14-15 will begin
with presentations on "ELCA Ecumenical Decisions" from each church body. 
The second day will begin with papers on "Lutheran Identity."  Brief
discussions follow each paper, and each day concludes with an extended
discussion on the day's topic.
     The Rev. Guy S. Edmiston, bishop of the ELCA Lower Susquehanna
Synod, Harrisburg, Pa., will present the ELCA's paper on ecumenical
decisions.  Edmiston was Lutheran co-chair of the Lutheran-Reformed
Coordinating Committee which drafted a Formula of Agreement defining a
relationship of "full communion" between the ELCA and three churches of
the Reformed tradition -- the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed
Church in America and United Church of Christ.
     The Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary, will present the ELCA's
paper on "Lutheran Identity."  In 1998 Almen authored "Our Journey
Together," a series of eight "bulletin inserts" outlining the ELCA's
heritage.
     Presenters of LCMS papers are yet to be announced.
     A convention of the LCMS in July 1998 expressed "deep regret and
profound disagreement with" two ecumenical decisions made by the 1997
ELCA Churchwide Assembly.  One established full communion with the three
Reformed churches.  The other adopted a Joint Declaration on the
Doctrine of Justification with the Roman Catholic Church.
     The LCMS convention pledged support for the Missouri Synod's
president, the Rev. Alvin L. Barry, "as he continues to work together
with the presiding bishop of the ELCA in arranging for discussion of
these issues between representatives of our two church bodies."
     The LCMS resolution noted there continue to be doctrinal
disagreements between Lutherans and the Reformed on the Lord's Supper
and with Catholics on justification.  It also said those actions "have
significant implications for all Lutherans and other Christians in the
United States and around the world."
     The purpose of the talks, Barry has said, is "openly to share
concerns with one another and to discuss the very serious doctrinal
issues that divide our two church bodies."
     Anderson said he hopes the discussions will go beyond differences
and explore ways in which a common Lutheran witness is possible.  The
two churches cooperate in a number of areas and share in such common
service ministries as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Lutheran
Services in America and Lutheran World Relief.
     "We've taken sort of a 'Noah's ark' approach to this," Anderson
told the council about the selection of the ELCA's representatives to
the ELCA-LCMS discussion.  He said two synod bishops, two parish
pastors, two lay people, two educators and two church officers are on
the panel.
     In addition to Almen, Anderson and Edmiston, ELCA representatives
in the discussion are the Rev. Phyllis B. Anderson, director, Institute
for Ecumenical and Theological Studies at the School of Theology and
Ministry, Seattle University, Seattle, Wash.; David J. Hardy, former
general counsel of the ELCA, Palatine, Ill.; Edith Lohr, director,
Lutheran Social Services of New England, Natick, Mass.; the Rev.
Patricia J. Lull, Christ Lutheran Church, Athens, Ohio; the Rev. Stanley
Olson, bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod, Redwood Falls, Minn.;
the Rev. H. Frederick Reisz, president of Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary, Columbia, S.C.; and the Rev. Paul J. Seastrand, First English
Lutheran Church, Billings, Mont.
     In addition to Barry, LCMS members of the panel are the Rev.
Ronald R. Feuerhahn, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; the Rev. Carl C.
Fickenscher II, Peace Lutheran Church, Garland, Texas; the Rev. Raymond
L. Hartwig, LCMS secretary; the Rev. Robert T. Kuhn, LCMS first vice
president; the Rev. Kurt Marquart, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort
Wayne, Ind.; the Rev. Samuel H. Nafzger, executive director, LCMS
Commission on Theology and Church Relations; the Rev. Harold L.
Senkbeil, Elm Grove Lutheran Church, Elm Grove, Wis.; the James W.
Voelz, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; and the Rev. William C. Weinrich,
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.
     The ELCA-LCMS discussion panel is to meet twice a year.  The
second meeting will be held in St. Louis, where the LCMS has its central
offices, but no date has been set.  The secretaries of the two church
bodies will prepare one statement from each meeting.
     Anderson's report to the ELCA Church Council said future topics
for the discussions would include "the nature of the Church and
ecumenical activity" and "the authorization of sacramental ministries
for congregations without pastors."

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