wfn.org | Lutherans sorting out impact of full communion

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99-144

Lutherans sorting out impact of vote for full communion with 
Episcopalians

by James Solheim

     (ENS) In the wake of the decision by the Churchwide Assembly 
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approving 
full communion with the Episcopal Church, the church's presiding 
bishop met with opponents of the agreement and addressed their 
concerns.

     Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson told a September 27 
meeting of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod fall theological 
conference in Rochester that the decision was a "calculated risk" 
and he expressed his concern that people on both sides of the 
issue have hurt each other. But he said that he hopes "that as a 
church, we can forgive each other."

     The ELCA passed the proposal, "Called to Common Mission," a 
rewrite of a Concordat of Agreement that the church narrowly 
rejected at its 1997 meeting after the Episcopal Church 
overwhelming approved it at the General Convention meeting in 
Philadelphia earlier. 

     Much of the controversy centers on the requirement that the 
Lutherans accept the "historic episcopate," with opponents 
charging that such a move compromises Lutheran identity, altering 
the role of bishops and diminishing the role of laity in the 
church.

     "The passage of this places clergy and bishops at the center 
of this church," said the Rev. Julie Smith of Clarkfield, 
Minnesota. She said that CCM is "a betrayal" of her Lutheran 
heritage, and puts the church on "a course of increased hierarchy 
and less concern for the priesthood of all believers."

     Another pastor reported "a lot of hurt in the parish I 
serve." The Rev. David Christiansen of Hutchinson said, "People 
are angry to the point where they are drawing up resolutions 
asking, 'How can we stay in the ELCA?'"

     But the Rev. Nathan Lundgren of Foley said in response, "In 
the two parishes I have, I have not run into that deep hurt that 
others have expressed."

Living into new possibility

     Anderson said that no rule requires "anyone to accept the 
historic episcopate," and that it is important "to talk with people 
about their conscientious objections and see how they can 
be alleviated." He said that nothing in CCM changes the structure 
of the ELCA, only the procedure is changed.

     Anderson pointed out that the Episcopal Church was making 
commitments of its own, including the acceptance of Lutheran 
ordinations and the suspension of its rules that "no persons are 
allowed to exercise the offices of bishop, priest or deacon in 
this church unless they are so ordained, or have already received 
such ordination with the laying-on-of hands by bishops who are 
themselves qualified to confer Holy Orders."

     Pointing out that the Episcopal Church will respond to CCM 
at its General Convention next summer in Denver, Anderson said, 
"It is important for us now to meet concerns and to find a way to 
live into this new possibility with the Episcopal Church."

Seminarians express concerns

     In an earlier meeting at a church in St. Paul, Anderson 
responded to concerns from seminarians who wondered about the 
"nature of supervision" required by CCM.

     Carol Nelson, a senior at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, said 
she wondered "if there is a place or need for me in this church." 
In response Anderson said that he would do "all I can to help 
seminarians. I want them to know that this is a church that 
welcomes them."

     Anderson received kudos for the way he handled the difficult 
discussion at the Churchwide Assembly. 

     In discussion on an amendment to CCM that calls on synod 
bishops to "regularly ordain" seminary graduates, Bishop David W. 
Olson of the Minneapolis Area Synod said that it meant that 
bishops may not intentionally be absent from an ordination, 
allowing them to delegate their responsibility for ordinations 
only in extreme emergencies.

     The Rev. Merlyn Satrom of St. Paul, a member of the team 
that wrote CCM, said that he was "disturbed that so few people 
have read the documents. "We need to do our homework and do more 
reading."

     Other participants expressed "distrust" with ELCA 
leadership. And the Rev. Jonathan Preus of Minneapolis said that 
he was worried about what will happen to seminarians and 
congregations who cannot accept CCM. He even suggested that some 
congregations might consider forming a non-geographic synod 
"where the historic episcopate does not exist."

     Anderson said that he would be "attentive to those who found the 
decision to be distasteful," adding that "part of the work 
I'm doing is to hear clearly what those issues are. We took on a 
big job," he concluded. "This might be a way for us to learn how 
to live together."

--James Solheim is director of News and Information for the 
Episcopal Church. This article is based on reports by John 
Brooks, director of the ELCA News Service.