wfn.org | ELCA, Disciples of Christ Begin New Ecumenical Dialogue

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

May 11, 2004

ELCA, Disciples of Christ Begin New Ecumenical Dialogue
04-094-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Representatives of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) met here April 29-May 2 to launch a new dialogue
between the two churches.  They discussed Baptism and the Lord's
Supper, as well as Christian concepts related to covenants and
confessions.
     The Rev. Richard Guentert, regional minister and president,
Christian Church in the Upper Midwest, Des Moines, Iowa, chairs
the dialogue for the Disciples.  The Rev. Steven L. Ullestad,
bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, Waverly, Iowa, chairs
the dialogue for the Lutherans.
     "We experienced, with deep appreciation, the worship and
liturgical practice of one another's traditions.  We laid
important foundations in relationship building, both among
ourselves as a dialogue team and in our ability to seek
clarifying information about one another's denominational
traditions and practices," said Guentert.  "We truly experienced
a marvelous sense of cohesiveness that fostered candidness and
mutual respect throughout our conversations," he said.
     "There is an emerging consensus that there is a great deal
in common between the Confessions of the Lutheran Church and the
worship practices and hymnody of the Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) in a shared understanding of Holy Communion," Ullestad
said.
     Other members of the dialogue for the Disciples are the Rev.
Kristine A. Culp, dean, Disciples Divinity House, and senior
lecturer in theology, University of Chicago Divinity School;
Patricia Duncan, doctoral candidate, University of Chicago
Divinity School; and the Rev. Clark M. Williamson, Indiana
professor of Christian thought, emeritus, Christian Theological
Seminary, Indianapolis.  The Rev. Robert K. Welsh, president,
Disciples' Council on Christian Unity, Indianapolis, staffs the
dialogue.
     Other Lutheran members of the dialogue are the Rev. Kurt K.
Hendel, professor of Reformation church history, Lutheran School
of Theology at Chicago; the Rev. Sarah S. Henrich, associate
professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; and
the Rev. David G. Truemper, professor and chair of theology, and
director, Institute of Liturgical Studies, Valparaiso University,
Valparaiso, Ind.  The Rev. Randall R. Lee, director, ELCA
department for ecumenical Affairs, staffs the dialogue.
     The Rev. Lydia Veliko, minister for ecumenical relations,
United Church of Christ (UCC), Cleveland, serves as an observer
of the dialogue.  The UCC is in a relationship of "full
communion" with both the Disciples of Christ and ELCA.
     The dialogue discussed five papers during the course of its
first meeting: "Baptism and the Breaking of Bread in Disciples
Theology" by Williamson, "The Sacramental Character of the
Lutheran Church" by Truemper, "The Communion of the Baptized" by
Ullestad, "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: A
Confessional Church" by Hendel and "The Notion of Covenant" by
the Rev. Charles Blaisdell, regional minister and president,
Christian Church of Northern California-Nevada, San Ramon, Calif.
Welsh presented Blaisdell's paper.
     Lee and Welsh said, in a summary of the meeting, that
conversation focused on the Lord's Supper.  Dialogue members
asked Truemper to write a paper "to express the sacramental
convictions contained within the Lutheran Confessions," they
said.  A representative of the Disciples will work with Truemper
to present a common statement on the Lord's Supper to the
dialogue's next meeting, which will be here Nov. 4-6.
-- -- --
     The Department for Ecumenical Affairs has its home page at
http://www.elca.org/ea/ on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news