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ELCA Assembly Hears From Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
CWA-32-05-JI

     ORLANDO, Fla. (ELCA) -- The Rev. Gerald B. Kieschnick,
president of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (LCMS), told the
2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) Aug. 12 that LCMS members are praying for
"harmonious conclusions" to differences between the two church
bodies--the largest among North American Lutherans.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott
and Convention Center.	About 2,300 people are participating,
including 1,018 ELCA voting members.  The theme for the biennial
assembly is "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever.
     The ELCA has 4.9 million members and LCMS, 2.4 million.
     "We humbly and respectfully pray that we will be able to
come to harmonious conclusions regarding the authority and
interpretation of the Word of God, so that the distance between
us will not be widened, but will be bridged," Kieschnick said.
     That remark came after he pointed out that although both
church bodies' constitutions pledge "allegiance to the Holy
Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, ... it is clear that our
two churches do not always share the same understanding of what
is meant by such allegiance.
     "All too often we do not come to the same conclusions
regarding what we understand the Scriptures and Confessions to
say," Kieschnick told the assembly. "It is clear we have reached
different conclusions in a number of areas of faith and life,
church and ministry, internal and external relationships.
Decisions made by LCMS national conventions and decisions made by
ELCA churchwide assemblies are apparently reflective of different
exegetical principles and hermeneutical conclusions at work in
our respective church bodies.
     Referring to the assembly's theme, "Marked with the Cross of
Christ Forever," Kieschnick said, "In Baptism we are marked with
the Cross of Christ forever," quoting Martin Luther that "no
greater jewel ... can adorn our body and soul than Baptism.
     "As Lutheran Christians," he said, "we cherish this great
jewel that adorns us and marks us with the Cross of Christ.
Likewise, we treasure the holy, precious Word of God that reveals
the perfect law of God and the merciful gospel of Christ -- the
light for the path of the Christian Church.
     "Having received the treasure of God's Word," Kieschnick
said, "as fallible human beings we are challenged with being true
to this Word in the midst of a dark and perverse generation.
Especially in this post-modern era, we are called upon to heed
the Scripture that warns of days when people will listen only to
what their itching ears want to hear.  Meanwhile, the Word of God
teaches that there is only one voice to be heard and followed,
the voice of Jesus.  It is imperative that we always strive
faithfully to adhere to the Word of God in all aspects of faith
and life, also in times of discord and discontent.
     "To that end, we in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
sincerely desire to be faithful to the Word of God in our life
and work, both internally and externally," Kieschnick told the
assembly. "This includes our working relationships with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  We will continue to
strive to be faithful, by the grace of God and under the
authority of God's Word as the rule and norm of the Christian
faith and life.  We encourage you and we pray for you in your
efforts to do the same.
     Kieschnick's remarks came at the end of the day when the
assembly finished work on what was arguably its weightiest most
controversial business -- three proposals related to studies on
sexuality.  The previous afternoon (Aug. 11), voting members met
as a "quasi-committee of the whole" for an hour's discussion of
the issue.
     "We in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod are sensitive to
the struggles
experienced within the ELCA," Kieschnick said,
"including the strongly held, opposing positions in your church
on issues acted upon by this assembly this very day. We ourselves
are no strangers to internal struggles.
     "I couldn't help but observe during your assembly
proceedings that you are no strangers to the joys and sorrows of
parliamentary procedure," Kieschnick said to applause and
laughter from the assembly. "As a matter of fact, there was an
occasion on which I closed my eyes and felt absolutely certain
that I was at a convention of The Lutheran Church--Missouri
Synod.
*-
     Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/05 on the Web.

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