wfn.org | Lutheran, Orthodox Propose "Mutual Confession"

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 10, 1997

LUTHERAN, ORTHODOX PROPOSE "MUTUAL CONFESSION"
97-01-002-FI

     DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (ELCA) -- A U.S. dialogue of Lutheran and
Orthodox Christians has a recommendation that would "acknowledge our
mutual confession of the faith."  The Dec. 16-18 meeting here
concluded with the proposal that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) use the original Nicene Creed in its worship services.
     The Nicene Creed is a confession of the Christian faith dating
back to A.D. 381 and was formulated by a church council held in Nicaea
(now Iznik, Turkey).  It lays out the doctrine of the Triune God --
Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- that is widely accepted across the
Christian faith.
     Orthodox traditions reject a later addition of the Latin word
"filioque," meaning "and the Son."  The original version of the Nicene
Creed speaks of the Holy Spirit "who proceeds from the Father,"
without the addition, "and the Son."
     Representatives of the ELCA and the Orthodox Churches in America,
eight from each tradition, make up the dialogue recommending that the
ELCA Church Council implement a 1990 resolution of the Lutheran World
Federation.
     The LWF resolved "that churches which already use the Nicene
Creed in their liturgies may use the version of 381."  The dialogue
adds that in the Lutheran tradition "there is confessional warrant for
this recommendation in Article I of the Augsburg Confession."
     LWF, a communion of 122 member churches and 12 recognized
congregations, represents 56 million Lutherans worldwide, including
the ELCA's 5.2 million members.
     "The action proposed by the consultation would bring the two
historic Christian churches closer in their profession of faith in
their worship," said the Lutheran co-chair, the Rev. Paul M. Werger,
retired bishop of the ELCA's Southeastern Iowa Synod.
     The Orthodox co-chair, Bishop Maximos (Aghiorgoussis) of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, pointed out that "this is by no
means the final word."  The delegates committed themselves to
continued dialogue on the nature of the Triune God, "focusing
particularly on the procession of the Spirit."  This will be the
dialogue's topic when it meets in November 1997.
     In other matters, the commission discussed 1997 proposals for
sharing communion and ministries between the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America and the Episcopal Church and 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.
They considered the potential implications this movement might have
for the continuing Lutheran-Orthodox dialogues.
     The dialogue is in "Round III" of talks that began in the 1960s.
Round II, from 1983 to 1989, resulted in the 1992 publication of
"Salvation in Christ."  Round III on "faith in the Holy Trinity" began
in 1994 under the auspices of the Standing Conference of Canonical
Orthodox Bishops in the Americas and the ELCA.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312)
380-2958 or
AHAFFTEN@ELCA.ORG; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955 or
FRANKI@ELCA.ORG; Melissa Ramirez, Assist. Dir., (312) 380-2956 or
MRAMIREZ@ELCA.ORG