wfn.org | Teams revising Lutheran-Episcopal Concordat should strive for

[ENS.parti@ecunet.org (ENS)]

January 15, 1998
Episcopal News Service
Jim Solheim, Director
212-922-5385
ens@ecunet.org

98-2066
Teams revising Lutheran-Episcopal Concordat should strive for clarity
and candor

by Ann Hafften and James Solheim
     (ENS) The writing teams appointed to revise the Concordat of
Agreement, calling for full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) and the Episcopal Church, should strive for
clarity and candor, according to reports from a mid-December meeting in
Chicago.
     The writing teams met with an advisory panel appointed by the
two churches to represent the wide range of opinion, especially in the
ELCA. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church endorsed the
Concordat in July but the ELCA fell six votes short of the two-thirds
needed to accept the Concordat. In subsequent resolutions, the ELCA
called for an intense period of study and preparation of a revised
proposal for its regional synods and in time for its Churchwide Assembly
in 1999.
     In greeting the group, Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson of
the ELCA said that the advisory panel would "assess concerns, represent
various regions of the church and points of view, and help the drafters
see both possibilities and how issues rank in importance."
     Anderson said that the Concordat is an effort to come to some
reconciliation of the ministries of both churches through the historic
episcopate, taking into account the context of Lutherans in the United
States today.

What are we talking about?
     "No one seemed to agree on what the text of the Concordat
meant," said the Rev. Joan Mau of Wisconsin. "To agree on a document
we need to know what we're talking about."
     Former governor Albert Quie of Minnesota said, "Lutheran folks
are so divided over the historic episcopate," which emerged as the most
divisive component of the discussion at the Churchwide Assembly. "We
need to find a point of unity within the ELCA and provide clarity of
language that will lead to trust," he said.
     After nearly 30 years of official dialogue, the two churches have
agreed on the meaning of "apostolic succession," faithfulness to the
Gospel proclamation through the centuries. But Episcopalians have
maintained the historic episcopate, the consecration of bishops in a
traditional line going back to the early church.
     Bishop Peter Rogness of Milwaukee underscored the agreement
on apostolic succession and added, "Our understandings of oversight and
authority are much the same. The proposal's increased emphasis on
clergy is not as massive as some in the ELCA think. It does not call for
such a big shift, just an affirmation of both traditions."

Dangerously divided?
     Prof. Todd Nichol of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, one of three
Lutheran members of the writing team, said, "There is a practical
element to the situation. We are quite badly strained, quite deeply
divided, perhaps even dangerously so. We Lutherans need to be tending
to the unity of our household."
     Nichol is convinced that the task is "to achieve a consensus as
broad and deep as possible so as many ELCA members as possible can
say Yes. Ecumenism begins at home," he said. "Our ecumenical efforts
need to take account of the fact that the ELCA is a young and tender
church, only 10 years old." 
     In an effort to deal honestly with the issues, Nichol argued that
both churches "need to be absolutely clear with each other, so that each
fully understands and agrees to the meanings and consequences attached
by the other to words and gestures, documents, practices and ritual
actions."
     The Rev. Thomas Prinz of Virginia said that the issue is "not just
a matter of Lutheran unity...not primarily an interior issue, but a
particular part of the call to unity in Christ. Lutheran unity alone will fall
short of the larger goal."
     Some participants expressed concern that major changes in the
Concordat could threaten the whole process. Dr. Michael Root of the
Ecumenical Institute in Strasbourg, another member of the writing team,
cautioned against "changing the Concordat too much," stressing the need
for "clarity and a mission context."  He said that the ELCA should "not
try so hard for 85 percent of the vote if that means not producing
something that will get 75 percent."

Episcopalians encouraged
     The Rev. David Perry, the Episcopal Church's ecumenical
officer, said that he was impressed with the "breadth and openness and
forthrightness" of the Lutheran advisory panel. "Their commitment to the
task, to find a way to bring our two churches to full communion, is very
encouraging." Perry does not minimize the difficulty of the task,
observing that "it will require of all of us a sensitivity to the issues which
have brought us to this point." Yet he continues to believe that "the Spirit
will help us do what God wants."
     Perry also expressed confidence in the Episcopal writing team--
Prof. J. Robert Wright of the General Theological Seminary, the Rev.
William Norgren, former ecumenical officer, and Bishop Chris Epting of
Iowa, who chairs the team. "These people have been involved from the
beginning of our dialogue and they will represent our church very well,"
he said. The Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations will serve as
the Episcopal Church's advisory panel since it is broadly representative
of the church and has direct access to the General Convention.
     Epting agreed with Perry, adding that "our conversations at this
point are full and rich--but we are in the earliest stages of our work on
the Concordat." He is also convinced that both sides must proceed with
"the greatest care and sensitivity" if they hope to put together something
that will move Episcopalians and Lutherans forward in mission. "If we
succeed in our task, it would be a very hopeful sign for other churches in
this country, and lead us into a whole new area in ecumenical relations."