wfn.org | ELCA Releases New Full Communion Proposal (UPDATE)

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 9, 1998

ELCA RELEASES NEW FULL COMMUNION PROPOSAL (UPDATE)
98-13-084-AH

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The commitment of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America to adopt the historic episcopate is affirmed in the draft of
"Called to Common Mission," a revised proposal for full communion between
the ELCA and The Episcopal Church.  In 1997 the ELCA narrowly defeated the
"Concordat of Agreement," which sought to establish full communion between
the two churches, but rededicated the ELCA to work toward that
relationship.
     The teams responsible for writing a new proposal met here April 6-8
and produced a formal draft and accompanying papers, including the
"minority view" of the Rev. Todd W. Nichol of Luther Seminary, St. Paul,
and a summary of changes.
     "The foundation of the proposed new relation" is "the comprehensive
agreement in the gospel," the summary says.
     The ELCA's commitment to take on the historic episcopate "as one sign
of the unity and continuity of the whole church" is unchanged from that
expressed in the Concordat, the summary says.   Also, "unchanged remains
the commitment of The Episcopal Church to recognize the full authenticity
of all ELCA ordained ministries at the beginning of the new relationship."
     The writers were joined on April 6 by their advisory panel of ELCA
pastors and lay people, bishops and scholars; The Rev. Martin E. Marty,
Chicago, serves as moderator for both groups.  Also present were members of
the Standing Commission for Ecumenical Relations of The Episcopal Church.
     The panel's earlier advice stressed the need for clarity, candor and
straightforward language.  Marty called the effort "creative and
refreshing, clear and free of footnotes."  He said, "The larger
significance of this assignment keeps dawning all the time.  It has the
potential for making world and church history."  Marty is professor
emeritus at the University of Chicago.
     "There is no way to deal with an Episcopal Church that Lutherans
would invent," Marty said, "and no way to deal with The Episcopal Church
without dealing with bishops in the episcopate."
     Lutherans and Episcopalians agree on the doctrine of "apostolic
succession," an ongoing faithful proclamation of Christ; Episcopalians
bring to the relationship the "historic episcopate," a succession of
bishops as a sign of unity back to the earliest days of the Christian
church.
     Marty said, "I for one can live with 'presidents' or 'bishops'
without 'episcopate.'  I cannot live so readily with the idea that I might
be turning down at this turn of the millennium one of the very few major
signs of movement toward full communion where brokenness has marked the
life of our separate churches."
     "Most important," Marty said, "we Lutherans could not enter into this
if it meant that we had to start believing the historic episcopate is
essential to the life of the church, that it belongs to the very being of
the church.  This revision makes very clear that The Episcopal Church has
no expectation that we do or ever will consider it the essence of the
church."
     Marty added, "There is no way to deal with Lutherans apart from
reckoning with the ministry of the baptized, the priesthood of all
believers."   Some critics feared the role of the laity of the ELCA would
be diminished, Marty said.
     The proposal says, "The ministry of the whole people of God forms the
context for what is said here about all forms of ministry."  The churches
"together affirm that all members of Christ's church are commissioned for
ministry through baptism; all are called to represent Christ and his church
and to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world."
     What has changed from the earlier Concordat is the way in which the
ELCA would receive the historic episcopate.  Instead of mandating three
Episcopal bishops at the installation of an ELCA bishop (and three ELCA
bishops at the ordination of an Episcopal bishop), the new proposal says
the ELCA would invite bishops from Lutheran churches that have the historic
episcopate along with Episcopal bishops.
     The summary says the ELCA would be "taking up a sign already shared
by many churches, including Lutheran churches" around the world.
     Marty said, "The proposal should be reassuring to those who were
afraid we were 'turning Episcopalian.'"   He said, "Based on our draft,
suppose you have three bishops present, two could very well be Lutherans
who have succession.  I like it because it would be wonderful to have the
installation of a bishop in South Carolina and there you have a bishop from
Tanzania and a bishop from El Salvador and the local Episcopal bishop, a
new kind of mix."
     Nichol, a professor of church history, said, "I regret that I cannot
endorse Called to a Common Mission."  He expressed both substantive and
procedural objections.
     "The instructions delivered to the Lutheran members of the drafting
team by Lutheran authorities specifically stated that a revised ...
statement must include an agreement on the historic episcopate.  This
precluded discussion among the Lutherans ... of the matter most
controversial and divisive among Lutherans," Nichol said.
     "Lutherans are asked to receive the historic episcopate and to make
substantial constitutional and liturgical changes for the sake of full
communion with a church with the historic episcopate.  Those Lutherans who
hold that the right preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the
Sacraments are sufficient for the unity of the church will object to
conditions in practice asked of either church by the other," Nichol said.
     Nichol favors "the earliest possible acknowledgment of communion in
Christ by The Episcopal Church and the ELCA."  He said, "I believe that
nearly all the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America favor
the same goal."
     Nichol said, "It should be noted that among most Lutherans, the
debate of Called to Common Mission will be a debate about means rather than
ends."
     In a November 1997 letter to the writers the Rev. H. George Anderson,
presiding bishop of the ELCA, expressed concern "that missional reasons for
full communion be stated more clearly."
     The proposal says, "Unity and mission are organically linked in the
Body of Christ, the church.  Unity and mission are at the heart of the
church's life, reflecting thereby an obedient response to the call of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
     It concludes by saying, "We do not know to what new, recovered, or
continuing tasks of mission this (proposal) will lead our churches, but we
give thanks to God for leading us to this point."
     Anderson pointed to a number of areas that troubled ELCA members
including the "life service" of bishops and "the necessity for bishops to
ordain all pastors."  Currently ELCA bishops relinquish that title and
office at the conclusion of their service.
     The new proposal indicates, that in the ELCA, service in the office
of bishop would not end when a specific term is over.  Marty said, "One of
the issues that rankled some people was the notion of life tenure of
bishops.   We argue that bishops are of the laity of the church, they are
pastors, one doesn't surrender either of those elements of status.   They
don't stop being pastors who are bishops."
     Presently in the ELCA it is the bishop who ordains new pastors or
authorizes their ordination by another pastor.  Like the original
Concordat, the new proposal would change that pattern to restrict
ordination to bishops.
     The ELCA writing group included Dr. Michael Root of the Institute for
Ecumenical Research at Strasbourg, France.  It was joined by the writing
team from The Episcopal Church: The Rev. J. Robert Wright, professor of
history, General Theological Seminary, New York, the Rt. Rev. C.
Christopher Epting, bishop, Diocese of Iowa, and the Rev. William A.
Norgren, retired ecumenical officer for The Episcopal Church.
     The first of three rounds of Lutheran-Episcopal Dialogues began in
1969.  They led to the "Concordat of Agreement" that was voted on by both
churches last summer.  The Episcopal Church voted strongly in favor; the
ELCA rejected the proposal by six votes.
     An official response from The Episcopal Church would be
"inappropriate" according the Rev. David Perry, the church's ecumenical
officer, because the proposal is only a draft.  The ELCA will vote on a
final proposal in 1999, then the Standing Commission on Ecumenical
Relations will make a proposal the General Convention of The Episcopal
Church.
     "In the meantime, it is important for Episcopalians to engage ELCA
members at the local level, exploring the practical possibilities that
would be presented by the new relationship," Perry said.  "It is critically
important in the coming months that we get to know each other more deeply,"
he said.

     [The complete proposal and accompanying documents are available
     on the ELCA's web page (www.elca.org).]

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html