wfn.org | Lutherans Will Reconsider Episcopal Full Communion

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 18, 1998

LUTHERANS WILL RECONSIDER EPISCOPAL FULL COMMUNION
98-CC2-14-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
will see "Called to Common Mission: A Lutheran Proposal for a Revision of
the 'Concordat of Agreement'" (CCM) at its 1999 Churchwide Assembly in
Denver next August.  The document is a proposal that the ELCA establish a
partnership of "full communion" with The Episcopal Church.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's 37-member board of directors and
serves as the legislative authority of the church between meetings of the
ELCA's Churchwide Assembly.  The council met here Nov. 13-16.  Assemblies
meet every other year.
     The council voted to transmit an October 1998 draft of the document
to the assembly, so the church's 5.2 million members will have nine months
to study it.  Three of the council members present voted against
transmitting the document.
     Linda J. Brown, council member from Moorhead, Minn., said the
decision to establish full communion with the Episcopal Church has another
question embedded in it: "Is the historic episcopate a model of leadership
for the ELCA as we enter the 21st century?"
     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.   
     "As a result of their agreement in faith and in testimony of their
full communion with one another, both churches now make the following
commitment to share an episcopal succession that is both evangelical and
historic," according to CCM.
     "There are those within the ELCA who say this is simple," said
Brown.  "There is also a large group that says it's not that simple. 
Quite frankly, who am I supposed to believe?  Is it really a simple
thing?"
     The assembly will vote on whether or not to accept CCM "as the basis
for a relationship of full communion to be established between The
Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."  Voting
members of the assembly will be able to amend the document.
     The Rev. Susan L. Engh, council member from Wayzata, Minn., asked if
the council could amend the document.
     ELCA Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson said CCM is "our document,"
and the council could recommend amendments when in meets again in April
and in August 1999.
     The Concordat of Agreement, referred to in CCM's subtitle, was a
blueprint for full communion drafted by the Lutheran-Episcopal Dialogue. 
A convention of the Episcopal Church approved the Concordat in 1997.  The
ELCA assembly that year defeated the proposal by six votes and asked that
the Concordat be revised, taking the assembly's debate into account and
clarifying the technical language of the dialogue.
     The Rev. David K. Johnson, council member from Fargo, N.D., said the
Concordat failed because it required the ELCA to incorporate the historic
episcopate, as does CCM.  "The main issue is not addressed.  There is no
change and that issue is creating more heat this time, more anger," he
said.
     The Rev. Fred Opalinski, council member from Latrobe, Pa., pointed
out that no matter how the vote turns out in August many people will be
disappointed.  "We as leaders must consider what can be done for healing,"
he said.
     The Church Council passed an accompanying resolution that admitted
CCM "may not be a document acceptable to the entire membership of the
ELCA," so it called for "honesty, mutual respect and pastoral care for all
persons" in both churches during the processes of discussion and decision-
making.
     The Rev. Steven L. Ullestad, bishop of the ELCA's Northeastern Iowa
Synod, reported to the council for the Committee to Create
Lutheran/Episcopal Educational Opportunities which he chairs.
     "Volumes of material have been produced over the past 30 years, and
much of it has gone largely unread," said Ullestad.  He attributed this to
the lofty academic language used in many ecumenical documents.
     Ullestad said the committee has been working to "translate" some of
those documents into materials that congregations can use in adult forums. 
It has also produced two videos -- "Who are the Episcopalians?" and "Who
are the Lutherans?"
     David F. Hagen, council member from Dearborn, Mich., said he hoped
the educational materials would also inform members about the processes
the two churches are using to come to a decision about establishing full
communion.
     CCM will be mailed to voting members of ELCA synod assemblies in
1999.  It will also be included in materials sent to voting members of the
Churchwide Assembly.

[The October 1998 draft of "Called to Common Mission" will be linked from
http://www.elca.org/ea/ on the World Wide Web and will be available from
Augsburg Fortress by mid-December.  Editors and reporters only: For a copy
of CCM please contact Brenda Williams, ELCA News & Information, 773-380-2963.]

For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director (773) 380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html