wfn.org | Lutherans Organize, Elect Leader to Resist CCM

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 19, 1999

LUTHERANS ORGANIZE, ELECT LEADER TO RESIST CCM
99-293-JB

     ST. PAUL, Minn. (ELCA) -- Lutherans dissatisfied with a proposal
to enter into full communion with the Episcopal Church met here Nov.
15-16 and agreed to form their own organization.  The 408 delegates and
participants to the "Word Alone National Gathering I" also elected the
Rev. Roger C. Eigenfeld, 59, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi,
Minn., to lead them.
     The meeting, held at Roseville Lutheran Church, is the culmination
of a series of 45 regional gatherings held this fall in different parts
of the country.  Those meetings brought together some 2,200 people to
discuss concerns they have in the wake of a decision made at the 1999
Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA).
     The 5.2 million-member ELCA has nearly 11,000 congregations in the
United States and Caribbean.  The churchwide assembly is the church's
highest legislative authority
     On Aug. 19, by a vote of 716-317, 27 votes more than the required
two-thirds, the churchwide assembly approved the full communion
proposal, "Called to Common Mission," (CCM) with the Episcopal Church.
The proposal opens the door for a variety of cooperative ministries and
allows for exchange of clergy in congregations under certain
circumstances.
     Those opposed to the proposal generally cite the ELCA's adoption
of the historic episcopate, brought to the relationship by the Episcopal
Church, as the reason for their opposition.
     They argue the historic episcopate elevates the roles of bishops
in the ELCA, and creates a new hierarchy in the church.  Bishops must
preside at all future ELCA ordinations under the proposal.  Presently
bishops have authority to ordain but may delegate the task to another
ordained pastor.  Opponents also say CCM contradicts Martin Luther's
"priesthood of all believers."
     Supporters of the proposal say it enhances the church's mission in
seeking full communion with other denominations.  CCM is also the result
of a 1991 ELCA churchwide assembly mandate, which directed the church to
seek ecumenical relationships and "pursue the goal of full communion."
The ELCA already is in full communion with four other churches as a
result of the 1991 assembly action.
     CCM awaits action by the next general convention of the Episcopal
Church, which meets in Denver in July 2000.
     The Rev. Meg H. Madson, Plymouth, Minn., opened the "Word Alone"
conference, focusing her remarks on the importance of a church's
official teachings. "Every church has a genetic code, a kind of DNA that
determines its official teaching," she said.
     "But every time a denomination's DNA requires more than the Word
alone, the Gospel is corrupted; salvation is uncertain," Madson said.
"Now that the ELCA has adopted Episcopal DNA, the certainty and freedom
of the Gospel has been undermined."
     More than half of the participants at the Nov. 15-16 gathering
were from Minnesota; 21 states were represented.
     "We are not here because we are malcontents," Eigenfeld told the
gathering. "We love our Lord Jesus Christ.  We love our church."
     Among those present were 108 voting delegates, sent to Roseville
from the 45 regional gatherings.  They voted to form an organization and
elected Eigenfeld overwhelmingly over three other nominees.  They also
authorized him to appoint a steering committee, likely to be 7 to 10
people, who will work with Eigenfeld to guide the movement through the
next few months.
     Eigenfeld later announced he appointed Albert H. Quie, Minnetonka,
Minn., as vice chair.  Quie is a former governor of Minnesota.
     A national conference is expected to be held in March at a site or
sites to be determined, where formal decisions about the organization's
makeup are likely to be made, Eigenfeld said.  Between now and then,
more regional gatherings are expected to be held to continue the
discussions about CCM and the role of the unnamed organization, he said.
     Key speakers proposed ideas at the Word Alone National Gathering.
For example, the Rev. Bradley C. Jenson, Kenwood Lutheran Church,
Duluth, Minn., called for the formation of a new Lutheran church "which
is solidly confessional."  He also called for a new seminary that will
prepare candidates for "non-episcopal ordinations."
     The Rev. Kent S. "Tony" Stoutenburg, Naselle Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Naselle, Wash., proposed establishment of a "confessional
network" of congregations centered on Lutheran principles.  Such
congregations could "redirect benevolence" if their synods do not accept
constitutional changes submitted by network congregations, he suggested.
     In an interview after his election, Eigenfeld emphasized there are
no plans now to form another denomination.
     "I wouldn't even want to talk about another denomination, because
I think that's incredibly premature and totally unnecessary at this
point," he said.  He said he has no plans personally to leave the church
because he has much invested in it.
     Eigenfeld said ELCA members who are strongly opposed to CCM will
continue to resist the proposal. "We feel the church has kind of walked
away from us," he said.  The ELCA is not listening to and has never
taken seriously those who oppose CCM, Eigenfeld added.
     Eigenfeld said he has hopes for a meeting of opposition steering
committee members and key ELCA leaders to seek "a mutual remedy," most
likely a willingness by leadership to consider  re-evaluating the vote
on CCM.
     During the churchwide assembly, the ELCA Church Council and the
ELCA Conference of Bishops, through their leaders, issued a statement
calling for respect for those opposed to CCM, and to listen with care
and concern.
     On Sunday, Nov. 14, the day before the Roseville meeting, the
council spoke again to the church, pledging "to listen and to support
efforts to bring understanding and reconciliation within this church."
The council also acknowledged the concerns expressed about CCM in the
wake of the vote.
     At the same council meeting, the Rev. H. George Anderson,
presiding bishop of the ELCA, said he is pleased that while some
continue to oppose CCM, most of them seem to want to deal with their
disappointment within the church.
     Some other ideas suggested during the Roseville gathering
included:
     + a call for a "parallel" organization within the ELCA that would
resist the historic episcopate.  Many people at the gathering seemed to
want to remain in the ELCA and work through such an organization to seek
changes they favor.  A few said they're ready to leave the ELCA.
          + election of bishops who will refuse to comply with the historic
episcopate;
     + election of delegates to the churchwide assembly that are held
accountable to the synod from which they are elected.  Presently,
synods elect voting members who represent the whole church at churchwide
assemblies.
     + publication of newsletters, news stories and educational
materials that support the opposition cause;
     + support for pastors who say they are fearful their opposition to
CCM will result in recriminations and damage to their careers;
     + support for seminarians who may refuse to recognize the historic
episcopate;
     + withholding or redirecting benevolence.
     Some participants challenged speakers and participants with a few
concerns of their own. 
     Chris Enstad, a student at the ELCA's Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.,
urged the group to be "careful" when they talk about redirecting
benevolence funds.  He reminded the audience some benevolence dollars go
to seminaries and redirecting such funds "will hurt the seminarians."
     Sharon Josephson, Detroit Lakes, Minn., said lay people should be
represented in the leadership of the CCM opposition, and she led a
separate caucus of lay people at the gathering.  "I would caution that
we not get too far ahead of the people in the pew," she said.
     Responding to concerns from some participants that the CCM
opposition effort is "exclusive to big churches," the Rev. George C.
Weinman, senior pastor, Roseville Lutheran Church, said that isn't true.
"If we did that, we would be doing the same thing to you that Chicago
has done to us," he said to the group.  Chicago is the home of the
ELCA's churchwide offices.
     Carol Roberts, Half Moon Bay, Calif.,  said she was concerned
congregations "may be pulled apart" over internal differences about CCM.
"How do we address this?" she asked the gathering.
     The gathering had no announced rules of procedure, causing
confusion for some when voting began.  Only the gathering's official
delegates were allowed to vote, disappointing some participants who
wanted to vote too.  Harvey H. Glommen, a participant from Abiding
Savior, Mounds View, Minn., said he felt "totally disenfranchised,"
adding those who weren't delegates shouldn't be excluded. "I didn't
think this was a delegate assembly," he said.
     Eigenfeld defended the idea of having delegates, saying the idea
was to ensure representation outside of Minnesota.
     The gathering included comments from the Rev. Samuel C. Pascoe,
Grace Episcopal Church, Orange Park, Fla.   Pascoe said the Episcopal
Church has lost much of its "market share" in recent years and is losing
its sense of mission.  He urged the Roseville gathering participants to
be bold in their dealings with ELCA leaders.
     "Be a gorilla! They're scared of you, because you have power,"
Pascoe said.
     Quie spoke about how to form an organization.  He declined to be
considered for the group's leadership position before the voting began.
     The gathering included small group discussions and brief
presentations on concerns for seminarians, congregational property
issues, and pension and health care matters.

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