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	July 12, 2004 LCMSNews -- 04-SC10-DM3

	Missouri Synod declares fellowship
	with Kenyan Lutheran church

	ST. LOUIS  The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod today (July 12)
formally declared that it is in church fellowship with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK).

	Delegates to the Synods 62nd Regular Convention rose in
applause and sang a hymn of praise to God as they voted by an
overwhelming majority  1,074 to 107  to declare altar and pulpit
fellowship with the 70,000-member East African church body.

	The declaration recognizes agreement in doctrine and practice
between the two church bodies and permits the members of each to commune
at the others altars and for their pastors to exchange pulpits.

	We have been happy and privileged to find the troops of Christ,
as portrayed in Psalm 110, arrayed over here under His banner and
according to the true faith, the pure doctrine, ELCK Bishop Walter
Obare told the delegates after the vote. This is the reason  this
alone  that we have approached you and extended out our hand to you,
asking for cooperation and fellowship.

	Obare spoke at length about the challenges facing the Christian
church in the world today. In the West, he said, the challenge often is
secularism. In Africa, it is Islam. Opposition to either may lead to
suffering.

	We must not fear suffering, he said. We know in the Word of
God that Gods Zion stands in the midst of Gods enemies.

	Obare encouraged mission work in Africa and commended Ablaze!,
the initiative of LCMS World Mission to reach 100 million unreached
people with the Gospel by 2017, the 500th anniversary of the
Reformation.

	We have had many contacts with this church, Dr. Samuel H.
Nafzger told the convention before the vote. Nafzger, executive director
of the Synods Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR), added
that representatives of the two church bodies met in Nairobi, Kenya, and
in St. Louis for formal fellowship talks. The CTCR in February voted
unanimously to recommend that the Synod enter into fellowship with the
ELCK.

	Among issues discussed by the church bodies was the ELCKs
membership in the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), of which the Missouri
Synod is not a member. Nafzger said that the ELCK does not consider
itself to be in church fellowship with other LWF members simply by
virtue of that membership, so that shouldnt stand in the way.

	Nine other partner churches of the Synod also are LWF members,
according to the preamble to the resolution that declared fellowship.

	The only question raised from the convention floor asked whether
other Lutheran church bodies around the world with which the Missouri
Synod is in fellowship have been asked for their views on declaring
fellowship with the Kenyan church. Nafzger replied that all such church
bodies have been contacted and all that responded did so positively.

	The ELCK has 110 pastors and 440 congregations. Its roots are in
mission work begun in 1948 by Scandinavian mission societies.

	********************

	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or Paula Schueter
Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org.

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