Title: ELCA Bishops Urge Revised Concordat of
Agreement
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 17, 1997
ELCA BISHOPS URGE REVISED CONCORDAT OF AGREEMENT
97-29-082-AH
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops
of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America meeting here Oct. 2-7
recommended that the ELCA Church
Council invite The Episcopal Church to take part
in preparation of a proposal
for full communion between the churches.
The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding
bishop, presented six possible
"next steps," ranging from providing a commentary
on the "Concordat of
Agreement" to a Lutheran declaration recognizing
Episcopal teaching and
ministry but not necessarily adopting the historic
episcopate. He urged a
process that would involve participants
representing diverse perspectives.
The historic episcopate is based on the belief
that authority in the church is
derived from bishops ordained by the physical
laying on of hands by other
bishops, who can trace their own succession back
to Christ's apostles.
In August the ELCA's churchwide assembly
narrowly rejected approval of
the Concordat, a document for full communion
prepared by a joint
ELCA-Episcopal committee. The assembly voted to
work toward an agreement for
full communion that would come before its next
meeting in 1999. Full
communion is not a plan to merge; it commits the
churches to sharing in their
mission work locally and internationally and to
developing procedure whereby
clergy in one church body may serve as pastor in a
congregation of another
church body.
The Conference of Bishops' action urged an
approach that includes
components of two of Anderson's suggestions: "A
rewritten document, including
rationale, that includes the present 'outcomes' of
the Concordat" and
"revision of the Concordat at a few key places."
In his report Anderson characterized the
churchwide assembly in
Philadelphia as "historic." He said, "My training
and experience as a church
historian make me cautious of prematurely labeling
events or moments as
historic ... However, I dare to risk
second-guessing by future generations and
call our assembly a historic gathering for this
church."
The assembly approved the ELCA's moving into
a relationship of full
communion with three churches of the Reformed
tradition, the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and
United Church of Christ. The
Presbyterian Church must still adopt the "Formula
of Agreement" through votes
taken in presbyteries around the country.
Anderson outlined emerging plans for
implementing full communion with
the Reformed churches, including "a celebratory
joint worship" set for Oct. 4,
1998, in Chicago.
Anderson proposed that the "rewritten"
Concordat use "clearer,
down-to-earth language." It would "reproduce the
entire content of the
Concordat, but in a new form," he wrote in his
report to the conference.
The "revision" Anderson envisions would
include a new paragraph "with a
strong, explicit, biblically-based emphasis on the
priesthood of all believers
and would clarify or modify the areas that most
troubled the assembly's voting
members:"
* the three-fold ministry of bishops,
priests and deacons as the
"future pattern,"
* ordination of pastors by bishops
with the "participation" of others,
* the "life service" of bishops, and
* numbers of bishops present at the
installation of bishops.
The Conference of Bishops "endorsed a
suggestion that a document
proposing full communion with The Episcopal Church
be developed by a small
writing group in dialogue with a larger review
panel."
The Rev. Robert M. Keller, bishop of the
Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod,
outlined "three things we want to say. We are
concerned about those who
questioned the Concordat. We are concerned about
those who want to move the
Concordat ahead. We want ELCA members to have the
opportunity to review
whatever proposals are developed at synod
assemblies in the spring of 1998."
The Rev. Curtis W. Miller, bishop of the
Western Iowa Synod, said, "We
have to acknowledge that opposition to the
Concordat was grounded in defense
of the gospel."
The Rev. David W. Olson, bishop of the
Minneapolis Area Synod, offered
encouragement for the process, calling it "a
unique opportunity for
discussion." He said, "Our experience in
Philadelphia was rare in that we
debated and discussed an issue for three days
without an option for change."
Olson said, "Now some options will bring about new
energy in the body of our
church."
He said, "At this point the time line is
ambitious; the mandate of the
churchwide assembly calls for action in two years.
Some anxiety will be
created by the pressurized time line. On the
other hand, the sooner we have
something before folks the better."
The Rev. Paul J. Blom, bishop of the
Texas-Louisana Gulf Coast Synod,
said "If we focus on our confessions and our
self-understanding there will be
a benefit to all this. Let the conversation be
about mission, witness and
gospel more than it is about polity and
authority."
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or
[log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
|