Title: Lutheran Seminary Faculty Endorses Full Communion ELCA NEWS SERVICE - NEWSBRIEF February 11, 1997 LUTHERAN SEMINARY FACULTY ENDORSES FULL COMMUNION About 20 theologians on the faculty of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) unanimously adopted a statement endorsing a proposal for full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Episcopal Church, and a similar proposal for full communion between the ELCA and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ. The ELCA will vote on the proposals at its churchwide assembly in Philadelphia this August. LTSP is one of eight seminaries of the ELCA. "We give our unqualified support to God's working of unity in the churches," said the Jan. 18 statement. "Christian unity is God's gift to us, not our work for God." The faculty said it was pleased that both proposals came before the church at the same time because it offered an opportunity for the Lutheran church "both to maintain the integrity of its own ministry and confession and to provide a bridge among closely related communions, thereby encouraging their own greater unity in the Gospel." The statement praised the Lutheran-Reformed agreement for clearly describing beliefs about the Lord's Supper. It also questioned "the extent to which this document can have binding and full effect in the United Church of Christ, given its present polity" that such agreements are not binding on local congregations. The faculty statement expressed regret that the Concordat with the Episcopalians deals "almost exclusively with matters of the episcopate (office of bishop) rather than the practical work of true Christian concord." It concluded that "these agreements are important only when they help our churches vigorously advance the mission of the Gospel in our broken world." For information contact: Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html