Title: ELCA Council: Rework the Concordat
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
November 24, 1997
ELCA COUNCIL: REWORK THE CONCORDAT
97-24-098-AH
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, meeting
here Nov. 14-16, asked the presiding bishops of
the ELCA and The Episcopal Church to rework the
"Concordat of Agreement." The council's goal is
to have a draft document ready to show the ELCA's
spring synod assemblies.
The council's action authorizes Presiding
Bishop H. George Anderson to appoint ELCA
representatives to "a small drafting team" for the
task and to a panel of advisors. "An effort will
be made in the composition of the team and panel
to reflect the diversity of opinion on this matter
with the ELCA," it says.
Anderson advised the council that the new
document must include the historic episcopate if
full communion is the goal in 1999.
At its Churchwide Assembly in August the ELCA
narrowly defeated the original "Concordat," which
would have established full communion between the
two churches. But the assembly rededicated the
church to work toward that relationship. Its next
opportunity to vote is the 1999 assembly.
Full communion is not a merger but would make
it possible for the two churches to share clergy
and cooperate more fully in their social service
and mission efforts, expressing unity in Christ.
Anderson reported that he has met with
Episcopal Bishop Edmund Browning and Bishop-elect
Frank Griswold. "Each has assured me of the
commitment of that church to continue on the
journey with us as we seek to carry out the charge
given by our assembly."
Anderson outlined his "assumptions" for the
process to 1999. Number one, he said, "the
document will include the historic episcopate,
shaped in a way that is congenial to Lutheran
theology and doctrine of ministry."
The drafting group will include
representation by those Lutherans who opposed the
original "Concordat" as will the advisory group,
"but not in a way that would divide the ELCA into
two sides," Anderson said. "These groups
should also represent questioners, those in the
center looking for information," Anderson said.
"No teams have been named," Anderson stressed.
The Church Council is responsible for passing on
whatever is developed.
Council member Mark Klever, Dayton, Iowa,
asked why inclusion of the historic episcopate is
not negotiable.
"Full communion" implies that The Episcopal
Church has to agree, Anderson said. "Any proposal
without the historic episcopate is dead on
arrival. While we could discuss it, realistically
we could not have such a proposal ready before
1999. That is my impression," Anderson said.
Lutherans and Episcopalians agree on the
doctrine of "apostolic succession," an ongoing
faithful proclamation of Christ; Episcopalians
bring the "historic episcopate," an unbroken
succession of bishops as a sign of unity back to
the earliest days of the Christian church.
The bishop explained, "The Concordat was
developed over a long period of negotiation, in
formal bilateral discussion." He said, The core
of that document is full communion between the
ELCA and The Episcopal Church, and the modality is
the gift of the historic episcopate brought by The
Episcopal Church and the doctrinal teaching
brought by the Lutheran church.
"If we want to do something different than
that, we are at square one. With two years to go,
we can hope for another try with the historic
episcopate and see if the church accepts that,"
Anderson said. "The progress we can make
between now and 1999 is to shape a document that
will embody the historic episcopate but still be
framed within Lutheran understanding, he said."
The Rev. Canon David W. Perry, deputy for
ecumenical relations of The Episcopal Church said,
"There's a hardness to `non-negotiable.' It is
difficult to hear and to say. Bishops function
for mission and ministry as servants. The
historic episcopate is not magical, it is the
power of Holy Spirit, working in a community for
its life and faithfulness to gospel of Jesus
Christ."
The action calls for "clear, down-to-earth
language" and a "rationale for its conclusions."
David F. Hagen, Dearborn, Mich., cited the need
for "clarity, no sideways commentary or footnotes,
something straightforward."
The Rev. Daniel F. Martensen, ELCA director
for ecumenical affairs, called 1997 "the most
intense ecumenical season in American Lutheran
history." The August assembly voted in favor of
the "Formula of Agreement," establishing
"full communion" with three churches of the
Reformed tradition -- Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America, and United
Church of Christ.
Claudette Zobel, River Forest, Ill., greeted
the council on behalf of the Presbyterian Church.
She is past moderator for the Chicago Presbytery.
Zobel said, "We look forward to full communion
when all the presbyteries have voted ... probably
by mid-April, 1998."
Martensen said a planning committee of
representatives from the ELCA and three Reformed
churches will meet Dec. 10 to organize work around
six items: the rostering of pastors, worship
matters, guidance to our churches on the nature of
cooperation, publications and communication,
processes for ongoing theological dialogue and
representation at each others' church events.
The council voted to transmit to the 1999
Churchwide Assembly a resolution "establishing a
relationship of full communion between the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the
Moravian Church in America."
The action calls for wide distribution in the
ELCA of the study on Lutheran-Moravian
relationships, "Following Our Shepherd to Full
Communion."
Moravians and Lutherans share a common
theological tradition and commitment to mission,
the action says. The report of the
Lutheran-Moravian dialogue "affirmed that there
are no `church-dividing differences' precluding
full communion" between the two churches.
Around the world Lutherans and Moravians are
closely related. There are about 200,000
Moravians in the United States.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or
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