Title: Representatives of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Meet for Talks
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 25, 1999

REPRESENTATIVES OF EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
AND THE LUTHERAN CHURCH-MISSOURI SYNOD MEET FOR TALKS
99-165-LA/RH**

     A 20-member panel of participants from the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS)
met for the first in a series of three two-day discussion sessions on
topics of mutual concern to the two church bodies.
     The first discussion session was held June 14-15 at the Lutheran
Center in Chicago, which is the ELCA's churchwide office.
     Following the meeting, the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary,
and the Rev. Raymond Hartwig, LCMS secretary, characterized the
discussion as informed and informative. The discussion, they agreed,
laid the groundwork for the future meetings and pointed to possible
topics for further exploration.
     Ten members from each church body participated in the discussion.
Presiding Bishop George Anderson appointed the ELCA participants and
President A. L. Barry named the LCMS members.
     In addition to President Barry and Secretary Hartwig, the LCMS
participants were:  First Vice President Robert T. Kuhn; Dr. Samuel H.
Nafzger, executive director of the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations; Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn and Dr. James Voelz of Concordia
Theological Seminary in St. Louis; Dr. William Weinrich and Prof. Kurt
Marquart of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Dr. Carl
Fickenscher, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Garland, Texas; and the
Rev. Harold Senkbeil, pastor of Elm Grove Lutheran Church in Elm Grove,
Wis.
     Participants from the ELCA, in addition to Presiding Bishop
Anderson and Secretary Almen, were:  Dr. Phyllis B. Anderson, director
of the Institute for Ecumenical and Theological Studies at the School of
Theology and Ministry of Seattle University; Bishop Guy S. Edmiston of
the Lower Susquehanna Synod, Harrisburg, Pa.; Mr. David J. Hardy of
Palatine, Ill., former general counsel of the ELCA; Ms. Edith M. Lohr,
director of Lutheran Social Services of New England, Natick, Mass.; the
Rev. Patricia J. Lull, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Athens, Ohio;
Bishop Stanley N. Olson of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod, Redwood
Falls, Minn.; Dr. H. Frederick Reisz, president of Lutheran Theological
Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.; and Dr. Paul J. Seastrand, pastor of
First English Lutheran Church, Billings, Mont.
     Providing staff services for the meeting was Dr. Randall R. Lee,
executive assistant to the ELCA secretary and associate for bilateral
dialogues in the ELCA's Department for Ecumenical Affairs.
     During the first day of this initial meeting, Bishop Edmiston and
Prof. Marquart presented papers on the ecumenical decisions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
     Bishop Edmiston traced the roots of Lutheran ecumenism from the
17th century immigration to North America through 19th and 20th century
church documents, including the 1991 ELCA policy statement,
"Ecumenism The Vision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."
He stated that the ELCA's goal is to make a visible witness to the world
of God's saving activity in Christ.
     Prof. Marquart examined the specific ecumenical decisions made by
the ELCA in 1997 (Lutheran-Reformed "Formula of Agreement" and Lutheran-
Roman Catholic "Joint Statement on the Doctrine of Justification").  He
also discussed the proposal for a relationship of full communion between
the ELCA and The Episcopal Church.  He expressed the belief that such
agreements can only be achieved at the expense of core Christian
beliefs.
     During the second day of the meeting, Secretary Almen read a paper
on "Lutheran Identity in a Post-Modern Society from the Perspective of
the History, Experience, and Life of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America."
     Almen gave a brief history of more than 350 years of Lutheran
experience and practice in the transplanting of Lutheran churches from
Europe to North America.  He said the history, practices, and character
of Lutheran churches shape their culture.  The life and practice of the
ELCA is shaped significantly, he observed, by the fact that the ELCA is
not only the product of a church merger 1987 but, before that, of many
mergers in predecessor church bodies in the 20th century.
     Dr. Voelz also presented a paper, "Reading Scripture as a
Contemporary Lutheran: Lutheran Identity in a Post-Modern Era."
     He analyzed contemporary American society and the changing ways
that people receive and process information.  He related his
observations regarding these the emerging processes to the ways
Lutherans and other Christians have read Scripture and written their
confessions throughout history.
     Each paper was followed by questions for clarification and
elaboration, as well as extensive discussion by the participants.
     A plan for ELCA-LCMS conversations resulted from proposals by
Presiding Bishop Anderson and President Barry.  Further impetus for such
discussions was provided by a resolution adopted by the 1998 LCMS
triennial convention, supporting President Barry "as he continues to
work together with the presiding bishop of the ELCA in arranging for
discussion of these issues between representatives of our two church
bodies."
     The next meeting of the discussion group is planned for St. Louis
on February 14-15, 2000.  Topics of the papers for that meeting will be
determined by President Barry and Presiding Bishop Anderson.
     The ELCA has 5.2 million members in nearly 11,000 congregations
throughout the United States and the Caribbean; the LCMS includes 2.6
million members in more than 6000 congregations.
 
(**This summary was prepared by the Rev. Lowell G. Almen,
secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Rev.
Raymond L. Hartwig, secretary of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.)

For information contact:
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