To Declare State of “Fellowship in Protest” with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia

Official Workbook overture source text

5-07 
To Declare State of “Fellowship in Protest” with 
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia 
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has 
confessed that “All Christians are required by God … to have 
church-fellowship only with orthodox church- bodies,” (LCMS, A 
Brief Statemen t of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod  
[adopted 1932], 28) in accordance with the Divine Command to 
avoid those who “cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to 
the doctrine that you have been taught,” (Rom. 16:17); and 
WHEREAS, The Formula of Concord, in line with this Biblical 
truth, confesses that external fellowship in the church is to be based 
upon agreement “in the doctrine and all its articles,” as well as “in 
the right use of the holy Sacraments,” (FC SD X 31); and 
WHEREAS, For this reason, the basis for the establishment of 
church fellowship between the LCMS and the Evangelical Lutheran 
Church of Latvia (ELCL or LELB) was “doctrinal agreement 
between our two churches,” (2001 Res. 3-05); and 
WHEREAS, The LCMS repudiates “unionism, that is, church-
fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine, as disobedience to 
God's command, as causing divisions in the church, Rom. 16:17; 2 
John 9, 10, and involving the constant danger of losing the Word of 
God entirely, 2 Tim. 2:17–21,” (A Brief Statement, 28); and