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2026 Convention Workbook

339THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

Ov. 5-05

To Admonish and Converse with Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church

WHEREAS, The Holy Scriptures enjoin us to maintain the unity of the faith in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3, 13); and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions state , “The church is the assembly of saints in which the gospel is taught purely and the sacraments are administered rightly. And it is enough for the true unity of the church to agree concerning the teaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments. It is not necessary that human traditions, rites, or ceremonies instituted by human beings be alike everywhere” (AC VII 1–3, Kolb/Wengert); and

WHEREAS, The bishop of the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC), a church in altar and pulpit fellowship with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since 2013, has taught that socalled “apostolic succession” is necessary for a church to have a valid ministry; and

WHEREAS, By promoting this teaching and interjecting itself in the life of another sister church body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB), by asserting the claim of a postolic succession, by ordaining deacons, and by establishing congregations outside of Siberia, the SELC has created scandal, confusion, and disharmony in the confession of the one true and saving Gospel; and

WHEREAS, The b ishop of the SELC is also identified as the “guiding bishop” of the Independent Anglican Congregation in Thailand (IACT), a church that according to its website (inachurchthailand.com/weddings-blessings) allows for the blessing of LGBTQ unions; therefore be it

Resolved, That the President of the Synod admonish the b ishop of our Siberian sister church to immediately cease and desist in these unwanted intrusions into the life of the IELB; and be it further

Resolved, That the President of the Synod in consultation with the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR)

engage in conversation with the leadership of the SELC to assist them in embracing a genuinely biblical, Lutheran confession of the one Office our Christ Jesus has instituted for the pure preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments; and be it further

Resolved, That the President of the Synod in consultation with the C TCR admonish the b ishop of the SELC to withdraw immediately from the unionistic relationship with the IACT; and be it finally

Resolved, That the President of the Synod report the outcome of these efforts to the 2029 Synod convention with a recommendation as to whether the conditions for altar and pulpit fellowship with the SELC still obtain.

Elm Grove, Elm Grove, WI ; Immanuel, Eagle, NE

Ov. 5-06

To Address Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya Membership in Lutheran World Federation

WHEREAS, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK)

is a partner church body of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in full altar and pulpit fellowship with the same; and

WHEREAS, The ELCK is also a member church of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) as indicated by the LWF website (lutheranworld.org/member-churches); and

WHEREAS, The LWF includes member churches such as the heterodox Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that engage in anti-biblical teachings and practices, including the ordination of women and the performance of same-sex “marriages”; and

WHEREAS, Membership in the LWF establishes altar and pulpit fellowship with these member churches and implies agreement with their anti-biblical teachings and practices; and

WHEREAS, Constitution Article VI 2 states as one of the conditions of membership in the Synod the “renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every description”; and

WHEREAS, The North Dakota District currently supports the ELCK through Project 24; and

WHEREAS, This support of a church body in fellowship with the LWF suggests fellowship on the part of the district with the LWF;

and

WHEREAS, The President of the Synod (Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2) and Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR, Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2) are assigned responsibility for evaluating existing fellowship relations with other church bodies; therefore be it

Resolved, That the district in convention direct the district president to monitor the progress of the President of the Synod and CTCR regarding ELCK and LWF fellowship; and be it further

Resolved, That the district president report to the spring pastors’ conferences in 2025, 2026, and 2027 and through district media;

and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod in convention be memorialized to reevaluate the partner church body status of the ELCK in view of the ELCK’s membership in the LWF.

North Dakota District

Ov. 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, churchfellowship 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