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LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 375

2026 Convention Workbook
340 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
WHEREAS, The LCMS has also confessed that “The orthodox 
character of a church is established not by its mere name nor by its 
outward acceptance of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed, but 
by the doctrine which is actually taught in its pulpits, in its 
theological seminaries, and in its publications,” (A Brief Statement, 
29); and 
W
HEREAS, In September 2023, then Archbishop Janis Vanags 
publicly communed two bishops of the Anglican Church in North 
America (ACNA), a heterodox church body which permits its 
dioceses to ordain women, and as a matter of policy permits its 
preachers to advance m any false doctrines held by the Reformed, 
charismatic, and Romanist churches; and 
WHEREAS, During the ACNA’s 2024 Provincial Assembly, an 
ecumenical dialogue report was presented that additionally testified 
to this fact; and 
WHEREAS, The same report testifies that the ACNA had been 
accorded full altar and pulpit fellowship by the ELCL on the basis 
that the ELCL already had fellowship with the wider Anglican 
Communion; and 
WHEREAS, Our Lord does not tell us to treat our erring brother as 
a Gentile after a single rebuke, but instead requires patience (Matt. 
18:16–17); and 
W
HEREAS, The LCMS has previously, in response to the errors 
of her sister churches, declared she is in statu confessionis, in a state 
of confession, which “is not tantamount to the breaking of 
fellowship. If, however, the circumstances which called forth the 
protest are not corrected in due time, the implication is that the 
protest will lead to the severance of fellowship relations,” (1971 
Convention Report 2- 01, Commission on Theology and Church 
Relations, Workbook, Appendix B, 39); therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Synod recognize that there is not  complete 
doctrinal agreement with the ELCL on account of differences in the 
doctrine of church fellowship; and be it further 
Resolved, That the Synod declare that she is in a state of 
confession against the ELCL for her unionist fellowship with the 
Anglican Communion; and be it further 
Resolved, That the Synod direct its President, as its chief 
ecumenical officer, as well as the Commission on Theology and 
Church Relations (CTCR), to provide for new doctrinal discussions 
with the ELCL on the issue of church fellowship, to the end that the 
ELCL might be brought to repentance; and be it further 
Resolved, That the Synod implore its members to pray fervently 
for true doctrinal agreement to be established by these discussions, 
that we may dwell together in unity; and be it further 
Resolved, That the CTCR produce a report on the status of these 
discussions and their fruits, and to disseminate this report for 
widespread study prior to the 2029 Synod convention; and be it 
finally 
Resolved, That in light of  the results of these dialogues, the 
Synod reconsider its relationship to the ELCL in the 2029 Synod 
convention, whether to (1) rescind the state of confession; (2) 
continue the state of confession; or (3) break fellowship. 
Good Shepherd 
Lincoln, NE 
Ov. 5-08 
To Recognize That the Synod  
Is Not in Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with 
Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche 
Preamble 
Attempts to introduce women’s ordination into Selbständige 
Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, or the Independent Evangelical 
Lutheran Church in Germany (SELK)  (which is currently listed as 
a Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod [LCMS] partner church and a 
member of the International Lutheran Council), have been actively 
underway for at least 25 years. At best, the SELK is unable to give 
a clear confession on God’s Word as applied to the Office of the 
Holy Ministry, and accordingly, is not in altar and pulpit fellowship, 
which is a gift of God that exists by His grace on the basis of 
complete agreement in doctrine and practice. 
In 2000, the SELK published “ Die wesentlichen Argumente zur 
Frage einer Ordination von Frauen zum Amt der Kirche, soweit sie 
bisher in der Selbständigen Evangelischlutherischen Kirche 
(SELK) geäussert wurden” (www.selk.de/download/fo-pap.pdf), or 
“The Main Arguments on the Question of the Ordination of Women 
to the Office of the Church, as far as they have been expressed so 
far in the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK)”. 
In 2009, the SELK further published Dokumentation zum 
Beratungsprozess “Ordination von Frauen zum Amt der Kirche” in 
der Pfarrerschaft der SELK 1999 –2009, or Documentation of the 
Consultation Process “Ordination of Women to the Office of the 
Church” in the Clergy of the SELK 1999– 2009. One of the 
documents contained therein, entitled “ Gruppenantrag an den 11. 
Allgemeinen Pfarrkonvent im Mai 2009 als Gegenantrag zum 
Antrag der Kirchenleitung und des Kollegiums der 
Superintendenten”  (p. 43), 31 SELK pastors asserted in a proposed 
overture (never adopted) that n o consensus was re ached on the 
theological interpretation of Scripture regarding women ’s 
ordination and further, that while the ordination of women remains 
prohibited in the SELK, the ordination of women was to be deemed 
a matter of church order, not doctrine, and left to the church’s 
discretion, and discussion would remain open. 
Most recently, at the 15th General Pastoral Convention of the SELK 
held June 23–27, 2025, 47 percent of the pastors present considered 
it theologically possible for the SELK to have some members who 
practice women’s ordination
. Yet rather than repenting of the fact 
that nearly half of its pastorate would allow the possibility of a 
position clearly contrary to Scripture, 80 percent of the pastors 
voted to assure supporters of women’s ordination of “brotherly 
cooperation, respect for their position, and a willingness to listen to 
their concerns” rather than rebuking those holding to this false 
doctrine (Matthew Block,   “SELK Pastoral Convention Offers 
Clarity on Ordination,” Aug . 14, 2025, 
ilcouncil.org/2025/08/14/selk-pastoral-convention-offers-clarity-
on-ordination). 
Further, 88 percent of the SELK delegates voted to “c ommit 
themselves to continuing to promote the services of women in the 
SELK as provided for in the church regulations: pastoral assistants, 
lectors, church council members, church councilors, deacons, 
catechists, lecturers at the Lutherischen Theologischen Hochschule, 
etc.” (ibid.) 
To assert that there are scriptural and confessional arguments in 
favor of women’s ordination, and that the issue is not a matter of