Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 97

2026 Convention Workbook
62 
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
3. Mission Province in Sweden (MPS)
The Mission Province in Sweden (MPS)—formerly Mission 
Province of Sweden and Finland—was formed in 2003 to sup-
port the ordination of confessional Lutheran pastors in the liber -
al Church of Sweden. Representatives of the MPS began meeting 
with the LCMS in 2006 and have held several rounds of theological 
conversations, expressing an interest in altar and pulpit fellowship 
consideration by the LCMS as early as 2009. After multiple con-
versations in the current triennium involving the Synod President’s 
church relations staff and CTCR members and executive staff, the 
commission planned to give continued consideration to the MPS’s 
request at its May 2026 meeting.
B. Meetings and Discussions with Other Churches 
and Groups
Since the inception of the CTCR in 1962, when it absorbed 
the responsibilities of the church relations–focused Committee on 
Doctrinal Unity and Committee on Finnish Relations (1962 Res. 
6-03), the commission has assisted the President of the Synod in 
conversations with other church bodies. The CTCR was expressly 
designed to aid in “discussions of theological and/or ecclesiastical 
relationships with the synods comprising the synodical conference; 
sister churches in foreign countries; groups of churches, councils, 
federations,” among others (1962 Reports and Memorials, 251). 
At the President’s request, the CTCR has been involved in many 
official and unofficial theological conversations with a variety of 
Christian denominations and organizations over the years. For an 
explanation of the role and benefits of such conversations, even 
where full altar and pulpit fellowship may not be immediately fore-
seen, the commission commends its 2011 report, Theological Dia-
logue with Other Christian Church Bodies.
In the present triennium, CTCR staff and select members have 
participated in four such discussions: with the Anglican Church in 
North America (in collaboration with the Lutheran Church-Cana -
da), the North American Lutheran Church (in collaboration with 
the Lutheran Church-Canada), the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran 
Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (jointly), and the Anglican 
Catholic Church, the Anglican Church of America, and the Angli-
can Province of America (jointly). Detailed information on the na-
ture and content of these theological conversations may be found in 
the report of the Office of the President on Church Relations.
III. Religious Organizations and Movements
The CTCR is charged with assisting “congregations and or -
dained and commissioned ministers of religion in fulfilling their 
commitment to witness publicly and privately to the one and only 
Gospel set forth in the Holy Scriptures” (Bylaw 3.9.5.4 “Frater -
nal and Other Organizations”). This bylaw includes the Synod’s 
longstanding provisions for dealing with lodges as well as other 
organizations which have “an unchristian or anti-Christian char -
acter.” In providing resources and information to the members of 
the Synod regarding such organizations, philosophies, and reli -
gious movements, the CTCR website features a section designated 
“Evaluations” (see lcms.org/ctcr). Evaluations fall into two gen-
eral categories: lodge organizations and religious organizations 
and movements. The evaluations consider, from a Lutheran theo-
logical perspective, a broad range of religious practices, organi-
zations, movements, claims, and individuals—both Christian and 
non-Christian. In addition to material previously available, during 
the past triennium the commission has provided several new evalu-
ations. New topics addressed include Deepak Chopra, Falun Gong, 
opinion addressing whether divorce disqualifies a man from serv-
ing in the Office of the Public Ministry and whether the remarriage 
of a divorced man makes him unsuitable for the Office of the Public 
Ministry. At its May 2025 meeting, the commission unanimously 
approved this opinion and subsequently conveyed it to the boards 
for their information and use. The opinion is included in the Work-
book appendix.
II. Church Relations
The CTCR has the responsibility to “assist the President of the 
Synod at his request in discharging his constitutional responsibili -
ties for maintaining doctrinal integrity as he relates to other church 
bodies” (Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2). This includes circumstances in which 
a church body officially requests recognition of fellowship by the 
Synod. The commission’s approval is required for each such fel-
lowship request. In light of the many changes occurring in world-
wide Lutheranism, the Synod has had increasing numbers of fel-
lowship requests in recent years and the CTCR seeks to address 
them both efficiently and faithfully. The following shall report on 
(A) formal requests for fellowship that have been approved by the 
commission or may be approved prior to the convention, and (B) 
official theological conversations with various church bodies that 
the commission does not believe will eventuate in formal recogni -
tion of church fellowship.
A. Requests for Church Fellowship Approved by 
the CTCR
1. Evangelical Christian Lutheran Church of Bolivia 
(ICEL)
In June 2022, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia 
(ICEL) formally communicated a request to begin fellowship con-
versations with the LCMS concerning altar and pulpit fellowship. 
After multiple rounds of discussions, including a trip to Bolivia 
by Lehenbauer and the Office of the President’s church relations 
representatives, the CTCR considered ICEL’s request at its Feb-
ruary 2025 meeting. Following the presentation by and discussion 
with ICEL president Limberth Fernandez, the CTCR unanimously 
approved the request and recommended formal recognition of altar 
and pulpit fellowship, pursuant to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b) (2), and for-
warded its recommendation to the Office of the President for dec-
laration and subsequent endorsement by the Synod in convention. 
President Harrison declared recognition of fellowship with ICEL 
in May 2025. The CTCR has submitted an overture to the 2026 
convention urging formal endorsement by the Synod.
2. Lutheran Mission—Australia (LM—A)
When the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) moved to change 
its constitution to allow for women’s ordination in 2024 (see I A 
6 above), a group of confessional Lutherans formed the Lutheran 
Mission—Australia (LM—A). Both before and after the LM—A 
was officially constituted as a church body, LM—A representatives 
engaged in conversations with the LCMS. At its December 2025 
meeting, the commission met with LM—A President Matt Ank-
er and unanimously approved recommending church fellowship 
according to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b)(2). That recommendation was 
conveyed to the Synod President with the understanding that his 
consideration of formal recognition will be delayed until after the 
LM—A’s inaugural convention in August 2026. If and when such 
recognition is declared by the Synod President, it will come before 
the subsequent LCMS convention for endorsement.