Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 42

2026 Convention Workbook
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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
tion, a synodical commission was appointed to deal with legal and 
organizational issues and the consequences of possible separation 
paths. Most SELK congregations cherish ecclesiastical unity over 
condemning WO as false doctrine and practice.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB)
On Aug. 28, 2025, LELB Archbishop Jānis Vanags retired as the 
longest-serving bishop in Europe. Thanks be to God for his decades 
of confessional Lutheran service and leadership, from the days of 
Communism through the turmoil of WO to this day. Dr. Shaw rep-
resented President Harrison at the retirement and as Bishop Rinalds 
Grants was installed as archbishop the following day. Numerous 
LCMS clergy were present for both events. In October of 2025, Dr. 
Shaw and Rev. Krikava conducted theological meetings on ecclesi-
ology and fellowship with Archbishop Grants, LELB CR Director 
Andris Kraulins, and Bishop Hanss Jensons.
Confessional Lutheranism in Poland
Confessional Lutherans in Poland and Europe gathered for 
a conference, “Lutheran Confessionalism and Unionism,” Oct. 
13–15, 2025, in Kraków, to commemorate the 500th anniversary 
of Lutheranism in Poland. Sponsored by OIM Europe, Regional 
Director Dr. David Preus chose the location based on the Lutheran 
Church of Poland’s adoption of WO and an LGBTQ agenda. Polish 
confessional Lutherans have rejected these changes and are seeking 
LCMS help to start a new church. At the conference with many 
scholars, Dr. K. Detlev Schulz spoke on Hermann Sasse’s experi -
ence with unionism, and Dr. Shaw spoke on the meaning of church 
fellowship. Rev. Krikava, who had previously contacted the Book 
of Concord Polish Lutherans during his service as OIM Europe re-
gional director, participated in a roundtable discussion of charting 
the course from unionism to Luther’s understanding of the faith.
Mission Province in Sweden (MPS)
From Oct. 17–19, 2025, Dr. Preus and Rev. Krikava traveled to 
Gothenburg, Sweden, for the ordination of OIM-sponsored STM 
student Sahar Sadlovsky, soon to become a missionary in Tel Aviv, 
Israel. During the weekend-long event, Dr. Preus and Rev. Krikava 
met with MPS Bishop Bengt Ådahl and his representatives. The 
dialogue focused on five theological points that had been raised in 
CR fellowship dialogues in 2023 and 2024: (1) the MPS’s under -
standing of the authority and role of Holy Scripture in matters of 
doctrine, faith, and church life; (2) their understanding of episcopal 
polity and apostolic succession; (3) their relation to the Church of 
Sweden; (4) their doctrine and practice of church fellowship; and 
(5) their doctrine and practice of closed Communion. The discus-
sion will continue at a broader CR fellowship dialogue during the 
2026 Symposia Week at CTSFW. The MPS shares altar and pulpit 
fellowship with the ELMDF in Finland (an LCMS sister church) 
and DELSiN in Norway (an LCMS associate church).
Old Latin School, Wittenberg, Germany—Tour and 
Support
From Aug. 23 to Sept. 5, 2024, President Harrison and CR staff 
led their second Lutherland–Beautiful Germany–Wittenberg–Old 
Latin School (OLS) tour. Dr. Wilhelm Weber, director of the OLS 
Latin School, joined President Harrison and Dr. Shaw in provid-
ing historical, theological, and cultural insights. The tour ventured 
from the Alps to Heidelberg, from Worms and the Rhine to Eisen-
ach and Wartburg, to Wittenberg. The tour raised $45,000 to sup-
port the OLS! Another tour is scheduled for June 1–16, 2027: email 
georgia.endicott@lcms.org for the details!
Wayne (CTSFW) Confessions Symposium, Dr. Shaw delivered the 
essay “The Lutheran World Federation Today: Missio Dei, Imago 
Dei and the Ongoing Reformation.” The essay was subsequently 
expanded and published by the LCMS, with a preface by President 
Harrison and an appendix by the CTCR. The volume is currently 
being used as a study tool to assist the nine LCMS sister churches 
who have not yet left the LWF.
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Ecclesiology, Fellowship, and the Nordic-Baltic-Russian 
Churches
In 2023, 2024, and 2025, CR led a number of theological dia-
logues among the Baltic-Nordic-Russian churches and conducted 
many personal visits that examined the doctrines of fellowship and 
ecclesiology. Two views of fellowship emerged: (1) that church fel-
lowship is officially recognized based on agreement in the doctrine 
of the Gospel in all its articles, i.e., in all doctrine, pointing to and 
flowing from the Gospel (the LCMS and Book of Concord view), 
and (2) that church fellowship may be assumed and practiced where 
the Gospel is preached, Sacraments are administered according to 
Christ’s institution, historic liturgy is in use, and no impediments of 
scandalous doctrine or practice are known (the view of the Church 
of Sweden and, in some cases, of certain Baltic, Nordic, and Rus-
sian churches).
These two views of fellowship interlock with two views of eccle-
siology: (1) that all pastors equally possess the same divine office, 
call, and ordination from above (from God by His Word in Christ) 
and from below (administered according to the will and call of the 
people), and (2) that the Book of Concord preference is for episco-
pal (bishop) structure and that apostolic succession of both hand and 
doctrine is to be preferred, where possible. In extreme cases of the 
second view, bishops can understand their apostolic succession so 
as to justify (a) fellowship with non-Lutherans, and (b) ordination 
of non-Lutherans or of different orders of clergy in the backyard of 
LCMS sister churches without local ecclesiastical consent.
In the last triennium and to their credit, many LCMS sister and 
associate churches have been involved in these discussions: Evan-
gelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF), Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB), Evangelical Lutheran 
Church of Lithuania (LELB), Lutheran Church in Norway and Ice-
land (LKNI), Evangelical Lutheran Diocese in Norway (DELSiN), 
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria (ELCIR), Siberian Evangel-
ical Lutheran Church (SELC), Mission Province in Sweden (MPS), 
and the LCMS. These are serious discussions. CR is planning a 
related International Church Relations Forum (ICRF) for all our 
European sister and associate church body bishops and presidents 
in the fall of 2026.
Italy
In May of 2025, Dr. Shaw participated in a Lutheran symposium 
in Rome. Following the conference, two LCMS-trained Italian stu-
dents were ordained by Bishop Juhana Pohjola (ELMDF) for the 
work of growing a confessional Lutheran church in Italy.
The German Independent Evangelical Lutheran 
Church/Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche 
(SELK)
Women’s ordination (WO) continues to present a challenge to 
the SELK. The June 2025 General Pastors’ Conference voted not to 
implement WO in SELK now, but instead to honor the position of 
those who advocate for it. Thirty-two pastors signed an open letter 
in favor of WO. At the September 2025 national church conven-