Ok, a quick question … what do the following churches have in common? Lutheran Church Missouri Synod; Evangelical Lutheran Church – Synod of France; Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium; Evangelical Lutheran Free Church in Denmark; Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany; Portuguese Evangelical Lutheran Church; Lutheran Church – Canada; Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod of South Africa; Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland; and Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway?
There should be a number of answers to this question beginning with that they are in agreement about the preaching and teaching of the Gospel – understood broadly to mean Law and Gospel – the whole Word of God – and the administering of the sacraments. While they are in different countries, speak different languages, have differing styles of dress and church administration, there is agreement between them that they are in church fellowship with each other or, to use the language heard more in the past, in altar and pulpit fellowship. If you go to their church or if someone from there comes to the ELCE, everyone will receive the same public doctrine teaching.
The reason these churches are mentioned is that over the history of the ELCE, these churches and the ELCE have had discussions to confirm that they are in agreement about their public teaching or their confession of faith. From time to time overseas churches contact the ELCE for such discussions and when we have time and the resources we enter those discussions. You may recall that in 2019 when the ELCE entered church fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland and the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway. We had begun these discussions also with the Swedish Mission Province but for various reasons the agreement wasn’t finalised in 2019 – and then a pandemic happened – and the ELCE is waiting to resume talks.
A part of church life – maybe noticed most when visiting other denominations or going on holidays overseas – is each church’s teaching of public doctrine and the practice that flows from it. When we say the Apostles’ Creed at Baptisms, when we say the Nicene Creed at the Divine Service; or the Athanasian Creed on Trinity Sunday; or mention and maybe say parts of Luther’s Small Catechism at Confirmation or the Lutheran Confessions at an ordination; when sermons are preached or we teach the Bible, we are in the world of our public doctrine – what we believe is Scripturally true. Public doctrine then produces fellowship between groups and marks borders between groups. It declares truth and error. It shapes our practice. Welcome to denominations! (Denominations are short hand for a confession of faith, a version of public doctrine, what this group believes is Scripturally true.) And this can be also true within denominations when there are different public teachings of what is Scriptural truth.
I mention this because recently the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand changed its public teaching on ordination – so that men and women can be ordained. Thus the teaching on what is Scripturally true changes – the past was in error – and that’s the issue because it changes public doctrine. Public doctrine shapes relationships. While not in a formal church relationship, the ELCE and LCANZ have worked closely together for decades because our public teachings agreed. Now that public doctrine is no longer in agreement, the relationship changes. All Christians say that they believe the Bible but the real question is ‘What do you believe God’s Word teaches?’.
What do you believe God’s Word teaches?
GS