August 12, 2005

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Rev. Gerald B. Kieschnick, president of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), told the 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Aug. 12 that LCMS members are praying for "harmonious conclusions" to differences between the two church bodies – the largest among North American Lutherans.

The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott and Convention Center. About 2,300 people are participating, including 1,018 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever."

The ELCA has 4.9 million members and LCMS, 2.4 million.

"We humbly and respectfully pray that we will be able to come to harmonious conclusions regarding the authority and interpretation of the Word of God, so that the distance between us will not be widened, but will be bridged," Kieschnick said.

That remark came after he pointed out that although both church bodies' constitutions pledge "allegiance to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, ... it is clear that our two churches do not always share the same understanding of what is meant by such allegiance."

"All too often we do not come to the same conclusions regarding what we understand the Scriptures and Confessions to say," Kieschnick told the assembly. "It is clear we have reached different conclusions in a number of areas of faith and life, church and ministry, internal and external relationships. Decisions made by LCMS national conventions and decisions made by ELCA churchwide assemblies are apparently reflective of different exegetical principles and hermeneutical conclusions at work in our respective church bodies."

Referring to the assembly's theme, "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever," Kieschnick said, "In Baptism we are marked with the Cross of Christ forever," quoting Martin Luther that "no greater jewel ... can adorn our body and soul than Baptism."

"As Lutheran Christians," he said, "we cherish this great jewel that adorns us and marks us with the Cross of Christ. Likewise, we treasure the holy, precious Word of God that reveals the perfect law of God and the merciful gospel of Christ – the light for the path of the Christian Church."

"Having received the treasure of God's Word," Kieschnick said, "as fallible human beings we are challenged with being true to this Word in the midst of a dark and perverse generation. Especially in this post-modern era, we are called upon to heed the Scripture that warns of days when people will listen only to what their itching ears want to hear. Meanwhile, the Word of God teaches that there is only one voice to be heard and followed, the voice of Jesus. It is imperative that we always strive faithfully to adhere to the Word of God in all aspects of faith and life, also in times of discord and discontent."

"To that end, we in The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod sincerely desire to be faithful to the Word of God in our life and work, both internally and externally," Kieschnick told the assembly. "This includes our working relationships with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We will continue to strive to be faithful, by the grace of God and under the authority of God's Word as the rule and norm of the Christian faith and life. We encourage you and we pray for you in your efforts to do the same."

Kieschnick's remarks came at the end of the day when the assembly finished work on what was arguably its weightiest most controversial business – three proposals related to studies on sexuality. The previous afternoon (Aug. 11), voting members met as a "quasi-committee of the whole" for an hour's discussion of the issue.

"We in The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod are sensitive to the struggles experienced within the ELCA," Kieschnick said, "including the strongly held, opposing positions in your church on issues acted upon by this assembly this very day. We ourselves are no strangers to internal struggles."

"I couldn't help but observe during your assembly proceedings that you are no strangers to the joys and sorrows of parliamentary procedure," Kieschnick said to applause and laughter from the assembly. "As a matter of fact, there was an occasion on which I closed my eyes and felt absolutely certain that I was at a convention of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod."

Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at http://www.elca.org/assembly/05/ on the Web.

ELCA News Service