Lutheran bishops defend agreement

Christian Century, March 22, 2000 by Rns

Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America reaffirmed their support for the proposed full communion agreement with the Episcopal Church in a pastoral letter which they hoped might dampen "continuing tensions" over the proposed agreement. Last year, the nation's largest Lutheran body--with 5.2 million members--agreed to enter into "full communion" with the Episcopal Church, an accord that stops short of a full merger but allows both churches to recognize each other's clergy and sacraments and to join in missions projects. Episcopalians will vote on the agreement at their July convention in Denver.

A key sticking point with many Lutherans, however, is the acceptance of the historic line of Episcopal bishops. Under the accord, the role of Lutheran bishops would be elevated, and critics say the agreement would needlessly create more bureaucracy, alter Lutheran identity and downplay the role of the laity.

The church's 65 bishops and presiding bishop drafted the letter on March 6, after opponents to the agreement met in Milwaukee last month to consider alternatives. That group suggested, among other things, that ELCA leaders delay implementation of the accord until after the 2001 Churchwide Assembly. The bishops, however, said that was not an option. "We recognize that persons of integrity and conscience find themselves in disagreement with one another on various issues, notably over policies and practices related to ordination," the 66 bishops wrote. "We trust that God's reconciling power will continue to guide the conversations among supporters and opponents in this matter." The bishops did say, however, that they are open to the "exploration" of ways to address the concerns of members opposed to the agreement.