Eight ELCA Bishops Announce Support for "Called to Common Mission"

CHICAGO (ELCA) Acknowledging that not everyone in the Evangelical = Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) favors a proposal for full communion = with the Episcopal Church, eight ELCA synod bishops formally announced = they will support the proposal at the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
The proposed agreement, "Called to Common Mission," (CCM) has = generated some opposition in the ELCA, much of it focused on the historic = episcopate. The ELCA and the Episcopalians agree on the doctrine of = "apostolic succession" an ongoing faithful proclamation of Christ; Episcopalians = bring to the relationship the "historic episcopate," a succession of = bishops as a sign of unity back to the earliest days of the Christian = Church.
Concerns have also been raised about the role of bishops and = Lutheran identity in a full communion agreement with the Episcopal Church.
Lutheran-Episcopal dialogues that began in 1983 developed a process = for full communion between the two churches, "The Concordat of Agreement," = issued in 1991. A convention of the Episcopal Church approved it in 1997. = That same year, the ELCA assembly defeated the proposal by six votes and asked = that the Concordat be revised, taking the assembly's debate into account. = The revision is CCM.
"It is our intention to vote for CCM and we urge the 1999 Churchwide = Assembly to cast a strong, positive vote in favor of its adoption," the = eight bishops said in a written statement. A similar statement was tabled = at a meeting of all 65 ELCA synod bishops in Tucson, Ariz. The Rev. = Paull E. Spring, bishop of the ELCA Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod, = submitted that proposal.
"We believe CCM provides a significant opportunity for the ELCA and = the Episcopal Church to enter into a relationship of full communion, one = that is obedient to the prayer of Jesus, is congruent with our confession = as evangelical Lutherans and is dependent on God's call to mission under = the Gospel," the statement from the eight bishops said.
The bishops said they were "pleased" CCM reflects significant changes = over the previous Concordat. They said changes include:
* expansion of the section on the ministry of the whole people of = God, which underscores the priesthood of all the baptized;
* the affirmation that the historic episcopate is a sign, but not a = guarantee, of the church's unity and doctrine;=20
* a recognition that the ELCA accepts the historic episcopate in = practice, but not the threefold order of ministry;
the consistency in CCM whereby the relationship of full communion is = placed within the context of the church's mission task;
* the revised process for installation of ELCA bishops with the = laying on of hands by other bishops, at least three of whom are to be in = the historic succession; and the invitation of one of more bishops in the = Episcopal Church to participate in the installation and laying on of = hands.
The bishops' statement commended those who oppose CCM "for their love = of the gospel and their intention to be faithful to the confessions of our = church."
The eight ELCA bishops who signed the statement include the Rev. = Ralph Dunkin, West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod; the Rev. Guy S. = Edmiston, Lower Susquehanna Synod; the Rev. A. Donald Main, Upper = Susquehanna Synod; the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, Southwestern Pennsylvania = Synod; the Rev. George P. Mocko, Delaware-Maryland Synod; the Rev. Gregory = R. Pile, Allegheny Synod; the Rev. Theodore F. Schneider, Metropolitan = Washington D.C. Synod; and Spring. They serve in eight contiguous synods = which comprise the ELCA's Region 8.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html