Wisconsin ELCA, Catholic Bishops Respond to LCMS President's Ad

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a Dec. 19 advertisement printed in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the six Wisconsin bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) said they were "saddened" to read the statement of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) president concerning the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.
The Joint Declaration was signed Oct. 31 in Augsburg, Germany, by representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), representing 128 Lutheran churches in the world, and the Vatican. The ELCA is a member of the LWF.
The Journal-Sentinel ad, "Toward Lutheran/Roman Catholic Mutual Understanding," was in response to an ad placed in early December by the Rev. A.L. Barry, LCMS president, that appeared in USA Today and 15 city newspapers where there are significant numbers of Lutherans, including Milwaukee. Barry's ad criticized the Joint Declaration. The stated purpose of his ad was to explain why the LCMS did not support the agreement.
Signing the Journal-Sentinel response ad with the ELCA bishops were eight Roman Catholic bishops representing Wisconsin dioceses, including Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
The Joint Declaration is an historic document that resolved one disagreement that has divided Roman Catholics and Lutherans since the early 1500s. The doctrine of justification says people become "right with God" because Jesus Christ won their salvation through his life, death and resurrection. This means salvation is strictly a gift through faith in Jesus and not because anyone has earned it.
"By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works," said the Joint Declaration.
The Wisconsin ELCA and Roman Catholic bishops said the LCMS president misstated Roman Catholic beliefs.
"We have learned from our participation in ecumenical dialogues over the years the need to express accurately and clearly the beliefs of our partners as they understand them," the ELCA and Roman Catholic bishops said in their ad. "The Roman Catholics could not recognize their beliefs as expressed in the statement of the Missouri Synod president."
The Wisconsin bishops acknowledged differences still exist between Lutherans and Roman Catholics and said "they are not on the level of belief about this aspect of justification, as the Joint Declaration makes clear." The bishops also pledged to work together to examine other disagreements that have divided the churches.
ELCA bishops who signed the ad were the Rev. Peter Rogness, bishop of the ELCA Milwaukee Synod; the Rev. Thomas A. Skrenes, bishop of the ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod; the Rev. Jon S. Enslin, bishop of the ELCA South Central Synod of Wisconsin; the Rev. John C. Beem, bishop of the ELCA East Central Synod of Wisconsin; the Rev. April Ulring Larson, bishop of the ELCA La Crosse Area Synod; and the Rev. Robert D. Berg, ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin.
Barry's ad, "Toward True Reconciliation," said the Roman Catholic Church teaches "that something more than trust in Christ is necessary for us to be saved." His ad also said the Roman Catholic Church teaches "we are able to merit , through our works, eternal life for ourselves and others."
"We believe this teaching obscures the work of Jesus Christ and clouds the central message of the Bible," Barry's ad said. It also said the LCMS is intent on working for the day when "the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ" is proclaimed with one voice.
"We will continue to work toward true reconciliation," the LCMS president's ad said.
Copies of Barry's ad were sent to all LCMS congregations, with a letter suggesting it be shared with members and placed in local newspapers.
Meanwhile, the Rev. Ralph A. Bohlman, LCMS president-emeritus, criticized Barry's ad in a Dec. 16 letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. = =20 The same letter was also printed in the Dec. 20 Dallas Morning News. Bohlman's letter said the ad did not speak for the LCMS and was only Barry's opinion.
"I know of no one in our church body who would disagree with the ad's statement on the Gospel of Jesus Christ or its promise to work toward reconciliation among Christians," Bohlman said in his letter. "However, the fact is that thousands of members of congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are chagrined by the ad, not only because of its misleading statements about the joint agreement as well as the position of the Roman Catholic Church, but also because ads in the public media are not a helpful way for church bodies to deal with their differences."
Bohlman also offered an "unofficial but very profound apology" to those who may have been offended by Barry's ad. He said most of the 2.6 million LCMS members regard fellow Christians with "friendship and good will" and are pleased when there is progress toward resolving doctrinal differences.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html