CHICAGO (ELCA) -- An assembly in Fargo, N.D., of the Eastern North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), resolved March 24 to "fully support the right of its constituent members, congregations, pastors and bishops to freely accept or reject local implementation of an historic episcopate." Acceptance of the "historic episcopate" is a provision of an ELCA proposal for full communion with The Episcopal Church.
By a vote of 436 to 57 and 10 abstentions -- 87 percent approval -- the synod assembly pledged "to preserve the freedom of its individual members, congregations, pastors, and bishops, who for reasons of faith and/or conscience must either accept or reject the mandatory imposition of an historic episcopate so that they may live out their faith as full members of the ELCA within this synod."
It also pledged to continue working with the Episcopal Church and other Christian denominations "with whom we share unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ."
The assembly noted that the ELCA Church Council will meet here April 8-9 and asked that the council respond to its resolution at that meeting. The church's 65 synods each hold an annual assembly. The Eastern North Dakota Synod Assembly is the first of 2000 and the only one of the year held before the April council meeting.
The proposal, "Called to Common Mission," was endorsed at the ELCA's 1999 Churchwide Assembly by a vote of 716 to 317 -- 27 votes more than the two-thirds majority needed to approve the measure. Among other things, full communion would make it possible for the ELCA and Episcopal Church to exchange clergy and commits them to work together on future mission and service projects.
In approving the proposal, the ELCA agreed to accept the historic episcopate -- the concept that those who ordain new pastors are from a line of bishops stretching back to the earliest days of the church. Episcopalians would agree to suspend a 17th century rule about who can be considered a priest and agree to accept the ministries of all current ELCA pastors and bishops.
The Episcopal General Convention will meet in July to vote on "Called to Common Mission." Episcopalians approved a similar document in 1997, but the ELCA Churchwide Assembly rejected it by a six-vote margin that year.
The Eastern North Dakota Synod resolution cited a Lutheran principle to support its action. "It is not necessary that ceremonies instituted by men [humans] should be observed uniformly in all places," stated the Augsburg Confession.
The historic episcopate is "a ceremonial appeal to human authority and is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian Church," said the resolution. It declared, "Any and all efforts to mandate or require an adoption of an historic episcopate would violate our Synod's Confession of Faith."
The resolution said, "The Eastern North Dakota Synod of the ELCA has many members, who as a matter of conscience must resist and not comply with measures or actions that mandate an historic episcopate."
Another resolution failed, 228 to 233 and 15 abstentions, that would have asked the ELCA Church Council to consider delaying implementation of "Called to Common Mission" until after the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August 2001. The delay would have allowed opponents and proponents of the proposal time to resolve their differences, according to the resolution.
The ELCA is already in full communion with the Moravian Church in America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ. -- -- --
The ELCA's Eastern North Dakota Synod Assembly resolution is available at http://www.flcfargo.org/ccm_resolution.htm
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
