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Church Fellowship a Bible study course for adults

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Title: The History of Fellowship: Author: Angi Kinsley Last modified by: Mark A. Cordes Created Date: 10/8/2003 4:37:45 PM Document presentation format – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Church Fellowship a Bible study course for adults


1
Church Fellowshipa Bible study course for adults
  • By Professor John F. Brug
  • PowerPoint Angi Kinsley, Pastor Mark A. Cordes
  • New Life Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • Shoreview, Minnesota

2
The History of Fellowship
  • WELS and CLC Relations
  • The CELC
  • Church Fellowship, pp. 87-102

3
Goals
  1. To understand the break in fellowship between the
    Wisconsin Synod and CLC.
  2. To understand the differences that still separate
    the WELS from the Church of the Lutheran
    Confession today.
  3. To understand the process that led to the
    formation of the CELC.

4
Opening Prayer
  • Lord, we sorrow over every division in the church
    and rejoice whenever true unity is established.
    Teach us to understand the recent history of the
    Wisconsin Synod that divided us from some
    Lutherans and united us with others. Help us
    heal the divisions of the church by working for
    true agreement based on your Word. Amen.

5
Scriptural Principles
  • Romans 1617
  • Separate from false teachers (persistent
    errorists)
  • Galatians 61f
  • Help Christians who are trapped in sin.
  • Watch out for our own temptations.
  • 2 Thessalonians 314f
  • Do not associate with him. (not listening)
  • Warn him as a brother.

6
What is the CLC?
  • The Church of the Lutheran Confession is a small
    church body of mostly former WELS, ELS who say
  • The Wisconsin Synod failed to break fellowship
    with Missouri Synod soon enough.
  • Due to false doctrine of church fellowship by the
    Wisconsin Synod.

7
WELS and CLC
  • What difference of opinion existed in WI Synod
    concerning termination of fellowship with MO
    Synod?
  • Some thought WELS too slow in breaking fellowship
    with LCMS.
  • Others wanted more time to admonish LCMS.

8
Why did WELS have hard time deciding to break
LCMS?
  • LCMS had strong reputation for orthodoxy, fine
    confessional documents, i.e., Brief Statement.
  • Many zigzags in Missouris course.
  • Many internal divisions in LCMS
  • ? much confusion re. LCMS position.

9
Hard time for WELS vs. LCMS?
  1. Varying degrees of knowledge, understanding among
    members and delegates of Wisconsin Synod.
  2. Seems Missouri Synod representatives strung WELS
    along, holding out hope with no intention of
    changing.
  3. Dealing with large group more difficult than with
    individual, esp. with only rare meetings.

10
WELS Convention History
  • First WELS convention to seriously consider break
    of fellowship with Missouri Synod?
  • Serious resolution to break 1953.
  • WELS convention which finally broke fellowship
    with Missouri Synod?
  • 1961

11
WELS Convention History
  • Basic reason for this delay?
  • WELS repeatedly persuaded that LCMS had not
    rejected admonition, might still solve problem.
  • In retrospect this hope was naïve or overly
    optimistic.
  • Good faith effort to do everything possible to
    preserve fellowship.

12
False Hopes Delayed Break
  • 1953 WELS convention hoped that the 1954 meeting
    of the Synodical Conference could solve the
    problem.
  • Hoped protesting fellowship would be a strong
    warning to the Missouri Synod.

13
False Hopes Delayed Break
  • 1955 WELS convention delayed because LCMS was
    triennial.
  • LCMS had not convened since our 1953 protest.
  • LCMS could not have acted on WELS warning.

14
False Hopes Delayed Break
  • 1956 WELS convention won over by overtures from
    Missouri
  • WELS placed hope in continued mediation by
    overseas sister churches.
  • 1957 WELS allowed more time for these efforts.

15
CLC Condemns WELS because
  • WELS approved a preamble which condemned
    Missouris error.
  • CLC says WELS thus identified the MO Synod as
    persistent errorists.
  • Thus CLC says WELS sinfully remained in
    fellowship with LCMS.

16
Another interpretation of WELS?
  • WELS 1955 convention delayed vote on preamble.
  • Had not yet identified Missouri Synod as
    persistent errorists.
  • Majority of WELS delegates believed Missouri
    Synod had not yet rejected our admonition.

17
Interpretation of WELS delay?
  • WELS still hoped further admonition would help
    Missouri Synod turn away from their error.
  • WELS conventions accepted principle that we must
    break from persistent errorists, but majority
    were not yet convinced LCMS fell into that
    category (Brug, pp. 89f).

18
WELS judgment of early leavers?
  • We do not condemn them for opinion that Wisconsin
    Synod was too slow in breaking with the Missouri
    Synod.
  • Nor do we condemn following their consciences,
    not to keep fellowship with MO Synod longer (Brug
    p. 91).

19
Why not reunite WELS CLC?
  • CLC believed WELS failure to break with LCMS in
    1955 and following years was not just faulty
    judgment, but erroneous doctrine of fellowship
    allowing fellowship with persistent errorists.

20
WELS sees weakness in CLC
  • Many statements from CLC members on this doctrine
    do not seem to allow time for patient admonition
    of those who have fallen into error.
  • (Brug, pp. 91f).

21
Doctrinal Difference?
  • Why does the Wisconsin Synod say there is no
    doctrinal difference between WELS and CLC?
  • WELS-CLC meetings have produced agreement on need
    for admonition and for separation from persistent
    errorists. (Brug, p. 92f)

22
1987-1990 Reconciliation Failed?
  • Seemed agreement on doctrinal principle had been
    reached
  • CLC reps insisted on preamble speaking of
    doctrinal difference.
  • WELS never received clear CLC statement about
    this difference.
  • CLC broke off discussions (Brug, pp. 94-96).

23
What main principle was WELS trying to uphold
with CLC?
  • Need for patient admonition before we break
    fellowship with brothers and sisters who have
    fallen into error.
  • WELS fully supports corresponding principle that
    we are not to continue fellowship with persistent
    errorists.

24
What is the CELC?
  • Organization of WELS, ELS, and world wide sister
    churches to preserve and strengthen our
    fellowship.
  • The CELC replaced the former Synodical Conference
    LCMS, WELS, ELS, and others (meeting of
    synods).
  • Synodical Conference dissolved 1963.

25
WELS preserves and expands fellowship after 1961
break.
  • Meet regularly with ELS in Confessional Forum.
  • Holds free conferences to reach out to other
    confessional Lutherans.

26
WELS preserves, expands fellowship after 1961
break.
  • Established fellowship with Federation for
    Authentic Lutheranism and Lutheran Confessional
    Church of Sweden and Norway.
  • Meetings to preserve fellowship with sister
    churches in former Synodical Conference.

27
WELS problem after 1961 break with Missouri?
  • Churches that had been in fellowship with both
    WELS and LCMS could no longer remain in
    fellowship with both since there was no longer
    doctrinal agreement between these churches.
  • Such a triangular fellowship cannot hold with two
    contradictory doctrinal positions.

28
WELS attempts to solve this problem
  • by patient efforts to explain our doctrinal
    position to overseas churches.
  • Result All sister churches except the ELFC of
    Germany chose to keep Missouri fellowship.
  • (Brug, pp. 101f)

29
THE CELC
  • Locate member churches of the CELC on world map.

30
(No Transcript)
31
Summary
  • Some congregation late 1950s separated from WI
    Synod for not breaking with MO Synod soon enough.
    Saw error in WELS interpretation / application
    of Romans 1617.
  • Church of the Lutheran Confession.
  • Restoration efforts have failed.

32
Summary
  • A worldwide organization, the CELC, has recently
    been formed to extend fellowship among
    confessional Lutherans.
  • Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference

33
Closing Prayer
  • Lord, we rejoice in our fellowship with sister
    churches in the CELC. Watch over these small
    churches struggling in a very hostile
    environment. Create in us the desire and ability
    to support and encourage them. Bless our
    fellowship together. Heal Lutheran divisions by
    bringing us to true agreement in the teachings of
    your Word. Amen.
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