A Statement by Dr. A. L. Barry, President of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, concerning the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's adoption of Full Communion with The Episcopal Church and the Moravian Church in America.

August 26, 1999

(St. Louis) — During its churchwide assembly last week in Denver, (August 16-22), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to adopt full communion with The Episcopal Church and the Moravian Church in America.

Because of our desire to be faithful to God's Word and the Lutheran Confessions, and motivated by our love and concern for the people and pastors of the ELCA, it is important for our church body to express to the ELCA our profound regret and deep disagreement with these actions. These decisions have only pushed our two churches further apart and this is truly a sad fact.

Many people across our Synod are understandably troubled by the fact that these actions will inevitably lead to an even more serious erosion of a genuine Lutheran identity in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. A former leader in the ELCA, expressing his concerns before these decisions were made, said, "We must not sacrifice God's truth on the altar of unity." This is a statement that we would affirm, and a truth to which our Synod is committed.

The people of our Synod need to reach out to those within the ELCA who are also troubled by these decisions. We can certainly understand their feelings. In a winsome and positive manner, our challenge is to speak, both to our own members and to the world, what it is that we as a confessional Lutheran church body believe, teach and confess. We need to do this with all confidence and boldness, without apology, asking God to bless this our commitment to be faithful to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.