To Recognize Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine

Preamble The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (ELCU) has its roots in the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (GELCU). Lutheranism had come to Ukraine near the end of the eighteenth century, with a mass migration of German farmers and craftsmen invited by the Russian czar to help develop Ukraine. Because many of these immigrants were Lutherans, congregations were formed, and churches built. In the twentieth century, with the Russian Revolution and the rise of atheistic communism (especially under Stalin in the 1930s), Lutheranism was nearly wiped out. But after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) beginning with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a new era began, and Lutheranism had an opportunity to re-emerge. The GELCU was established by 1992, even as many ethnic Germans living in the former USSR were allowed to repatriate back to Germany. Nonetheless, from 1992–2014, GELCU continued to be led by German bishops and was supported financially by partner German churches affiliated with the state church of Germany, namely, the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD, Evangelical Church in Germany). It was also supported at that time by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Before Rev. Serge Maschewski was installed as the bishop of GELCU, the bishop of GELCU was also a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Russia (ELCROS) Bishops’ Council (also affiliated with LWF). Rev. Maschewski (who is Ukrainian and German but was raised in Kazakhstan) was elected as Bishop of GELCU in 2013 and took office in 2014. He was allowed to repatriate to Germany in the 1990s and was able to enroll in the Russian Project of Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), where he was introduced to historic confessional Lutheran theology. After returning to Germany, he was viewed as an ideal candidate in the continuation of the German line of bishops of GELCU. He was also the first bishop of GELCU who was not only a German speaker, but also fluent in Russian (from his upbringing in Kazakhstan) and in Ukrainian. With his newly found confessional Lutheran convictions, however, Rev. Maschewski and GELCU soon came into conflict with the theology of GELCU’s sponsors from Germany and the LWF. When directed to receive ordained women pastors to work within GELCU, for example, Bishop Maschewski refused to allow it, as did his synod in convention. The same was true when GELCU was pressured to embrace the LGBTQ agenda in the church’s life in Ukraine. The conflict escalated to the point that, in 2015, GELCU severed its fellowship with its heretofore German partner churches, dropped its membership in the LWF, and left the ELCROS Bishops’ Council, leaving GELCU alone and isolated. With newly found confessional Lutheran friends from the CTSFW Russian Project and elsewhere, GELCU reached out to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). By 2016 the process of seeking to formalize church fellowship with the LCMS began. At the same time, some of the more liberal- oriented members of GELCU left the church and sought support from the old partners, calling themselves GELCU as well. To avoid confusion, it became necessary for the church body to change its name from GELCU to ELCU (dropping the G, for German). During the years 2015–2017 a new liturgy in Ukrainian and Russian was developed and approved (previously there was an Agenda only in German). The Liturgical Commission continues to work on a new hymnal. The ELCU was officially established by convention on Sept. 20, 2019, but the new name was not officially recognized by the Ukrainian state until Feb. 11, 2021. This was due partly to a slow governmental bureaucracy, the COVID-19 pandemic, and political machinations surrounding the church’s severance from the EKD and LWF. Beginning in 2017, the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM) in Eurasia began mission work with this newly emerging Lutheran church body. Monthly weeklong seminars on a variety of theological topics were offered to the Ukrainian clergy by OIM missionary theological educators as well as by regional partner churches from Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Baltic states. An LCMS missionary couple moved to Odessa as English as a Second Language teachers, especially for Ukrainian pastors, in order to broaden their access to important Lutheran literature, which was not available in Russian or Ukrainian. An LCMS pastor and his family was called to live and work in Ukraine with the pastors of the ELCU. Unfortunately, much of this work, as well as plans for formal discussions pursuing the recognition of church fellowship with the LCMS, were either stalled or postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and then by the Russian war against Ukraine, when all missionaries had to be recalled from fields in Russia and Ukraine. OIM Eurasia plans to resume this work as soon as the war ends, and the LCMS can re-enter Ukraine. Despite these challenging circumstances, in October of 2022 various leaders of the LCMS—including President Matthew Harrison, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Shaw (Director of Church Relations—Assistant to the President), and Rev. James Krikava (then OIM Regional Director for Eurasia)—were able to meet with Bishop Maschewski in Freising, Germany, for a second live round of formal discussions regarding church fellowship with the LCMS. At that time, plans were already in place for Bishop Maschewski to travel to St. Louis and meet with the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) to continue those discussions, but ongoing fighting in the war between Ukraine and Russia prevented him from traveling. A thorough report on the October discussions, however, was presented to the CTCR by Dr. Shaw and Rev. Krikava at the CTCR’s December 2022 meeting. Finally, in February of 2023, Bishop Maschewski was able to travel to St. Louis to meet with the CTCR, together with an ELCU lay leader (Mr. Alex Gerzhik). Following a presentation by Bishop Maschewski to the CTCR, and extensive discussion with a CTCR subcommittee charged with evaluating church relations requests, the CTCR (at its Feb. 16–18, 2023, meeting) unanimously approved a motion to memorialize the 2023 convention to recognize fellowship with the ELCU in keeping with Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b): When a church body applies for formal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with the Synod, such recognition shall be proposed at a convention of the Synod only after the approval of the commission [CTCR].

WHEREAS, The ELCU, in the face of severe trials (including the Russian-Ukrainian war) and intense opposition and persecution, has established itself as an independent and self- supporting church body that is firmly committed to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and

WHEREAS, The ELCU has sought and received support and assistance from the LCMS over the years through its participation in the Russian Project of CTSFW and through the work of OIM in Eurasia, which has helped enable the ELCU to be and remain committed to theology and practice that is fully faithful to the Word of God and the Lutheran Confessions; and

WHEREAS, The ELCU accepts all the canonical books of the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inerrant, revealed Word of God; and

WHEREAS, The ELCU accepts without qualification all of the symbolic books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, compiled in the Book of Concord of 1580, as a correct exposition of the sacred Scriptures; and

WHEREAS, On March 27, 2019, Bishop Serge Maschewski, on behalf of the ELCU, formally requested altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS; and

WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b) says, “When a church body applies for formal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with the Synod, such recognition shall be proposed at a convention of the Synod only after the approval of the commission [CTCR]”; and

WHEREAS, In face-to-face discussions with Bishop Maschewski, the CTCR has examined the official documents, teachings, and practices of the ELCU and found them to be faithful to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, and has proposed the recognition of fellowship between the ELCU and the LCMS; therefore be it

Resolved, That we acknowledge with gratitude the unity of confession that has been given to our churches under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and be it further

Resolved, That we give thanks that despite serious challenges, obstacles, and opposition, God, by His grace, has equipped, preserved, and strengthened the ELCU to give a faithful, confessional Lutheran witness in Ukraine and beyond; and be it further

Resolved, That we give thanks to God that doctrinal discussions between official representatives of the LCMS and the ELCU have resulted in recognition of complete concord and agreement; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod formally declare recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between the ELCU and the LCMS;

and be it further

Resolved, That we encourage and walk with the ELCU as it continues to proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ in Ukraine; and be it further

Resolved, That we pray for God’s blessings in the coming years on our agreement in the confession of the Gospel that we enjoy as partner churches, and for the blessing of the Lord upon the members and leaders of the Lutheran Church of Ukraine; and be it finally

Resolved, That in thanksgiving for this partnership in the Gospel, the convention assembly celebrate its approval by rising and singing the common doxology.

Action: Adopted (2) The resolution being put to a “yea, yea, it shall be so” voice vote, the resolution was so adopted, unanimously, and the common doxology was sung. President Harrison having noted a plaque commemorating the fellowship being consummated by the convention today, Bishop Serge Maschewski addressed the assembly, with his remarks included in Today’s Business 3. To Recognize the Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sri Lanka as a Self-Governing Partner Church RESOLUTION 5-05A Overture 5-04 (CW, 287–88)

Preamble The Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC) of Sri Lanka is the fruit of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) mission work dating back to 1925. An LCMS missionary working in southern India with Tamil-speaking people commuted in weekly to lead church services. Nearly 25 years later, the LCMS sent the Rev. Eric Prange to be its first resident missionary in Sri Lanka. Rev. Prange worked primarily with the Tamil-speaking people in the highlands where they worked on the tea and rubber plantations. Rev. Prange and those who followed him helped the Sri Lankan Lutherans to form their own church body in the 1970s, which they named the Lanka Lutheran Church (LLC). LCMS missionaries continued to serve alongside the LLC even during the civil war in Sri Lanka, which lasted from 1983 to 2009. The LLC was a full altar and pulpit partner of the LCMS as of the 2001 convention, and a member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). The LLC was beset with tragic corruption in the early 2000s, leading to theft, violence, death, and the loss of their government registration as a legal church body. After the return of LCMS resident missionaries in 2013, LCMS personnel assisted the Lutheran church in obtaining a new registration. The church adopted the new name of the CELC to reflect its renewed identity. The CELC then adopted its revised constitution, prepared by members of their church with LCMS assistance, in May of 2022. At this same convention, they also elected leadership and recognized fellowship with the LCMS, requesting the same from the LCMS. The CELC joined the ILC immediately upon being reconstituted, but was dropped at an unknown date for non- payment of dues. The CELC is currently an observer member of the ILC, awaiting their opportunity to be recognized as full members of that body, as the LLC once was. They have expressed repeatedly their desire to be faithfully Lutheran, and their commitment to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.

WHEREAS, The CELC traces its origin to the efforts of the LCMS missionaries; and

WHEREAS, The CELC has committed itself to be faithful to the inerrant Scriptures and subscribes without reservation to the writings of the Book of Concord; and

WHEREAS, The CELC seeks in every way to be and remain a scripturally faithful, confessional Lutheran church body; and

WHEREAS, The CELC is established as an independent Lutheran church in Sri Lanka and has shared its constitution and other governing documents with the LCMS leadership; and

WHEREAS, The CELC, at its convening convention in September 2022, recognized altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS; and

WHEREAS, The CELC governing church council delivered a letter to President Matthew Harrison dated Feb. 8, 2023, formally requesting the LCMS recognize altar and pulpit fellowship with the CELC; and

WHEREAS, Appropriate protocol documents guiding interactions between the LCMS and the CELC have been developed and are currently being updated; and

WHEREAS, In the current year 2023, the CELC has applied for full membership in the ILC; and

WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (d) states that “When a mission of the Synod applies for formal recognition as a self-governing partner church, such recognition shall be proposed at convention of the Synod by the Board for International Mission with the approval of the [Commission on Theology and Church Relations]”; and

WHEREAS, In compliance with Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (d), the Board for International Mission has requested and received the approval of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations to propose to the 2023 Synod convention that the CELC in Sri Lanka be recognized as a self-governing partner church; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to God for the efforts of its missionaries and Sri Lankan national pastors of the CELC, that God, by His grace, has equipped and prepared the members of the CELC to give a faithful confessional Lutheran witness in Sri Lanka; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod acknowledge with gratitude that His saints have been blessed by the growth of this “daughter church” of the LCMS and its establishment as a self-governing Lutheran church body; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod acknowledge with gratitude the unity of confession that has been given to our churches under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod declare its recognition of the CELC as a self-governing partner church with which the LCMS enjoys altar and pulpit fellowship; and be it further

Resolved, That we pray for God’s blessings in the coming years on this agreement in the confession of the Gospel, which we enjoy as partner churches, and for the power and blessing of the Lord upon the members and leaders of the CELC; and be it finally

Resolved, That in thanksgiving for this partnership in the Gospel, the convention assembly celebrate its approval by rising and singing the common doxology