To Recognize Altar and Pulpit Fellowship with Evangelical Lutheran Christian Church of Bolivia

Preamble Iglesia Cristiana Ev angelica Luterana, the Evangelical Lutheran Christian Church (ICEL) has its roots in the work of the Norwegian Lutheran Mission (NLM) that began in the 1970’s, primarily in rural, Quechua-speaking areas of southern Bolivia. NLM built an infrastructure for its missionaries and mission work in Bolivia, including a retreat center and office in Cochabamba and a training center and radio station in Sucre. Internal migration from the rural areas to the large cities spurred development of congregations in several of the major cities. The congregations affiliated with NLM formed an independent church body (ICEL) in 1997. Its first president was a layman, Mario Delgado. Mr. Delgado received the first visit of the Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod (LCMS) from then area secretary Rev. Douglas Rutt. Rev. Rutt connected ICEL with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB) which invited a delegation of ICEL to visit a conference on mission in Brazil in 2000 in São Paulo. This represented ICEL’s first contact with a confessional Lutheran church body in Latin America, and eventually led to IELBPresident Carlos Winterle signing an agreement of altar and pulpit fellowship with the ICEL in 2002. At this time, ICEL also began participating as an observer in regional meetings of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). There was also contact with and support from LCMS sister churches in Chile and Argentina. NLM had established a training school in Sucre, Bolivia called CLET Centro Luterano de Estudios Teológicos, Lutheran Center of Theological Studies (CLET) as well as a more advanced seminary in Arequipa, Peru called Seminario Teológico Luterano Latino americano, Latin American Lutheran Theological Seminary (SETELA). When the NLM closed the program at CLET (for financial reasons), ICEL began to seek other possibilities for theological education of future pastors. While ICEL remains thankful for the mission endeavors of NLM in Bolivia, ICEL no longer has a formal relationship with NLM. The LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM) began working indirectly with ICEL in 2012 when 20 scholarships were awarded to Seminario Concordia of Buenos Aires, Argentina for the purpose of forming pastors for the Argentine Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELA), partner churches and others—including four Bolivian pastors. At the same time, Luther Academy began to offer two courses a year in Bolivia, taught by professors such as Rev. Cristian Rau ten berg and Rev. Omar Kinas of Chile and Rev. Mark Braden ofthe LCMS. When Concordia El Reforma dor Seminary (CMSCR) opened in 2017 in Santiago, Dominican Republic, three Bolivian students transferred to that institution. Presidents of ICEL have regularly attended all annual CMSCR symposia. In September 2018, a delegation of OIM pastors attended the ordination of Rev. Osmel Soliz, one of the first Bolivian graduates of the seminary scholarship program. The liturgy followed the historic ordo and the ordination rite included a quia subscription to the Lutheran Confessions. The delegation, including Rev. Ted Krey, Rev. Dr. Arthur Just, and Rev. James Sharp, also engaged in informal discussions with members of the ministerium and the national council of ICEL about issues such as the Sacraments, the office of the Holy Ministry, and worship. In 2019, Bolivia was included as one of the countries under Rev. Sharp’s responsibility in order to facilitate continued communication between ICEL and OIM. In May 2020, ICEL presented a document on the office of the Holy Ministry signed by the entire Bolivian ministeriumto Rev.Krey and Rev. Joel Fritsche. This document affirmed the scriptural and confessional doctrine of the pastoral office and represented ICEL’s firm commitment to move away from its piet is tic theological roots. CMSCR began monthly zoom lectures with ICEL leaders/pastors which included Scriptural and confessional teaching on the office of the Holy Ministry and other topics. At a 2021 meeting of the ILC in Mexico City, the ICEL asked the IELB to ordain the (previously un-ordained) ministerium of ICEL, since the two church bodies had already been in altar and pulpit fellowship since 2002. As part of their ordination oaths, each ICELpastor confessed the Old and New Testament Scriptures to be the inspired and in errant Word of God, the only rule for all faith and life, and a quia subscription to the Lutheran Confessions as a true and faithful exposition of the Holy Scripture. LCMS observers, including the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Shaw, LCMS Director of Church Relations, were present for this and related events. During the first-ever LCMS FORO with ICEL held March 23–24, 2022, in Sucre, Rev. Dr. Shaw presented copies of Luther’s Small Catechism in Quechua, a first for ICEL. During and after the March 25–26,2022, ICEL National Convention,Rev.Dr. Shawmet with the Rev. Limberth Fernández, ICEL President, and the ICEL Executive Committee for ICEL-LCMS exploratory fellowship discussions, which included discussion of the basis for church fellowship, i.e., agreement in the Gospel in all its articles founded on the authority of Holy Scripture and the testimony of the Lutheran Confessions. In June 2022, President Fernández wrote to President Matthew Harrison requesting formal fellowship discussions with the LCMS. A Bolivia dialogue team was appointed by President Harrison consisting of LCMS representatives Rev. Dr. Shaw, Rev. Dr. Joel Lehen bauer, Rev. Mark Braden, Rev. Michael Frese, and Rev. James Sharp. The first round of official fellowship talks with ICEL was held in St. Louis in April 2023, followed by an initial familiarization overview and discussion with the CTCR on April Cochabamba, Bolivia, in April 2024. These dialogues exhibited a remarkable unity in doctrine and practice. By this time, the ICEL Constitution and Religious Canon had been revised to reflect a confessional Lutheran understanding of church and ministry, a commitment to the entirety of the Book of Concord as a true and faithful exposition of the Holy Scripture, and clear processes for ICEL to walk and work together as a church body in witness, service, and fellowship. A third round of official fellowship discussions took place in February 2025, with President Fernández meeting with the CTCR in St. Louis. At this meeting, the CTCR unanimously recommended recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship with ICEL pursuant to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b)(2), which authorizes the LCMS President to declare recognition of fellowship after consultation with the Praesidium “subject to the endorsement of the subsequent Synod convention.” In a letter to President Fernández dated May 4, 2025, President Harrison officially declared recognition of fellowship with ICEL. On May 24, 2025, a divine service celebrating the official recognition of fellowship was held in the chapel of Concordia the Reformer Seminary in the Dominican Republic. This service included representatives from the LCMS, its sister churches in Latin America, and faculty, students and staff of CMSCR.

WHEREAS, The ICEL is a confessional Lutheran church in Bolivia consisting of around 1000 baptized members in 15 congregations served by 12 ordained pastors; and

WHEREAS, Formal discussions directed toward altar and pulpit fellowship with the ICEL began in 2022 and concluded in February 2025, when the CTCR unanimously recommended recognition of fellowship with ICEL; and

WHEREAS, The ICEL accepts all the canonical books of the Sacred Scriptures of the Old and of the New Testaments as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and practice and the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, compiled in the Book of Concord of 1580, as a correct exposition of Holy Scripture; and

WHEREAS, The ICEL is in altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS’s sister church in Brazil (IELB); and

WHEREAS, The ICEL has requested altar and pulpit fellowship with the LCMS; and

WHEREAS, Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2 (b)(2) says: “Formal recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between the Synod and a small, formative, emerging confessional Lutheran church body (identified as such by the President of the Synod as chief ecumenical officer) may be declared by the Synod President only after the approval of the commission and consultation with the Praesidium. Such recognition shall be subject to the endorsement of the subsequent Synod convention”; and

WHEREAS, The CTCR has unanimously recommended the recognition of fellowship with the ICEL as a faithful Lutheran church body, after having carefully and thoroughly considered this matter by means of extensive correspondence, reports on meetings with ICEL representatives, and the examination of pertinent documents that describe the doctrine and practice of the ICEL; and

WHEREAS, President Matthew C. Harrison, by virtue of the authority vested in him according to Bylaw 3.9.5.2.2, wrote to President Limberth Fernández on May 4, 2025, stating: “I declare the recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between our two churches. Praise God!”; therefore be it

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

Resolved, That this convention formally endorse the recognition of altar and pulpit fellowship between the ICEL and the LCMS; and be it further

Resolved, That we give thanks to God for the faithful Lutheran witness ICEL provides within its own country, and beyond; and be it further

Resolved, That we encourage and walk with ICEL as they proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world; 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 that we enjoy as sister church bodies; 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.