To Declare State of “Fellowship in Protest” with Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has confessed that “All Christians are required by God … to have church-fellowship only with orthodox church-bodies,” (LCMS, A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod [adopted 1932], 28) in accordance with the Divine Command to avoid those who “cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught,” (Rom. 16:17); and

WHEREAS, The Formula of Concord, in line with this Biblical truth, confesses that external fellowship in the church is to be based upon agreement “in the doctrine and all its articles,” as well as “in the right use of the holy Sacraments,” (FC SD X 31); and

WHEREAS, For this reason, the basis for the establishment of church fellowship between the LCMS and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (ELCL or LELB) was “doctrinal agreement between our two churches,” (2001 Res. 3-05); and

WHEREAS, The LCMS repudiates “unionism, that is, church- fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine, as disobedience to God's command, as causing divisions in the church, Rom. 16:17; 2 John 9, 10, and involving the constant danger of losing the Word of God entirely, 2 Tim. 2:17–21,” (A Brief Statement, 28); and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has also confessed that “The orthodox character of a church is established not by its mere name nor by its outward acceptance of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed, but by the doctrine which is actually taught in its pulpits, in its theological seminaries, and in its publications,” (A Brief Statement, 29); and

WHEREAS, In September 2023, then Archbishop Janis Vanags publicly communed two bishops of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a heterodox church body which permits its dioceses to ordain women, and as a matter of policy permits its preachers to advance many false doctrines held by the Reformed, charismatic, and Romanist churches; and

WHEREAS, During the ACNA’s 2024 Provincial Assembly, an ecumenical dialogue report was presented that additionally testified to this fact; and

WHEREAS, The same report testifies that the ACNA had been accorded full altar and pulpit fellowship by the ELCL on the basis that the ELCL already had fellowship with the wider Anglican Communion; and

WHEREAS, Our Lord does not tell us to treat our erring brother as a Gentile after a single rebuke, but instead requires patience (Matt. 18:16–17); and

WHEREAS, The LCMS has previously, in response to the errors of her sister churches, declared she is in statu confession is, in a state of confession, which “is not tantamount to the breaking of fellowship. If, however, the circumstances which called forth the protest are not corrected in due time, the implication is that the protest will lead to the severance of fellowship relations,” (1971 Convention Report 2-01, Commission on Theology and Church Relations, Workbook, Appendix B, 39); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod recognize that there is not complete doctrinal agreement with the ELCL on account of differences in the doctrine of church fellowship; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod declare that she is in a state of confession against the ELCL for her unionist fellowship with the Anglican Communion; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod direct its President, as its chief ecumenical officer, as well as the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR), to provide for new doctrinal discussions with the ELCL on the issue of church fellowship, to the end that the ELCL might be brought to repentance; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod implore its members to pray fervently for true doctrinal agreement to be established by these discussions, that we may dwell together in unity; and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR produce a report on the status of these discussions and their fruits, and to disseminate this report for widespread study prior to the 2029 Synod convention; and be it finally

Resolved, That in light of the results of these dialogues, the Synod reconsider its relationship to the ELCL in the 2029 Synod convention, whether to (1) rescind the state of confession; (2) continue the state of confession; or (3) break fellowship.