Res. 5-07 — To Refer “Sister Church” Nomenclature Change to Commission on Handbook

WHEREAS, “Partner church” is a confusing term that can refer both to church bodies in fellowship and to church bodies not in fellowship but partnering toward a variety of ends (e.g., disaster relief, medical programming, seminary formation, etc.); and

WHEREAS, Both Synod entities and other church bodies partnering toward given ends frequently refer to the other as a “partner church,” irrespective of church fellowship status; and

WHEREAS, “Partner church” can create fellowship confusion. When church bodies in fellowship with T he Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) partner with the LCMS and its entities toward certain ends, and then speak of the LCMS as a partner church ; and when church bodies not in fellowship with the LCMS partner with the LCMS toward certain ends, and then speak of the LCMS as a partner church; many non-fellowship churches are then led to believe that they, too, are in fellowship with the LCMS . This has led to shared pulpits and communion tables without t he Synod recognizing fellowship; and

WHEREAS, “Partner church” emphasizes the human work of partnering, while true church fellowship speaks of the divine work of God creating unity of confession in the Gospel in all its articles and integrates the faithful into God’s “family” and creates “sister churches”; and

WHEREAS, “Sister church” better reflects the “blood” or “family” connection of church bodies in fellowship, with such fellowship recognized through unity in the doctrine of the Gospel in all its articles (FC SD Comprehensive Summary, 1–13; X 31); and

WHEREAS, “Sister church” was the historic way (at least into the 1990s) that the Synod referred to a church body in altar and pulpit fellowship; and

WHEREAS, There are 24 occurrences of the word “partner church” or “partner churches” in the 2023 Handbook that would be changed to “sister church” or “sister churches,” respectively , and t here are two additional occurrences of the word “partners” that would be changed to “sister churches”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention affirm that “ sister church” more accurately reflects the nature of altar and pulpit fellowship as a God-given unity in the doctrine of the Gospel in all its articles, as confessed in the Formula of Concord (FC SD Comprehensive Summary, 1–13; X 31); and be it further

Resolved, That this matter be referred to the Commission on Handbook, with the instruction to change all bylaw occurrences of “partner church,” “partner churches,” and “partners” to “sister church” or “sister churches,” respectively.