Emmaus Conference - Recap

I’ll attempt a short recap of the Emmaus Conference that wrapped up last Friday afternoon. Bottom line up front: all three synodical presidents displayed an unprecedented commitment to confessional Lutheran doctrine and practice, and also to humble, fraternal dialogue.

Let me begin by thanking our ELS brothers in the Pacific Northwest for organizing this event. They rendered a significant service to Lutheranism in America by hosting this conference, and they should be commended for their foresight and zeal for this kind of necessary discussion among the three largest confessional Lutheran church bodies in the United States.

The Lecture

Pres. Schroeder’s 48-page essay was entitled, “Walking Together with Jesus: Church Fellowship and its Implications for Confessional Lutherans.” It will soon be posted on the Emmaus Conference website, but until then, it has just become available on the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library essay file. (Note: The WLS essay file, while useful, is not a storehouse of official WELS doctrine.)

Schroeder's essay is, in my humble opinion, brilliant. It’s insightful, engaging, evangelical, historical, and honest, but the honest evaluation of the matters that brought about the demise of the Synodical Conference is presented with the utmost humility and tact.

The essay tells the story of church fellowship beginning on Easter Sunday and continuing through the Lutheran Reformation and Lutheranism in 19th century America. It goes into detail regarding the matters that caused the split with Missouri, which, in the words of Harrison, "you had to do when you did, and so you avoided the next 40 years of turmoil that we faced in the Missouri Synod." Then Schroeder clarifies some aspects of the WELS teaching on church fellowship that have been misrepresented or misunderstood. Finally, Schroeder offers some suggestions for moving forward in our discussions with the LCMS, including the suggestion, "Is a 21st century 'Formula of Concord' effort possible?"

Schroeder's final admonition is especially poignant:

As we strive to apply the scriptural principles of fellowship faithfully, remaining separate when we must on the basis of our confession, we should just as energetically seek to determine where doctrine and practice are one, to trust in the power of the Word for results, and to rejoice in a unified confession if and when God brings it about.

I strongly encourage all our readers to take the time to read and digest the essay for yourselves. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The Reactions

Pres. Moldstad was the first reactor. Since so much ground had been so thoroughly covered by Pres. Schroeder already, it seemed like there would be little left for Pres. Moldstad to say, except for “I concur.” Still, he presented a fine evaluation of the lecture and the state of the fellowship discussion from the perspective of the ELS. One important point he made was the reason why the ELS (and presumably also the WELS) declined former LCMS Pres. Kieschnick’s invitation to dialogue among the three synods in 2003. It was pointed out that this was soon after the fateful “Yankee Stadium event,” at which an LCMS district president participated in a unionistic and even syncretistic public service. I believe it was even called “A Prayer for America.” Although DP Benke was briefly suspended for this action, he was later exonerated and his suspension lifted by the leadership of the LCMS (as I understand the situation from Moldstad’s reaction), signaling that the leadership of the LCMS was, at that time, unwilling to submit itself to the Word of Christ in the area of church fellowship, although several confessional men in Missouri, like Kurt Marquart, denounced Benke’s actions and the official rationalization of them.

It was important, I think, for Yankee Stadium to be brought up in a discussion on fellowship. This is exactly the kind of situation that the WELS teaching on prayer fellowship addresses. Too often WELS sources turn the issue of prayer fellowship into an individual, private matter, almost characterizing any table prayer with one’s Christian (but non-WELS) relative as a denial of Christ and His Truth. This is ridiculous. The issue of prayer fellowship should be taught as a public matter between churches or representatives of churches. President Schroeder did make those distinctions in his essay, although I wish he would have spoken even more strongly on that point in order to move the discussion entirely out of one’s dining room and into the public forum, where it belongs.

Unlike Pres. Moldstad, Pres. Harrison did not have a written reaction, but spoke from notes, and did not exactly react to the essay as much as he simply talked in general terms about Lutheranism in America and the value of discussing doctrine and pursuing at least the possibility of unity with the WELS and the ELS. One might have wished that he had commented more directly on President Schroeder’s essay, but there was nothing disappointing in anything he said. This was the first time I had heard Matt Harrison speak. He has a presence that simply fills a room. He comes across as very intelligent but very down to earth and friendly, with a genuine sense of humor. He admitted having much work to do in his own synod before real progress can be made in doctrinal discussions with other synods. But that was not to imply that these doctrinal discussions ought to wait for in-house business to be completed. He insisted, “We have to do both.”

Harrison expressed a bit of confusion over the issues WELS emphasizes about prayer fellowship. He admitted that it was an issue that had simply never been on the radar for him personally. He joked disarmingly, “We’ve had to concentrate on questions like, ‘Is the Bible the inerrant Word of God?’ and ‘Should women be ordained?’ and things like that.” But in saying that, he made it clear he was not dismissing the WELS concerns over this issue. “It’s something I realize now I have to study. You’ve given me much to think about.”

President Schroeder, President Moldstad and President Harrison are to be commended, among other things, for their gracious demeanor. There was not even a hint of arrogance or an attitude of superiority among the three presidents. President Schroeder quoted Missouri Synod sources favorably (including Matt Harrison himself) over a dozen times in his essay, along with other WELS and ELS sources. Each president spoke of repentance in his own self and in his own synod as the first step toward fruitful discussion.

My Prediction

Here is my (very conditional) prediction, as well as my prayer. If the pastors and congregations of the WELS, ELS and LCMS will adopt the humility and doctrinal commitment of their respective presidents, then I have no doubt that the fellowship of the former Synodical Conference will be restored.

Why? Because the ruling authority of the Scriptures and the ruled authority of the Lutheran Confessions form the foundation of all three church bodies. The authority of the Scriptures was being attacked from within the LCMS 50 years ago, but by the grace of God, such is no longer the case. Church Growth theology has infected all three church bodies to some degree, but all three presidents have spoken out against this false theology, expressing trust in the Means of Grace rather than in human methodology. So there is no reason why church bodies that are committed to the Scriptures and the Confessions should not be able to work out their differences through fraternal dialogue, unless 1) contrition and repentance are lacking on either side, or 2) the external preservation of the institution supersedes the confession of the truth.

If contrition and repentance are lacking in either the WELS or the LCMS, then puffed-up egos on one side will always treat the other side with indifference, condescension or even contempt. If the primary goal of the institution is to preserve the status quo or keep from losing numbers, then truth will take a backseat to expediency, and what is expedient for one synod will likely be unacceptable or even detrimental to the next.

But if the leaders of the synods approach one another in a spirit of contrition and repentance, then egos will not get in the way of God’s clear Word and the Church’s historical interpretation of His Word. And if the primary goal is faithfulness to the truth of Christ rather than to preserving the status quo at all costs, then the Spirit of Truth Himself will fight for the unity of His Church. May God grant it!

Emmaus Conference 2012

• April 19 and 20
• Parkland Lutheran Church, Tacoma, WA
• Lecturer: The Rev. President Matthew Harrison
• Reactors: The Rev. President Mark Schroeder and the Rev. President John Moldstad

On the Road to Emmaus

At this moment, I’m on the road to the Emmaus Conference, which is being hosted by Parkland Lutheran Church (ELS) in Tacoma, Washington, today and tomorrow. Traveling with me (or rather, I with him) is AZ-CA district president Jon Buchholz. At least three other pastors from our district will also be attending the conference.

This “free conference” features the three synod presidents as its speakers: Pres. Mark Schroeder (WELS), Pres. John Molstad (ELS), and Pres. Matthew Harrison (LCMS). Pres. Schroeder has been given three hours on the agenda to present a lecture on the topic of “church fellowship.” I anticipate a very solid, confessional, evangelical essay from President Schroeder. The other two presidents will present their formal reactions to Pres. Schroeder’s lecture. I’m very much looking forward to the discussions that will be taking place over these two days, both formal and informal.

It should be noted that one of the “rules” governing this free conference is that all the presenters must hold a “quia” subscription to the Lutheran Confessions. That is, they must subscribe to the entire content of the Lutheran Book of Concord, not “insofar as” (Latin “quatenus”) but because (Latin “quia”) they accurately expound the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. This precludes the participation of all non-Lutherans (including representatives of the ELCA) in such a conference, and ensures a solid foundation and common ground upon which the essays and ensuing discussions can build.

According to Pres. Schroeder, this conference is

a good opportunity to try to explain and clarify the WELS doctrine and practice of church fellowship, to remove misunderstandings and caricatures that others may have about our beliefs, and to provide a public witness to our doctrine and practice of church fellowship…A free conference such as this should not be understood as formal "doctrinal discussions" between church bodies. It should not be seen as a step toward the re-establishment of fellowship between WELS and LCMS. Rather, it is an opportunity for us to present biblical truth and to identify areas where Lutherans agree and disagree.

I suppose there are some agreed-upon definitions somewhere as to what constitutes “formal doctrinal discussions,” and apparently this conference doesn’t qualify. But since the three synod presidents are the main (only) speakers on the agenda, and “doctrinal discussion” is the main agenda item, I think that to the average Joe, this conference could easily be construed as “formal doctrinal discussions.” Informal doctrinal discussions are already taking place all over the blogosphere, and between individual pastors and congregations around the country. Granted, none of the three speakers is coming with the authority of his synod to make decisions for the synod, but I see no reason to downplay the significant historical nature of this dialogue.

“To identify areas where Lutherans agree and disagree” is absolutely essential, and if this is accomplished, then I would consider it at least a possible first “step toward the re-establishment of fellowship between WELS and LCMS.” Obviously, if it is determined that true doctrinal differences still divide our synods, then these will have to be discussed at length and studied in the light of Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. This could take years. But it’s a formal discussion that is long overdue, in my opinion, and hasn’t been pursued with sufficient zeal by our three synods. Until now, perhaps?

I will write a follow-up report after the conference is over. Let us pray for Presidents Schroeder, Molstad and Harrison, and for our three synods in which the true Gospel of Christ is believed, taught and confessed.