Episcopalians, Lutherans Begin Second Dialogue
Episcopal News Service. February 11, 1976 [76053]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The second series of Episcopal-Lutheran dialogues began in Alexandria, Va., as representatives of the Episcopal Church and three Lutheran denominations tried to determine what is distinctive about each of the two communions.
Meeting Jan. 29-31 under the general topic "What Is The Gospel?" the dialogue participants explained to one another what "must be" for a congregation to consider itself Episcopalian or Lutheran.
Opinions varied, but Episcopalians stressed the presence of a validly ordained priest, under the supervision of a bishop of the church, the use of the authorized prayer book for worship and fellowship with the worldwide Anglican communion. The Apostles' and Nicene Creeds are the norm of faith. Confirmation instruction also includes teaching on the Ten Commandments, prayer, the Church and sacraments, and the threefold ministry.
The Lutherans mentioned such features as a "Lutheran" type of proclamatory preaching, use of Luther's catechism in Christian education, regular celebration of the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, an emphasis on the gospel as the "grace of God, for the forgiveness of sins" and reliance upon the scriptures and the Lutheran confessional statements as "norms" for faith and life.
The meeting marked the beginning of the second round of Episcopal-Lutheran talks. An earlier series of discussions ended in 1972 as the dialogue participants made recommendations to the sponsoring church bodies. While the reports were officially received by the denominations, little official action was taken on the recommendations, other than to authorize another series of talks.
The group adopted a statement of purpose which said that they want to "help the churches develop and improve their relationship through mutual recognition of faith, ministry and sacrament."
At the same time the dialogue participants said they wanted to "draw attention" to the report from the first round of talks and urged that the sponsoring churches give a "formal response" to the earlier report.
Three major proposals called for recognition of agreement on the fundamentals of church life and doctrine, agreement that the two communions have maintained the essential apostolicity of the church and agreement on sharing the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Subject to the consent of appropriate local authorities, the theologians urged "commendation of communicants of each communion to the Eucharistic celebrations and gatherings around the Word of the other, including intercommunion between parishes or congregations which, by reason of proximity, joint community concerns and/or activities have developed such a degree of understanding and trust as would make intercommunion an appropriate response to the gospel."
In some quarters, the second round participants said in their statement, the report of the first discussions were interpreted as "intending the merger of the several churches."
"Both those discussions and the present ones ask only closer fellowship," they asserted.
The statement also stressed that the further work of the Episcopal-Lutheran committee "can best be carried out when our several churches have given us more clear-cut directives. . . in terms of theology and/or parish life. "
Noting that the participants in the dialogue desire "to glorify God as we help our churches improve and develop relations, looking toward mutual recognition of faith, ministry and sacraments," they said that "we perceive two distinct agendas for this committee," namely:
a) A further penetration of theological problems of concern to our churches, and b) Encouraging and devising means of implementation for parish life.
"We seek to find a common language for saying what the gospel is," the statement added. "We trust that we find in our separate fellowships a genuine proclamation of the gospel that accords with an agreement on what the gospel is."
The dialogue team also heard a preliminary report from the Anglican-Lutheran Joint Working Group, an international ecumenical dialogue sponsored by the Anglican Consultative Council and the Lutheran World Federation.
Lutherans and Episcopalians in North America should also carefully study the results of the international dialogues, said the group meeting on the Virginia Theological Seminary campus.
Episcopalians and Lutherans in North America vary in their cultural and ethnic backgrounds, the dialogue participants noted. Most of today's Lutherans descend from the waves of 19th century immigration, primarily from Germany and Scandinavia. Anglican roots in the American experience are deeper and Episcopalians descend primarily from English ancestry.
The participants also noted that until the 20th century, language differences and the variety of Lutheran churches in Europe and Scandinavia led to different types of Lutheran denominations in the United States.
Bishop Robert L. Wietelmann of the Michigan District, American Lutheran Church, and Bishop William Weinhauer of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina are co-chairmen for the discussions.
Other participants appointed by the Episcopal Church are: Dr. John H. Rodgers Jr. of the seminary in Alexandria; Dr. Reginald H. Fuller, also from the Alexandria seminary; Dr. Ogden Hoffman Jr., Sacramento, Calif.; Dr. Louis Weil of Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah, Wis.; Dr. Howard Rhys, School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn.; Dr. William Masterson of the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga; and Dr. Peter Day, ecumenical officer for the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.
Lutheran participants, in addition to Bishop Wietelmann, are: Professor Paul G. Sonnack of Luther Seminary, St. Paul; Dr. Richard L. Trost of Zion Lutheran Church, Iowa City, all from the American Lutheran Church.
Dr. Robert J. Goeser of Pacific Lutheran Seminary, Berkeley; Dr. Robert W. Jenson of the Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg, Pa.; Dr. Krister Stendahl of the Divinity School at Harvard University, all from the Lutheran Church in America.
Dr. Harry A. Huth of Concordia Seminary, Springfield, Ill., who was absent from the first series; Dr. H. Armin Moellering of Grace Lutheran Church, Palisades Park, N.J.; Dr. Norman E. Nagel of Valparaiso (Ind.) University, all from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.