What About Fellowship?

“Chrysostom says that the priest stands daily at the altar, inviting some to the Communion and keeping back others.” (AC XXIV:36)

There seems to be a great deal of confusion these days about “Church Fellowship” and “Church membership.” Many laymen will describe themselves as “members” of the LC—MS, etc. Actually, according to the polity of the LC—MS (as one example), a layman is a member of a congregation, not the corporate ‘synodical’ body; in turn, the congregation (as a congregation) is a member of synod. But the “synodical membership” mentality has corrupted the understanding of many people, leading to confusion as to what “fellowship” is. This confusion is connected to the tragically mistaken idea that somehow membership in a “church body” gives legitimacy to the local congregation. (This confusion becomes truly farcical when an individual imagines that being issued a box of offering envelopes and a subscription to the synodical magazine as the evidence—the visible marks—that he is a member of the church!)

The ELDoNA understands that Christians are members of what are often called ‘local congregations.’ “The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments rightly administered.” (AC VII:1) The teaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments is entrusted by the Holy Trinity to the men who have been called by Him to the office of the holy ministry (AC XIV). Where saints are gathered around the pure Word and rightly administered Sacraments, there is the Church.

Our Lutheran fathers favorably cited the words of Chrysostom cited above as an example of fellowship ‘in action’: it is the pastor (“priest”) standing at the altar, inviting some to the Sacrament, keeping back others. Within the ELDoNA, the pastors of our diocese acknowledge one another as orthodox Lutheran pastors, and therefore if a parishioner is admitted at one altar of our fellowship, he is to be welcome at all. The members of each church served by our pastors are welcome at every church served by one of our pastors.

If a congregation desires to be in fellowship with those who are served by the pastors of the ELDoNA, then they should either (a) ask their pastor to make application to our diocese, so that his doctrine and practice can be examined, and he be admitted to our diocese, or (b) if they are presently “vacant,” they should call a pastor who is currently a member of the diocese.
What about Fellowship?
Friday, March 23, 2007