Missiouri Synod - beliefs and practices

[KagomeShuko]

Being a member of an ELCA church, I don't know much about the MS beliefs and practices. I just know that as Lutherans, we follow Luther's Small Catechism. I know the ELCA didn't exist until 1988.

I like the ELCA for it's open communion and welcoming all. I don't like to get into the church politics and I felt it was a great step forward for all Lutherans when AAL and Lutheran Brotherhood joined together to form Thrivent.

I have a friend I invited to church - he and his daughter - but his mother was visiting and he had to endure her yelling at him the whole time he chatted with me online because she was convinced Lutherans were so bad.

I know that tons of the things she said were ridiculous for any Lutheran Synod!

However, I've been reading on some of the MS policies and practices now.

I've met quite a few MS Lutherans here who are very nice people and accept me the way I am and am just happy that I like my ELCA church as I am happy that they like their MS church.

I was just wondering about some of the things in the church.

It's said that the MS believes the seat of the papacy to be the antichrist. Is this truly taught to MS Lutherans, or is it more just in the documents?

Why doesn't the MS have women's suffrage?

I also know they practice close or closed communion - but it now seems that lots of MS Lutherans say that they really practice "don't ask, don't tell" more than anything. Any more information on this would be helpful. I'm just trying to understand the difference between the synods. I'm more interested in Christian unity, but for that, I first have to understand the differences.

I think that's all, unless there are any other huge differences between the MS and ELCA.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[Bradford]

MS does have women's sufferage- that's the Wisconsin Synod...

[KagomeShuko]

MS does have women's sufferage- that's the Wisconsin Synod...
oh, okay, so the information I got is wrong in that aspect. I haven't been to an MS site yet and like hearing from the members, anyway. It can be easier to understand that just reading a website (even though this is a web forum - it's a bit different from trying to decipher information just presented online).

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[ByzantineDixie]

There is another difference and for me it is the reason for all the other differences...the alpha problem in my mind. The ELCA uses the historical critical method (HCM) of Scriptural interpretation. The LCMS limits interpretation to the historical grammatical. I am terrible at explaining what the HCM is...perhaps someone else can do this for Bridget.

Quite honestly, this is the one single reason I could not consider being ELCA...for me it is just that important. Here are a few links which discuss the issue but there LCMS biased. ;)

A Comparative Study of Varying Contemporary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation (http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/CTCR/compinterp.pdf) [1973]

A Lutheran Stance Toward Contemporary Biblical Studies (http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/CTCR/biblical_studies.pdf) [1966]

Peace

Rose

[filosofer]

Hi, Bridget!


It's said that the MS believes the seat of the papacy to be the antichrist. Is this truly taught to MS Lutherans, or is it more just in the documents?
It is a doctrine within the Lutheran Confessions. Mostly it depends on the individual pastor as to whether or how it is taught.

Why doesn't the MS have women's suffrage?

The LCMS voted in convention in 1969 sayin gthat it was not contrary to have women's suffrage. However, it was left to individual congregations to determine what was appropriate. Some congregations do not, others do. When I served a dual parish, one congregation had women's suffrage, the other congregation did not.

I also know they practice close or closed communion - but it now seems that lots of MS Lutherans say that they really practice "don't ask, don't tell" more than anything. Any more information on this would be helpful. I'm just trying to understand the difference between the synods. I'm more interested in Christian unity, but for that, I first have to understand the differences.

The official policy is to practice closed/close communion, but with the provision that the pastor exercise pastoral discretion in ministering to people. Some pastors have taken that as liberty to essentially offer open communion, which is contrary to the intent of Scripture, the Confessions, and historic Lutheran practice. However, the essence of closed/close communion is that Lutherans have always viewed participation in the Lord's Supper as a public statement of agreement and unity on doctrine (not just doctrine of the Lord's Supper). The ELCA comes from a long line of church bodies that have desired more broadly defined communion practice (General Synod, General Council, ULC, LCA, etc.). Even at that, the pattern for communion among them was "Lutheran altars for Lutherans". In other words, even in the "union" Lutheran church bodies, there was a recognition that doctrinal differences between Lutherans and other confessions (RC, EO, Pres., Meth., Bapt., Epis., etc.) prevented union at the altar. It is only a very recent convention for Lutherans to desire communion to be "open" in the sense in which ELCA has advocated.

I think that's all, unless there are any other huge differences between the MS and ELCA.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

The major differences are:

1. Bible (LCMS => the Word of God; ELCA => contains the Word of God)

2. Confessional subscriptions (LCMS => quia "because it agrees with Scripture"; ELCA => Quatenus "in so far as it agrees with Scripture")

3. (most) Lodges (LCMS => avoid because the faith is inconsistent; ELCA => no stance)

4. Pastors: (LCMS => pastoral office is men only; ELCA => open to male or female)

5. Agreement and Doctrinal Unity: (LCMS => doctrinal agreement preceeds unity; ELCA => unity preceeds doctrinal agreement)

6. Polity: (LCMS => Congregational authority and ultimate autonomy, with Synod as advisory; ELCA => heirarchical with minimal congregational autonomy)