c. 1998 Religion New Service

UNDATED _ A special panel of Lutherans and Episcopalians, under the direction of renowned church historian Martin Marty, Thursday (April 9) released a new draft proposal for establishing full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church.

The new proposal seeks to overcome objections in the understanding of the office of bishop and the notion of the”historic episcopate”that resulted in last summer’s narrow defeat of the unity proposal, known as the Concordat of Agreement, by the ELCA’s Churchwide Assembly.

The rejection _ six votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority needed for agreement _ deeply embarrassed church leaders. Assembly delegates quickly moved to ask for a rewritten proposal that could win the support of ELCA church members.

At the heart of the new proposal is a clearer statement of what is meant by the”historic episcopate”and the office of bishop, which was the stumbling block to Lutheran agreement last summer.

A number of Lutherans objected to the proposal on the grounds it would make the ELCA”too Episcopalian”and that it might diminish the role of the laity in the church.

Historically, the Episcopal Church _ along with the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox churches and some Lutheran churches in Europe and other parts of the world _ have understood the office of bishop as part of the so-called”historic episcopate,”one element that makes a denomination part of the”apostolic succession”_ an unbroken continuity stretching back to the earliest days of Christianity.

The new proposal says both Lutherans and Episcopalians agree the doctrine of”apostolic succession”is an”ongoing faithful proclamation of (Jesus) Christ.” But instead of implying that the historic episcopate is essential to apostolic succession, the new proposal says it is”one”sign of such continuity.

In the rejected proposal, the ELCA agreed that its future bishops would become a part of this”historic episcopate”through the laying on of hands by Episcopal bishops during future rites of installation or consecration of bishops.

The new draft released Thursday reaffirms the Lutheran commitment to”receive the historic episcopate”but stresses that it is only”one sign of the unity and continuity of the whole church,”that it accepts”this sign of unity from other Lutheran churches along with the Episcopal Church,”and that it is not”essential”for the life of the church.”This new procedure will symbolize that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is not becoming `Episcopalian’ by receiving the historic episcopate , but rather is taking up a sign that is already shared by many churches, including Lutheran churches in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America,”the new draft says.

In addition, the new proposal no longer mandates participation by three Episcopal bishops at future installations and consecrations of Lutheran bishops as the old proposal did. Instead, it says Episcopal bishops will be”invited”to participate in the ordination of Lutheran bishops.

But at least one member of the writing team, the Rev. Todd Nichol of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., issued a minority report rejecting the new proposal.

He said the instructions given to Lutheran members of the writing team specifically said the new statement”must include an agreement on the historic episcopate”and that order precluded discussion among the Lutheran members of the team on”the matter most controversial and divisive among Lutherans.”Those Lutherans who hold that the right preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments are sufficient for the unity will object to conditions in practice asked of either church by the other,”he said.

Although three Episcopalians served on the writing team for the new proposal, it was unclear if the Lutheran reservations on the historic episcopate would be acceptable to the church’s General Convention, which will consider the revised Concordat in 2000.

The Rev. J. Robert Wright, a professor of history at General Theological Seminary in New York and an Episcopal member of the writing team, said he was happy with the new draft but added,”This is a Lutheran proposal. It is their’s, not ours.” But Wright said Episcopalians could vote for the revised draft”with as much confidence as with the earlier version.” Wright said the new proposal did not appear to be sufficiently changed to require the Episcopal Church to start its process of approval all over again, which would require approval at the next two General Conventions.”I feel it is better than the previous statement we had,”he said.

Marty said the full communion proposal _ which allows for complete altar and pulpit fellowship between the 5.2 million-member ELCA and the 2.5 million-member Episcopal Church _”has the potential for making world and church history.” Marty said Lutherans, however,”could not enter into this (full communion) if it meant that we had to start believing the historic episcopate is essential to the life of the church, that it belongs to the very being of the church.”This revision makes very clear that the Episcopal Church has no expectation that we do or will ever will consider it the essence of the church.” The new draft will circulate in the ELCA between now and October, when the special panel will consider changes proposed by ELCA synods _ or regional governing bodies _ and other church officials.

MJP END RNS