Called to Common Mission (CCM)

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Called to Common Mission(CCM)

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Who is a Christian?

• Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation

What is the Church?
A building a worship service a congregation of
people (the visible Church) the communion of all
saints across all time and space (the invisible
Church, i.e., the one catholic and apostolic
Church) the body of Christ
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Okay. If it is so easy to define who is a
Christian and what is a church, why are there so
many different Christian churches?

• Reasons both good and bad
• Historical
• Geographical
• Theological
• Practical

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What is ecumenism?

• Ecumenism The goal of bringing all Christians
  together in a unified house of God.
• John 17.20-21 Jesus prayed that those who
  believe in him may all be one.

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Why is ecumenism important?

• To aspire to follow Jesus promise
• To serve as a witness to non-Christians
• To be better able to serve and extend our mission

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What levels of relationship do we have with other
Christian denominations?

• Hostility
• Indifference or peaceful coexistence
• Cooperation
• Pulpit and altar fellowship
• Full communion

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What do we mean by ecumenical agreement?

• Agreeing not to condemn each other
• Agreeing to cooperate in ways that do not require
  agreement in theology
• Agreeing in a minimal set of essential beliefs
  while permitting inconsequential points of
  diversity
• Acknowledging faithfulness in each other to
  permit pulpit and altar fellowship
• Affirming pulpit and altar fellowship and seeking
  to share in each others heritage
• Merging and becoming one

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Important questions to consider

• What are our ecumenical goals?
• For the sake of ecumenism, on what things are we
  willing to compromise? That is, what things are
  negotiable or are not significantly important
  (adiaphora)?
• What things are crucial and non-negotiable?

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What, then, is characteristic of or essential
about being an ELCA church?

• Emphasis on being saved by grace through faith
• Understanding of Law and Gospel
• Affirming concept of original sin
• Understanding and practice of the Sacraments
  Baptism and Holy Communion
• Priesthood of all believers
• Faith alone, Grace alone, Scripture alone

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Are these elements of Lutheranism essential in
the sense that

• Nothing should be added to them that is regarded
  as necessary?
• Anything can be added to them that does not
  compromise them?

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The ELCA and the ECUSA

• In dialogue since 1969
• The Concordat proposal for full communion
  presented at the 1997 national assembly was
  defeated by 6 votes (of about 1000 voting
  members 2/3 majority needed)
• The CCM (Called to Common Mission) was a second
  draft intended to address concerns regarding the
  Concordat
• CCM passed by 27 votes (of about 1000 2/3
  needed) at the 1999 national assembly

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What is it in the CCM that is generating concern
and controversy?
For more information, check the documents
at www.elca.org/ea www.wordalone.org
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To bring them into full communion the churches
will (a) agree in the doctrine of the faith and
ministry, (b) recognize each others existing
ordained ministries as specified, (c) share an
episcopal succession that is evangelical and
historic and (d) mutually plan, consult and
interact for witness and mission. (from
www.elca.org/ea/cleo/norgren1.html, an Outline of
CCM provided by the Ecumenical Office of the
Episcopal Church)
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What is the/anHistoric Episcopate (HE)?

• An historic episcopate is the orderly
  transmission of the office of bishop or overseer
  (episkope)
• Has its roots in the time of the early church
  where it was a way of safeguarding the
  faithfulness and unity of the Church
• Involves the laying on of hands by three bishops
  who themselves have been ordained in this
  succession
• Most Christians in the world today live in
  churches which have preserved a historic
  episcopate

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Is the HE a problem?What are its implications?

• Is the historic episcopate contrary to Luther's
  teachings and to the Lutheran Confessions?

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Anti CCM
Pro CCM

• YES
• Luther wrote, In the church, the succession of
  bishops does not make a bishop, but the Lord
  alone is our bishop. (WA 5374)
• Article 7 of the Augsburg Confession states, ...
  For the true unity of the church it is enough
  (satis est) to agree concerning the teaching of
  the Gospel and the administration of the
  sacraments.

• NO
• Fifteen million Lutherans throughout the world
  live in churches with bishops in an evangelical
  and historic succession.
• The Apology to the Augsburg Confession (Article
  14) states that it was the deep desire of the
  Reformers to preserve a reformed but episcopal
  polity.

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Is the HE a problem?What are its implications?

• Does CCM make episcopal succession essential
  either to the church, to church unity, or to a
  true ministry of Word and Sacrament?

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Anti CCM
Pro CCM

• NO
• In CCM both the ELCA and the ECUSA agree that
  episcopal succession is not essential to the
  church as church.
• The Episcopal Church will declare its acceptance
  of all present ELCA ministries, i.e. ordinations
  done outside the historic succession.
• The ELCA will continue to witness to its
  acceptance of non-episcopal ministries through
  its communion with the Reformed Churches.

• YES
• Lutherans have believed Christ as we know him
  through the Word and Sacraments is all we need
  to constitute the church.
• CCM requires that from now on we must accept the
  historic episcopate.

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Confused? Here is the actual language of
Paragraph 13 of CCM While our two churches will
come to share in the historic institution of the
episcopate in the church each remains free to
explore its particular interpretations of the
ministry of bishops in evangelical and historic
succession. The Episcopal Church is free to
maintain that sharing in the historic catholic
episcopate, while not necessary for salvation or
for recognition of another church as a church, is
nonetheless necessary when Anglicans enter the
relationship of full communion The Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America is free to maintain
that this same episcopate, although pastorally
desirable is nonetheless not necessary for the
relationship of full communion.
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Is the HE a problem?What are its implications?

• Does CCM deny a Lutheran understanding of the
  priesthood of all believers or the priesthood of
  the baptized?

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Anti CCM
Pro CCM

• YES
• The role of the laity will be diminished over
  against the threefold order of ordained ministry
  prescribed by the ECUSA bishop, priest, deacon.
  (This threefold ministry was rejected by the ELCA
  in its 1993 national assembly.)
• Regardless of its implement-ation, the sense of
  our churchs structure is being modified.
• There is an important difference between
  affirming the ministry of all people (as CCM
  does) and the priesthood of all believers.

• NO
• The Lutheran churches which already stand in the
  historic episcopal succession, such as the Church
  of Finland or the Lutheran Church in El Salvador,
  also affirm the priesthood of the baptized.
• CCM explicitly affirms the ministry of the whole
  people of God (Par. 6).

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Is the HE a problem?What are its implications?

• Will CCM give more power to bishops?
• Does CCM state that the ELCA will have
  bishops-for-life?

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Anti CCM
Pro CCM

• NO
• The constitutional powers of the bishops are in
  no way increased by CCM.
• CCM explicitly states that ELCA bishops will
  continue to have limited terms of service (par.
  18). The earlier Concordat's reference to a life
  service of bishops has been eliminated.

• YES
• In practice, this document leads us into a much
  more hierarchical structure where bishops, who
  are fully interchangeable with Episcopalian
  ones, will have a different status than before
  and a higher status in relation to pastors.

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Is the HE a problem?What are its implications?

• Will CCM truly enhance our mission and ecumenical
  goals?

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Anti CCM
Pro CCM

• NO
• CCM forces us into a rigid, hierarchical
  structure that is not suited to todays mission
  needs.
• CCM does not enhance Church unity because this
  historical episcopate is not recognized by either
  the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Churches.
• CCM makes it more difficult to be in ecumenical
  dialogue with other Protestant and evangelical
  denominations which do not recognize the HE.
• Mission should not be depen-dent on acceptance of
  the HE.

• YES
• CCM witnesses to our unity in Christ.
• CCM opens up possibilities of sharing ministries
  that will further the outreach of both church
  bodies.
• Sharing new mission starts and developing common
  mission plans with full communion partners are a
  cost-effective use of mission resources.

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Make it simple.

• For the sake of ecumenism or of Lutheranism, is
  the issue of the historic episcopate something to
  celebrate or about which to be concerned?
• What difference will it have on our church at
  both a national and local level?

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If you are in favor of CCM, you should consider

• Cant there be some other way to have an
  ecumenical, mission-oriented relationship with
  the Episcopal church without insisting on the
  adoption of the historical episcopate?
• Even though we are not asked to adopt the
  historic episcopate as essential doctrine,
  doesnt our adoption of it in practice
  essentially change the ELCA?

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If you are opposed to CCM, you should consider

• Clearly define what you dont like about CCM. Are
  you unhappy about what will happen or what might
  happen?
• Is the problem with the historical episcopate
  simply that we dont want anyone telling us what
  we have to do?
• Do you have a problem with the concept of the
  historical episcopate, or is the problem that the
  adoption of the historical episcopate is required?

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What has happened since Denver?

• WordAlone Network Resist HE by providing support
  to pastors and bishops who oppose HE, action
  through synod resolutions, etc.
• Milwaukee Common Ground Resolution
  Interpretation of regularly to provide
  flexibility delay implementation until after CWA
  2001 provide for either non-HE bishops as full
  bishops or non-HE synod
• Eastern ND Synod Resolution (3.24.00) allow for
  local implementation or refusal of HE

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What has happened since Denver?

• Conference of Bishops Pastoral Letter affirms
  CCM but encourages exploration of unusual
  circumstances
• ELCA Church Council Response (4.7-9.00) affirmed
  1.1.01 as implementation date received Conf. of
  Bishops letter no response to Common Ground
  EaND resolution ruled contrary
• ECUSA actions Affirm CCM without Bishops
  commentary after implementation, any ELCA
  ordination without HE not interchangeable

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What options do we have?

• We should enthusiastically support the decision
  our ELCA has made, because CCM is a wonderful
  agreement that will enhance our mission and unity
  in Christ.
• ENTHUSIASTIC ACCEPTANCE

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What options do we have?

• There is nothing wrong with the CCM, and it is
  one with which we can live and have faithful
  ministry.
• CONSTRUCTIVE ACCEPTANCE

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What options do we have?

• CCM will not really make a difference, so it
  doesnt really matter.
• INDIFFERENCE

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What options do we have?

• Adopting CCM was not my preference, and it is now
  important that we make sure that it is
  implemented in a manner faithful to our Lutheran
  heritage.
• CAUTIOUS COOPERATION

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What options do we have?

• Adopting CCM was a terrible mistake that
  compromises our Lutheran heritage. We will,
  however, remain with the ELCA and do all we can
  to resist CCMs implementation until the
  requirement of the historical episcopate is
  removed.
• ACTIVE RESISTANCE

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What options do we have?

• Adopting CCM was a tragedy that destroys our
  Lutheran heritage.
• We are leaving the ELCA.
• RESIGNATION FROM ELCA

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Where do you stand?

• Enthusiastic Acceptance
• Constructive Acceptance
• Cautious Cooperation
• Indifference
• Active Resistance
• Resignation from ELCA

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What options do we as a congregation or as
individuals have?

• Support ELCA
• Voice concern, keep Church in prayers
• Work through official channels (e.g.,
  congregational or synod resolutions)
• Modify our support of the ELCA
• Pledge resistance to CCM (e.g., support
  WordAlone)
• Withdraw from ELCA