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Lutheran Resolution on "Ordination in Unusual Circumstances"
At its 2001 Churchwide Assembly the ELCA by a two-thirds majority approved a by-law to its constitution that allows its bishops to delegate to other clergy their authority to ordain. The vote was 683 in favor and 330 opposed, a margin of only eight votes. The by-law says that:
"for pastoral reasons in unusual circumstances, a synodical bishop may provide for the ordination by another pastor of the ELCA of an approved candidate" but also says that "prior to authorization of such an ordination, the bishop of the synod of the candidate's first call shall consult with the presiding bishop as this church's chief ecumenical officer and shall seek the advice of the Synod Council."

The SCER issued an official response to the ELCA by-law at its October, 2001, meeting. The text of the resolution follows:

The Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations (SCER), meeting at the Lutheran Church Center in Chicago, Oct. 23-27, 2001, gave careful and prayerful consideration to developments in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America related to our relationship of full communion since the last meeting of SCER in January, 2001.

We noted particularly the action of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in passing a by-law allowing "ordination in unusual circumstances," whereby a pastor would be delegated by a bishop to preside at the ordination of a pastor to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Prior to this action, the ELCA consulted with the Episcopal Church. In these consultations, the Episcopal Church conveyed its concerns in forthright but collegial terms, as summarized by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in his letter to ELCA Presiding Bishop Anderson prior to the Churchwide Assembly and Presiding Bishop Griswold's statement following the passage of the by-law by the Churchwide Assembly.

Now that the by-law has been passed, we believe it is time for the SCER to offer our assessment of its significance.

First, we see the by-law in light of St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians (4:1-6): "I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all."

Second, we affirm that the Episcopal Church is deeply and irrevocably committed to the unity of Christ's Church as of central and fundamental importance to our faithful response to the call of God to us in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. We recognize that increasing unity often requires us, like all Christians, "in all things of human ordering or human choice" to be willing to "forego preferences of [our] own." (Chicago Quadrilateral, 1886) We affirm that the call to unity is also a call to ever greater openness to God and to each other, with patience and generosity of spirit expressed in word and deed, even--or perhaps particularly--when we find such generosity difficult.

Third, we see the by-law in the context of our developing full communion with the ELCA. We rejoice in the fact that CCM is being implemented in both churches through such events as the participation of our Presiding Bishop in the installation of Mark Hanson as Presiding Bishop; the participation of other bishops of the Episcopal Church in the installation of synodical bishops; the participation of bishops of the ELCA in the consecrations of bishops of the Episcopal Church; the many and varied shared ministries and common worship in so many locations across the U.S.; and the continuing expansion and deepening of conversation, consultation, and cooperation between our two churches in more and more areas of mission. We look forward to the continued participation of ELCA bishops in the consecrations of bishops in the Episcopal Church, and of Episcopal Church bishops in the installation of bishops in the ELCA; to the increase in the scope and number of shared mission and ministry programs; and to the involvement of the ELCA in the life of the Episcopal Church. Above all, we are grateful to God for the many opportunities that are now available to both churches for increasingly faithful life together according to the Gospel as we respond to our call to common mission.

The teaching of Scripture, the Episcopal Church's deep commitment to the unity for which Christ prayed, and the realities and possibilities of full communion constitute the context in which the ELCA's provisions for ordination in unusual circumstances must be assessed.

In light of this context, we conclude that, while any provision for exceptions to CCM is a matter of serious concern, the passage of the by-law addressing ordination in unusual circumstances need not impair or hinder our relationship of full communion with the ELCA. We offer this summary of the reasons supporting this conclusion:
  1. Both churches have always acknowledged that full communion is something that must be lived into, and we see the by-law as an expression of the commitment of the ELCA to do so. Such commitment entails the fostering and preserving of communion not only with the Episcopal Church, but also within the Lutheran Church. We are grateful for the ELCA's care in preserving and increasing unity within the ELCA as well as with the EC.
  2. The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, so important for our ecumenical relations, addresses the Historic Episcopate, not ordination of priests and deacons. At the Churchwide Assembly and in the actions noted above, the ELCA has reaffirmed its commitment to the historic episcopate.
  3. The actions of the Churchwide Assembly preserve and support the ministry of bishop as particularly concerned with the unity of the church, and as overseer of ordination, a key element of CCM. We see the actions of the Churchwide Assembly as expressing such adaptation, including in the provisions and procedures of the by-law.
    4.
  4. CCM para. 14 indicates that full communion for the Episcopal Church is realized through the shared ministry of bishops in the historic succession, a reality that will come into being over a period of time. The ELCA Churchwide Assembly affirmed the ELCA's movement into that reality.

We continue to be deeply concerned about how the by-law may be used. We have received strong and frequent assurances from the ELCA that the provisions in the by-law will effectively restrict to the rarest and most serious of circumstances exceptions to a bishop's participation in the laying-on-of-hands at the ordination of a member of the clergy (CCM para. 20). We also note that our own General Convention has stated officially that those ordained in unusual circumstances will not serve congregations in the Episcopal Church. While we wait to see how the by-law is used in practice, we are guided by St. Paul's exhortations to forbearance and Christian love, and by our Lord Jesus Christ's high priestly prayer that we all may be one, that the world may believe.