Lutheran Churches of the Reformation

Lutheran Churches of the Reformation, "LCR", is an association of Lutheran congregations. The "LCR" has its roots among groups of Lutherans that broke with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in the middle of the 20th century, and was formally incorporated in 1964.

Core Beliefs

The Lutheran Churches of the Reformation teaches that the Bible is the only authoritative and error-free source for doctrine. It subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions (the Book of Concord) not in-so-far-as but because it is an accurate presentation of what Scripture teaches. It teaches that Jesus is the center of Scripture and the only way to eternal salvation, and that the Holy Spirit uses the gospel alone in Word and Sacraments (Baptism and Holy Communion) to bring people to faith in Jesus as Savior and keep them in that faith, strengthening them in their daily life of sanctification.

Doctrine

The doctrine of the Lutheran Churches of the Reformation is summarized in Franz August Otto Pieper's [http://www.lcrusa.org/brief_statement.htm Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod] and Wallace H. McLaughlin's [http://www.orthodoxlutheran.org/pdf/We%20All%20Believe%20In%20One%20True%20God.pdf We All Believe in One True God: A Summary of Biblical Doctrine] .

Operations

The Lutheran Churches of the Reformation publishes "One Accord", a monthly devotional and news magazine, and "The Faithful Word", a quarterly theological journal. [http://www.lcrusa.org/publications.htm]

The [http://www.lcrusa.org/seminary.htm Martin Luther Institute of Sacred Studies] , or "M.L.I.S.S.", in Decatur, Indiana is the seminary and teacher's college of the "LCR".

The "LCR" is governed through annual conventions where delegates of the congregations vote. Doctrinal resolutions must be unanimous, or those in the minority will be suspended from the "LCR". The day-to-day business of the "LCR" is run by the Council, whose members are elected to three year terms [http://www.lcrusa.org/synopsis.htm] , commissions, and committees. [http://www.lcrusa.org/commissions.htm]

For missions, the "LCR" has a missionary-at-large to serve those who have moved away from their congregations and other like-minded Lutherans. Abroad, the "LCR" supports congregations in Nigeria and Kenya and has trained pastors for the "Lutheran Churches of the Reformation in Nigeria". [http://www.lcrusa.org/synopsis.htm]

The LCR has also held seminars to train pastors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Relation to other Lutheran groups

The congregations in the "LCR" and the Concordia Lutheran Conference were organized as the "Orthodox Lutheran Conference", or "OLC", in 1951. [http://www.concordialutheranconf.com/clc/content/pekhistory.cfm] The "OLC" split in 1956 after Prof. Paul E. Kretzmann, suspended church-fellowship with some congregations after they charged him with teaching error in class. These congregations formed the Concordia Lutheran Conference [http://www.concordialutheranconf.com/clc/content/ourdeclaration.cfm] , while the others, along with Kretzmann, joined with more conservatives leaving the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod to organize as the "LCR". [http://www.wlsessays.net/authors/F/FredrichLittle/FredrichLittle.PDF]

The "LCR" discussed church-fellowship with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in the 1960s, but declared that the differences regarding the doctrine of Church and Ministry were divisive of church-fellowship in July 1970. [http://www.wlsessays.net/authors/F/FredrichRecent/FredrichRecent.PDF]

The "Fellowship of Lutheran Congregations", [http://web.archive.org/web/20020309152052/http://www.concido.com/flc/] "FLC" is a group of congregations that left the "LCR" in 1979 after a dispute concerning the proper procedure of [http://www.lutherantheology.com/excommunication.html excommunication] . The congregations of the "FLC" joined the Concordia Lutheran Conference circa 2004.

For a time in the 1990s, the "LCR" was in official church-fellowship with the "Illinois Lutheran Conference", or "ILC". The "ILC" was organized in 1979 after three congregations left in protest when a pastor was suspended from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod because of claims he made regarding the King James Version of the Bible. [http://www.illinoislutheranconference.org/a-brief-history-of-the-ilc.lwp/odyframe.htm] There was controversy between the "ILC" and the "LCR" regarding the "appearance of evil" ( [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%205:22&version=9 1 Thessalonians 5:22] ) and the doctrine of Church and Ministry. The "LCR" severed the fellowship because of differences discovered during the controversy over the "appearance of evil".

In February 2006, five congregations and four pastors suspended church-fellowship with the rest of the "LCR" when, in the wake of a disagreement regarding the doctrine of the ministry, an "LCR" congregation was dissolved through legal action by certain members, most of whom were female, who disagreed with their pastor. This led to accusations of female suffrage by one side and legalism by the other. The "LCR" was never asked by both sides of the congregation to adjudicate the division. The congregations that suspended fellowship in February of 2006 later withdrew their membership from the "Lutheran Churches of the Reformation" in April 2006 after a special convention called to address the controversy refused to discuss the matter of female suffrage and the aforementioned dissolution. A position paper titled "The Ministry and Auxiliary Office with Respect to Legalism" [http://lutherantheology.com/uploads/works/auxoffices/LCRAuxiliaryOffices.htm] , which was presented at that conference in an attempt to resolve the controversy, has since been adopted unanimously by the remaining congregations of the "LCR". Another "LCR" position paper titled "Liberty or Death" [http://www.orthodoxlutheran.org/pdf/Liberty%20or%20Death.pdf] written to draw attention to different kinds of legalism was subsequently adopted in July 2007. Those congregations that withdrew membership with the "LCR" have declared church-fellowship with each other [http://olcc.us/declaration.shtml] and have since organized the Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference or "OLCC" [http://olcc.us/] . A sixth congregation, in Hudson, MI, later withdrew from the "LCR" over the same issues, and remains independent.

Distinctive Characteristics

The "LCR" believes that the local congregation is the only divinely ordained church organization, and does not refer to synods or denominations as churches. This separates the group from some other conservative Lutherans such as the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. [http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1518&cuItem_itemID=7895&cuTopic_topicID=14]

The congregations of the "LCR" use the "King James Version of the Bible" for corporate worship, the 1943 "Blue" edition of Luther's Small Catechism in confirmation instruction, and The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941. [http://www.lcrusa.org/synopsis.htm] The "LCR" is does not hold to the King James Only position, as members choose a variety of translations for personal use.

In 1990, the "LCR" passed a resolution titled "Procreation" stating that birth control, in all forms, is sin, although they "allow for"..."exceptional cases (casuistry)", for example, when the woman's life or health is at risk.

Congregations of the "LCR" follow [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%202:12&version=9 1 Timothy 2:12] in practicing male-only suffrage in congregational voter's assemblies.

External links

* [http://www.lcrusa.org Lutheran Churches of the Reformation]
* [http://www.wlsessays.net/Authors/F/FredrichRecent/FredrichRecent.pdf Interchurch Relations in Recent Years by Edward C. Fredrich]
* [http://www.wlsessays.net/Authors/F/FredrichLittle/FredrichLittle.pdf A Little Lecture on Little Little-Known Lutheran Synods by Edward C. Fredrich]
* [http://www.wlsessays.net/authors/L/LangeDoctrinal/LangeDoctrinal.PDF The Doctrinal Differences Between the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Church of the Lutheran Confession, The Concordia Lutheran Conference, and the Lutheran Churches of the Reformation. by Lyle W. Lange]
* [http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1518&cuTopic_topicID=14&cuItem_itemID=7895 WELS Q&A on differences between WELS and LCR]