Delegates to the General Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church–Synod of France and Belgium, meeting May 21-23 in Paris, adopted a resolution commending The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod for its “love and enthusiasm” for missions, particularly the ambitious Ablaze! initiative, and for its efforts to “tighten the bonds between our partner churches throughout the world.”
The wide-ranging resolution gives thanks to God “for the fraternal relations which bind” the European church body to the Missouri Synod, and thanks the Synod for:
- its commitment to mission work in the Paris Region.
- its assistance to the churches of the former Soviet bloc.
- its invitation to two European teens to visit a number of LCMS congregations during July, and to take part in the National Youth Gathering in Orlando, Fla.
Also in the resolution, the European church body says it is “ready to support, as [it] is able, the mission work of the LCMS in French-speaking countries of the Third World.”
Finally, the resolution asks God to bless the Missouri Synod, strengthening it “in the evangelical Lutheran faith and in internal harmony” so that the U.S. church body would remain “the great partner, a source of comfort, of encouragement and of counsel” to partner churches throughout the world.
“It is gratifying when our sister churches adopt such an expression of gratefulness for the partnership which we share with them,” said Dr. Samuel Nafzger, executive director of the Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations.
“We in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod are also thankful to God for the close relationship which we share with this church body and for the opportunity to work together with them in the sharing of the Good News of the Gospel.”
Posted June 28, 2004
