In April 2021, the Nihon Ruteru Kyodan (NRK) — the Japan Lutheran Church (JLC) — held its convention online. During that meeting, the church body made two decisions contrary to Scripture: First, the JLC amended its bylaws to remove the word “male” from the section on requirements of called pastors; second, the JLC elected as its vice-president an “ordained deaconess” who now publicly describes herself as a “pastor,” is currently given this same title by the JLC, and regularly and openly carries out the distinctive functions of the pastoral office. These decisions have destroyed the scriptural basis for the longstanding relationship of altar and pulpit fellowship between The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the JLC.
LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison has written to the leadership of the JLC to explain the import of these decisions and to seek the JLC’s repentance and return to the true and clear teaching of Scripture on the Office of the Holy Ministry: “The LCMS has, throughout its history, consistently held and ‘declare[d] clearly and unequivocally … that the Scriptures teach that only men may hold the pastoral office’ (1998 Res. 3-25A). There is no room whatsoever for compromise on this issue. This is a matter of sacred truth and we have a conscience-bound commitment as a confessional orthodox Lutheran church body to confess this truth and to remain faithful to it.”
The JLC grew out of LCMS mission work in Japan beginning in 1948. It was organized as an autonomous church body in 1968 and became an LCMS partner church in 1971. During this time, the issue of women’s ordination has often been discussed, and the JLC has been influenced by the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America through their partnership in the JLC seminary.
“Like President Harrison, I am deeply saddened by the recent decisions and actions of the NRK, especially as one who has been personally involved in the formal discussions of this issue that have taken place over the course of many years,” said the Rev. Dr. Joel D. Lehenbauer, executive director of the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations. “My earnest hope and prayer is that the members and leaders of the NRK will be equally saddened by our necessary, forthright and fraternal efforts to speak the truth in love in this situation, that hearts and minds will be touched and changed by the truth of God’s Word through the Spirit’s power, and that the NRK would revisit and reverse this decision so that our former relationship might be restored.”
If the JLC persists in these decisions and does not repent, Harrison will suggest that the matter of fellowship be brought before the Synod in convention in 2023. In the meantime, the congregations and members of Synod are encouraged to search the Scriptures and to pray for the unity of the church, as the Spirit alone can effect (Eph. 4:3–6).
• Read Harrison’s letter to the JLC.
Posted July 29, 2021
Print page
Great. Now do that to the districts in the LCMS that are letting the deaconesses wear Pastoral vestments and preach.
Dear President Dr Matthew Harrison, I have just read your letter to President Yoshida of the JLC. You are correct to draw his attention to this problem in the Church at large. From the infomation gleaned from your letter, it must lay heavy on your heart that this cpould and has indeed happened. The effort that the LCMS has put into a mission of so long ago must also be hurting. It is also oblivuos that LWF has used some tactics not conduvice to being ‘sola scriptura’.
every blessing as you and the LCMS sort out this problem, yours in Christ, Neville
I appreciate President Harrison’s forthright action.
What an arrogant and condescending letter our LCMS President has sent to the President of the Japan Lutheran Church! Unbelievable! It clearly indicates that he has no understanding whatsoever of Japanese culture or the Japanese mindset. He sounds like an uncaring, overbearing school master lecturing a young child! It probably will do more to set back Christianity in Japan than anything else in the past 100 years. Because the JLC has voted to allow women pastors, he is now willing (and perhaps eager) to sever altar and pulpit fellowship with a church that we founded back in 1948 — as if this were the defining issue in Christianity in the year 2021. He seems to forget that it was WOMEN that first brought the message of our Savior’s rising from the dead on Easter Sunday to MEN (The Disciples). Many Christians and many Lutherans (including members of the LCMS) disagree with our Synod’s position on this issue. Yet Dr. Harrison seems to think that the LCMS has the final say on this matter — here on earth and perhaps in heaven. I truly feel sorry and saddened with people who have such a super- elevated view of their “theology.”
The issue of who first brought the message of the Risen Christ has no bearing on the issue at hand. It’s a red herring.
What else would you expect President Harrison to do when a church in fellowship with the LCMS undertakes a practice that is clearly opposed to Scripture? Look the other way?
The LCMS doesn’t have the final say on the issue of women in pastoral ministry. Sacred Scripture does. If I disagree with Scripture and if Scripture is indeed God’s own inspired Word, it is me who must change – unless, of course, I think I’m in a position to overrule God Himself!
The alternative is that I get to pick and choose the parts of Scripture to which I want to pay attention, ignoring the rest.
We’ve seen the result of that approach with the ELCA and how they have violated God’s clear and unequivocal Word by performing same sex “weddings” and ordaining openly practicing homosexual pastors. This is a direct result of purposefully ignoring the clear guidance of Scripture, so let’s be sure we don’t start down that same slippery slope.
If the congregations and members of Synod search the Scriptures, they will undoubtedly be surprised to find women holding positions of spiritual leadrship in both the Old Testament and the New (judges, prophets, teachers, evangelists) and no solid evidence for denying women ordination into pastoral ministry. And if they searched the Confessions, they will find that for true unity in the church all “it is enough to agree concerning the teaching of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments” (AC VII).
https://www.cph.org/p-19258-women-pastors-third-edition.aspx