History and information on ELCA episcopal polity

[tampasteve]

Can anyone fill me in on the history of the ELCA episcopal polity and how it was set up? I understand it was part of the agreement at communion with the Episcopal Church, but how did it come to be as it is? Why is it that though we have Bishops, we do not have cathedrals?

 

[Albion]

do the bishops of the ELCA have dioceses? If not, the idea of a cathedral would not be indicated. Certainly not necessary.

 

[tampasteve]

They do, but we call them Synod's..but in effect it's the same as a diocese. I understand it's not necessary, but I find it curious.

 

[Albion]

I don't belong to the ELCA, obviously, but I suspect that there was enough resistance to the deal with The Episcopal Church as it was, that it was thought not a good idea to push the matter unnecessarily by patterning the ELCAs structure too closely after the denominations that always have had bishops in Apostolic Succession. Using the good ol Lutheran word Synod instead of diocese, which you mentioned, might be an indicator of that thinking.

 

[tampasteve]

@FireDragon76 @Tigger45
Do either of you have any information, you both seem to have a good handle on the history of the Lutheran church in the USA.

 

[FireDragon76]

I'm not an expert in that area. I suspect our structures are influenced heavily by German Lutheranism.

Tigger is in NALC (?), which has a highly congregationalist structure, I believe, similar to the LCMS.

Albion is correct, fellowship with TEC did not require copying all their structures. And actually, the Anglican communion doesn't require that, either- all it requires is the episcopate, locally adapted.

 

[Arcangl86]

The ELCA had bishops since before Called to Common Mission. One of the predecessor bodies, I believe the LCA, had bishops. It's also worth pointing out that the role of bishops in the ELCA is very different then other episcopal churches.

 

[tampasteve]

Interesting, thank you everyone!

 

[David Cote]

Two of the ELCA's predecessor bodies called their synod leaders bishops, the LCA and the AELC, the ALC call them 'presidents.' In the merger, it was agreed to carry forward the term 'bishop' as it was already in use by both the LCA and the AELC. I believe that neither the Episcopal (i.e., Anglican) communions nor the Lutheran communion use the office of bishop as a teaching office, rather it is an administrative office. But I could be wrong ;-)

 

[tampasteve]

It does seem that the ECLA uses our Bishops as administrators rather than teachers, TEC seems to be more of a blend with their bishops taking a more active role in teaching and preaching. Perhaps this is a natural role to take when they have a church they are also a pastor of? Since ELCA bishops do not have an actual church they are more administering the synod?

 

[actionsub]

It does seem that the ECLA uses our Bishops as administrators rather than teachers, TEC seems to be more of a blend with their bishops taking a more active role in teaching and preaching. Perhaps this is a natural role to take when they have a church they are also a pastor of? Since ELCA bishops do not have an actual church they are more administering the synod?

It could be. Bishops in the UMC (I was UMC before moving over to an ELCA church) are much more administrative than pastoral. It seems to be up to the individual bishop how active they are in preaching and teaching. The bishop over the southern 2/3 of Illinois will occasionally make pastoral statements on issues facing the church, but that's about it.

 

[tampasteve]

It could be. Bishops in the UMC (I was UMC before moving over to an ELCA church) are much more administrative than pastoral. It seems to be up to the individual bishop how active they are in preaching and teaching. The bishop over the southern 2/3 of Illinois will occasionally make pastoral statements on issues facing the church, but that's about it.

Our ELCA bishop visits a church nearly every weekend, he is all over the synod. He makes the occasional statement, but the role is definitely more administrative it seems. Overall he is seen well it seems, the people I have spoken to that have met him like him and like working with him.

 

[actionsub]

Our ELCA bishop visits a church nearly every weekend, he is all over the synod. He makes the occasional statement, but the role is definitely more administrative it seems. Overall he is seen well it seems, the people I have spoken to that have met him like him and like working with him.

Good to know. My comment was about the UMC bishops I'd encountered. I'm a fairly new Lutheran, so I haven't had the pleasure of meeting our synod bishop yet.

 

[tampasteve]

Interestingly, the Bishop from our synod attended our church this past weekend. However, it was not an "official" visit, he participated as a regular member and not in the liturgy.

 

[actionsub]

Interestingly, the Bishop from our synod attended our church this past weekend. However, it was not an "official" visit, he participated as a regular member and not in the liturgy.

I'll get to know ours after the first of the year. He's teaching a course on New Testament Survey that I'm taking since our pastor is wanting me to go for Synodically Authorized Ministry status.

 

[KagomeShuko]

Bishops in the UMC (I was UMC before moving over to an ELCA church) are much more administrative than pastoral. .

Interesting that you moved from UMC to ELCA! I'm still ELCA, but being I can't trust the local ELCA pastor and congregation, I decided to do an affiliate/associate (whatever they call it) membership with one of the UMCs in the city. (That's like how some ELCA congregations give a "friend of" option) meaning that I am not a voting member, but I do have local pastoral care.

I am interested in a job with their college ministry (the ELCA doesn't have one - nor does the LCMS). Because of that, I am trying to learn more about the UMC.

 

[actionsub]

Interesting that you moved from UMC to ELCA! I'm still ELCA, but being I can't trust the local ELCA pastor and congregation, I decided to do an affiliate/associate (whatever they call it) membership with one of the UMCs in the city. (That's like how some ELCA congregations give a "friend of" option) meaning that I am not a voting member, but I do have local pastoral care.

I am interested in a job with their college ministry (the ELCA doesn't have one - nor does the LCMS). Because of that, I am trying to learn more about the UMC.

I am the reverse of you. I still have some functions at the UMC where my membership is, so I maintain in practice an associate membership while at the same time being a member of a little ELCA church that I'm trying to assist with a homeless ministry.

That said, this might not be the best time to learn about the UMC since anything you learn might literally be upended in May at General Conference. The UMC is facing a schism, with both sides agreeing at this point only to file "divorce papers", linked below:

https://cdnsc.umc.org/-/media/umc-m...f-Reconciliation-and-Grace-through-Separation

 

[The Liturgist]

I had always assumed the bishops in the ELCA were there because of the episcopal polity of the Scandinavian Lutheran churches and the heavily Scandinavian character of the ELCA (in particular, Swedish, especially after the absorption of the Augustana Synod) compared to the more Germanic LCMS and WELS. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod however was predominantly Norwegian, and lacks bishops. There is a small Lutheran church called ELDONA, the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America, which also has a bishop, one of those interesting smaller Lutheran churches like the Protest-ant Lutherans who separated from WELS around 1900.