.
This paints the WELS as being seperatist, something that many have accused them of. It just seems to make more sense to me for the two main Confessional Lutheran church bodies to dialogue together. What did Jesus say, "If your brother repents, forgive him." How forgiving is the WELS willing to be? From what you have written here, not very.
I guess from certian perspective, it could be. However...
The WELS is part of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference.
The WELS is actually a merger of the Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Nebraska Lutheran Churchs
WELS and ELS are in fellowship
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Being that I don't want to infringe on copyright ... I would encourage you to read "Theses on church fellowship" ........
wels.net/about-wels/doctrinal-statements/church-fellowship
In part you would read that:
in 1872
- A confessionally sound federation of Lutheran synods was founded, the member synods were fully agreed on the fellowship principles that had brought them together. All held that complete confessional unity is the necessary scriptural basis for all practice of church fellowship, that is, for pulpit, altar, and prayer fellowship.
in 1930
- LCMS held meetings with the American Lutheran Church, a merger of Lutheran synods not in doctrinal agreement and not in fellowship with the 1872 Synodical Conference... these meetings included joint prayer among all participants.
in 1944
- Objections to this fellowship practice were answered by a Missouri Synod resolution
In 1960
- the LCMS submitted their "Theology of Fellowship" to the Joint Union Committees in response to the 2 year Joint meetings (57-59)
- Those meeting produces the result that LCMS were not ready to acknowledge:
"the scriptural correctness of the basic point of our Wisconsin Synod presentation . . . that all joint expressions and demonstrations of a common Christian faithcall them church fellowship or by any other termare essentially one, that they involve a unit concept, and that they are therefore all [also prayer] governed by one set of principles"
(Proceedings, 1959, p. 165).
in 1961
- The doctrine of church fellowship became the primary divisive issue that resulted Wisconsin Synod resolution suspending fellowship with the Missouri Synod.
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DaRev,
Has there been any revisiting to the "Theology of Fellowship" that would indicate to WELS that the convictions of fellowship has changed in LCMS, enough to warrant expectations of any serious changes?
He's talking about you and me! It seems the Revrand thinks that I should have been a loyal parisioner and stayed with the Congregation in Redding. It seems I should have put up with the Ablaze programme and lousy imitations of reformed/Pentecostal music performances during services. I should, I guess, have put up with empty, weak, feel-good sermons that had nothing at all to do with Lutheran doctrine and theology. Not to mention "Creative Worship".
What good would it have done to complain to the district office when they encourage this kind of thing? Look what a clown our District President has proved to be? So, my leaving and complaining about how the Synod has gone to Hell in a handbasket is, I suppose, not cool. Give... me... a... break!
I suppose it would have been better to drive to Eureka, or possibly Ferndale (a hundred-fifty miles) or maybe to Chico (around a hundred miles ONE WAY) instead? 
