Dr. Eberhard Speaks Out -
"Time For A New Synod?"

The Rev. Dr. David Eberhard will do an article periodically called "Dr. Eberhard Speaks Out". He will challenge us with his thoughts and experience as a leading churchman in America. While we may agree, or not agree, he will share with us what he has learned that works in the local parish. Over his forty years of experience in the ministry, he has always tended to be ahead of the current curve of church practices, and is always "pushing the envelope" to get us to expand our thinking.

History tells us that many reforms arose out of the Reformation. There were those who loved the Roman Catholic liturgy, its masses and its worship services. There were those who said anything that was "too catholic" had to go. They tore out stained glass windows and stripped the church of statues, artifacts, and altars. Over the next decades many "reformed" movements, denominations, and sects arose over doctrinal differences as well as differences in church practices and administration. Some groups maintained the hierarchy of the Bishop, while others wanted the authority to be administered by a convention body of the laity. As financial and economic times became more difficult in Europe, more taxes were extracted from the people by the state. Many taxes were collected for the maintenance of the church. The church became involved in the state's affairs and the state became entrenched in the operation of the church. The Reformation and Renaissance of the 1500's and early 1600's changed the face of the world. The 30 Year War in the mid 1600's took a heavy toll on the lives of the Europeans. In a very broad sense, two basic philosophies had developed by the 1700's. PIETISM emphasized chiefly practical Christian charity and the personal piety. That led to the OXFORD MOVEMENT, mainly in England. RATIONALISM condemned emotionalism and deism and dealt primarily with morality and self interest. It promoted social, scientific and literary interests which led to CONFESSIONAL MOVEMENT and flourished mainly in Germany, Holland, and Scandinavia.

Out of this emerged the United Evangelical State Church in Germany during the 1800's. More and more the Germans were finding their mother church torn apart by various difficulties and they began to flee Europe. Also, the failure of the Revolution of 1848 in the Germanies sent thousands to America seeking political asylum, economic opportunity, freedom from military conscription and religious freedom. The American land became a magnet for Europeans and the cry, "Go to America", was heard everywhere throughout Europe. The drawing power was freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. So they came from Europe to the U.S. As one pastor said, " There was no evangelism program then; the people just kept coming by the boatsfull. Each separate boat brought its own form of Lutheranism to these shores."

It seems that the Lutherans, more than any other groups, continued to fight over their various synods from the very beginning. They developed Synods based on their ethnic origin (Danish, Slovak, Polish, German, Swedish, etc.), the various theological concepts of the day, or the type of hierarchy they desired. What would have happened if all of the Lutherans had come over to America all in one boat, at one time? Who, then, could argue that they are the "True Lutheran Synod"?

Thus, the Lutheran Church in the United States has always been a church that is constantly redefining its structure. From the early days of the Ministeriums, the early Councils and Synods, the National, Ethic, and Geographic Synods. Over the years Synods have merged together, split into new Synods, over doctrinal differences as well as differences in church practices and administration. Today, there is great turmoil again in the Lutheran Synods. Some say the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) has become too "liberal" with some denying basic doctrines as the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of Jesus. Others split over Women Clergy, or merged Episcopal form of the Bishop. Some have broken off to form a new synod LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ). Others say the LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) has become too arch-conservative, with some on "witch hunt" after those in disagreement. Excommunicating church members with little reason. Firing professors and publishers, putting on "trial" leading church men. Some have outdone the Mormons who equate the Book of Mormon to Holy Scripture, by equating the Lutheran Confessions with Holy Scripture. There seems to be no reasonable position for agreement on either side. So one asks "Is it time for a new Synod?"