CLC Discussions from 2015 to 2019

Abstract

This article provides a detailed account of the doctrinal discussions between the Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC), the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) from 2015 to 2019. The talks, initiated by pastors in the Mankato, MN area, sought to reconcile long-standing differences on church fellowship. However, the discussions ultimately reached an impasse when the CLC introduced conditions that WELS and ELS found unacceptable. The article traces the historical context, key theological topics debated, and the eventual breakdown in negotiations. Despite early optimism, the talks mirrored a similar failed effort in 1990, leaving the three synods on separate paths. The article includes a reprinting of the 2015 Joint Statement Regarding the Termination of Fellowship.