Remember how three ELCA bishops were present at the Feb 13th ordination/consecration of the new Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota but did not lay-on-hands[1] (see here and here)? — despite CCM ¶ 12:
“… [B]oth churches … promise to include regularly one or more bishops of the other church to participate in the laying-on-of-hands at the ordinations/installations of their own bishops….”[2]
The exclusion of ELCA bishops in the laying-on-of-hands at the Minnesota consecration wasn’t a fluke. It has happened again on May 15, 2010. ELCA Bishops Dean Nelson (SW California Synod) and Murray Finck (Pacifica Synod) were present at the ordination/consecration of Episcopal bishops Mary Glasspool and Diane Bruce at Long Beach Arena, Los Angeles, but Nelson and Finck did not participate in the laying-on-of-hands.
Remember what CCM ¶ 12 gives with one hand, CCM ¶ 14 takes away with the other:
“For the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America … full communion … will be realized at this time. For The Episcopal Church, full communion, although begun at the same time, will not be fully realized until both churches determine that in the context of a common life and mission there is a shared ministry of bishops in the historic episcopate.”
In Episcopal eyes ELCA bishops aren’t kosher. Sacramental ordination of all ELCA bishops trumps even the gay issue.
The Episcopal Church will not declare full communion is “fully realized” until all ELCA bishops have been hooked up to the Episcopal pipeline. Until then, it’s Lutherans: Hands off!
In contrast, at the ordination/consecration (falsely-named “installation”) of new ELCA bishops, an Episcopal bishop, without exception, joins in the actual laying-on-of-hands and invoking the Holy Spirit – as required by the change made to the ELCA Constitution in 1999.[3]
Who can pretend that nothing has really changed for the ELCA by agreeing to unity with the Episcopal Church on its terms!
CCM is a one-way street.
[1] The three ELCA bishops were Peter Rogness (St. Paul Area), Harold Usgaard (Southeastern Minnesota), and Larry Wohlrabe (Northwestern Minnesota).
[2]More of CCM ¶ 12: “As a result of their agreement in faith and in testimony of their full communion with one another, both churches now make the following commitment to share an Episcopal succession that is both evangelical and historic. They promise to include regularly one or more bishops of the other church to participate in the laying-on-of-hands at the ordinations/installations of their own bishops as a sign, though not a guarantee, of the unity and apostolic continuity of the whole church.”
[3]ELCA Constitution ¶10.81.01.