Bishop Bradosky Meets with Leaders of Augsburg Lutheran Churches

Bishop Bradosky suggested that "a more organic relationship than full communion is possible because the two bodies are of such close kinship theologically." 

Bishop John Bradosky of the North American Lutheran Church met with leaders of Augsburg Lutheran Churches to discuss closer cooperation between the two church bodies. The meeting took place Feb. 15 in Houston,Texas.

Augsburg Lutheran Churches (ALC) was represented by Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) John Rasmussen of El Paso, Texas, Executive Chair of Augsburg Lutheran Churches; the Rev. Timothy J. Swenson of Arnegard, N.D., Doctrine and Church Relations Chair; and the Rev. Lenae Rasmussen of El Paso, Texas, Communications and Outreach Committee Chair.

Building on their previous cooperation in securing Augsburg Lutheran Churches and Pastor Lenae Rasmussen as the endorsing agent for NALC military chaplains, she announced that Augsburg Lutheran Churches has been approved as an ecclesiastical endorsing body by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Bishop Bradosky was pleased to hear this news and invited Pastor Rasmussen to address the NALC Convocation in August as the NALC’s official endorsing agent.  The NALC will establish a liaison to work with Pastor Rasmussen to provide for the orderly flow of memoranda and certifications regarding military chaplains. 

Chaplain John Rasmussen and Bishop Bradosky invited one another to bring greetings from their church body to the other church body’s annual meeting.

Pastor Swenson and Chaplain Rasmussen proposed ongoing dialog between theologians of both church bodies — a conversation centering on the cross and its impact upon the various loci of church dogmatics.  Bishop Bradosky agreed and expressed interest in extending such a dialog to other Lutheran church bodies as well.

In terms of closer structural ties between the NALC and Augsburg Lutheran Churches, Bishop Bradosky suggested that a more organic relationship than full communion is possible because the two bodies are of such close kinship theologically.  Dual rostering of pastors and of congregations already exists.  Dual rostering is the situation when pastors and/or congregations are members of both church bodies. As the relationship matures, Bishop Bradosky suggested that it could lead to a more direct form of organic unity between Augsburg Lutheran Churches and the NALC.

Looking to the future and the annual conventions this summer, both the NALC and Augsburg Lutheran Churches will explore these opportunities further. Bishop Bradosky will greet, preach, and lead a break-out session at Augsburg Lutheran Churches’ convention in July at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in El Paso, Texas, where Dr. Robert Benne of Roanoke College will be the keynote speaker.  Chaplain Rasmussen will bring greetings from the ALC to the NALC Convocation Aug. 16-17 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley, Minn. He and Pastor Swenson will lead a break-out session on the Societas Crucis. 

Much good will and theological fellowship was shared between the representatives of these two church bodies working to bring about the reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism. Both the NALC and Augsburg Lutheran Churches are members of Lutheran CORE, an umbrella organization bringing together confessional Lutherans throughout North America.