LCMS/EFCA ON LOYALDEFENDER.INFO
Some readers have sometimes have asked where I am at in
terms of theological standards and beliefs.
I’ve intentionally not been publicly specific about this, for a variety
of reasons. I’ve been a member and
attender of a variety of different Christian denomination affiliated churches
through my years, as has my wife. We are
a part of the universal Christian church through faith in Christ.
I will note, however, that in 2020 I did put on
loyaldefender.info a comparison of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the
Evangelical Free Church of America. A link
to that is below, along with the content of the link.
Loyal
Defender: The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Free Church of
America
I recently asked Dr. Martin Noland, a pastor, historian,
author and theologian, for his opinion on the similarities and differences
between the LCMS and the EFCA. Below is his response.
* * *
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) have some similarities, but are quite
different doctrinally.
SIMILARITIES:
- Both
churches came out of the conservative reaction to the liberalization of
European churches, universities, divinity schools, and mission agencies in
the 19th century. LCMS was a German conservative
response; EFCA was a Scandinavian conservative response (Swedish and
Danish-Norwegian).
- Both
churches were founded in the USA by emigrants from their respective
countries, and remained essentially an ethnic enclave until the 20th century.
- Both
churches remained in touch, in several ways, with their conservative
counterparts in the state churches of Europe, many of whom founded
independent, i.e., free church, synods or associations, in Europe.
- Both
churches were distrustful of church hierarchies, and laid great stress on
the autonomy of the local congregation.
- Both
churches were, at their founding, organized at the synodical level in
order to train pastors and train and support missionaries. Overseas
mission work became a defining focus of their work, energy, and budget.
- Both
churches were European-Protestant, which meant that they had little love
for the Roman Catholic church and were suspicious of its agencies, were
even more suspicious of Liberal Protestants and their agencies, and were
often ambivalent with regard to conservative American church-bodies and
fundamentalism—because they were, well, American. 😊
That attitude began to change in the later 20th century,
at least in the LCMS.
- Doctrinally,
it appears that they agree on the doctrines of:
- The
inspiration of Scripture
- The
Trinity
- Jesus’
deity
- Jesus’
incarnation by the virgin Mary
- The
vicarious atonement as the basis of justification
- The
bodily resurrection of Jesus
- The
exaltation of Jesus to the right hand of God after his ascension
- The
creation of man in God’s image and the loss of that image
- Man’s
need for rebirth through faith in the work of Christ, through which faith
they are born of the Holy Spirit (LCMS emphasizes baptism at this point)
and become God’s children.
- The
bodily resurrection of believers to everlasting life and bliss, and of
unbelievers to judgement and everlasting conscious punishment.
DIFFERENCES:
- LCMS
has a full-bodied and strict confessional subscription for all its
rostered church-workers and member congregations. EFCA has a 12
point doctrinal statement, and I don’t know how members of that church
confess it or subscribe to it, if they do.
- LCMS
subscribes to the 1580/1584 Book of Concord, which includes the three
ecumenical creeds, which confessions determine all of its binding
doctrines. EFCA has only the 12 point doctrinal statement, which
contains the points noted in #7a-j above, plus a few others, otherwise it
has an aversion to creedal commitments.
- LCMS
confesses that the work of the Holy Spirit is only through the means of
the Word and Sacraments. EFCA apparently does not confess that, but
does affirm the work of the Holy Spirit.
- LCMS
confesses that baptism is a means of grace by which faith and the Holy
Spirit are given. EFCA says that baptism is a necessary ordinance,
but is not a means of grace or of the Holy Spirit.
- LCMS
confesses that the Lord’s supper is a means of grace, by which our Lord’s
body and blood are received orally to all who eat the bread and drink the
wine, to the spiritual benefit of those who discern Christ’s body and
blood, and to the spiritual judgment of those who do not discern it.
EFCA says that the Lord’s supper is a necessary ordinance, but is not a
means of grace, nor is there any “real presence” of His body and blood but
it is only a memorial, thus following the Zwinglian view.
- LCMS
confesses with Article VIII of the Augsburg Confession that hypocrites and
unbelievers may be present in a local congregation or the church-at-large,
and that if this is discovered and confirmed, they should be removed from
membership. EFCA restricts membership in the local congregation to
only members of the true church, and I am not sure how that works out in
practice.
- LCMS
rejects both the Calvinist and Arminian doctrinal positions, confessing a
third position detailed in the Book of Concord. EFCA tolerates
doctrinal positions of both Calvinists and Arminians.
- LCMS
follows the positions on divorce and remarriage found in Luther’s writings
of 1522 (Luther’s Works 45:11-50) and 1530 (Luther’s Works 46:259-320) and
developed over the years in the German-Lutheran church orders and Pastoral
Theologies, although since the advent of no-fault divorce in the USA, most
congregations are reluctant to enforce those positions. EFCA takes
no official stand on divorce and remarriage.
- LCMS
has always permitted its members to drink alcoholic beverages of all types
and to use tobacco. Some EFCA congregations prohibit, and all
strongly discourage, the use of alcohol and tobacco.
- LCMS
has always rejected all forms of millennialism, on the basis of Augsburg
Confession Article XVII. EFCA has found millennialism, especially
dispensationalism, to be agreeable to its theology.
- LCMS
has not formed unions or formal associations with American conservative
Protestants, Fundamentalists, or Evangelicals, though our theologians and
synod presidents may participate in some of their conferences and
alliances for specific purposes, like opposition to abortion. EFCA
intentionally strives to bring together these sorts of conservative
Protestants.
- LCMS
listens to the history of Christian theology, specifically the orthodox
tradition of Lutheranism, starting with Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemitz,
going through the end of the 17th century, with a revival
of the same in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Our theologians learn German and/or Latin in order to have access to these
older theologians. We also listen to the orthodox tradition of the
early church, as late as Augustine, but read the medieval theologians much
more critically. EFCA seems to only have interest in its own roots
from the 19th century, but that could be just an
impression.
- LCMS
has trained its preachers and pastors to be especially mindful of the
distinction between the Law and Gospel, so that the Gospel always
predominates in preaching and pastoral care. I don’t know if that is
true in the EFCA, so cannot say on that point.
I think these are the major points of agreement and
disagreement. You can share this message with your friend or others.
Yours in Christ, Martin R. Noland
May 22, 2020
David Becker comments:
Among Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
pastor-scholar-author-theologians, John Warwick Montgomery and David Scaer have
written books referencing the Evangelical Free Church of America. In his
autobiography, Fighting the Good Fight (Fighting the Good Fight, 3rd and
Enlarged Edition- Wipf and Stock Publishers), Dr. Montgomery references the
fact that he was a professor at an EFCA seminary (at the same time he also
taught classes at an LCMS seminary—apparently, it was not an issue at either
end in the early 1970s). The Southern California law school that Montgomery
founded, then known as the Simon Greenleaf School of Law, is now Trinity Law
School and has been associated with the EFCA for many years now. Montgomery is
often favorable to the EFCA in his book, noting among other things that the
EFCA library had conservative AND liberal books in their library, while liberal
seminaries often had only liberal books in their library. Scaer is less
favorable to the EFCA and Montgomery by extension in his own autobiography,
Surviving the Storms (Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer - Kindle
edition by Scaer, David P.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @
Amazon.com.). Both men have been very outspoken and prominent and are still
living today (January 3, 2021).
Looking at Dr. Noland’s comments on the EFCA and the LCMS, I offer the
following remarks:
The similarities are basically correct, including the 7.h. observation about
baptism (EFCA could perhaps emphasize baptism more than it does)
The differences
1. I think EFCA is strict on the doctrines it does affirm. Deviations in
doctrine and practice may be dealt with at least as well as the LCMS does.
2. Basically accurate observation by Dr. Noland
3. EFCA affirms the Bible as authority – not sure that there is an issue there
4. The EFCA statement on Baptism and Lord’s Supper should be looked at
carefully. In my opinion, it could possibly be understood as compatible with
Lutheran view, though many would disagree. There is a discussion in the EFCA
published book, Evangelical Convictions (Evangelical Convictions - Kindle
edition by EFCA, Strand, Greg, Kynes, Bill, Hamel, William. Religion &
Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.)
5. Probably true that EFCA is sympathetic to Zwingli but EFCA statement perhaps
offers wiggle room
6. EFCA modified its view about hypocrites in the church. Basically EFCA wants
doctrinal/practice discipline in the church. I’m not sure that the EFCA and
LCMS differ on this issue
7. EFCA is neither Calvinist nor Arminian. Is this the same as LCMS? This issue
should be explored further.
8. EFCA doesn’t like divorce, not sure there is a real difference between EFCA
and LCMS on this. Issue should be explored further
9. Probably fair to say EFCA discourages, not sure it’s fair to say EFCA
prohibits alcohol and tobacco. Some in EFCA drink alcohol in moderation.
10. EFCA no longer formally upholds millennialism (EFCA Now Considers
Premillennialism a Non-Essential...... | News & Reporting | Christianity
Today). LCMS is out of date on recognizing this 2019 EFCA development – note
the discussion in this denominational listing: (Denominations - Frequently
Asked Questions - The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (lcms.org). LCMS is lazy
in not noticing the latest development on this.
11. Basically correct view on the ecumenical aspect of EFCA. LCMS attitudes
toward ecumenism are kind of incoherent
12. I would say it’s opposite of what Dr. Noland asserts here. LCMS (often
though by no means always) looks only to its own roots and traditions. EFCA has
a far more broad approach.
13. There can be good preaching in both LCMS and EFCA. These days, many sermons
are available online.
I would also add the difference that officially, LCMS upholds six day creation
and worldwide flood, while EFCA holds the line on Adam and Eve. This is not to
say that many in EFCA don’t unofficially hold to six day creation and young
earth. Also, there are some in LCMS who don’t. Practically speaking, there
might not be a huge difference between the two denominations, but the official
doctrinal statements are not the same.
