The Deconfessionalization of Lutheranism

Via Hermann Sasse, “The Deconfessionalization of Lutheranism? Remarks on the present situation of the Lutheran Churches.”

Finally, honored brothers, allow me to raise a question directed to us all. Who actually represents the Lutheran Churches of the world today? Who is it who speaks and acts in the name of the churches? Who ever it may be, there are two entities in our time which certainly do not do so. It is not the Christian congregation [Gemeinde]. And it is not the Pastoral Office. Neither will be represented in Hanover. Naturally the parishes of the Hanover area will flock to the capital and take part by the thousands in the mass events. But they will be represented as little as the many pastors who will come to Hanover for the decisive sessions of the World Federation. Indeed, that would be logistically completely impossible, even if it were the desire of all participants for the pastorate and church membership to take part as much as possible. And here we come up against an important phenomenon of more recent church history, which must be much more carefully noted than has been the case. The development of modern super-churches [Massenkirchen] and the application of technical means for bringing together, influencing and leading men, in regard to the church, has directly and strongly displaced two significant factors, which together, according to Lutheran doctrine, fulfill the proper life of the church: the congregatio sanctorum. These are the congregation [Gemeinde], and the ministerium ecclesiasticum, the Pastoral Office [Pfarramt]. Both no longer take part in the great ecclesiastical decisions of our time, at least in Europe. Any knowledge the congregations have obtained of the EKiD and the VELKD is from the ecclesiastical press. Most of the congregational members have no idea what these are. They were not asked. Neither were the pastors asked whether they approved of these decisions. And they were crucial decisions rendered regarding their Office and its obligations. They must be satisfied that everything has taken place in a lawful manner. The territorial synods [Landessynode] prepared a corresponding resolution. In Bavaria, this synod, if I am not mistaken, consists of some 70 to 80 elected members. These individuals represent well over a million church members. There is no court of appeal against this ecclesia repraesentativa. Perhaps there is no other possible way to govern such an enormous apparatus. But then one should not be amazed when the general priesthood of believers dies. Nor are the pastors questioned [regarding what takes place]. They are instructed, schooled, and if necessary, warned and punished. But a small group of men render decisions for the consciences of thousands of bearers of the Office. Is it an accident that in the more recent history of the church the Pastoral Office in no way plays the roll which was self-evident in previous centuries? There are still pastors in Europe: in Scotland, in Holland, in France, in Switzerland. These are men who are still responsible for ecclesiastical decisions, who still represent their churches. In Sweden, in Denmark and now also in Germany, the church is represented by Bishops and the other “church leaders.” The individual pastor is nothing. He can obtain something only as part of a large group such as the pastoral conference [Pfarrerverrein]. When the bishop has won his pastoral conference for something, then everything is in order. But the pastoral conference has made no ordination vow, thus it can not break it. And the bishop? We were so proud in Germany when we again had bishops. An entire theology of the office of bishop has been developed. The enchantment with the title of bishop is so great that even the Lutheran Churches of America are playing with the idea of granting it to their presidents occupying chief offices. It has thus far broken down over the episcopal office as an essentially life long office. But one must be clear that the essence of the bishop’s office encompasses the episcopal functions of ordination and visitation with his legitimate pastoral office. Even to the time of Augustine “bishop” was the title of the local pastor. The characteristic of the modern territorial bishop in Germany and, on a certain level, the office of a president of one of the churches in America which consist of many synods, is however, this: he exercises neither official pastoral nor episcopal functions or only does so in exceptional cases. In Bavaria the circuit deacons [Kreisdekane], and in Hanover the territorial superintendents are the real bishops. They ordain and visit. The bishop sweeps over the entire church and its affairs [Kirchentum] as “church leader.” This was perhaps a necessary development. At any rate, such an organism must be governed. The real tragedy, however, is that this [development intended] as a support for the Spiritual Office, has actually served to bring about the broader secularization of the church.

One must have this tragic development before one’s eyes in order to grasp what the duty of the Lutheran Pastor is. We must, honored brothers, seek to save the Office of the Lutheran Pastor which threatens to go under in modern ecclesial secularism, so far as this is humanly possible. The highest virtue of the pastor today appears to be silence, even in once so democratic America. The modern type of the Lutheran Pastor began in Germany in the First World War, when so many theologians became reserve officers. In America it began and in the Second World War, when so many pastors became chaplains in the military. Here they learned, along with the virtues of being an officer, also the virtue of silent obedience. But every virtue has its down side, and the down side of mute obedience can be that the pastor becomes a mute dog, that he become silent even where it is of his office, mandated by the Lord Christ, to speak. It appears that much of the difficulty, which has come upon the Lutheran Church, has its origin in this false silence. Let us in this fateful year of the Lutheran Church, in view of the threatening de-confessionalization of Lutheranism, fearlessly say what must be said also to the great and powerful in the church. We do not know for how long we will be able to continue to do so.