Sudanese Anglicans consider becoming Lutheran

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Confessional Lutheranism continues to serve as the “safe haven” for Protestants disaffected by their increasingly-Liberal ecclesial homes.
Sudanese Anglicans to become Lutheran?
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The Anglican Church of South Sudan, a church body of some 1 million members that broke from the Episcopal Church of Sudan over global Anglicanism’s liberal theology, discovered Luther’s Small Catechism and is now considering becoming Lutheran. In December, a delegation visited the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, which is looking into providing theological education.
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Read more: patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2016/01/sudanese-anglicans-to-become-lutheran/
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steido01 said:
Confessional Lutheranism continues to serve as the “safe haven” for Protestants disaffected by their increasingly-Liberal ecclesial homes.
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Hmm. The African churches are usually very conservative, I wonder what would make the South Sudan Church “liberal” in their minds? Or are they just upset with the global liberalism in the anglican communion?

Edit: Just read where they were upset about the *global *liberalism, disregard the above. 👍
 
Aslan10 said:
Hmm. The African churches are usually very conservative, I wonder what would make the South Sudan Church “liberal” in their minds? Or are they just upset with the global liberalism in the anglican communion?

Edit: Just read where they were upset about the *global *liberalism, disregard the above. 👍
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It’s definitely an interesting move to completely jump from Anglicanism. But then I guess I can kind of understand it if their big concern is even being associated with Anglicanism at all given their conservative stance and the Anglican Communion having both liberal and conservative arms (at least for now). Lutheranism has been split for a long time into separate groups of churches that are related only in being categorized as “Lutheran” but which have different social and theological makeups. That said, globally Anglicanism has many non-AC churches which old more conservative values, just as Lutheranism does. I wonder what prompted them to align Lutheran rather than with one of the more conservative elements within Anglicanism. Especially if their big concern was simply global “liberalism” within Anglicanism. They’d do well to remember that Lutheranism also has it’s own liberal branches that’s are as liberal as Anglicanism’s liberal branches.

That said, whatever their reasons, I wish them well. Particularly given their location in a region right on the dividing line between the “muslim world” and “christian world”.
 
Padres1969 said:
It’s definitely an interesting move to completely jump from Anglicanism. But then I guess I can kind of understand it if their big concern is even being associated with Anglicanism at all given their conservative stance and the Anglican Communion having both liberal and conservative arms (at least for now).
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It’s interesting, but not unreasonable. Both Lutheranism and Anglicanism have catholic bodies sharing similar beliefs. In the US, Confessional Lutherans and Continuing Anglicans have had fruitful ecumenical discussions, even releasing joint statements on social issues. The ecumenism is natural when doctrine is so close to begin with.
Padres1969 said:
Lutheranism has been split for a long time into separate groups of churches that are related only in being categorized as “Lutheran” but which have different social and theological makeups. That said, globally Anglicanism has many non-AC churches which old more conservative values, just as Lutheranism does.
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Yep.
Padres1969 said:
I wonder what prompted them to align Lutheran rather than with one of the more conservative elements within Anglicanism. Especially if their big concern was simply global “liberalism” within Anglicanism.
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That’s the million-dollar question.
Padres1969 said:
They’d do well to remember that Lutheranism also has it’s own liberal branches that’s are as liberal as Anglicanism’s liberal branches.
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Why would this matter? They’re not reaching out to the liberals, they’re reaching out to the Confessional LCMS.
Padres1969 said:
That said, whatever their reasons, I wish them well. Particularly given their location in a region right on the dividing line between the “muslim world” and “christian world”.
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Amen. May they be a witness to Christ in the Muslim darkness.
 
I think they would be better served in communion with the LCMS than Anglicanism as it currently stands. What if anything would they disagree with the LCMS on and would the LCMS tolerate the confessions of the Sudanese Anglican church or simply expect them to agree with the confessions of the Lutheran Church?

LCMS are pretty hardcore on those confessions and writings of Luther being key to being Lutheran. Would I be wrong to imagine communion mostly impossible without that?
 
IgnatianPhilo said:
I think they would be better served in communion with the LCMS than Anglicanism as it currently stands. What if anything would they disagree with the LCMS on and would the LCMS tolerate the confessions of the Sudanese Anglican church or simply expect them to agree with the confessions of the Lutheran Church?

LCMS are pretty hardcore on those confessions and writings of Luther being key to being Lutheran. Would I be wrong to imagine communion mostly impossible without that?
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It is odd that they did not turn to the Traditional Anglican Communion. It is well established in Africa, and is basically a Communion of the same sort of Churches as the Sudanese.

Likely a complicated story there, somewhere.
 
7_Sorrows said:
Exactly. The Holy Spirit should be calling them home. But they don’t recognize the call. 🤷
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Perhaps part of the reason is Luther’s Small Catechism:

Luther’s Preface to the Small Catechism:
Hence, choose whatever form you please, and adhere to it forever. But when you preach in the presence of learned and intelligent men, you may exhibit your skill, and may present these parts in as varied and intricate ways and give them as masterly turns as you are able. But with the young people stick to one fixed, permanent form and manner, and teach them, first of all, these parts, namely, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, etc., according to the text, word for word, so that they, too, can repeat it in the same manner after you and commit it to memory.
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But those who are unwilling to learn it should be told that they deny Christ and are no Christians, neither should they be admitted to the Sacrament, accepted as sponsors at baptism, nor exercise any part of Christian liberty, but should simply be turned back to the Pope and his officials, yea, to the devil himself. Moreover, their parents and employers should refuse them food and drink, and [they would also do well if they were to] notify them that the prince will drive such rude people from the country, etc.
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and
Lastly, since the tyranny of the Pope has been abolished, people are no longer willing to go to the Sacrament and despise it [as something useless and unnecessary].
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and of course
Hence, you must not make any law in this matter, as the Pope does. Only set forth clearly the benefit and harm, the need and use, the danger and the blessing, connected with this Sacrament, and the people will come of themselves without your compulsion. But if they do not come, let them go and tell them that such belong to the devil as do not regard nor feel their great need and the gracious help of God. But if you do not urge this, or make a law or a bane of it, it is your fault if they despise the Sacrament. How could they be otherwise than slothful if you sleep and are silent? Therefore look to it, ye pastors and preachers. Our office is now become a different thing from what it was under the Pope; it is now become serious and salutary.
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Padres1969 said:
It’s definitely an interesting move to completely jump from Anglicanism. But then I guess I can kind of understand it if their big concern is even being associated with Anglicanism at all given their conservative stance and the Anglican Communion having both liberal and conservative arms (at least for now). Lutheranism has been split for a long time into separate groups of churches that are related only in being categorized as “Lutheran” but which have different social and theological makeups. That said, globally Anglicanism has many non-AC churches which old more conservative values, just as Lutheranism does. I wonder what prompted them to align Lutheran rather than with one of the more conservative elements within Anglicanism. Especially if their big concern was simply global “liberalism” within Anglicanism. They’d do well to remember that Lutheranism also has it’s own liberal branches that’s are as liberal as Anglicanism’s liberal branches.

That said, whatever their reasons, I wish them well. Particularly given their location in a region right on the dividing line between the “muslim world” and “christian world”.
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Can’t disagree with anything you said there. The African Churches have a very difficult task ahead them.
 
Starwarsfan2 said:
Or perhaps because The Holy Spirit recognizes that the Church is not just visible , but invisible as well
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Surely He does. However, that is not any reason to leave Anglicanism and join Lutheranism. On the contrary, that reason would mean they should remain where they are invisibly united to Lutheranism.
 
A couple observation I made as I’ve been reading the materials. One is that

The Anglican Church of South Sudan (originally, the “Anglican Church of Sudan”) was established in 2004 in separation from the Episcopal Church of Sudan over the issue of accepted homosexuality in the clergy and church hierarchy.

But in view of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_the_Episcopal_Church_of_South_Sudan_and_Sudan#Anglican_realignment , especially

The House of Bishops decided to formally recognize and to forge a closer relationship with ACNA, following their meeting, held in 25–28 November 2015. At the same time, it was decided to end any formal ties with the Episcopal Church, due to their resolutions that redefined marriage and are not in conformity with the Scriptures, in their view. The House of Bishops also recommended that their Provincial Synod severed any relationship with other province of diocese that approves the blessing of same-sex unions, like the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil. They also encouraged all the South Sudanese and Sudanese “diaspora congregations” in the United States to join, wherever possible, ACNA.

one has to wonder if there’s also an effort going on to reconcile the Anglican Church of South Sudan to the Episcopal Church of Sudan (now called the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan)?
 
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