The LCMS is not the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”

This is the tenth post in a series looking at the reasons why some Lutheran pastors left the LCMS for Eastern Orthodoxy. The first seven posts focused on an article written by the Reverend Thomas L. Palke in 1999 entitled “MY JOURNEY TO THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH ESTABLISHED BY JESUS CHRIST: A Son of the Reformation Enters the “Mighty Fortress” of the Orthodox Church.”

This is the last of three posts examining the article "My Journey Home" by a former LCMS pastor named Ezekiel who converted to Orthodoxy a few years ago.

I remember the day when my pastor shared that the LMCS is not the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church” and is simply a “voluntary assembly of congregations”. He then argued why our local church was a part of the invisible “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”. The argument was basically that since we preach the Gospel and correctly administer the Sacraments, we are the Church.

I was then instructed that there is no need for Bishops because the Priest (pastor) is the same thing as a Bishop. When asked why we did not have any Deacons, he stated that the congregation has looked into that and we may get one someday.

I knew from my reading of history and the early church fathers that from a very early time there were Bishops, Priests and Deacons. My pastor shared that this is just one way to organize a church government, but there are other ways.

The question for me is did Jesus and the Apostles institute a specific form of church government or is my pastor correct? This will be the focus of future posts.

Ezekiel shares some of my same concerns and states:

"Lutherans are run by a congregational polity. This is to say that a local congregation has autonomy and can do pretty much as it pleases. Indeed, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod is a “voluntary assembly of congregations,” NOT the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. And as such a body, it really has no bishops. It even uses language that says that every pastor (priest) is a bishop – directly contradicting the teaching of the Fathers and the Church through the ages."

From reading "My Journey Home", here is a summary of Ezekiel's reasons for leaving the LCMS and converting to Eastern Orthodoxy:

1. Confessions given lip service
2. Confession and Absolution are not required
3. Abandonment of the historic Liturgy
4. Lack of focus on the visible Church
5. There should not be a Lutheran Church
6. Abandonment of the historic Office of the Holy Ministry
7. Pastors simply hired and fired by a ruling congregation
8. Lack of honor given to the Theotokos
9. No Bishops
10. The LCMS is not the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church