In September 2001, top officials in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) were informed of the grand deception in Called to Common Mission (CCM), the ecumenical agreement between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church in the USA.

Due to the failure or refusal of ELCA officials to address the matter of grand deception in CCM, in March 2002 CCM Verax deemed it necessary to appeal to leaders of the member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) for assistance and support.

CCM Verax is grateful for the responses and support received thus far from LWF member church leaders. These responses listed alphabetically below by country are:

Hungary

Lutheran Church of Hungary - Presiding Bishop Dr. I. Szebik (View in German (Deutsche Fassung) or View in English)

CCM Verax Response and Clarification to Dr. I. Szebik (View in German (Deutsche Fassung) or View in English)

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India

Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church - President / Bishop Dr. T. Aruldoss (View in English)

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Philippines

Lutheran Church in the Philippines - Pastor Benjamin Lasegan, President (View in English)

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Russia (and Other States)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States (ELKRAS)

ELKRAS Archbishop Georg Kretschmar responded to the CCM Verax international request for assistance and support in a letter dated 25 March 2002. This response was received by CCM Verax on 8th July 2002. Due to several self-contradictory and unfounded statements in Archbishop Kretschmar’s letter, CCM Verax sought further clarification from Dr. Kretschmar in a letter dated 14 August 2002. A response to this request for clarification was never been received by CCM Verax.

ELKRAS Response Archbishop Dr. Georg Kretschmar (View in English)

CCM Verax Request for Clarification to Archbishop Dr. Georg Kretschmar (View in English)

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United States of America - Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Despite having been sent two copies of the CCM Verax research in Sepember 2001 and despite having received copy letters from LWF leaders as above, ELCA Presiding Bishop, Mark S. Hanson, has shown neither the courtesy nor the concern to respond to the matter of the grand deception in CCM.

Consequently, when the ELCA Presiding Bishop invited Pastor Mark D. Menacher, PhD (CCM Verax Administrator), among other people, to participate in an ELCA communication effectiveness survey, Dr. Menacher responded in the form of a open letter. The open letter discusses how the deception and hypocrisy wrought by CCM affect both the ELCA's life and its organs of communication. Guided by the following six headings, the discussion is frank and factual:

1. Replying to Written Communication
2. Duplicity and Doublespeak
3. Simple Use of Words and their Meanings
4. Institutional Hypocrisy
5. Editorial Inconsistency
6. Communication and Faith

To read the open letter in its entirety, click here.