Communion practice
I was born, raised, baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church, LCMS. We have been attending a WELS church in our area and did receive Communion, but the elders then said we cannot receive Communion unless we were members of that particular congregation. We like this church but are now confused and are not sure about becoming members. What is the WELS stance on Communion for other Lutherans?
Elsewhere on this website, in a statement of our faith titled This We Believe, you can read: “5. We believe that God directs believers to acknowledge oneness in faith with Christians whose confession of faith submits to all the teachings of Scripture (John 8:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:21,22). We believe, furthermore, that individuals through their membership in a church body commit themselves to the doctrine and practice of that church. To assert that unity exists where there is no agreement in confession is to presume to look into people’s hearts. Only God can look into people’s hearts. It is not necessary that all Christians agree on matters of church ritual or organization. About these the New Testament gives no commands (Romans 14:17).
“6. We believe that those whose confession of faith reveals that they are united in the doctrines of Scripture will express their fellowship in Christ as occasion permits (Ephesians 4:3). They may express their fellowship by joint worship, by joint proclamation of the gospel, by joining in Holy Communion, by joint prayer, and by joint church work. God directs believers not to practice religious fellowship with those whose confession and actions reveal that they teach, tolerate, support, or defend error (2 John 10,11). When error appears in the church, Christians will try to preserve their fellowship by patiently admonishing the offenders, in the hope that they will turn from their error (2 Timothy 2:25,26; Titus 3:10). But the Lord commands believers not to practice church fellowship with people who persist in teaching or adhering to beliefs that are false (Romans 16:17,18).”
Following scriptural guidelines, our normal practice is to commune only members of our congregations and individuals who belong to congregations in fellowship with WELS.
On paper, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has a communion practice that parallels that of WELS: “ In keeping with the principle that the celebration and reception of the Lord’s Supper is a confession of the unity of faith, while at the same time recognizing that there will be instances when sensitive pastoral care needs to be exercised, the Synod has established an official practice requiring ‘that pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, except in situations of emergency and in special cases of pastoral care, commune individuals of only those synods which are now in fellowship with us.’ By following this practice whereby only those individuals who are members of the Synod or of a church body with which the Synod is in altar and pulpit fellowship are ordinarily communed, pastors and congregations preserve the integrity of their witness to the Gospel of Christ as it is revealed in the Scriptures and confessed in the Lutheran confessional writings.” (“Theology and Practice of the Lord’s Supper.” A Report of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. )
It would be good for you to have a conversation with the pastor of the congregation you have been attending. He is in a position to explain these matters in more detail.