As someone who has visited our website and signed up for our e-mail updates, you already know who we are, what we are doing, and how we are doing it . . . and I hope you also know that in spite of the conventional wisdom that there is simply no way this could ever have happened in our lifetime that we have had one fraternal (very cordial) meeting with three representatives of the COP to the discuss our work, our documents, our motives, etc., – and we are very hopeful there will be more meetings like this in the near future to plumb the depths of these subjects.

When we first sent out our Fraternal Admonition we were told by a great many in the Confessional movement that our efforts to advance this agenda would be marginalized and ignored by the leadership of the Missouri Synod, that we were taking upon ourselves a task not given to us by God (though we most heartily disagree with that misguided assessment), that we would be hurting and hindering President Matt Harrison\'s chances of doing his job effectively, that our timing couldn\'t have been worse, and many more things to numerous to mention (I won\'t even try to recount the vitriol that\'s come against us from the likes of Jesus First and others who have written against us). Also, at the very same time, we were being told that most of those in the Confessional movement, agreed with us – namely, that the issues we have been raising are the very issues that have been and are dividing our beloved Missouri Synod.

I would like to encourage those of you who agree with us (and I\'m not assuming that all who are receiving this are in agreement with what we are doing), most especially that the issues we have been raising must be addressed and resolved under God\'s Word and the Confessions if we are ever to experience healing in our Synod, that you will endeavor to bring these issues to your congregations and Circuits so they can be discussed, and finally brought to a Godly resolution . . . and I also pray most fervently that you will consider joining our cause officially by either signing on to our Fraternal Admonition yourself, or by encouraging your congregation to join the ACELC.

 

Yours In Christ\'s Service For The Sake Of The Church,
The ACELC Steering Committee