An explanation of Closed Communion practice in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

 President Stuckwisch has a video/podcast explaining why Close Communion is the practice of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. President Stuckwisch strongly encourages congregations in the Indiana District to continue with this practice. 

Here is his article in Earthen Vessels:

On Pastoral Care, Church Fellowship, and the Practice of Closed Communion

The practice of Closed Communion has been the consistent teaching of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod throughout its history, yet it can be awkward and difficult to understand and to carry out consistently and clearly in the week-by-week life of the Church. Misunderstandings of Closed Communion, its meaning and purpose, have resulted in a variety of different practices across our congregations.

As part of my ongoing efforts to address these concerns and teach on these matters, I’ve recorded a half-hour audio-video “podcast,” with the help of Rev. Danny Mackey (Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Muncie, Indiana, and our District Secretary), in the hopes that it will prove helpful to both pastors and laity. It approaches the topic on the basis of our Church Fellowship, especially as a fellowship of pastoral care, within which the Sacrament of the Altar is administered in continuity with our shared catechesis and confession of Christ Jesus and His Word.

The podcast is available on our district website here: https://in.lcms.org/video-podcast-social-media/

Or, you can access it directly on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/1021013604

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