Bishop Current attends a celebration of the Join Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

October 31, 2024, marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. Wartburg Theological Seminary and the Archdiocese of Dubuque sponsored a two-day ecumenical event celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.⁣ This joint declaration by the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation is a document that expresses a common understanding of salvation as a free gift from God.⁣⁣

Presenters and ministers representing Lutheran, Roman Catholic, United Methodist, Episcopalian, and Presbyterian/Reformed communities joined in celebrating the Joint Declaration. Bishop Amy Current attended and brought greetings as an ELCA Bishop. Below are her remarks.

By Bishop Amy Current

October 31, 2024

Archbishop Zincula, President Largen, Faculty, Staff, Students, and Honored guests from the Dubuque Archdiocese and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, it is an honor to join you on this day of celebration as we mark the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration of the Doctrine of Justification. 

I greet you on this day on behalf of Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, the ELCA as a partner in the Lutheran World Federation, on behalf of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, and more locally on behalf of Bishop Jones and Bishop Halaas, my colleague bishops in the state of Iowa.  It is good for us to be here to celebrate our partnership in the Gospel and our commitment to ongoing dialogue.

As I, truth be told, dusted off my copy of the JDDJ in order to prepare for today, I was struck once again that the justification which for centuries was the “crux of all disputes” that set Roman Catholics and Lutherans apart now through the deliberate practices of mutual bible study, prayer, listening and dialogue has become the crux of that which draws us together. 

The ecumenical dialogues and joint statements do not exist only on dusty book shelves but are put to practice in seminary classrooms, judicatory conference rooms, and most importantly incarnated in parish halls, neighborhoods, and at family Thanksgiving tables. In a time, when there is so much that divides us, there is some irony in our gathering today in unity. 

As witnesses to this commitment, Archbishop Zinkula and I were among 12 faith leaders hosting a gathering called “Building Bridges and Organized Communities” where 120 people gathered representing 44 Iowa communities and 15 Christian denominations engaged around the belief that even with our differences, we are called to build relationships as the Body of Christ so that we together might witness to the greatest commandments – love God and love neighbor.  

For God’s gift through justification frees us by the power of the Holy Spirit, turning us from our sin, toward one another in love and dripping wet in the waters of baptism, gathered at the foot of the cross of Christ,  we are called, the whole body of Christ, to bear witness to God’s promise that God did not send the Son to condemn the world but to save the world through Christ. May we, all believers, continue to bear witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ our Lord.