An Advent message from Bishop Paul Smith and Assistant Bishop Stephen Schultz of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) described a new Australian Lutheran reality this way: “A new Lutheran church has been established in Australia known as Lutheran Mission – Australia (LM-A). This new church is led by pastors who have left our LCANZ. It was established as a new Lutheran church which would not admit both women and men to the office of the public ministry.”
The Lutheran Church of Australia voted in late 2024 to allow the ordination of women as pastors, with Maria Rudolph, the first female pastor’s ordination in 2025. LM-A appears to be the largest of several groups protesting the change.
The Bishop’s Advent message says they sought a relationship with LM-A. “Since the formation of this new church, we have met with their representatives in our desire to continue as partners in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the common practice globally between churches of various denominations.
“In particular, we offered to the representatives of LM-A the process to “recognise a relationship” between two Lutheran Churches. LM-A declined to do this.
“Subsequently, we sought to establish an alternative common basis to recognise each other as partner churches in the Gospel. A meeting was held between the LM-A President Matthew Anker, LM-A Vice-President Mathew Ker, LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith, and LCANZ Assistant Bishop Stephen Schultz in November 2025.
“At this meeting, it was made clear that LM-A does not recognise our Church as an orthodox Christian church. This means that LM-A does not recognise the LCANZ as a partner Lutheran church in the Gospel of our Lord and is not pursuing a relationship with us. The Lutheran churches around us in Asia and the Pacific and our ecumenical partners of the National Council of Churches, confirm that our LCANZ is an orthodox Christian church, and a partner with them in the Gospel.”
LM-A responded: “Many of you would have read the LCANZ’s ‘Advent Lament’ in which it was lamented that Lutheran Mission – Australia does not recognise the LCANZ as an orthodox Christian church.
“The term ‘orthodox’ in this context refers to ‘right teaching’ and to declare a church orthodox is to acknowledge that its teaching is in accord with Holy Scripture. On this basis, it should not surprise anyone that LM-A cannot affirm the orthodoxy of the LCA. After all, most of us left the LCA because we could not accept a change in teaching that was contrary to the Scriptures. In order to follow the pattern of sound doctrine which we have received (2 Timothy 1:3) and contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), it was necessary to separate ourselves from the unscriptural position that had been adopted (Romans 16:17, Titus 3:10). We were therefore unable to agree to Bishop Smith’s request to acknowledge the LCANZ as an orthodox Christian church, but it should be noted that we do not make any judgement about the faith of individuals within the church body.”
The question of what small “o” orthodoxy is a perennial one. Even such an awowedly complementarian body as the Sydney Anglicans, who would agree with LM-A that men only should be senior ministers, have not made this doctrine a necessary basis for close fellowship.
The Jerusalem Declaration – the doctrinal basis for Gafcon (the conservative Anglican network) does not include a statement of gender for ministers, and Gafcon’s membership includes churches that ordain women as ministers and bishops. Locally, the Diocese of the Southern Cross accepts women senior ministers.
Often, the Apostles’ Creed is also used as criteria for small “o” orthodoxy. Both varieties of Lutherans in Australia would comfortably fit this.
But not according to every LM-A group. A statement from members of Calvary Lutheran Mission Church, Toowoomba, who have left LCANZ churches in the town expresses disappointment that they have been refused the use of an LCA building, which they claim is unused. They say of the LCANZ bishop’s message about wanting a relationship with LM-A: “In having stated this desire and also advising their LCANZ members to receive us ‘as sisters and brothers in Christ’, this same LCANZ hierarchy, when approached by LM-A, denied the LM-A members, despite generations of support for the LCANZ, the use of vacant worship facilities, in Toowoomba, unless they (LM-A) were in agreement with the LCANZ’s new direction.’
This simply means the LCANZ was not willing to share property. The Toowoomba LM-A group (who probably are not speaking as spokespeople of LM-A, but on their own behalf) expresses other concerns. “Surrounded by views that are at cross purposes with orthodox Lutheranism, and, conscience bound, we chose to leave the LCANZ overall. In the face of not only women’s ordination and the ecumenical developments, the LCANZ’s embracement [sic] of false gods such as indigenous theologies, LGBTQ ideology, the changing culture of gender and affirmation of climate change and sustainability left us no option but to leave our respective congregations.”
The LM-A is working to have what many consider to be a hallmark of a viable denomination – a theological college. An L-MA seminary, Lutheran Theological Seminary – Australia (LTS-A), will open in 2027 in the greater Adelaide area, according to Pastor Michael Prenzler, the L-MA Seminary Development Officer. One update says they plan to recruit their first staff in mid-2026. They are partnering with the Australian College of Ministries (ACOM), an online institution affiliated with the Australian University College of Divinity – the renamed Sydney College of Divinity. ACOM was founded from the merger of three Church of Christ colleges, later joined by the Christian and Missionary Alliance of Australia.