Editing Open communion (section)

== Position of the Lutheran Church ==
The [[Lutheran Church]] has a variety of practices, depending on denominational polity. Some branches of Lutheranism, such as the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] and the [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]], do not practice open communion; they exclude non-members and require catechetical instructions for all people before receiving the [[Eucharist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lcms.org/faqs/doctrine#partake |title=Doctrine – Frequently Asked Questions – the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod}}</ref> This generally stems from an understanding that sharing communion is a sign of Christian unity; where that unity is not present, neither should Eucharistic sharing be present. Some Lutheran church bodies use the term "[[altar and pulpit fellowship]]" to refer to their specific practices.

Other parts of the Lutheran Church, including the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] (ELCA), The [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada]], and many members of the [[Lutheran World Federation]], practice open communion and welcome all Baptized Christians to commune while ensuring that Lutheran belief on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is declared orally or in writing.<ref name="ELCA1997">{{cite book |title=The Use of the Means of Grace: A Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament |date=1997 |publisher=[[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] |page=52 |url=https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/The_Use_Of_The_Means_Of_Grace.pdf}}</ref> Guests are then left to decide whether they should or should not receive the Eucharist.<ref name="ELCA1997"/> The ELCA has specific communion sharing agreements with a number of other Christian denominations, encouraging the sharing of the sacrament across belief system boundaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of-the-Presiding-Bishop/Ecumenical-and-Inter-Religious-Relations/Full-Communion-Partners.aspx |title= Full Communion Partners – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|website=[[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321033132/http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of-the-Presiding-Bishop/Ecumenical-and-Inter-Religious-Relations/Full-Communion-Partners.aspx |archive-date=21 March 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The understanding that lies behind this practice is that Communion is both a foretaste of eschatological Christian unity as well as an effective means of fostering that unity.

The [[Evangelical Church in Germany]], which is a federation of Lutheran and Reformed churches, has an open communion.<ref>{{cite web |title=Übertritt in die Evangelische Kirche |trans-title=Going over to the Evangelical Church |language=de |access-date=10 November 2014 |publisher=[[Evangelical Church in Germany]] |url=http://www.ekd.de/einsteiger/einsteiger_uebertritt.html}}</ref>