Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Posted on 10/07/2009 8:06:33 AM PDT by SmithL
Many of the North Carolina Synod's 86,000 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America feel betrayed and frustrated due to action taken at the ELCA's recent biennial Churchwide Assembly - specifically, decisions to allow recognition of same-sex unions and allow persons in such relationships to serve as ordained clergy. Clearly these decisions are moves away from the authority and importance that Lutherans have historically and traditionally ascribed to scripture since Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
Many read the news in disbelief; some were unaware the church was considering such extreme action even though millions of dollars were spent conducting study and conversation. Apparently ELCA Churchwide Assembly leaders thought such a process would allow the denomination to escape schism by its congregants, congregations and ecumenical partners similar to those experienced by the Church of Christ and Episcopal Church when they took similar action. Many are seeking how they can associate together in a new Lutheranism that is welcoming to all yet firm on scriptural teaching.
Fortunately, coordinated efforts are underway to make that happen! All concerned Lutherans are invited to meet on Monday, Oct. 12th at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Salisbury. This meeting will include reports from those who attended the Sept. 26 meeting of Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) to start the process of creating a new Lutheranism in America. In addition, Rev. Bill Sullivan, director of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, will present information concerning that organization as a venue for association either in conjunction with or separate from the ELCA.
For the vast majority of Lutherans who are disheartened by the recent ELCA action, this is an exciting time of reflection and renewal that can result in expanded and more effective ministry. More information is available at www.splcweb.org.
Every day brings new news about Lutherans unwilling to accept the ELCA’s heresy.
Militant gays splitting mainline Protestant denominations and they infiltrated the priesthood.
To renounce the Bible as God’s word is the only possible justification for this apostasy.
Food fight in aisle 11...
Which is essentially what the ELCA hierarchy has promoted through their cherry picking, revisionist philosophy.
“Judges 21:25 (American Standard Version)
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
to many there is no King ... there is no God ... knowing nothing of the subduing and directing power of godliness. .... namely keeping god as a sign; but paying no tribute to Him as a King ... dead conscience.
paraphrased ...
(Joseph Parker, quoted in Gray and Adams commentary, condensed.)
Sadly, CORE continues to do the same by affirming female clergy as legitimate pastors.
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
North Carolina Lutherans are largely former LCA, with German roots that go back to the late 18th century. I doubt that the uber congregationalist, anti-clerical polity of the LCMC will get a warm reception. Pr. Sullivan made the same pitch in Pennsylvania last month and almost no one of the nearly 200 who attended came away with good feelings about the LCMC.
What does “anti clerical” mean, and how is it expressed in the LCMC (with which I have no affiliation, BTW, and no personal acquaintance)?
North Carolina Lutheranism was also the home of the late great Bishop Michael McDaniel (Memory Eternal!).
It is unfortunate that LCMC, with its congregational polity, is the only “ark” for traditionalist ELCA congregations that want to keep their property.
.....As a Lutheran of evangelical catholic stripe, Bishop Michael was active in genuine ecumenical dialogue, serving in the Lutheran-Orthodox Dialogue (1983–89), and helping to generate conversation with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in the southeast with the “Lutheran Family Gatherings” of the late 1980s. Also in the late 1980s, he was one of the Lutheran bishops who went to Rome, Constantinople, and Canterbury......
http://www.societyholytrinity.org/newsletter/trin07-1.htm
From the LCMC’s Bill Sullivan’s presentation, I construed these aspects of LCMC polity as institutionalizing a distrust of clergy (or, put another, an overemphasis on the priesthood of all believers which devalues Augustana V):
• There are no Bishops.
• Clergy are not guarenteed a position as a representative to the annual LCMC Convention. Each congregation may send two representative; customarily (but not constitutionally) one representative is the Pastor.
• Decisions at the annual Assembly are by simple majority vote.
• There is no distinct Ministerium.
In other words, if the 1/3 clergy 2/3 laity of the ELCA with no house of Bishops is cause for concern, this is much, much worse.
“Every day brings new news about Lutherans unwilling to accept the ELCA’s heresy.”
And I say, “Hallelujah!”
“It is unfortunate that LCMC, with its congregational polity, is the only “ark” for traditionalist ELCA congregations that want to keep their property.”
There is such a body already in existence for such congregations to go to. Check out the Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium of North America (ELCM). Many of their core folks and leaders come out of the old LCA strand in Pennsylvania and New York. Some of these congregations in that area that wouldn’t want to touch LCMC would find much more to like within the ELCM.
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