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ELCA presiding bishop issues pastoral message on Roe v. Wade ruling June 24, 2022 Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a pastoral message on the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding Roe v. Wade. “Whatever personal perspective one might take on the June 24 abortion ruling from the Supreme Court, it is the legal framework in which we now minister,” Eaton said in the message. “This church’s 1991 social statement Abortion argues that ‘the number of induced abortions is a source of deep concern’ but teaches that the practice should be legal (pp. 3, 9-10). … Overturning Roe...

Just when I thought woke, mainline American Protestantism couldn’t descend any further into self-parody, the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America went and surprised me. Here’s a summary, courtesy of Dr. Jordan B. Cooper, a pastor in one of the conservative rump denominations that didn’t join the ELCA: Neurodivergent nonbinary trans pastor is made bishop. This individual then disciplines abusive latinxpastor. But this is unknowingly done on a Hispanic holiday and is thus racist. Woman archbishop rebukes bishop but isn’t harsh enough so is then also racist. Wait, what? It all started when Bishop Megan Rohrer of the ELCA’s Sierra...

Allegations of racism are at the heart of the sudden resignation of trans Lutheran Bishop the Reverend Dr. Megan Rohrer, but court documents also reveal allegations of corruption tied to a now-closed San Francisco church that they once led. The catalyst for Rohrer's resignation as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was their firing of a Latino pastor at a church in the Central Valley last December. But documents and court records show Rohrer's brief tenure was marked by controversy, with some incidents, such as the closure of their former church in San...

(RNS) — The presiding bishop of the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States has asked its first transgender bishop to resign amid criticism over their removal of the pastor of a Hispanic congregation on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December. RELATED: As the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe approaches, the Virgin Mary inspires community In a written statement published Friday (May 27), Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, announced she had requested Bishop Megan Rohrer’s resignation from the denomination’s Sierra Pacific Synod. Eaton’s request comes after the Sierra Pacific Synod...

The head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has issued a pastoral letter supporting abortion access and expresseding opposition to overturning the United States Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton released a “pastoral message on abortion” on Tuesday, explaining that the denomination teaches that “abortion must be legal, regulated and accessible.” "While this church longs for a future with fewer abortions every year, the social statement points out that outlawing all or nearly all abortions is not the way to do this,” stated Eaton. “The ELCA opposes both ‘the total lack of regulation of...

Holy week can be a troubling time for queer folx. Often Holy Week rituals are designed to emphasize our guilt and sinfulness—it is our sins that put Jesus on the cross (the refrain to “Ah! Holy Jesus” comes to mind, containing the line “I crucified thee”). This is certainly theologically important but can be lost on the queer community whose very lives are often at risk. It is counterproductive to remind someone they are a sinner when that is the primary and exclusive narrative they have heard from the church, that they are sinners simply because they are part of...

A California congregation with a sizable LGBT membership that belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has called for the removal of the denomination’s first trans-identified bishop. The Rev. Megan Rohrer, who uses “they/them” pronouns, was installed as the first trans-identified bishop in ELCA history last September, becoming the leader of the California-based ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod. However, since then, Rohrer has weathered controversy over allegations of racist behavior toward a Hispanic Lutheran pastor, as well as other issues that have led some to call for Rohrer’s removal. The Congregation Council of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, a Fresno-based ELCA...

The Rev. James S. Dunlop jdunlop@lss-elca.orgBishop January 12, 2022 “but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 Dear Lower Susquehanna Synod Rostered Ministers, As the new year is upon us and our COVID-19 weariness continues to grow, I would like to first extend an invitation for us to meet by Zoom on Thursday, January 20 at 1:30 p.m. or, Tuesday, January 25, at 1:30 p.m. (Zoom links provided in a separate email.) I...

Pastor Aaron Musser of St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square in Chicago recently dressed in full drag for the Sunday service, wearing a long white dress emblazoned with a golden cross on its chest, a long blonde wig, and full makeup in order to lead the children's message.The pastor began the message by calling the children up to the front to sit with him and asked if they'd ever seen a drag queen before.The kids responded in the negative."I have an awesome story to share with you today," Musser said. "I am also a boy most of the time...

Pastor Aaron Musser of St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square in Chicago recently dressed in full drag for the Sunday service, wearing a long white dress emblazoned with a golden cross on its chest, a long blonde wig, and full makeup in order to lead the children's message. The pastor began the message by calling the children up to the front to sit with him and asked if they'd ever seen a drag queen before. The kids responded in the negative. "I have an awesome story to share with you today," Musser said. "I am also a boy most...

New insights on Dennis Rader, the BTK killer who lived in plain sight in Wichita when he killed ten residents in 20 years, are revealed in a new docuseries Rader is sometimes remorseful, 'depending on the day,' says forensic psychologist Kathryn Ramsland, who spoke to him from jail for nearly a decade Ramsland said that Rader simultaneously views himself as a 'monster' and a 'good person who did some bad things' Exclusive conversations between Ramsland and Rader were aired on the A&E docuseries 'BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer,' which aired on January 8 SNIP

Just three months ago, I wrote that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America had appointed its first transgender bishop — in this case, Megan Rohrer, a woman who sliced off her breasts, kept her female name, and claimed to be a man. Now Rohrer has been suspended for being racist. Live by woke political correctness; die by woke political correctness.It was a big deal when Megan Rohrer, a woman who claims to be a man and insists on being referred to by the pronouns "they" and "them," was installed as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran...

A newly-ordained pastor from Chicago is dressing up in drag in order to lead church services with children. Aaron Musser, who was ordained this summer, can be seen addressing children from a pulpit in his church dressed in a blonde wig, white dress, and makeup before spreading the word of the Lord to children at his parish at St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square. The event took place last Sunday, and saw Musser read a religious book about Joy to a group of children. 'I have an awesome story to share with you today,' Musser could be heard telling...

December 14, 2021 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. – Isaiah 40:11 (NRSV) Advent blessings in the name of Jesus Christ - the one who is, and the one who is to come again. I write first to express my gratitude for how all of you are working selflessly for the sake of the common good and to share my concern as COVID-19 continues to deeply impact our local communities and the world. The growing weariness from the...

GET WOKE, EMPTY THE PEWS It would be a full-time job to chronicle all of the irrational reactions by liberals to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, and scarcely worth the effort. But I do want to note one such response because it affects me directly: that of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA, of which my congregation is a member, sent out this “Pastoral Letter” authored by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. Here is the letter, titled “A pastoral message on the Rittenhouse acquittal,” with my comments interpolated: ​Dear church, In the book of Leviticus we read: “You shall not...

​Dear church, In the book of Leviticus we read: "You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor" (19:15). Our social message on Community Violence urges us to become more involved in countering the reality and fear of violence in our communities and our neighbors' communities, pursuing justice and seeking peace no matter how long the journey or complex the challenge. When a child is allowed to become a vigilante in our society without recourse, we are forced to confront the idols...

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — A Kenosha pastor is fasting for climate change. The Rev. Jonathan Barker, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, stopped eating on Saturday and said he will continue the protest until Congress passes a climate bill. Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion, 10-year bill through the House Budget Committee that strengthens social safety net and climate programs. The measure is a “once-in-species-moment,” Barker said. “As a Christian, I am called to be on the side of love for neighbor,” Barker said. “Love for neighbor means making sure my neighbor has a livable future, a family-sustaining green job, clean air...

The excitement in San Francisco is palpable. As SFGate, an independent spin-off of the San Francisco Chronicle, boasts, "San Francisco achieves yet another first in LGBTQ+ history with transgender bishop." The huge Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), with its 3.3 million members nationwide, is proud of itself. It shouldn't be. The decision to give an archbishopric to a man who claims to have magically become a woman because he wants to be is profoundly anti-biblical. The appointment is also an insult to coherent grammar and, as I've argued in the past, proof that nobody on the left really believes...

* The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed the Rev. Megan Rohrer to lead one of the church's 65 synods Saturday* Rohrer will oversee nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and southern Nevada * Evangelical Lutherans are one of the largest Christian denominations in the US, with 3.3million members* Rohrer was one of seven LGBTQ pastors accepted by the church in 2010 when it allowed ordination of pastors in same-sex relationships * Rohrer was elected to serve a six-year term in the role of bishop The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed its first openly transgender bishop in a service...