Posted on 02/17/2007 1:44:13 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
ATLANTA --... Members of St. John's Lutheran Church last weekend filed by their pastor, hugging him and exchanging jokes. Many in the 350-member Atlanta congregation say they don't plan to let the Rev. Bradley E. Schmeling leave the pulpit Aug. 15, as ordered last week by an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) disciplinary committee because he is in a gay relationship.
... "We are not an activist church, even though we can stand for issues of justice," said Charles Fox, who occasionally assists Schmeling at Sunday worship. "He exemplifies the kind of love and empathy I envision Christ to have had."
The committee, which basically served as the jury in a closed-door trial, found Schmeling guilty of breaking the denomination's rules for having a same-sex relationship. However, the committee also called those rules "at least bad policy" and recommended changing them, which the ELCA could consider doing at its biennial meeting.
...
"It hasn't been a problem to explain Brad or his relationship to our children as much as what the church wants to do," said Fox, a married father of a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl.
The ELCA, which has 4.9 million members, allows openly gay clergy... The same debate over how biblical verses on gay relationships should be interpreted is tearing at many mainline Protestant groups.
...Much like a trial, a closed-door disciplinary hearing committee of 12 ELCA members, both lay and clergy, heard evidence for nearly a week in January. Seven of them felt the rule as stated left them no choice but to defrock Schmeling. But the committee also wrote that, if not bound by the church's rules, they "would find almost unanimously that Pastor Schmeling is not engaged in conduct that is incompatible with the ministerial office" and would order no discipline.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I, a member of the LCMS, am committed to reaching out to the un-churched. However, confronting people who are not active participating Christians (and I believe those you refer to as Gay Christians aren't) is not part of my plan, nor, I believe, part of God's plan as I noted in post #80.
I just wanted to clear that up.
I know you've already replied to your own post stating you meant the LCMS. However, in case you weren't aware, the ELCA is the merged result of the ALC and LCA. I'm just trying to be factual.
This is misleading. The ELCA allows gay clergy as long as they take an oath of celibacy. However, the ELCA has gay activists who are trying to open the door to full acceptance of the gay community. This is where the issue within that church body originates.
The same thing they tell little girls about abortion.
I never understood what abortion really is until I had to explain it to an eight year old girl.
"LCMS and WELS can take communion with the other right?"
Yes, they can.
I'm sorry! Somehow I missed you posting to me.
The wife and I became LCMS two years ago after leaving the ELCA for this very reason - homosexuality (among others). I grew up LCMS, then WELS, and only changed to ELCA years ago due to convenience. Needless to say, we're much more comfortable with a church body that still practices 'Christ Crucified'.
I don't know what you mean by 'Too much goofin' around in the Wisconsin Synod...', but for awhile my family was part of that Synod. We'd moved from Oak Park, IL to Twin Lakes, WI, and the church in Wilmot we joined became part of the WELS when that Synod organized. A cousin, and my godfather, who was a professor at Concordia/St. Louis, had a long discussion with the Wilmot pastor about their leaving the LCMS, but to no avail. We finally left WELS when they refused to confirm a cousin who was a member of the boy scouts.
Here's hoping you find that 'home'.
As a former ELCA member, I can say with authority that this church is likely using the NIV Bible.
It's not the Bible but their perverted interpretation that's at play here.
Everyone here is saying to throw this guy out, but I'm not so sure. You wouldn't kick out a regular worshiper, and we are all equal no matter what man made titles such as pastor, nun or pope may imply.
So the question is, would Jesus tell this man to stop preaching the word of God? If so, considering all sins are equal in the eyes of God wouldn't that mean nobody is fit to be a pastor since we are all sinners?
I just mean that the Missouri Synod (which I prefer) is much more "by the book." My Mom belongs to a Methodist church and they're even more "social" than the WI Synod. When I attend church with her, there's a lot of hand shaking, public announcements, a service for the children, fund raising pimping, three or for songs from the choir...and about 5 minutes of "The Word." It's just not for me.
Charles H. sent me a few church leads for my area. If it ever stops snowing here and we can dig out, we'll check out a few. :)
Perhaps they should also be called as teachers and pastors as well?
Absolutely not; at least, in my church. But if they wish to leave the Synod and continue in their own church, then so be it.
Read my other posts and you'll see my stance on this abomination. Yet I'm confident that, regardless of what confrontations we have with these pseudo Christians, they will continue on in their blasphemy.
I'm concerned with my fellow Christians who heartily seek God's blessings, and those who have yet to know Him. I'm not concerned with those who disfigure His Word and blaspheme His name. God will judge them. I don't have to.
I know. We live in Rochelle, IL, about 30 miles south of Rockford. The weather's also been a real issue here. Still lots of snow on the ground although much has already melted. Then we had rain on Wednesday and in the 40's on Thursday. Thursday evening we had water coming in our basement because of standing water around the house. We got a channel dug to relieve that, but there's still a lot of runoff coming once the temperatures warm later this week. We're not looking forward to the flooding. And you have a lot more snow than we do. Sheesh.
Good luck on your church hunting.
We've got snow up to our armpits and 40 degree weather on the way for all of next week. It's going to be one big, sloppy, muddy mess. (The dogs will see to that, LOL!)
I have a 1906 farmhouse with the original fieldstone foundation. You want to see a wet basement? I'll have one in a few days. Grrrrrr!
And thanks for your kind words. :)
I was supposed to be in Madison yesterday at the VA. I postponed it on Thursday until the end of the month because of the weather. Glad I did. Now the sun is out and it's getting warm again. By the end of the week, if the temperature holds, we'll be swimming around here; yourself included.
Good luck.
I said what I said and know no contradiction. If you don't like what I state, then don't read my posts.
Goodbye.
I'll repeat the question:
If homosexual activists attempted to infiltrate your congregation - would you confront them?
They have not invaded my church. If they had I'd confront them and they would not like the results. However, the church they belong to does not have a problem with their association. And the ELCA (which I left for this very reason) has invited the situation by their seeking openly gay membership both in laypeople and clergy (although the body at large hasn't accepted the proposals). It is therefore not my problem and I, simply as a Christian, would not get involved in their issue. Nor would I, simply as a Christian, get involved against homosexuality as a secular issue. That is 'of this world' as Paul so aptly puts it. I'm concerned with my church. My church is the LCMS; not the ELCA. It is an ELCA issue and the ELCA must deal with it. That or face God's wrath; NOT MINE!!!
It's obvious you're one of those argumentative types who cherry picks statements then jumps on the bones of the author for the purpose of inciting an argument, or, perhaps, to satisfy an overblown ego.
I suggest you look to your own Christian faith as opposed to questioning others. You yourself seem to be in need of some assistance in social management.
That's it. If you still don't agree with what I've said, fine. I frankly don't care. You are not someone I find pleasant nor insightful.
Goodbye.
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