I left an ELCA church within days of reading elca.org and figuring out that what was being preached in our church, was not the same as the association backing up that church, the ELCA. I was disturbed by the “dialogue” they were having about gay unions at that time, looked at the website and discovered the ELCA is not pro-life. Talked to the pastor, emailed the website, confirmed what I thought they both said, left the church. If a church is not pro-life, I can’t be part of it. It was astounding to hear my pastor say that abortion was a choice and we should not judge other people’s choice to have an abortion. It sickens me to this day. None of that was said in church. I had to investigate it on my own. The old people in that church, who don’t go on the internet, have no idea their offerings go partly to an organization that is liberal. I was there 2 years before I knew about the statements of policy on elca.org.
Our paths were similar, TCP. I was fortunate to be able to convince my congregation (I wish there was a way to say that without sounding like I am or was the pastor there.) to go with me. It took some years, some heart-ache, and a little parting of the ways, but ... thank God, it happened.
What a shame. I’ve often been unclear about Lutheran teaching on abortion.
I used to teach in a Catholic school, which was housed in a Lutheran church. Our principal had a bumper sticker on her car that said “You can’t be both pro-choice and Christian.” Upon my first meeting with the church’s pastor at a luncheon, he wanted to argue this point and continued to discuss it even after I tried to steer wide of the subject. He could find nothing else to discuss. Really, I think he just wanted to explain away his own guilt on his position. It didn’t strike me as being appropriate lunch time banter on my first meeting with the fellow. Aside from which, I already knew where I stood on the subject. I should have told him “Here I stand.”
I’m so glad that I’ve had many other more positive interactions with my Lutheran brothers and sisters in Christ since that time ~ including pro-life marches in DC.
Today, my children go to an ELCA school. I’m putting an awful lot of blood, sweat and tears into the enterprise. I’m a little worried about who is going to get the keys to the building and what they will be teaching the children about the Bible ~ what parts may be accepted and what parts may be discarded ~ when I am done putting my time and treasure into the school.