Posted on 05/05/2009 11:08:28 AM PDT by SmithL
Ah, er, do you want to re-think that title?
From a Roman Catholic: how’s the Missouri Synod faring these days?
Depends on what you are examining.
Our membership like most, is decreased, not at a rate of ELCA’s or more liberal churches. We tend to lose youth when they go off to secular colleges. Many don’t come back after college. At least not right away.
On theology, pretty strong. The one problem we have isn’t about homosexuality but about keeping membership. We are currently approaching it IMO the wrong way. THe Ablaze initiative is more interested in numbers and statistics and is more a purpose-driven approach, rather than the traditional approaches that do not place so much emphasis or concern about numbers and trying to quantify things.
No denomination is immune from unionism and syncretism. We tend to do pretty well in this regard, but it would be foolish to think without constant vigilance we are immune from these things happening to us.
fyi
I was an ELCA Lutheran at one point (grew up Southern Baptist and am now a confirmed Catholic). Part of the reason I left and eventually became Catholic was because the ELCA was becoming progressively more liberal. Not the direction I wanted my spiritual life to go. Additionally, when I went to my Lutheran minister with a marital problem (my wife had just told me she was going to leave me) he suggested I needed a back rub ... That minister eventually became a Bishop in the ELCA (and still is). His wife and mother of his two children left him for a woman. His daughter (a friend of mine and a youth leader at HER church) is a closet lesbian. She even said there was conjecture as to his “orientation” and that that was part of what lead to her parent’s break-up. Given that history and the fact that this man is a leader in the ELCA, is it any wonder the ELCA is moving in a more “homosexual-friendly” direction?
This data is a bit dated. But here is a very nice web site with denominational data. Association of Religion Data Archives. http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/US_2000.asp Evangelical Lutheran Church in America theology: Mainline Protestant congregations 2000: 10,739 adherents 2000: 5,113,418 adherence rate per 1000: 18.2 congregation change 1990-2000: -173 adherent change 1990-2000: -113,380 percent change 1990-2000: -2.2% Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod theology: Evangelical Protestant congregations 2000: 6,077 adherents 2000: 2,521,062 adherence rate per 1000: 9.0 congregation change 1990-2000: +57 adherent change 1990-2000: -82,663 percent change 1990-2000: -3.2% This data for the Missouri Synod is a bit surprising. See the full chart for a comparison of evangelical denominations to mainline denominations.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Be sure also to read:
Delight, Design and Destiny: Toward a Doxological Ethics of Sexuality
Statement by Three Dissenting Members of the ELCA Task Force on Human Sexuality
It’s Not About Homosexuality--Not Really
“Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”: A Critique by Carl E. Braaten
When There Are No Biblical or Theological Grounds to Change, Don’t
WordAlone Network responds to ELCA human sexuality proposals
Lutheran CORE leaders urge rejection of ELCA task force recommendations
Well, the fact ELCA signed so many fellowship agreements with other very liberal denom’s (PCUSA, UMC, etc) to share pastors and such, helped propel the liberal elements within ELCA forward faster than they probably otherwise would have been able to.
It’s true but it’s old data. Since 2000, ELCA has gone hell-bent left and they have lost about a half million in membership. LCMS losses put us around 2.4 million.
One thing that also accounts for LCMS losses during this time (and I don’t know if ELCA has done the same) but in the past, people who stopped attending were still kept on the roles. We basically started to drop people after sixth months (of course trying to contact them to make sure they were okay being dropped, because of any number of reasons, or that they wanted to remain). So more accurate record-keeping of who’s really an active member is a small part of our loss numbers the last 10 years too.
I was confirmed in the ELCA church, attended a PCUSA (PC says it all ) church for a number of years and now hubby and I attend a Bible based non dom church.....we could not be happier...
Too many churches have abandoned Biblical truths and teachings so therefore they and their members have abandoned God.....
Yeah... The Presbyterian Church, USA, the Episcopalians, the United Methodists, the ELCA, and the United Church of Christ all seem to be competing to see who can become the most secular progressive.
I renounced my membership in the UMC this year after the UMC explicitly rejected the Christian mission to save souls, instead writing that the mission of the UMC is to transform the world. I.e., the UMC openly declares itself a political activisit organization, while rejecting Christ’s insistence that Christians make disciples for the salvation of souls. The General Conference explicitly rejected “salvation of souls” language.
ELCA should take the word Lutheran from their title as they are nothing like the true Church doctrine and Liturgy
LCMC and Wisc Synod are the true down the line Conservative and Traditional faith.
- snip -
The ELCA is quick to dismiss such a dismal prognosis, ...
Since May 1999 (during a congregational council meeting) I have been up close and very personal with the shenanigans in the elca. I (and the church of which I am a part ) have moved elsewhere.
I can assure any reader that the attitude expressed in italics above represent the ostrich with its head, not so much in the sand as, where the sun don't shine. The conversations I continue to have express the exact opposite.
I was a member of ELCA churches, 1989-2008. In April 2008, I joined LCMS church. That month, my dad, a retired ELCA pastor, told me that the ELCA committee on sexuality recommended that the ELCA never ordain gays and never hold gay weddings. I decided to join another ELCA church, and I was surprised, in Feb. 2009, when I heard that many ELCA leaders hope to pass a resolution, this year, to allow gay pastors and gay weddings. I hope that I can persuade many of the leaders to obey the Bible. I’ll contact many synod leaders and ask them to agree with the CORE proposal.
ELCA is now a lost cause. There’s too much momentum behind it, and the fellowship agreements with other denominations will propel this thing into being.
I know an ELCA member who said that she’s very pro-gay. She said that churches should change, to conform with society. I said that society should change, to obey the Bible. She was speechless.
Good for you for speaking out.
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Sure would be nice to hear something, anything, hopeful for our church. Got anything?
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