Seward Lutheran congregation splits into new church

By / Lincoln Journal Star ^ | August 28, 2010 | ERIN ANDERSEN

[stan_sipple]

When the ELCA approved ordaining gays into the ministry last August, nearly two-thirds of the congregation at Seward's Faith Lutheran Church decided it was time to go. So nearly half of Faith Lutheran's members -- including its longtime minister and most of the church council -- broke away to start a new church. Thirty days later, last Sunday, Living Word Lutheran Church opened its doors in Seward's former First Presbyterian Church, which closed last winter. In the pulpit is the Rev. Jim Miller, Faith Lutheran's pastor for the past 11 1/2 years.

On that same Sunday across town, many Faith Lutheran members who had stayed away from the church during the 11-month controversy returned to a new pastor and a sense of rebirth, said the Rev. Eric Bostrom. Previously the minister of the Lutheran Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Bostrom is serving as interim pastor.

Faith Lutheran remains an ELCA church, while Living Word is affiliated with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.

[fwdude]

As required, Faith Lutheran voted twice. The first vote to leave passed by a 70 percent majority.

I still don't get why a church requires "permission" to leave. Just leave, dang it!

[MarilynBr]

Churches that want to leave are tied to this procedure by their constitutions which were updated when predecessor denominations united to make the ELCA. If they don’t follow the procedure, the property stays with the people who want to remain in the ELCA.

[fwdude]

Thanks for the explanation. I guess whatever the vote, though, people and ministers are free to leave at will.