I must know where Zion is located ...
Posted on 09/14/2010 12:30:49 PM PDT by rhema
CLEAR LAKE, IOWA — The congregation of Zion Lutheran Church voted Sunday to associate with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. The church will maintain its affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America but will reduce funding to the ELCA to no more than $1 a month, according to Mark Schumacher, congregation member.
The LCMC, a more conservative association, has 33 churches in Iowa and about 500 nationally.
The congregation voted on four resolutions and all passed by wide margins:
• To reject and disassociate “from the actions, policies, procedures and teachings of the ELCA. We do not recognize the authority of the ELCA in moral, ethical or theological teaching,” 82.9 percent.
• To distribute benevolent fund money that had been withheld from the ELCA pending a decision of the congregation through the church itself, 79 percent.
• To associate with the LCMC, 81.7 percent.
• Limiting financing to the ELCA to not more than $1 a month, 82.7 percent. That resolution was made from the floor.
The church became divided when national ELCA officials approved a resolution to allow gay pastors in committed relationships to serve congregations.
“That certainly brought it to a head,” Schumacher said. “But there have been other issues as we have studied the situation more and more that have come to light.”
Sunday’s vote “says we don’t agree with the churchwide assembly on allowing of non-celibate gay pastors.”
“But it’s broader than that because it doesn’t deal directly with that issue. It deals with all procedures and teachings.”
Schumacher said a little more than 370 people attended Sunday’s meeting; the congregation has about 1,400 members, he said.
Votes Sunday night required simple majorities. A vote to sever ties with the ELCA Aug. 22 fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. It was the second of two votes and two affirmative votes are needed.
Doesn't the first resolution adopted kinda negate that statement?
The arrogant victory of the revisionists turns to ashes in their mouths. The money is the only reason they work so hard to keep congregations stuck in the ELCA's rotting hulk.
I would not be surprised to see many similarly stymied faithful majority congregations do the same thing.
It does convey a certain poetic justice, doesn't it?
I'd like to see a declining scale: $1 the first month, 99 cents the second, etc. I bet the ELCA will cut Zion loose before that check for a penny shows up on the 100th month.
ping
Clear Lake, IOWA.
Last month, Zion’s 2nd vote to leave the ELCA failed by two votes. So, they are still “officially” in the ELCA.
And although the LCMC does not prohibit dual-rostering, the ELCA does. ELCA policy is to punish dual-rostered congregations by expelling them. But a congregation that has been kicked out of the ELCA does get to keep their property.
My feeling is that Zion is literally daring the ELCA to take action. However the ELCA reacts, or doesn’t react, will be precedent-setting here.
I sort of like the idea of paying $1 for continued association with the ELCA. It will cost them at least that much to maintain the congregation membership and will make a takeover easier when and if the gay mafia elements in the ELCA get fumigated.
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Happy Anniversary /sarc
Be rooted in Christ!
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