Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
Posted on 11/12/2010 9:52:04 AM PST by SmithL
Three Lutheran congregations in East Central Illinois have left their denomination over the issue of progressive ministry changes, and two more have taken the first of two required votes to leave the same denomination: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The churches that left ELCA – American Lutheran, Rantoul; Immanuel Lutheran, Flatville; and St. John's Lutheran, Royal – all decided to affiliate with the North American Lutheran Church, a denomination formed in August in Ohio.
Area congregations that have taken their first votes to leave the ELCA – Zion Lutheran, Philo; and Prince of Peace Lutheran, St. Joseph – will take final votes in January. Pastors in Philo and St. Joseph said their congregations are leaning toward joining the NALC, too.
One area congregation, First Lutheran of Paxton, took a first vote to leave that was not adopted, and congregations in Champaign, Urbana, Danville and Monticello have found no reason to take votes.
Most Lutherans eager to leave the ELCA have questioned some of its new policies. In August 2009, delegates to a national meeting narrowly voted to open the clergy roster to gay and lesbian ministers who are in committed, same-gender relationships. Previously, the ELCA required homosexual clergy to remain celibate.
The ELCA, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States with 4.6 million members on its rolls. It formed in 1988 from the merger of three smaller Lutheran denominations. Since the controversy started, about 229,000 people, or 5 percent, have left.
The NALC was formed by an ELCA offshoot committee called the COalition for REnewal (CORE) and is more hierarchal.
In Flatville, the Rev. James Lehmann said, "The reason why NALC is a good fit is because it is a church body, not an association of individual congregations. That is more our history; more our involvement – responsibility to and from the church."
Lehmann said as of early November, about 43 former ELCA churches nationally had joined the NALC.
Said the Rev. Jay Johnson, pastor of St. John's in Royal: "We just feel that the NALC sets the tone and direction that we are very happy with. We feel that the practices, policies and teachings supported by the NALC are in conformity with the teachings of Scripture and in accordance with the creeds of the church."
The NALC will use deans as supervisors, rather than bishops, he said.
"I want to emphasize one point," added Johnson, who has a history of missionary work. "I was very much intrigued by NALC emphasizing that churches really need to be involved in missions. Every local congregation in NALC is being urged to develop relationships with foreign churches and work with a group here in this country."
The Rev. Seth Jersild, pastor in St. Joseph, said his congregation's vote to leave was 97.4 percent. The church has about 650 members with an average Sunday attendance of 260.
The vote to leave the ELCA was 78 percent at Zion in Philo, the Rev. Richard Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson said discontent with the ELCA among his parishioners centers on "the misunderstanding of Scripture that the ELCA has started and how it's abandoned Christian traditions for 2,000 years."
Before joining the ELCA, most area churches originally belonged to the American Lutheran Church. Former ALC churches are allowed to keep their church property and bank accounts if they re-affiliate with another denomination.
Said Bishop Warren Freiheit of Springfield, head of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of ELCA churches in the lower two-thirds of the state: "I think it is worth noting ... nearly 130 congregations (of 148) in our synod found no reason to take any vote whatsoever."
It certainly appears that there were a lot of congregations that were holding off on taking some kind of vote until the NALC was formed.
There is more danger in a church that preaches what is incorrect than not going at all! Nothing is better than teaching what is factually wrong and "misguides" people.
When I confronted the pastor a while back and he gave me politically correct answers and avoided making “value judgments” on behavior that is 100% without question intolerable/incompatible with the most basic and rudimentary understanding of Christianity, I realized I was leading my family in the wrong direction. I realized that if I stayed with this church I would do more harm than good because those doing the instructing, speaking from a position of authority that my kids look up too, would be feeding them what is wrong. Bad information more often than not is worse than no information.
In an attempt to be “inclusive” the Lutheran church has lost what it means to be Christian.
amen..former zion lutheran member.
Ah good old Martin Luther. The man almost solely responsible for German cultural behavior, WW1 and WWII.
That’s what happens when you side with the aristocracy.
“The man almost solely responsible for German cultural behavior, WW1 and WWII.”
That is a ridiculous statement. I would not more blame the German cultural behavior on him than I would any pope; or Kaiser Wilhelm; or Hitler himself, at least as regards WWI. A very irresponsible thing to do, blaming wars that killed millions of people on one man.
Amen to what you said.
Did you leave the Lutheran church or did the Lutheran church leave you?
Don’t blame me for the statement. Blame several authors on German history. Their premise, not mine.
amen..former zion lutheran member.
“Blame several authors on German history.”
Well, you have to own your opinions.
Several authors blame the state of Europe on the Jews.
Several authors blame the state of the U.S. on the black man.
Several authors blame patriarchy for child abuse.
Several authors claim mankind is making the earth overheat.
Several authors claim overpopulation makes poverty.
Several authors claim capitalism makes poverty.
Several authors blame the U.S. for 9/11.
They are all way off base, and anyone that blames Martin Luther for WW1 and WW2, or for some sort of cultural mindset that enabled it, is totally irresponsible.
Martin Luther called an end to the slavish practices of indulgences that were destroying the common people of Germany. The aristocrats could quite easily buy their loved ones out of purgatory. The peasants could not, and slaved often for lifetimes trying to pay to get their families out. It was extortion of the worst sort, and Luther’s biblical call for an end to this tyranny did NOT make anyone warlike. Free, maybe.
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
And worse, a state of purgatory that was imagined into “existence” as a means of frightening the illiterate into paying money to the papacy.
Ephesians 2:8-9 was not being preached.
The following congregations have recently voted to withdraw from the ELCA:
1. Salem Lutheran Church, Bark River, MI * first successful vote.
2. Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Everett, WA * first successful vote 75%.
3. St. Paul Lutheran Church, Williams, IA ** second successful vote 40-9.
4. New Hope Lutheran Church, Hayti, SD * first successful vote passed 92%.
5. Hayti Lutheran Church, Hayti, SD* first successful vote passed 92%.
6. St. Peter Lutheran Church, Mesa, AZ* first successful vote 84%.
7. Faith in Christ Lutheran Church, Springfield, OH* first successful vote 91%.
8. St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kodiak, ALASKA** second successful vote 84%.
9. Holy Trinity Lutheran, Troutman, NC * first successful vote 94.6% 174-10.
10. Zoar Lutheran Church, Lebanon, PA * first successful vote.
11. St. Paul Lutheran Church, Clyde, OH * first successful vote.
12. Trinity Lutheran Church, Ashland, OH * first successful vote.
13. St. Stephen Lutheran Church, (Scott Twp.) Pittsburgh, PA * “first and only constitutionally needed vote.” 85%.
14. Anselm Trinity Lutheran Church, Enderline, ND** second successful vote.
15. First Lutheran Church, Washington, PA* first successful vote 122-17.
16. Puritas Lutheran Church, Cleveland, OH ** second successful vote. LCMC.
17. Zion Lutheran Church, Philo, IL ** first successful vote.
The following congregations have scheduled votes to withdraw from the ELCA:
November 14:
Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, IA (This vote comes after Bishop removed their two pastors from the Clergy Roster of the ELCA.)
La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, Scottsdale, AZ **
Approximately 3500 baptized members.
November 21
Samhold Church, Gonvick, MN * second attempt at first vote,
First vote on Sept 12 failed by 2 votes.
Christ the Savior Lutheran Church, Fishers, IN *
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Gastonia, NC *
November 28
St. John Lutheran, Statesville, NC **
[From http://davidbarnhart.blogspot.com/ ]
Where do you worship?
foolish statement.
Luther towards the end of his life began to critize Jews not because he was anti-Semitic but because Jews had refused to accept Jesus. So when Germany began killing Jews alot of dunderhead Germans used this as a way to justift their actions.
When speaking of "Lutheran" make sure to make the distinction. The ELCA is not Lutheran at all. Maybe they will go out of existence and we won't have to worry about being confused with them.
Which Lutheran Church did you leave?
In Plano, Texas.
When I realized the pastor was “avoiding” giving straight answers on some fundamental questions, I realized this wasn’t a place for my family. If he can’t give an obvious answer to a question pertaining to the most basic understanding of Christianity or morals, then the church and its leadership is confused as to what their purpose is and who the serve. By teaching what is wrong, or avoiding answering these questions they essentially end up serving the wrong master.
In person the pastor is a nice guy, I’m sure his intentions are well and he tries hard, but sometimes you can be running fast and hard and if you’re heading the wrong direction, you ain’t gonna get to where you want to go. Know what I mean? Christianity isn’t about being politically correct, green, or inclusiveness (If that means morphing and perverting the word of God). Christianity isn’t a popularity contest. It’s not about embracing “green,” being inclusive to gays, abortionists..........etc etc etc.
Religion in the West is in a bit of a pickle. Religions are doing one of three things to attract young people and maintain membership in the day and age of hedonism and nihilism in which we live.
1. Look at the Bible almost as if it were an evolving document left to a very broad and subjective interpretation on nearly any subject. Attract by changing the message.
2. Attract people with the show and service. Get people to come because you make the service fun through all the services as well and performances etc that are being offered. Think concerts, laser tag for kids, a Starbucks in the lounge........ But do NOT change the message.
3. A hybrid/combination of the two above.
Those that are “changing the message” are ultimatley guiding people away from the word of God.
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