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 09/03/2011 11:49:39 AM PDT by rhema
Compared to the last several ELCA churchwide assemblies, the Orlando 2011 assembly was in some respects uneventful. There were very few con- troversial and heated discussions. The assembly overwhelmingly approved all recommendations from the churchwide organization, including all of the amendments to the constitution that make it more difficult for congregations to disaffiliate with the ELCA.
The lack of controversy may account for far fewer visitors or con- gregational observers this year. There appeared to be at most about two dozen people seated in the congregational observers section, propably at least less than half the number at the last several assemblies.
The churchwide assembly is increasingly appearing to become a club of insiders or regulars. Slightly more than 50% of the voting members were first-time attendees. Several years ago more than 70% were first-time attendees at assemblies, but in recent assemblies that percentage has steadily declined. This decline in new attendees does not bode well for a churchwide organization that has been perceived for many years to be disconnected from synods and congregations.
The assembly overwhelmingly endorsed Bp. Hanson‘s and the church- wide organization‘s vision and course for the ELCA‘s future. This assembly did not retreat at all from the decisions made by the 2009 assembly, not even discussing requests from three synods to do so. This assembly was a strange mixture of occasional frank acknowl- edgement of the ELCA‘s tragic difficulties.
The figures reflect decline—decline in worship attendance, decline in congregational giving to synods and churchwide, decline in baptized members, decline in pastors, and decline in number of congregations. church category.) But he also said that a greater percentage of suburban and urban congregations have left, which he finds disturbing.
Swartling‘s written report proves even less optimistic. The figures reflect decline—decline in worship attendance, decline in congregational giving to synods and churchwide, decline in baptized members, decline in pastors, and decline in number of congregations. (See ELCA Church- wide Assembly Report on p.9 for figures.)
Jackson-Skelton presented a very clear oral report of the ELCA‘s finan- cial status, complete with helpful graphs. It was sobering to see that mission support is expected to have declined by about $19 million from culties and at other times denial of 2007 to 2012, representing a 29% that reality. Both ELCA Secretary Swartling and the outgoing Treasurer Christina Jackson-Skelton acknowledged the financial and statistical dif- ficulties facing the ELCA.
Secretary Swartling did his best to present the 2010 congregational re- ports summary in the most positive light, but he admitted that the statis- tics were at times troubling. For instance, he pointed out that more than half of the congregations that have left the ELCA are smaller, rural con- gregations, many of whom struggle financially. (Not surprising since the substantial majority of ELCA congregations fall into the rural, small- decrease.
Factoring for inflation, at the end of 2010 the churchwide organization and synods were working with 46% of the funds they had when the ELCA was formed. ELCA leaders claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, so does this mean the Spirit is downsizing the ELCA?
These financial difficulties surfaced at times in the assembly‘s considera- tion of the LIFT (Living into the Future Together: Renewing the Ecology of the ELCA) recommendations.
In approving the LIFT recommendations, the assembly approved a move to triennial assemblies after the 2013 assembly to reduce costs. The assembly was told that a churchwide assembly costs about $3 million. That figure includes the cost of transportation, food and lodging for each of the voting members, which is completely covered by the churchwide organization.
Denial of the ELCA‘s difficult predicament was spread throughout this assembly, both in what was said and what was not said.
What was not said at this assembly was how much the ELCA has damaged its ecumenical relationships. There were no greetings from Roman Catholic or Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod (LCMS) guests, unlike past assemblies.
In 2009 for the first time ever the Roman Catholic Church did not send a bishop to greet the assembly. Instead Archbishop Wilton Gregory sent a videotaped greeting and a representative from the national office of their Conference of Bishops.
This time the Roman Catholic Church representative was the director of Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs in the Diocese of Orlando. The LCMS president has greeted previous ELCA assemblies, but not this one. The LCMS guest this year was the Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller, Jr., first vice-president. Dr. Mueller did not find out until arriving in Orlando that he would not be allowed to greet the assembly, presumably because Bp. Mark Hanson was not al- lowed to greet the LCMS assembly convention last year. But at least Mueller could have been informed of this ahead of time.
Nor was there any mention at this assembly of the ELCA‘s strained rela- tionship with other Lutheran churches around the world, especially some of the African churches. Perhaps the bad news was the reason why Rev. Donald McCoid, ELCA Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, did not give an oral report to this assembly, unlike in previous assemblies. "If we don‘t mention it, perhaps no one will notice" may have been at play.
Bp. Mark Hanson exhibited the most denial of reality. He began his report saying that he came to the assembly more hopeful and grateful than ever for the ELCA‘s future because "We are a church with clarity about who we are and about our shared commitment to being engaged in God's mission for the life of the world."
Though he and others may have clarity about the ELCA‘s future, one may not be able to say the same about the congregations and their members. On average congregations in the ELCA are steadily declining and an increasing percentage are no longer served by a regularly called full-time pastor. I wonder if they are more hopeful than ever about the ELCA‘s future. What about the synods which, like the churchwide organization, have had to make drastic cutbacks in staffing because of declining financial support? Are they more hopeful than ever about the ELCA‘s future?
Astonishingly, Hanson said,"I believe that we can start 100 new con- gregations each year . . . 500 over the next five years." Early in the ELCA‘s life the churchwide organization set a goal of starting 100 new mission congregations each year over a ten- year period. The ELCA never came anywhere close to reaching that goal, averaging less than a third of that number.
To lose 300 pastors and 299 congregations in one year is tragic, but after losing a million baptized members, more than 1,100 congregations and more than half of its annual mission support over a span of 23 years, how can Bp. Hanson believe 100 new mission congregations per year are possible?
Even if 100 new mission congregations per year were started, how many would succeed? ELCA churchwide leaders rarely mention the dismal success rate of mission plants. I have never heard it acknowledged at a churchwide assembly nor communicated to congregations, but apparently less than a third of the ELCA‘s mission starts have survived.
A hopeful, confident church would not have so many congregations and leaders being fearful of openly discussing the ELCA‘s public decisions in 2009 and the impact of those decisions.
Emily Eastwood, executive director of Lutherans Concerned/North Amer- ica, and their communications director, Phil Soucy, also expressed their apology and regrets for how we had been treated. They said that LC/NA had nothing to do with the theft and strongly condemned the behavior.
While the theft at the churchwide assembly was in no way representative of the ELCA churchwide leaders or most of the assembly attendees, it was representative of something that is happening widely across the ELCA. Many congregational leaders – lay and ordained – are going out of their way to prevent congregational members from discussing what is happening in the ELCA as a result of the 2009 assembly decisions and prevent members from hearing and learning about Lutheran CORE.
A hopeful, confident church would not have so many congregations and leaders being fearful of openly discussing the ELCA‘s public decisions in 2009 and the impact of those decisions.
Hanson and other ELCA leaders repeatedly told the assembly that the ELCA is a church that welcomes, invites and includes everyone. He said,"Let us show in a fractured culture that dialogue is both possible and expected . . . we are a church where there is room without rushing to judg- ment and shutting down discussion."
However, at least one person at the assembly acted otherwise. Three times a person or persons stole Lutheran CORE signs directing people to our Lutheran CORE resource center, a room we leased from the Orlando World Marriott Center, the venue for the assembly.
The first time, on Wednesday, our signs along with the Marriott's stands were removed. The Marriott staff gra- ciously made new signs for us and placed our signs mounted on Marriott boards. Within one hour of the new signs being in place someone stole two of the signs including the Marriott boards, but left the Marriott stands in place. On Thursday someone removed one of the Lutheran CORE signs from the Marriott board. Someone at the assembly clearly did not want ELCA members to connect with Lutheran CORE.
ELCA Secretary Swartling announced at the plenary session‘s end on Thursday evening that there had been an unfortunate report of vandalism in the Lutheran CORE resource center, and he gave the location of our room. He reminded the assembly that there is a commandment against such acts and urged the assembly to treat all members of the church respectfully.
Pr. Marcus Kunz, an executive assistant to Bp. Mark Hanson, came to the Lutheran CORE resource center after Swartling‘s announcement and apologized for how we had been treated.
Ping
The Holy Spirit got His hat and left the ELCA some time ago. All that is left is the sanctimonious content-free boilerplate spew from sociopaths like Mark Hanson.
No wonder the ELCA is a dead church, walking. At least it has a path to follow, well beaten down into the dirt by the Episcopalians.
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
Perhaps.
But because in the past most of the "voting members" were newbies they were very easily influenced by slick presentations by the Churchwide staff and emotional experiential stories told from the floor.
Maybe now the increasingly veteran participants will become more discerning--as well as more accountable to the Synods which keep re-electing them.
Otherwise, I agree completely with Pr. Chavez's analysis.
I did not find any figures which gave either the number of children that adults had, or the number of children expected to stay within ELCA as they grew up.
I would be interested in seeing what the hope for the future really is. Without believing Christians, a building is just a building. Without people, a congregation or parish or church is merely a legal entity.
Within the past 11 years, I’ve been to six Lutheran (five ELCA and one LCMS) churches in which the majority of the members are at least 60. Why did this happen? I hope that all of them will find younger members, to ensure that they’ll have congregations, 15 years from now.
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