The Bible tells us to “Test all things; hold fast that which is good.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:21. In 1 John 4:1 it says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." In the process of a church voting to stay or end their affiliation with the ELCA, the denomination requires the congregation to meet with their synod’s bishop. During a number of these meetings, over the past couple of months, I’ve received reports from various individuals, from different congregations, that an ELCA bishop has been giving congregations and their members false information about my academic standing while I was studying at an ELCA seminary. This bishop publicly announced that I “flunked out” of seminary. To be perfectly clear, this ELCA bishop is not telling the truth. I have the papers to prove it. It is an underhanded, desperate, and dishonest move by an ELCA leader. The ELCA leadership can not defend the positions, teachings and actions of their denomination, so like today's politicians, some choose to attack the messengers. This bishop doesn’t even use facts; he announces false information to congregations, in all likelihood hoping it will serve his cause to keep congregations in the ELCA, to avoid answering for the issues I’ve brought forth and to make people doubt the multitude of information on my website. This is slander. I hope you are “testing the spirits” in everything the ELCA leadership has to say. If you have heard similar “reports” from an ELCA leader which are personally damaging and cause harm to the reputation of ExposingtheELCA.com, would you please contact me? (go here) I will have more to say about this in the future. Dan Skogen Exposing the ELCA asked, “Should any ELCA leader, let alone a director in the Office of the Presiding Bishop, be showing images of Jesus as a female?” The results of the poll: 9.25% said “Yes” (26 votes) 90.75% said “No“ (255 votes) Total Votes: 281 Synod Assemblies are coming up, which means that now is the time to submit resolutions. Every year a host of liberal affirming resolutions are submitted and passed. Very few represent orthodox Lutherans, so we encourage you to start writing. If you have a resolution prepared, or when it is written, please send it to Exposing the ELCA and we will post them for others to use for submission to their synod gatherings. I have heard that a resolution has been submitted to the Northern Great Lakes Synod, ELCA called "Welcoming Traditional Lutherans." If anyone has a copy of it, we would be happy to post it on this website. Pastor Eric Carlson wrote this about resolutions: “One avenue of access for congregations, conferences, synod organizational units and voting members to address issues and propose a plan for action is the resolution. Resolutions help organize the work of the assembly by clarifying important issues or concerns. Resolutions are first reviewed by the reference and counsel committee, which will make recommendations to the assembly to facilitate its work, but the resolutions belong to the assembly and may be amended, rejected, or adopted after consideration by the voting members. Resolutions may be submitted until 45 days prior to the first day the assembly meets.” (see here) ----- Rev. Julie Boleyn, on January 14, 2012 became “the first lesbian to be ordained in the Greater Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” Rev. Boleyn “spent about four years working for Planned Parenthood.” (see here) Is that where we are now getting our pastors? Planned Parenthood? ----- Reverend William E. Flippin, Jr., “a staunch supporter of Barack Obama and an ELCA pastor,” wrote a blog posted in The Huffington Post entitled “Would Martin Luther Vote for Barack Obama?” Rev. Flippin implies that Luther would. He says he believes “wholeheartedly that the political views of President Barack Obama would resonate with his (Martin Luther’s) vision of universal needs for all.” (see here) This is for those who are struggling with the ELCA’s actions and rejection of God’s word, for those that are taking a stand for truth in the face of opposition, for those who are afraid and feel alone, for those who have placed allegiance to God above friends, family and denomination, and this is for the people of Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who are facing a lawsuit by those who support the ELCA. You Never Let Go by Matt Redman Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death Your perfect love is casting out fear And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life I won't turn back I know you are near And I will fear no evil For my God is with me And if my God is with me Whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear? (Chorus) Oh no, You never let go Through the calm and through the storm Oh no, You never let go In every high and every low Oh no, You never let go Lord, You never let go of me And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on A glorious light beyond all compare And there will be an end to these troubles But until that day comes We'll live to know You here on the earth (Chorus) Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on And there will be an end to these troubles But until that day comes Still I will praise You, still I will praise You (Chorus 2x's) © 2006 Sparrow It has been a busy 2011 for Exposing the ELCA. A year of ministry, writing, researching, emailing, replying, designing and informing. It has been a year of exposing darkness, encouraging conversations and correspondence. It has been a year of persecution by the enemy for standing up for Christ. Here are some of the most important happenings in Exposing the ELCA in 2011:
God bless you and happy new year! Dan Skogen Over the past couple of years there has sprung some excellent ELCA-related, orthodox Lutheran organizations, associations, and blogs which spoke to the troubling things happening in the ELCA. But lately, it seems many are disappearing or at least disengaging from confronting the ELCA of its heretical and non-Biblical ways. Many of these organizations had websites addressing the issues with the ELCA, but the websites have been taken down or abandoned. This saddens me, because the mission field I am called to and passionate about is the ELCA membership (which is being deceived by our wayward denomination), as well as people who the ELCA is trying to draw into its body, and the ELCA leadership themselves. However, with each orthodox organization, blog and association which disbands because of lack of funding or loss of interest due to those involved having escaped the chains of the ELCA, this mission is weakened. I want to cry out, “This is an important mission field, even if you have left the denomination!” Let’s take a look at what I am talking about: - WordAlone Ministries is no longer in operation. Thankfully their website is still online, which is a tremendous resource that I pray remains. (http://wordalone.org) - Reform From Within - their website, http://reformfromwithin.com, is no longer operational. I do not know if their organization is still running, but their opportunity to witness is greatly reduced by the removal of their website. - Faithfulness Gathering - they closed their website down. I don’t know if they are still “gathering.” - Call to Faithfulness - this organization’s website is still up, but it has not been updated for over 16 months. (http://calltofaithfulness.wordpress.com) - Association of Confessing Lutherans of Ohio - has not updated their website in over one year. (http://southernohiocore.wordpress.com) - Augsburg Lutheran Churches - it has been over one year since they posted a newsletter. (http://www.augsburgchurches.org/newsletters.shtm) - Evangelical Lutheran Society of Texas - has not updated their website since May 4, 2010. (http://www.evangelicallutheransynodoftexas.org/index.html) - EMN - Evangelical Mission Network (Southwest California) - the last action on their blog was April 30, 2008. (http://www.evangelicalmissionnetwork.blogspot.com) - Lutheran’s Persisting - their last blog entry was March 2011. (http://lutheranspersisting.wordpress.com) - Solid Ground - a Canadian orthodox Lutheran group has just announced their intention to disband. (this is not an ELCA-related entity, but it is an orthodox Lutheran organization concerned with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada) (http://www.solid-ground.ca) - The Lighthouse Covenant - this movement seems to have lost its momentum. Their website hardly works and there is great silence on their facebook page. (http://thelighthousecovenant.com and http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102832969360) - Shellfish - this blog has had one entry since March 2011. (http://saveelca.blogspot.com) It has gotten a little more “lonely” out here on the frontlines. Thank you to those people who support Exposing the ELCA’s mission. Pray that God will send more workers into this mission field. I recommend you take a look at the latest Lutheran CORE newsletter. There are four articles that deal with the ELCA. (see the newsletter here) Look for these articles - Farewell words from Pr. Mark Chavez (p. 1) Lutherans Reform! — South Central Pennsylvania (p. 4) Why I am a member of Lutheran CORE (p. 5) One congregation’s journey (p. 7) - (be sure to read this one!) ----- Exposing the ELCA is on twitter. Follow us by going here. New video by Exposing the ELCA Please share this with those you know. (the following article was originally printed in Exposing the ELCA's fall 2011 e-newsletter) I'd like to share with you two emails I received this month. The first - I am a junior who recently transferred to an ELCA affiliated college. I stumbled across your website after sitting through a particularly awful religion class - in my first of two religion courses that are required to fulfill the general core here - trying to fight back the disgust I felt for having to study such nonsense. I was brought up in a strong Bible-based Lutheran church body, and I couldn't believe what I was being told was "truth" and "fact" in class. I wanted to see how the professor could possibly believe the things he was telling us - obviously I didn't realize how far astray the ELCA really was from God. This website has given me so much comfort and reassurance, and it's become a habit to come back to it after each class and reaffirm that God's word is certainly pure and living and true. Thank you so much for helping me to stand under all the falsehoods I have to endure in this class. You have given form to my frustrations and answers to my incredulity. I pray that God continue to bless your efforts. Thank you! The second email . . . I found your site through a friend. Thank God someone has stepped forward with the truth. I left elca in 2009 in disgust. It wasn't just the direction they were headed, but that they've been headed that way all along and have been deceptive about it. The people I left behind are good folks, but either asleep or not willing to rock the boat. Bless you for taking a stand. I hope, by reading these two emails, you will see the vital role God has given Exposing the ELCA and those who support this ministry in helping those hurt, deceived and abandoned by the ELCA's departure from God's truth. People need this ministry. Thank you for being part of it. Your prayers, support and financial gifts are very much appreciated. You can give by following this link, help Exposing the ELCA. Thank you and God bless you in Jesus' name! Dan Skogen | Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and now ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
Gifts can be sent to - Dan Skogen 1970 50th St. Marion, IA 52302 Or give online: CategoriesAll ArchivesMay 2012  Exposing the ELCA is on Facebook 
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