Below is a letter from St. Mark's Lutheran Church (Marion, Iowa) church council president and senior pastor indicating that this ELCA and LCMC dual-affiliated church has been removed from the ELCA roster of churches by the Southeastern Iowa Synod Council.
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April 24, 2012 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As you know, the church council has been in continuing conversations with Bishop Michael Burk regarding our denominational affiliation. It has been and continues to be our desire to keep you up to date. We were informed yesterday that on Saturday, April 21, the Southeast Iowa ELCA Synod Council removed St. Mark’s congregation from the roster of ELCA churches. St. Mark’s remains a Lutheran church, our building remains the property of St. Mark’s, and our congregation’s mission continues as before. We neither celebrate nor grieve the synod’s actions, but we desire to listen to those who may be hurting or confused as a result of these actions.
After the decisions of the ELCA church-wide assembly in 2009, our congregation spent much time studying our denominational affiliation. Our congregational votes to leave the ELCA ultimately resulted in St. Mark’s remaining part of the ELCA. To bring healing and unity to our church family, the church council held discussions with congregational members and Bishop Burk, and reviewed the precedent set by other congregations who are dual-affiliated. After these actions, the church council voted to join Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) while remaining in the ELCA.
Soon after St. Mark’s dual affiliation with the ELCA and the LCMC, the synod placed our congregation under censure and admonishment. In addition, Pastor Fruhling was recently removed from the clergy roster of ELCA pastors. The synod’s unprecedented action to remove St. Mark’s from the ELCA because of our dual affiliation is saddening and disappointing. We remain a distinctly Lutheran congregation in the Cedar Rapids area as a part of the LCMC, and we belong to no one but Christ.
St. Mark’s will continue to support and work with our brothers and sisters in the ELCA and remain faithful to our mission partners in the ELCA, such as CrossRoads Mission, San Lucas and Cristo Rey Lutheran churches in Texas and Mexico, and World Hunger Appeals, among others. Our focus remains on outreach and our mission is to share Christ’s love with others.
We will continue our pastoral call process and begin to look at constitutional updates that will be needed. While there are challenges ahead, there are opportunities for strengthening our witness as the body of Christ, and we are confident that St. Mark’s will move forward in mission for our Lord.
Yours in Christ,
| Kurt Beenen
Church Council President | Pastor Perry Fruhling
Senior Pastor | Previous article about St. Mark's Lutheran Church:- Dual Rostered Church Censured, Pastor De-Rostered By ELCA Bishop (see here)
The following is a letter from both the council president and senior pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Marion, Iowa. (elca.org lists St. Mark's average attendance at 961)
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March 27, 2012
There is on body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6
Dear Partners of St. Mark’s,
As we continue our Lenten journey, we give thanks to God for calling us to the cross and into a deeper relationship with Christ, and for continuing opportunities for faithful service to Him. St. Mark’s church council last updated you in late November regarding denominational issues. That update followed the council’s resolution to dual roster with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Since then, we have continued conversations with our synod bishop, Michael Burk, in regard to our relationship with the ELCA.
In response to the council’s November resolution, Bishop Burk has placed St. Mark’s under censure and admonishment. Our council has continued conversations with the synod to fully understand what this means. The first indication of any change in procedures was that the synod office would not provide assistance to us in the pastoral call process. Our call committee, however, is continuing its work and has several excellent ELCA pastoral candidates with whom it is moving forward in conversations that may ultimately lead to a call. Each of the candidates is aware of our circumstances and is pleased to continue the interview process.
This past week we received word that Pastor Perry Fruhling has been removed from the ELCA clergy roster. While the ELCA actions are disappointing, we anticipated that there could be some ramifications to our council resolution. Pastor Perry was called and will continue to serve St. Mark’s congregation for years to come. Arrangements have been made to ensure continuity of his healthcare benefits and pension. Since Pastor Perry was called according to our constitution as an ELCA pastor, we have simply extended the provisions of that call going forward.
What follows remains in the hands of our local bishop and the Southeastern Iowa Synod Council. In our communication with the bishop, we have made it clear that we desire to continue our current relationship with the ELCA as a dual-rostered church. We continue as a congregation to generously support numerous faithful ELCA ministries.
Our application to affiliate with the LCMC has been accepted, and we remain committed to being part of a Lutheran church body. Regardless of any ELCA actions, St. Mark’s continues as a Lutheran church and ownership of our building remains firmly with our congregation. Our building addition gives St. Mark’s the unique ability to reach out to the community and continue to serve others. Our recent Christmas Eve services and Ash Wednesday service had record numbers of people attending. As a congregation of faithful servants to God’s Word, we will continue to grow.
We encourage you to pray for the ELCA, the LCMC and for all members of St. Mark’s as we move forward in serving Christ. As always, please call or email council@faith-life.org with any questions or concerns.
Yours in Christ,
Kurt Beenen
Church Council President | Pastor Perry Fruhling
Senior Pastor |
I received this update from a friend.
Much is happening with the confessional Lutheran movement in Wisconsin. Here are some highlights - please pray God's guidance and glory be demonstrated in each of these circumstances: - Pastor Mark Richardson, service coordinator for the Augustana District of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, held an educational session about LCMC at Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire May 8. Nearly 90 people were in attendance. Another education session was held Thursday night as that congregation continues to move forward. You'll recall from earlier posts that Grace's council decided to affiliate the congregation with Lutheran Congregations in Missions for Christ two days after 56% of the congregation voted to extract itself from the ELCA (while an obvious majority, short of the 2/3 vote required to continue the disaffiliation process). At present, Grace is dual rostered for ELCA and LCMC. In the meantime, Grace has voted to withhold funding from ELCA, and continue to provide educational opportunities for the congregation about LCMC. Northwest Wisconsin ELCA Bishop Duane Pederson has established a new congregation (officially a Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community) two blocks away from Grace.
- Hope Lutheran Church of Ladysmith held its first vote to disaffiliate from the ELCA on Sunday, May 15. The vote resulted in more than 85% favoring to leave the ELCA, more than the two-thirds majority required to continue the process. The next step in the process will be a consultation with the Bishop Pederson. After at least 90 days and that consultation, the congregation may hold a second vote. If two-thirds or more again vote to leave and join another Lutheran organization at that time, the only ELCA congregation in Ladysmith will have removed itself from that organization. Despite the fact the Hope is early in its process, Bishop Pederson has already authorized another Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community in Ladysmith, called Walking in Grace. You may visit the website at http://walkingingraceelca.org/walkingingrace/.
- This Sunday is another big day at Hope in Ladysmith, as it will ordain a daughter of the congregation. Jody Becker invites anyone to attend her ordination at Hope at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The Bishop of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) Paull Spring will preside over the service. Following the service, there will be a picnic in Hawkins, 20 miles east of Ladysmith. Rev. Becker, who received her Master of Divinity degree from Luther Northwestern Seminary earlier this month, has been called to serve Bethel Lutheran Church of Hawkins and Bethany Lutheran Church of Catawba, which are associated both with NALC and LCMC after leaving the ELCA last month. Rev. Becker has been serving both congregations while attending seminary for the past three years.
- Peter Rimmereid, another recent Luther grad, will be ordained on Sunday, June 5 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bloomer (ELCA), his home congregation. Two weeks later, Peter will be installed as pastor at Bethesda Lutheran Church (LCMC) in Dresser at it’s 10 a.m. service. The ordination Sunday will be the last in the pulpit at St. John’s for its long time pastor, Peter’s father Bruce Rimmereid. Rev. Bruce Rimmereid announced his resignation from St. John’s after the congregation failed in its effort to extract itself from the ELCA in a vote last month.
- There are new beginnings in Bloomer, however. A new congregation is forming, initially from people who were members of St. Johns, but made the decision they could not stay with their congregation if it was staying in the ELCA. They have held several organizational meetings, and have a steering committee dealing with key details, including incorporation and naming. The as-yet-unnamed congregation will have its first worship at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 22 at the Bloomer Senior/Civic Center on Duncan Road. Pastor Jerry Hibbard of Stanfold Lutheran in Rice Lake will be leading that initial worship.
- Faith Lutheran Mission Church, the first LCMC church in Eau Claire which formed in January of 2010, votes tomorrow on issuing a letter of call to its first pastor.
- Please be in prayer for a conference coming up this weekend in Waupaca sponsored by Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) of Wisconsin. The conference entitled “Strength for Today..Bright Hope for Tomorrow…the Journey of Discipleship” takes place Sunday 2-5:30 p.m. The conference is for inspiration, learning, and mutual encouragement for all orthodox Lutherans in Wisconsin.
- Our friends in the Twin Cities Area Chapter of WordAlone/Lutheran CORE are having an open meeting Thursday, May 26 featuring Dr. Hans Wiersma, Asst. Professor of Religion at Augsburg College. Dr. Wiersma will speak on the subject, “Feathers and All: Luther, Lutherans and the Holy Spirit,” dealing with such questions as how Lutheran understanding of the Holy Spirit lines up with the Biblical witness, and to the understanding of others. The event takes place at Roseville Lutheran Church, 1214 West Roselawn Avenue in Roseville. If you’d like to learn more, call 612-889-5709, or e-mail wordalonespas@aol.com.
The Resolution of Revenge
By Rev. Cary G. Larson
In spite of numerous scriptural support from the Old and New Testaments for Christians to not to seek vengeance or revenge, as this is a matter for God and God alone, members of the ELCA’s Southeastern Minnesota (SEMN) Synod apparently believe that God needs some assistance.
On May 7th, the SEMN Synod’s assembly, entertained and voted on a resolution benignly titled “Resolution 2011-01:
ELCA Health and Benefits Program”. This resolution of revenge sought to recommend to the ELCA Church Council to seriously consider and adopt a policy of “removing from the Health and Benefits Program of the ELCA, clergy who have left the ELCA or encouraged their congregations or laity to do so.”
In the original form the Resolution of Revenge was recorded as follows:
WHEREAS, both the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) and Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) are encouraging congregations, clergy, and laity to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); and
WHEREAS, some clergy have violated the governing documents of the ELCA by encouraging their congregations to leave the ELCA;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2011 Southeastern Minnesota Synod in assembly request that the ELCA Church Council consider removing from the Health and Benefits Program of the ELCA, clergy who have left the ELCA or encouraged their congregations or laity to do so.
The “whereas” paragraphs seemed problematic as according to the Synod’s own report, “During the discussion, multiple amendments to the resolution were brought to the floor, ranging from modifying phrases to revising language to striking all of lines 1-11. As discussion continued, Bishop Usgaard brought the discussion to a close in order that parliamentarian study could take place.” Lines 1-11 are the words prior to the “Therefore”.
According to one source that was present, during the lengthy preliminary discussion Rev. Sandy Rothschiller of the ELCA Board of Pensions (BOP) was granted the floor and advised against such measures as it hurts the BOP in the long run. Apparently this wisdom was ignored.
“Later in the afternoon, Bishop Usgaard was seen at the podium holding a copy of Robert’s Rules for Dummies, helping to lighten the mood, and he made a promise to the assembly that “We’re going to finish this.” Each proposal to amend the resolution was discussed, voted, and defeated, bringing the assembly back to the resolution as a whole. The debate continued. The resolution eventually passed as amended with a vote of 239 for, 129 against.” continues the synod’s report.
The resolution of revenge passed significantly after striking the words, “or encouraged their congregations or laity to do so”, of the original resolution.
It is interesting to note that while the wellness of dependents of clergy, including infants and children, could be grossly affected by this resolution, Bishop Usgaard took it upon himself to “lighten the mood” as the assembled synod delegates addressed this most serious issue.
The resolution of revenge as passed by the SEMN Synod of the ELCA clearly demonstrates that the patience within the ELCA is waning towards those, especially clergy, who disagree with the apostasies voted into play at the CWA09. Instead of practicing tolerance and grace, which the ELCA boasts as their cherished virtues, the proposed and adopted resolution clearly illustrates intolerance towards clergy who stand on the authority of Holy Scripture alone.
A reader sent this to me. For those that may be interested.
“MOVING FORWARD”
LCMC AREA WIDE WORKSHOP
Sunday, June 5th, 2011
Seward Ag. Pavilion
Seward, NE
For more information see here
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