ELCA News Briefs 01/06/2012
 
_This is being promoted in the Saint Paul Area Synod newsletter -

“. . .Lutherans Concerned/Twin Cities (LC/TC) holds its seventh annual Reconciling in Christ (RIC) festival worship as part of the national celebration of welcoming churches, recognizing faith communities that bear a public witness to God’s love for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities.”
(see here)

I wonder if the ELCA posts Lutheran CORE gatherings in their publications.

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From this month’s The Lutheran:

“Heard a report from ELCA Secretary David Swartling that included the ELCA's current number of congregations (9,995) and baptized membership (4.2 million).” (see here)

The total given for baptized membership is, in all likelihood, high because many churches do not update their membership rolls very often.

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For those wondering how much money the ELCA spent on the sexuality studies, a statement from 2002 says the ELCA “approved $1.15 million to fund the six-year project.”  (see here)

From what I have read, it seems that the $1.15 million does not include the salary for ELCA staff who worked on the project.

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The ELCA official website claims this about their “Peace Not Walls” blog:

“The Peace Not Walls blog is meant to show the breadth of views and opinions surrounding the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” (see here)

That's Hogwash!  I have not seen a blog from this website that represents the prevailing Israeli viewpoint.  What this blog does do is promote the ELCA leadership’s anti-Israel world view.  Just look at the above statement calling the land “occupied.”  It is an anti-Israeli narrative and very bias.  Do not be fooled by the ELCA claims. 
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_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!)

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Exposing the ELCA is on twitter.  Follow us by going here.

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WordAlone Ministries, a stalwart in calling the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America back to its Biblical and Confessional roots, has decided to halt its ministry due to financial reasons. For twelve-plus years WordAlone has faithfully carried out God’s calling.  Undoubtedly, their work lives on, as WordAlone has been instrumental in the forming of the LCMC, LutheranCORE and Sola Publishing.
 
Exposing the ELCA is saddened to see WordAlone Ministries close its doors, but we praise God for the work He has done through this faithful organization. Please keep the WordAlone leadership and staff in your prayers as they seek His direction for what is next in their lives.
 
Read WordAlone Ministries Announcement here.
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America wants to change the rules.  They want to make it much harder for orthodox, traditional, Scripture-believing ELCA churches to leave the denomination. 

Read all about it on the front page of Lutheran CORE's newsletter (here).  The proposal will be voted on in August 2011 at the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

How are these proposed amendments acceptable?  Is this an example of Christian love?  Did God give the ELCA leadership a 'new revelation' to 'do whatever possible' to take away congregations' free will?  The ELCA gives lip-service to respecting our "bound conscience," but in reality their intentions and motivations are only self-serving.  Sadly, the ELCA is trying to force you to partake in their heresy, false teachings and false gospel. 

My advice - Get out now! 
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Some Good News 06/01/2010
 
After exposing an anti-Israeli resolution being voted on at Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly, (read here) I am happy to tell you that the good people in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod are standing up to the ELCA, while they boldly stand for truth and God's Word.

Below are a number of the resolutions that will be voted on.

Item One: Conference [One] Teaching Statement

We, the members of Conference One of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA teach and believe that marriage is between one man and one woman and sexual activities belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage.

Item Two: Memorial on the Teaching of Marriage

BE IT RESOLVED that this synod teach and [confess] that marriage is between one man and one woman and sexual activity belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage.

Item Three: Memorial to the Synod Assembly

WHEREAS, the decisions of the 2009 CWA in regard to the implemented resolutions of rostered leaders in Publically Accountable Life-long Monogamous Same-sex relationship have wounded the collegial relationships within our synod, therefore be it,

RESOLVED, that the 2010 Assembly of the Southwestern PA synod of the ELCA censure (to critize severely, to blame, as from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language) the decisions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in adopting the Social statement, ”Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” and the four resolutions on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23-24-26 & 27) as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2, of the ELCA Constitution, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ELCA Church Council be advised of this resolution.

Item Four: Memorial to rescind the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly

WHEREAS the members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA regard the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly on Ministry Policies and the actions of the Church Council to implement them to be violations of the ELCA’s Constitution (Confession of Faith, chapter two) be it

RESOLVED, that the 2010 Assembly of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA memorialize the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to rescind the four resolutions on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23-24-26 & 27) and their implementation.

Item Five: Memorial to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly—Stand with Africa

WHEREAS the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania in its April 29, 2010 press release declared:

“This church does not accept reasons offered by advocates of same-sex marriage and its legitimacy unless it is based on the Word of God and Biblical teaching; therefore, we reject inappropriate and false interpretations of scripture produced to justify the marriage of people of the same gender.

“This church encourages and supports all those around the world who oppose churches that have taken the decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

The statement goes on to say:

“Those supporting same-sex marriages have started to do all they can to destroy one Biblical passage after another in order to legalize homosexuality and affirm that marriage is not necessarily between a man and a woman. They do so by putting forward their new and wrong interpretation – one which displays an attitude and understanding which differs from that which has existed for many years in the Church regarding the meaning of marriage in accordance with the teachings of the Word of God.”

“Some Bible passages that have been misused and given another interpretation to defend same-sex marriage are the following: Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24, Matthew 19:5-7, Romans 1:26-27, Galatians 3:28, etc.”

The statement goes on to say:

“The ELCA and otherpeople worldwide who support our stand on the issue of opposing same-sex marriage believe that the Bible cannot be interpreted according to people’s wishes or according to other authorities of to culture. Rather, the Bible is self explanatory and is merely translated into various languages without altering the meaning.”

BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA stand in solidarity with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania’s statement.

Item Six: Conference [One] Declaration

We, the members of Conference [One] of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA declare this conference to be a Lutheran CORE Conference.
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Link to the article.

Seems to me that the ELCA is trying to intimidate congregations that are or would consider leaving the ELCA, into staying.  This is also an great example what the ELCA truly is about.  They say it is ok to have differing theology on homosexuality, but in reality if a pastor or congregation disagrees with the ELCA positions, they will punish you.

There will be much more of this to come, I'm sure.

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A lot of hot (and crazy) wind is blowing and it is coming from Philadelphia.  Specifically from Lutheran Theological Seminary (ELCA) Professor Jon Pahl.

Jon seems upset.  I don't blame him.  He works for a denomination that has turned its back on God's word and is in danger of dying.  People are leaving the ELCA in droves and Jon gets most of his paycheck from that dying denomination.   So he is going on the attack.

Professor Pahl begins, "All in all, the core of Lutheran CORE is rotten."  

He claims heresies abound in Lutheran CORE and that the organization is about "American imperial ambition."

"Its mostly white, male, clergy fear the loss of privilege that heterosexual orientation and male status have so faithfully (and profitably) delivered over the decades and centuries," says the professor.  Jon should really stop there because this fit he is throwing will do nothing to persuade the bible-believing ELCA members to want to stay in the ELCA.  But he doesn't.

"Informed largely by American civil religion, and seeking to preserve not the 'great tradition' of the church, but instead the 'traditional' values of heterosexual, white, male, privilege, it is my studied historical judgment that Lutheran CORE cannot, and will not, play a major role in the history of the church," says Professor Pahl.

Our good professor then says the way Lutheran CORE defines marriage does not come from the Bible or Lutheran Confessions but it does come from the "'Defense of Marriage Acts' that have emerged in federal and state legislation as efforts to keep gays and lesbians from the civil and economic rights. . . These laws are distinctively American" (meaning "bad"), "and they are unjust because they legitimize unnecessary violence."

Professor Pahl, thank you for helping to support the view that the last place anyone would want to call a pastor from nowadays, is an ELCA seminary.

Article, found on the official ELCA website. 

(readers, thank you for sending this article to me)
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