ELCA News Briefs 02/06/2012
 
_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)

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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?

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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)
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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._
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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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For churches and ELCA members looking to break away from the ELCA, you will run into a lot of claims aimed at keeping you in the denomination.  Bishops will say “we need your (orthodox/traditional) voice” in the denomination.  They need you?  The ELCA is less Lutheran than it was last year.  The ELCA made no repentance over the last 10+ years the WordAlone organization was seeking the ELCA’s return to Scripture.  Lutheran Core also saw little change in the ELCA despite their strong voice for a return to orthodoxy.  If the ELCA hasn’t returned to the truth, over all these years, what makes one think that they will if your church stays in the ELCA? 

Some people claim that the devil is at work trying to divide us.  Satan wants you to believe that statement.  The fact is, Satan is actually working to change the truth, doctrine and our outlook on Scripture so that people will believe lies and not believe in Christ and find freedom from sin. Satan wants us to stay in a denomination that doesn't bring people to Christ anymore. 

I can’t understand those that place unity over God’s truth.  If the ELCA decided Bishop Hanson is the Son of God, not Jesus, would those same people still be calling on unity?  Would you remain a denomination that so blatantly rejects Truth? 

Jaynon Clark, WordAlone Ministries president wrote this to ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, "The time has come for someone--unfortunately me--to step up, no matter what the consequences are for doing so and call, ‘Foul.’ I intend to bellow like an over-padded umpire in this, my attempt, to stop the exportation of this false gospel and new religion you have presided over and imported into the ELCA and beyond. . . You openly proclaim that Scripture lacks clarity and is unable to address this present age with authority. This is blasphemy against God, His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit." (read here)

This "new religion" as Jaynon Clark calls it, is a false religion. I can not imagine God wanting us to remain in a denomination that is working to undermine everything He says. We should pray for them, we should speak the truth in love to them, but we should not remain or partake in their modern day worship of self.
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Exposing the ELCA's purpose is to inform members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) about the teachings, actions, policies and beliefs of the denomination.  Up until this point we have been using the exposingtheelca.com website, Exposing the ELCA Facebook page and internet news sources to help accomplish this goal.  On top of that, you, the readers of Exposing the ELCA, have played a huge role by telling your family, friends and fellow church members about the troublesome things going on in the ELCA (by email, word of mouth, and blogging).

I consider Exposing the ELCA a ministry of God.  We care about individuals in our denomination, as well as those the ELCA is influencing.  Many of the ELCA's teachings are leading people away from God and into an eternal destination of separation from Him.  We do what we do out of love.

Because of this, over recent months Exposing the ELCA has  expanded its efforts.  There are 65 synods in the ELCA and 10,000 congregations.  We want to send an introductory email to every pastor and congregation in the ELCA.  At this point, we have sent approximately 500 of these emails.

There are many ELCA members who do not have email accounts, internet service or pastors who tell them what is happening in the denomination.  Knowing this, over the last few weeks, Exposing the ELCA placed informational brochures on vehicles at two ELCA churches. 

We welcome your help in standing up for the truth of God's Word and the salvation that Jesus offers.  Please continue to share this website with people you know.  Write about what is happening in the ELCA on your websites and blogs.  Pass out brochures (see here) to ELCA members and churches in your community.  Pray for this ministry.  And if you feel called, donations are also welcome (see the "donate" button on the right side of the page).  Thank you for all you do!

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Faithfulness Gathering, a group of "faithful Lutherans in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa," has decided to give up on reforming the ELCA.

The Faithfulness Gathering website reports, ". . .we are finished working within the ELCA for an overall systemic, organizational reform. That doesn’t mean we have to give up on the hope of spiritual reform for all sinners within the E?CA – that work continues as it always has. But this does mean we can cut our losses and stop wasting time, energy, and money in fighting politically against these entrenched heresies holding grip on the E?CA organization (it is not a church). We can still work for revival and conversion of one person at a time, one church at a time.

There may be pockets of resistance,  but many are simply moving on – that is what Lutheran CORE and LCMC are there for. If there was going to be a huge backlash, it would have happened by now. But instead of that, we’re seeing a total lack of loyalty - nothing new in the ELCA – continuing its downward slide, but even more rapidly.   People and churches are simply leaving rather than staying and fighting to change the church. People just don’t care all that much about the E?CA! Who needs it? There are plenty of other options out there!" (Read "What is happening in SE MN after the 2010 synod assembly?")

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