This report is from someone I know very well. I few weeks ago, this person visited a small ELCA church in the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin. The female pastor brought the children forward for the children's sermon. The message for that Sunday was about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At least twice, the pastor mentioned to the children that they could call God, “Mother God.” The person visiting the church was very surprised upon hearing the pastor say this so the person listened intently and heard the pastor say it again a couple minutes later.
What kind of denomination is this that tells children that they can call God “Mother?” That is not a Biblical name of God! This happened in a small, middle of America ELCA church. If it can happen there, it can and will happen in your church sooner or later.
Inez Torres Davis, the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA) Director for Justice, is a regular writer for WELCA's website. She made this statement in her latest contribution to that website:
“I pray to discover Sofia’s guidance so that I may identify and then take actions that carry God’s promises.” (see here)
I don't know how Inez Davis defines “Sofia,” whether it is some gnostic, feminist feminizing of God or if it is the pagan deity. But neither is right and it should be rejected by Bible-believing Christians.
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The ELCA's North Carolina Synod had this announcement in their latest e-newsletter: LGBT Couples Retreat--Saturday, May 11
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Fairview, NC, will host an LGBT Couples Retreat on Saturday, May 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This one-day retreat offers a time apart for LGBT couples to work on their communication skills and meet other couples who value spirituality as an important part of their relationship. There will be time for worship, relationship building, Bible study, and fellowship. The cost of this retreat is $40 per couple which includes a light breakfast and lunch.
The retreat is made possible by a grant Abiding Savior received from Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. "This is an area of ministry with the LGBT community that our congregation thought was missing," says the Rev. David Eck, pastor of Abiding Savior. To download the brochure and register for this event, please go to the Abiding Savior website.
(see here) This is the ELCA. And Bible-believing members are having it forced upon them.
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The ELCA's Southwest California Synod recently wrote this on their Facebook page:
“If you and your spouse/partner are Portico Benefits members, please complete the survey before April 30 and save the synod’s congregations and ministries money!”
Notice “partner.”
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The ELCA 1991 Social Statement on the Death Penalty declared “we oppose the death penalty.” (see here)
The ELCA's Rocky Mountain Synod is publicly advocating the repeal of the death penalty. Their March e-newsletter said this: Abolition Sunday - Focusing on Repealing the Death Penalty
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry - CO has been involved with a coalition working to repeal the death penalty in Colorado for many years. This year is the year! We ask everyone to get involved to support the repeal of the death penalty. As Christians, we are called to be committed to justice and oppose the death penalty. "Executions harm society by mirroring and reinforcing existing injustice. The death penalty distracts us from our work toward a just society. It deforms our response to violence at the individual, familial, institutional, and systemic levels. It perpetuates cycles of violence" (ELCA Social Statement).
One way you can take part is participating in Abolition Sunday. During Abolition Sunday, you can host a guest speaker, watch a movie on the death penalty, gather facts sheets and petitions, and contact your Representative and Senator to support the repeal of the death penalty.
(See here) So the ELCA believes the Bible is supportive of homosexual relations and abortions but is against the death penalty? They must be living in a Bizzaro World where right is wrong, up is down and wisdom is foolishness.
The television mini-series, The Bible has been a ratings winner for the History Channel (over 12 million people watching the final show) and has been the talk of media outlets, twitter and the general population. Franklin Graham said, "This mini-series will cause many people to take an interest in the Bible that otherwise might not have." How awesome is that? God's Word portrayed on television drawing people to Himself!
But in typical ELCA fashion, the ELCA-wide group, Women of the ELCA (WELCA) does not like the high impact mini-series, The Bible, which is no surprise based on the way the denomination seems to view the actual Bible. The other day I come across a post on Facebook by WELCA (April 1st) pointing to a blog on their website blasting the show. The post said,
“Today's blogger takes a critical look at the History Channel's series 'The Bible.' Popular, yes? Accurate, no.” Then WELCA provided a link to their article (see the WELCA facebook page here)
So what was the WELCA blogger's problem that caused her to claim, “The mini-series 'The Bible' retold one of the most heinous lies”? Reading the article we find that the blogger doesn't like the skin color of some of the actors. That's right. The blogger admits, “I only watched the first episode” but then says, “I didn’t need to see any more after the blonde Noah spoke with something between a Welsh and Scottish accent. That was enough because watching that first installment was like witnessing a reckless April Fool’s Day joke.”
She continues, “I don’t need to watch White producers and actors stretch an old lie into the future” and “We are not supposed to lie.” Going into a full-on rant she says, “Jesus was not White. Noah was not White. Adam was not White. No one in ancient biblical times was White. And there were only a few 'Gentiles' in the New Testament and they were not Northern European Gentiles. Wake up!” (see here)
Really!! Does this author know the skin color of Adam? (if she even believes in a historical Adam, that is) Does she know what Noah and Jesus looked like? Does it matter?
I find it interesting that Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America says the people associated with the mini-series are perpetuating lies (and I reject that claim) while WELCA itself is part of a denomination that believes the Bible is filled with lies.
Are you involved with Women of the ELCA? Did you know that this organization is a vocal supporter of homosexuality? If not, prepare to be stunned. Last week, Women of the ELCA posted a comment on its Facebook page which associates Christ's arrest and crucifixion to gay rights. The comment said:
“Many of you know Mary Button for the resources she's written for Women of the ELCA or articles for Cafe. You also might remember art that Mary created last year during Lent that she shared widely. Mary's done it again, creating Stations of the Cross that depict the struggle of the LGBT community in the 20th and 21st centuries. Mary offers this art for your Lenten journey.” (here is Women of the ELCA's facebook page. You will have to scroll down the page to find the comment).
The outright support shown by Women of the ELCA for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) lifestyle included a link to the offensive LGBT Stations of the Cross artwork. (see artwork here)
Next to the piece, “Station 9: Jesus falls the third time” the artist writes:
“1978: Former Supervisor Dan White assassinates openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, along with Mayor George Moscone. Milk was the first openly gay politician to be elected to public office in California.”
Associating Christ sacrifice and redemptive work with any human being, not to mention Harvey Milk, is disgraceful. Harvey Milk at age 33 had a sexual relationship with a 16 year old boy, yet Women of the ELCA is promoting this. (see here)
For “Station 11: Crucifixion,” the artist compares the Romans crucifying Christ to psychologists helping those with same-sex attraction to change their desires.
On “Station 12: Jesus dies on the cross,” the artist places these words on her painting, "How many transgenders have (to) die before you get involv(ed)."
Under “Station 13: Jesus is taken down from the cross” the artist associates it with what she calls “homophobic legislative.”
For “Station 14: Jesus is laid in the tomb” the artist writes “Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller found the It Gets Better Project.” (read about Dan Savage here)
Really!?!? The ELCA has stooped to this? Christ is no advocate for gay rights. Christ is an advocate for all people, including gay people, seeking repentance for their sin and to follow him.
The ELCA leadership has been very vocal over the last three years, telling every member who disagreed with the ELCA endorsement of homosexuality that they would not be affected by it. That is a lie that served their own cause. ELCA synods, ELCA churchwide, ELCA leadership, ELCA publications, ELCA seminaries, ELCA colleges, ELCA Youth Gatherings and Women of the ELCA proclaim and publicize their support of homosexuality. Looking at ELCA churches, some of them perform gay weddings and support civil unions, some do not talk about the issue (their silence equates to acceptance), but relatively few ELCA churches continue to uphold God's Word on the issue; that it is a sin for which people need to repent. Homosexual approval and support rules the denomination. ELCA members are bombarded with it and those members are placing themselves and their children in a position of compromise by staying in ELCA.
The March for Life was held today in Washington D.C. “March for Life is an annual pro-life rally protesting abortion . . . (which takes place) on or around the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade.” (see here) It is the talk of the town on The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Facebook page (see here). They even posted a picture of Rev. John Bradosky, Bishop of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) and LCMS President Harrison as they participated in the March. (see here) For an event that had national Lutheran leaders participating, one would think the largest Lutheran denomination would find it newsworthy enough to send their leader, or at least address it; wouldn't you? I haven't seen any pictures or reports of ELCA leaders attending the March, and nothing was even said about it on the ELCA's official website or its Facebook page. NOTHING.
Not only that, this week as Christian denominations, organizations and individuals spoke, wrote and posted about the 40th anniversary of the legalization of abortion (Roe vs. Wade) on Facebook the ELCA and Women of the ELCA (WELCA) posted nothing. However, two days later something of such significance was taking place that WELCA had to address it. What was it you ask? National Handwriting Day. (see here – scroll down the page)
55 million unborn children have been killed in the last 40 years in the United States and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America doesn't even address the evil tragedy. That's because the evil tragedy of abortion is considered “good” in the ELCA. (see here)
Women of the ELCA (WELCA), in a recent blog, made the claim that they are “Advocating for girls’ rights everywhere.” (read here)
Their claim is simply not true. What about girls who are in the womb? Women of the ELCA is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and this denomination certainly does not advocate for the life of unborn girls. They advocate for the destruction of unborn girls and boys. (see here)
It is time every ELCA and WELCA member recognizes what their denomination supports and what they themselves are supporting by being members of the denomination.
So my question to you is this: is God calling you to stand up for the rights of the innocent, the unborn children? Is God calling you to let your brothers and sisters in Christ know the radical pro-abortion position of the ELCA? Here are two resources (fliers/posters) that I encourage you to print off and share with others. 1) The ELCA and Abortion: THE FACTS and 2) Dear ELCA Members: You have the right to know!
If your church leaves the ELCA, the national WELCA office will want the money in the local WELCA account to be sent to them. (see here)
But don’t worry. There is a simple solution to this is. Prior to the second vote of your church to leave the ELCA, give the money in your WELCA account away. One option is to give the money to your congregation and designate it to be given to the local church women’s group. This way you get to decide where the money goes and WELCA’s national organization can not have what is not in the account.
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