Exposing the ELCA

As a retired marriage & famly therapist, I wanted to share statistics at our synod assembly and the ELCA CWA, showing the shortness of gay and lesbian relationships, as compared with heterosexual ones. I was advised against it, because "it would be too confrontational". Who was trying to hide the truth? Now those who are staying in the ELCA can live with the results.

I am a former ELCA pastor, and left the church officially as of September 2009. The ELCA has lost it's footings, and as far as I am concerned, not Christian. I too would encourage people to leave dodge and join a Bible Teaching Chuch.

We had a meeting nearly a year ago with our Bishop and 9 former homosexuals. They told their stories of broken marriages and broken lives and a feeling of dissonance with God's plan for them. It was the first time our Bishop ever met a former homosexual. These men and women had heart warming stories of redemption and deliverance (there words) and of healing.

I'm told by our Bishop that at no time did the committee on human sexuality speak with someone who had left the homosexual lifestyle. They simply weren't interested.

I believe that Any Church who entertains the idea of allowing people who are practicing a Sin Nature, to be a Church leader or Pastor, is opening the door to Satan. People cannot lead, preach, guide other people in the Christian Walk if they themselves are not walking accordingly to God's Word.

My wife & I were life-long members of the Lutheran Church that transitioned into the ELCA. We are in our mid-fifties. In 2005, we had become what we believed to be lazy luthereans; some are referred to as "chri-easters". Our poor church attendance had a 6 year track record, which began shortly after our last child was confirmed. We were happy with the ELCA, and at that time, the homosexual position was to "pray for them". Nothing good comes from regularly skipping church, not sharing God's WORD, or not reading God's WORD in the Bible. I got reckless, made a huge mistake, and then proceeded to take 1 1/2 years to regain my good sense. Thankfully, a WELS Pastor met with me and brought me into a twice a week Bible Study; then months of Bible Study. My wife was never comfortable with the WELS, so we joined the local lutherean (ELCA) church, not our church homes from S.D. or MN., but in northern WI, where we planned to retire in 15 or 20 years. Two years passed and we attended church zealouly each Sunday. My friend from the WELS had a true gift from GOD, and I was fervent in reading the Bible, Worshipping and sharing the Good News. My wife is, without question, my best friend, but she didn't share my passion for religion. Our church home was multiplying rapidly, from 600 members to 900 + members, mostly due to the youthful and energetic Pastor. [Lesson: get the kids interested and the parents follow, too.] When I learned, during the summer of '09, that our Pastor had attended the MPLS convention and voted in favor of allowing homosexual Pastors to preach and teach, it was crushing. My wife & I did not go back to church after August '09. Two days prior to Christmas '09, my wife and I were both emotionally down, as we had always been chri-easters @ a minimum. I telephoned the Bishops office in Chetek, WI. The Bishop was out of town, so the assistant bishop spoke with me. He listened understandingly and, initially, asked sound questions to gain appropriate knowlege of our problem. At a point when he knew the homosexual pastor issue was a deal breaker for me, the Assistant Bishop became more assertive in his defense of the ELCA's position. This man went so far as to inform me that if Jesus were walking the earth today, HE would be instructing us differently on the Gay Issue, because society has changed significantly in the last 2000 years. The assistant bishop must not have appreciated my response, because he then pretended to not hear me and hung up on me. I have tried to communicate with the Pastor and the church board, but they have gone to a position of shunning me and my wife. I resigned. The church responded by releasing both my wife and I, which was upsetting to my wife. An E-mail was sent to the Congregation President, who took a month to "look into it" and then replied that a mistake was made with regard to releasing my wife and they'd get back to us. It's been over a month and we've heard nothing, which suggests to me that they really don't want us around. Personally, I still read my Bible or a devotional booklet, nightly, and provide my wife with inspiration of God's WORD as she'll allow, but I can honestly state that the hypocrisy of the ELCA and our former church home has left me with quite a hole in my heart.

I am crushed, lost and disillusioned by ELCA's resolution on homosexual partners as pastors. Was there any one who voted for "this" resolution able to refer to Bible scripture to support the
resolution? It is my opinion that the ELCA is trying to conform to society standards instead of looking to Scripture for guidance. I am truly not a prejudicial person but consenting partners in a homosexual relation preaching morals to the congregation is a little much. I have been a Lutheran for over 75 years, hate to leave the church but I have just lost heart.

The Upstate New York Synod voted to "study" the homosexual question in the year 2000 at a cost of $1,000,000.00. After that synodical meeting, I wrote the Bishop (Lee Miller) and informed him that St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Griffins Mills would NOT financially support the synod. In his reply, his stated that I could not withhold money because the congregational budget meeting had declared that support in a previous meeting. How wrong he was. There is never a law for me to support the disguise of sin. My point is this. Stop supporting ANY ELCA church financially.
On April 12, 2009, I retired and left the ELCA, as did my former congregation.
Sadly, in my retirement I am without a synodical congregation. However, I still rejoice in the Lord for those who stand against the sinful world.

The ELCA is coming at us with their theology of "the mind of Jesus". Using this as a means to allow gay people to be pastors. The ELCA wants to say that Jesus said "Love the Lord thy God, and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. They believe this message says that Jesus is about loving,mercy,and forgiveness and that because of this, we should let gay's be pastors. The ELCA would like to compartmentalize GOD and only focus on "the mind of Jesus","what would Jesus do". This is like separating steam from water, it's all wet! Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians Ch. 6 verses 9&10.. that the people who practice these lifestyles shall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD. So how can the ELCA give people who are practicing a livestyle that they shall NOT see Heaven, the right to preach to the public the way of GOD ??

My wife and I considered joining a ELCA church in the area but I have completely disagreed with doing so since the vote to allow gay/lesbian pastors. If I want a meal my way I go to Burger King but if I want to get religious answers I go to a church that provides me a way to get answers. I don't expect to have the church change their believes just because of some liberal wave that being gay/lesbian is a good lifestyle choice.

Thousands of years of Biblical teaching should determine our moral standards,not politics or modern pop culture. Two things the Bible is clear about are the sinfulness of the homosexual act and the definition of marriage as a man and a woman. Holy matrimony should not be politicized to benefit the liberals and gay activists.