ELCA Leaders Pushing For Marriage Equality and Abortion

10/20/2011

Almost 100 ELCA pastors and leaders have endorsed a declaration entitled, “Religious Declaration on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing.” In this document, the ELCA leaders call for marriage equality for homosexuals, and they voice their commitment to abortion, among other things.

Concerning marriage equality and abortion, the declaration says, “We call for:”
- “Full inclusion of women and LGBT persons in congregational life, including their ordination and marriage equality.”
- “A faith-based commitment to sexual and reproductive rights, including access to voluntary contraception, abortion, and HIV/STI prevention and treatment.” (read here)

Here is the list of ELCA pastors and leaders who signed this public declaration:

Rev. Michael E. Allwein; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Gettysburg, PA

Rev. Dr. LaVonne Althouse; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Retired Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Lititz, PA

Rev. Glenn M. Anderson; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Park Rapids, MN

Rev. Kirk Anderson; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Prescott Valley, AZ; Dewey, AZ

Rev. Dr. Theodore W. Asta; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutherans Concerned; Worcester, MA

Reverend John F. Backe; Lutheran, Our Savior's Lutheran Church; Denver, CO

Rev. Ernest R. Barr; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Faith Lutheran Church; Wichita Falls, TX

Rev. Ruth Bosch Becker; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA, retired Campus Pastor; Cranberry Twp, PA

Rev. Joel Benbow; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Edina, MN

Rev. Arne Bergland; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, California Lutheran University; Thousand Oaks, CA

Dr. Charles Bergstrom; Lutheran, Lutheran Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; W Yarmouth, MA

Rev. James E. Boline; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Paul Lutheran Church; Santa Monica, CA

Rev. Shawn Brandon; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Baudette, MN

Rev. Dr. Thomas Edwards Breed; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Andrew Lutheran Church; Cedar Rapids, IA

Dr. Pamela Brubaker; Brethren, Associate Professor, California Lutheran University; Thousand Oaks Rd, CA

Rev. Laurie Larson Caesar; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Beaverton, OR

Rev. Paul Carlson; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Highlands Lutheran Church; Denver, CO

Rev. Dr. Herbert W. Chilstrom; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Former Presiding Bishop, ELCA; St. Peter, MN

Rev. Erin Clausen; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. James Lutheran Church; Western Springs, IL

Rev. Barbara Condon; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Idaho Falls, ID

Rev. Dr. Samuel Cruz; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Assistant Professor of Religion and Society, Union Theological Seminary; New York, NY

Rev. Sandra D. Dager; Lutheran, Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church; Palo Alto, CA

Rev. Dr. Amandus J. Derr; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Pastor, Saint Peter's Church; New York, NY

Rev. Dr. Thomas Dorsey; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church; New York, NY

Ms. Emily Eastwood; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutherans Concerned/North America

Rev. Dr. Sandra Ellis-Killian; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. John's Lutheran Church, Ambler, PA; Glenside, PA

Reverend Joanne Elise Engquist; Lutheran, Pastor, University Lutheran Church; Cambridge, MA

Dr. R. Guy Erwin; Lutheran, Professor, California Lutheran University; Thousand Oaks, CA

Rev. Paul Fauske; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, pastor, Evangelical Church in America; Mercer Island, WA

Rev. Travis Fisher; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Davenport, IA

Reverend Ray Flachmeier; Lutheran, Pastor, Resurrection Lutheran Church; Plano, TX

Rev. Robert Franek; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Pastor, Faith Lutheran Church; Galesburg, IL

Rev. John L. Freesemann; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church; San Jose, CA

Rev. Ruth Frost; Lutheran, Chaplain, Hospice of the Twin Cities; Minneapolis, MN

Rev. Sue Gaeta; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Rev. Dr. Paula J. Gravelle; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Ellis Hospital; Watervliet, NY

Rev. Anne Hall; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Seattle University Lutheran Church, ELCA; Seattle, WA

Rev. Katherine Hellier; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Zion Lutheran Church in America; Portland, OR

Rev. Jill Henning; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Trinity Lutheran Church

Ms. Cheryl Heuer; Dean of Students and Registrar, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary; Berkeley, CA

Rev. Anita C. Hill; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Co-Pastor, St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church; Saint Paul, MN

Rev. Emory A. Hingst; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Florida Bahamas Synod; Tallahassee, FL

Rev. Alfred O. Hoerig; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Grace Lutheran SAWC, ELCA; Elgin, TX

Rev. Dr. John F. Hoffmeyer; Lutheran, Asst. Prof. of Systematic Theology, Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia; Philadelphia, PA

Rev. David Holmquist; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Calvary Lutheran Church, ELCA; Eureka, CA

Rev. Magdalene Holm-Roesler; Lutheran, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ELCA; Austin, TX

Reverend Dr. John B. Hougen; Lutheran, St. John's Lutheran Church; Melrose Park, PA

Pastor Timothy Hoyer; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church; Lakewood, NY

Pastor John Hugus; Lutheran, Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Jacksonville, FL

Pastor Alexander Jacobs; Lutheran, Campus Pastor, Lutheran Campus Ministry at UW-Milwaukee; Milwaukee, WI

Reverend Denton R. Kees; Lutheran, ELCA; Stroudsburg, PA

Pastor Donald M. King; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Hope Lutheran Church; Cleveland Heights, OH

Rev. Donald J. Knecht; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, retired; Minneapolis, MN

Rev. Dr. Robert Kriesat; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Retired; Morristown, NJ

Rev. Frederick Lentz; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Andrew Lutheran Church; Parsippany, NJ

Rev. Mark Lingle; Lutheran, St. Francis Episcopal Church; Stamford, CT

Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lundblad; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Union Theological Seminary and Advent Lutheran Church; New York, NY

Rev. Catherine Malotky; Lutheran, ELCA Board of Pensions; Minnetonka, MN

Rev. Dr. David Miller; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Central States Synod, ELCA; Lenexa, KS

Rev. Gwendolyn E. Miller; Lutheran, Martin Luther Lutheran Church

Rev. Paul E. Mullins; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church; San Francisco, CA

Rev. Dr. Heidi Neumark; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Trinity Lutheran Church; New York, NY

Rev. Karen E. Norman Rees; Lutheran, Evangelical Lutheran Church; Peoria, IL

Reverend Edward D. O'Donnell Jr.; Lutheran, Reverend, VITAS Healthcare

Rev. D.M. Olson; ELCA Lutheran, Mother, ELCA; Milwaukee, WI

Rev. David C Parsons; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. John-St. Matthew-Emanuel Lutheran Church (ELCA); Brooklyn, NY

Rev. David Ethan Olson; Lutheran, Berwyn United Lutheran Church; Berwyn, IL

Rev. Janis Pauliks; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, MNYS; Brooklyn, NY

Reverend Dr. Gary Pence; Lutheran, Professor of Pastoral Theology, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary; Berkeley, CA

Rev. Pamela Griffith Pond; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Marin Interfaith Worker Justice; Novato, CA

Rev. Mary Robinson; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; New London, CT

Rev. C. Franklin Samuelson; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA Retired Clergy; Moline, IL

Reverend Gilbert Rossing; Lutheran, Retired, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America; Grapevine, TX

Rev. Ronald Rude; Lutheran, Lutheran Campus Ministry; Tucson, AZ

Prof. Loyal Rue; Lutheran, Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Luther College; Decorah, IA

Rev. Rodney W. Seeger; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Mill Valley, CA

Rev. Timothea Sharpe; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Midlands Pastoral Care Associates; Prosperity, SC

Professor Mary Shields; Associate Professor of Old Testament, Trinity Lutheran Seminary; Columbus, OH

Rev. Dr. Jim A. Siefkes; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Minneapolis, MN

Rev. Timothy Singleton; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, New Horizons Lutheran Church; Falcon, CO

Rev. Craig Sommer; Lutheran, St. Martin's Lutheran Church; Austin, TX

Rev. Susan F. Sprowls; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI

John Stendahl; Lutheran, Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Newtons, Newton, MA

Mr. William Stewart; Lutheran, Thornton Friends School; Alexandria, VA

Rev. Kevin Stickland; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Pastor, St. Paul Lutheran Church; Maryville, TN

Rev. Susan M. Strouse; Lutheran, First United Lutheran Church; San Francisco, CA

Rev. Wayne Tellekson; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Minneapolis, MN

Rev. Andrew Tengwall; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Church of the Savior; Kalamazoo, MI

Rev. Gerald L. Thompson; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Reverend Paul A. Tidemann; Lutheran, St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church; St. Paul, MN

Ms. Julie Tillberg; Lutheran, Hosanna Lutheran Church; Plattsmouth, NE

Rev. Thomas Von Fischer; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Retired; Minneapolis, MN

Reverend Gloria Weber; Lutheran, Interfaith Voices for Peace and Justice; St. Louis, MO

Rev. June Wilkins; Lutheran, St. Martin's Lutheran Church

Rev. Susan E. Wolfe; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church; North Hollywood, CA; North Hollywood, CA

Rev. Phyllis Zillhart; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Hospice Chaplain, Fairview Home Care and Hospice; Minneapolis, MN

Reverend Jennifer E. Zima; Lutheran, Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Falls Church, VA

Rev. Martin Otto Zimmann; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA; Holland, OH

See the list of all endorsers here

Comments

Lisa DellaVecchia

10/25/2011 16:16

I just want to add something that my husband pointed out when I was talking to him today about this wonderful blog and the fact that Sandra appeared on that hated petition as a signer. In churches such as this, unsuspecting people are duped into joining and are led to believe that *all* are included. What they later find out is that if you are conservative in beliefs, whether in your religious beliefs or in your politics or both, you are definitely on the "outs." So actually all are included unless you disagree with the party line, in which case you are made to feel like an alien and an outsider. Nobody tries to gain a consensus when rabidly liberal agendas are presented. Instead, these agendas are forced down peoples' throats. There were old timers there who were hijacked by this "new order." In other words, it didn't matter that they could no longer recognize the church they probably grew up in. They were not "with the times." Finally, and worst of all, there was a sense of a "new morality," which taught that the cardinal sin was intolerance of "differences." Since when is it a sin not to be tolerant of sin? In this crazy and evil logic, since everyone sins, no sin is greater than any other sin, so let's all just revel in sin and accept people as they are. If you don't you are the chief of sinners. You are bigot. Even more, you are not even really a Christian, because if you were really a Christian you would know that Jesus "loves everyone". It is really very twisted and perverse and, sadly, even perverted rhetoric. I just don't understand why so many people have been bewitched, to use the words of Saint Paul.

I do want to thank Sandra though. This terrible experience is what catapulted me into the one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which, regardless of any personal sins of any particular individuals (and they are a vast minority), does NOT teach that it is A-Okay to flout the doctrines and teachings of over 2000 years of Church history, teaches that truth is absolute, and teaches that God and His words are unchanging.

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