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Highlighting a Transgender Pastor in the ELCA's National Magazine

5/31/2016

(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)

The managing editor of Living Lutheran, the national magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a partnered lesbian. The ELCA's magazine (formerly "The Lutheran") has been promoting homosexuality for a long time now, but below is a recent article highlighting the work of a transgender Lutheran pastor (a woman who identifies as a man). The ELCA has ordained practicing homosexuals since a church-wide vote on the issue in 2009. More recently, with no church-wide vote, the ELCA began ordaining transgender pastors. A few months ago Portico, the ELCA's healthcare plan, announced it will begin paying for sex change operations (with offering dollars) in its healthcare plan for pastors and their families. Portico stated this decision was made after consulting with ELCA leaders.

I recently heard a powerful sermon by Pastor John MacArthur entitled "We Will Not Bow." He stated that since the Supreme Court decision to legalize homosexual marriage America has been living in the days of Romans chapter one, where God gives people over to their lusts. It is tragic that the ELCA has been deceived into following the culture rather than Christ on these issues.

In Jesus our Savior,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.org

Read the Living Lutheran article here.

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Not Happy With ELCA Colleges

5/25/2016

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The president of Pacific Lutheran University, Thomas Krise recently penned an article in response to a parent's concern for what she saw as a lack of Christian faith opportunities and emphasis at the Lutheran university. Among President Krise's sentiments were the following,
- "It is important that we also have an interfaith program that supports students from all religious backgrounds"
- "PLU doesn’t just welcome, but actively seeks out students from every possible background — all religions, all races, all ethnic groups, all socioeconomic groups, all sexual orientations, from all over the world"
- "We must be proficient in speaking the language of Christian faith as understood with a Lutheran vocabulary, while also speaking the language of other religious traditions" (read here)

When did it become important for a Christian university "to have an interfaith program that supports students from all religious backgrounds"? I don't think Jesus would want pagan religions practiced in His institutions.

Many people had problems with what they saw and experienced at PLU. One student wrote in the comment section of this article, "I came here thinking this would be a great opportunity to strengthen my faith, and since I've been here, I've never felt more far away from God."

Lisa commented on the PLU Facebook page, under a link to their president's article, "Christianity is about The Way, The Truth, The Life. It is about Jesus Christ! That should not be watered down nor should Christians feel like they need to adjust their belief because of sin in the world."

Matt responded to the PLU post saying, "It's a very long article about the importance of the title 'Lutheran' which doesn't mention Jesus one time. I was disgusted by the 'Christianity' taught in the religion department while I was there and it appears not much has changed." (see here)

Interesting thing, in the article President Krise of PLU also writes "Tending to the 'roots' requires the presence of a vital Campus Ministry." So who does the ELCA president have to implement this vital campus ministry? Two weeks ago PLU announced “The Rev. Jen Rude will join Pacific Lutheran University as university pastor on August 1, 2016. Rude comes to PLU from Chicago, where she most recently served as program director for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries...At Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, Rude led programs committed to expanding opportunities nationally in the ELCA for LGBTQ pastors.” (see here)

Pacific Lutheran University isn't the only one taking heat. After St. Olaf College, another ELCA college, posted a link about a transgender St. Olaf alum on their Facebook page, another former student had this to say,

People losing their faith, being milked for money and being silenced for conservative thought. We may have the basis for a new ELCA motto here.

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ELCA Temper Tantrums Toward Pro-Life Persons

5/20/2016

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The following personal account and exchange comes from the comment section of this article about abortion and the church and took place in 2009.

One persons writes:

“I am the wife side of Lutheran Lurker, or should I say ex Lutheran Lurker. My husband walked away from 22 years of parish ministry, into the darkness of a recession, over life issues. We were ELCA in a very liberal congregation. It was clear to us that any, and I mean any however subtle, hint of pro-life leanings was met with temper tantrums and aggressive action. I felt that my head was going to explode. I have bitten my tongue so often it is almost off. A few years ago, I purchased a Feminists for Life bumper sticker for my truck. I was afraid to put them on, knowing the consequences. That sticker sat in the drawer for two full years haunting, or perhaps better stated, convicting me. Eventually, it went on and Hell did break out. Anyone who tells you these mainline churches are tolerant is fooling themselves. They are militantly pro-choice with a handful of pro-life people afraid to come out of the closet on the issue because most of the other church choices involve the word Catholic or evangelical.

He is still job hunting, any leads would be appreciated. We crossed the Tiber where the air is cleaner and the grass is greener. As a wise mother of a young man with developmental disabilities in our special service said, “no regrets, except for the timing.””

Someone replies:

“Lutheran Lurker, my heart goes out to you and your husband for making this difficult and courageous stand. In the 80s, I was a member of an LCA church that then became an ELCA church. When I asked my pastor for a reference because I was applying to become a volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, he got very angry and told me off. He then went into a long tirade about the importance of allowing abortion in all kinds of situations, giving half a dozen or more examples from his years counseling parishioners who chose abortion with his blessing. He initially refused to give the reference, saying crisis pregnancy centers were very harmful organizations who hurt women badly. He then reluctantly gave it. Learning his response, I didn’t have the courage to bring up the abortion issue with anyone else in the congregation. And it wasn’t long before I moved on to another church. Your experience is so very sad. I hope your husband is able to find a job soon.

This reminds me of the story of Richard John Neuhaus, the Lutheran pastor who was a liberal civil rights activist changed forever by Roe v. Wade, and who left the Lutherans to become a Catholic. Most likely you know way more about him than I do.”

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"Lesbian, Butch, Dyke" Profanity-Laden Comedian Performed Last Night in Christ Chapel at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Gustavus Adolphus College

5/15/2016

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(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)

I had complained about three weeks ago to Gustavus' President about the upcoming event and the obscene language in Lea DeLaria's comedy routine (you can google it on Youtube, it is vile). I especially complained that it would take place in the large Christ Chapel. Today, the day after the event, the President wrote me saying it is customary for secular events to be held in Christ Chapel. One of the sponsors of the event was Gustavus' chaplain's office.

After the event, the comedian tweeted this:

Thank you Gustavus Adolphus College for the fab time. I f___ing Heavy black heart️ speaking to Universities.

One student tweeted her: "You are f___ing awesome!!! My favorite line of the night 'it would be great to do acid in here'".

"In here" is a reference to Christ Chapel.

Below is the email I just sent to Gustavus Adolphus' President. Would they allow someone to speak at Gustavus who holds a traditional, Biblical view on homosexuality? You will read below that a Christian band tried to do that a few years and Gustavus shut down the concert and apologized for the "hate speech."

Please pray for Gustavus. I highly recommend you don't send your children there.

In Jesus our Savior,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.com

Thank you, President Bergman, for your reply.

It still grieves me that a college of the Church would allow this kind of profanity to begin with, but to put it in Christ Chapel is especially grievous.

I am a person who has struggled with same-sex attraction most of my life, but for the sake of Christ and my eternal soul (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) I abstain from this behavior. I wonder if Gustavus would allow someone with my point of you to be given such a large audience. I was told that by a Gustavus student that some years ago a Christian rock band member at a concert on the Gustavus mall shared how Jesus saved him from homosexual behavior and the concert was stopped by the college and the college apologized for the "hate speech". I can't help but wonder if Gustavus would even allow a diverse viewpoint on this issue.

Again, thanks for responding, it is not what I would've hoped for but I appreciate your time.

In Jesus the Savior,

Pastor Tom Brock

PS. If you want to read my story on this issue, you can go to Pastorsstudy.org.

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The Trans Lutheran Church in America

5/10/2016

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The ELCA has jumped aboard the "trans" train and is going full steam ahead. ELCA publications are publishing articles "normalizing" transgenderism. ELCA leaders are making public calls to allow transgender individuals in the bathroom, locker room and shower of their choosing. The denomination ordains persons who desire to be the opposite sex of which they were born. ELCA seminaries indoctrinate their students in the cause. The denomination's health coverage pays for transgender surgery. (Check out these links to see many of the trans-happenings in the ELCA - here and scroll down this page) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is turning into the Trans Lutheran Church in America.

Here are the newest examples:

- Rev. Kirby Unti is bishop of the Northwestern Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He wrote an opinion piece for the Seattle Times titled "Maintaining transgender rights aligns with my Christian faith." (see here) And below Bishop Unti is publicly calling to keep the WA state rule requiring businesses to grant bathroom and locker room access on the basis of gender identity.

- Here the ELCA website Living Lutheran has an article titled "Bathroom brouhaha" where the author argues for transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their choice. (see here)

- WELCA is recommending “30 books about 'mighty women' published in 2015." One of the books is “Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family." This is a transgender feel good story. WELCA's link provides this synopsis of the book: "The twin boys that Wayne and Kelly Maines adopted could not have been more different: Jonas loved trucks, sports, and other 'boyish' pursuits, while Wyatt sought out princess dolls and dress-up clothes. By the time the twins were toddlers, Wyatt was insisting he was a girl. In the process of coming to understand Nicole, their daughter, the Maines faced conflict both within and outside the family. It meant rewriting the script at home and the rules at school and in a community that was suddenly forced to confront its prejudices. This inspiring story of a transgirl who stood up for the right to be herself — and the family and friends who stood by her — sheds a new, very personal light on one of the great cultural debate of our time.” (see WELCA Facebook post here)

- A recent edition of the ELCA’s The Lutheran has a nice story about a pastor finding out she has Jewish grandparents. Tucked in at the end of the story is this line, “Three rambunctious little boys come in with their parent, who is fine with them calling her 'Dad' even though she is now a woman.” The ELCA is trying to normalize sinful, deviant behavior. (see here)

- The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (ELCA) posting a transaffirmative blog saying "In recent years the glorious dynamism of the trans community has been poignantly visible in virtually every media and even – in the case of the next writer – in the halls of LSTC. So please read and enjoy the following reflection upon transgender identity and pay close attention to River’s heartfelt tutorial on trans-identity and respect." (see here)

- St. Olaf College, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America school proudly posting about their class of 2009 transgender student.

- This St. Paul, MN ELCA church writes on their website “Gloria Dei is pleased to offer the blessing of Jesus Christ to couples of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” (see here)

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More Evidence that Liberal Elites are in Control of the ELCA

5/3/2016

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Last weekend the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s South Central Synod of Wisconsin held its synod assembly. On the docket to be voted on were three anti-Israel/anti-Semitic resolutions. One resolution asked for an end to U.S. financial aid to Israel until Israel stops building homes, etc. on land that is rightfully Israel’s land. Another asking the ELCA churchwide, the whole denomination, to also call on the U.S. government to stop financial aid to Israel. The last resolution asked the denomination to screen and disinvest from companies that do business in Israel “such as Caterpillar, HP Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Motorola Solutions, and G4S, until such time as those companies no longer profit from the occupation or cease operations in the illegal settlements.” (see the bottom of this article for more details)

All three of these anti-Israel resolutions passed.

Conservatives. Bible believers. People with common sense. Why are you funding this wickedness? The ELCA elites, in past German-like fashion, make proclamations and rules against the Jewish people that are based on falsehoods while not saying one word about the violence against Israelis, the intolerance for Israel and the Jew-hatred dominating the Palestinian situation.

This is madness.

Have you ever seen the video of a guy in California, waving the Israeli flag, and the anger directed at him, but when the same guy is waving an ISIS flag, he gets indifference, support and acceptance? That is what the ELCA is doing, as is the world in general. (below is the video – please check it out)

Some more information on the anti-Israel resolutions the ELCA synod passed -

South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, 2016 Assembly, Resolution #2
U.S. Aid to State of Israel as a Tool for Peace -

“RESOLVED that the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Assembly ask the
bishop of this synod to urge the members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation who serve citizens living in our synod to make U.S. financial and military aid for the State of Israel conditional on the halting of settlement building and the halting of the expansion of existing settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and to follow the directives of the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, which require that a country receiving U.S. financial aid and military arms not engage in human-rights violations of another people; and be it further
RESOLVED that South-Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Assembly, seeking a just
peace for Israel and Palestine, encourage this synod’s congregations and members to pray for Israelis and Palestinians, to learn about the current situation in the Holy Land, to read the 'Kairos Palestine' document, and to advocate the aforementioned conditions on U.S. aid to Israel to their Congressional representatives.”

South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, 2016 Assembly, Resolution #3
Memorial to the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Regarding U.S. Aid to the State of Israel -

“RESOLVED that the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Assembly memorialize
the 2016 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to ask the United States Congress to follow the directives of the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, which require that a country receiving U.S. financial aid and military arms not engage in human-rights violations of another people and to urge congressional action requiring that, to continue receiving U.S. financial and military
aid, Israel must stop settlement building and the expansion of existing settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.”

South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, 2016 Assembly, Resolution #4
Justice for the Holy Land through Responsible Investment -

“RESOLVED that the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Assembly request that
the Congregational and Synodical Mission Unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America direct the Corporate Social Responsibility Team to develop guidelines that will screen out investments in companies profiting from, or complicit in, human rights violations arising from the occupation, , and provide a report with possible recommendations to the November 2016 meeting of the ELCA Church Council, and forward the guidelines to the separately incorporated ministries, agencies, and institutions of the ELCA for implementation as appropriate; and be it further

RESOLVED that the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Assembly encourage its
members and congregations to learn about their own investments and to intentionally invest in ways that are consistent with their faith and goals, including examining divestment from companies profiting from, or complicit in, human rights violations arising from the occupation, such as Caterpillar, HP Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Motorola
Solutions, and G4S, until such time as those companies no longer profit from the occupation or cease operations in the illegal settlements.” (see here)

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Highlighting a Transgender Pastor in the ELCA's National Magazine

Not Happy With ELCA Colleges

ELCA Temper Tantrums Toward Pro-Life Persons

"Lesbian, Butch, Dyke" Profanity-Laden Comedian Performed Last Night in Christ Chapel at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Gustavus Adolphus College

The Trans Lutheran Church in America

More Evidence that Liberal Elites are in Control of the ELCA

Dan Skogen

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