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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.)
If you read my posts often, you have read more than one story of how "Living Lutheran," the official magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, regularly highlights transgender and homosexual Lutherans. The trend continues with a recent website article which has a large picture of two men and a child and talks about the need to redefine the family in the Lutheran church. The article is written by Martin Zimmann of the newly formed United Lutheran Seminary (ELCA finances and seminaries are shrinking and this seminary was formed as a merger of two former seminaries). He writes: "... same-sex couples...are seeking acceptance in a congregational setting. All congregations are supposed to be welcoming, but there’s a difference between lip-service and genuine acceptance and hospitality. Eight years ago the ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted in support of LGBTQIA folks both as rostered leaders and members within the church body, yet how many of our congregations make a point of posting visible signs of welcome to this community? Better yet, how many congregations are willing to have a Pride Sunday in addition to Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations?" There you have it, an article at the ELCA's official magazine website promoting Gay Pride Sunday for its congregations. The Old Testament and New Testament (I Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 1, I Timothy 1 and elsewhere) both condemn homosexual behavior as sin. But the ELCA says we should be proud of it. I never thought the Church would become so blind in my lifetime. If you are an ELCA member, it is time to take your money, time and talents and join a more Biblical branch of Lutheranism. When you give money to the ELCA, you support things like "Living Lutheran." In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org
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This year the ELCA's Southwest California Synod voted to become a 'Sanctuary synod.' The Synod describes what that means saying "the congregations of our Synod will commit to pray for immigrants and refugees among us and will strive to be places of radical welcome, refuge, and protection” and "that we will work to protect the dignity, safety, and basic human needs of all immigrants and refugees among us, even by resisting policies that seek to turn away and harm the stranger.” (see here)
They are not the only Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amercia synod to become a "Sanctuary Synod." The ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly passed “Amended Resolution 2017-2 Regarding Sanctuary Synod.” In the Resolution we find that the Sierra Pacific Synod "pledges to resist by advocacy, protest, and nonparticipation those policy proposals that target and seek to deport millions of undocumented immigrants..." (see here)
Last year the ELCA Oregon Synod announced "Oregon Lutherans Declare themselves a Sanctuary Church." The synod writes, "This past weekend official representatives of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to make their church the first 'Sanctuary Synod' in the nation. This action encourages each of the 115 ELCA congregations and ministries throughout the state to 'become Sanctuary churches ready to protect refugees and undocumented sisters and brothers from arrest and deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.' (see here)
The ELCA's New England Synod voted this year to become a "Sanctuary Synod." (see here)
The Central States Synod of the ELCA is looking at becoming a "Sanctuary Synod" and will likely make a decision on it next year. (see here) I have no doubt many others will follow. ELCA Synods and ELCA churches declaring themselves to be places of sanctuary to illegal immigrants need to look carefully at what that means because they could very well be braking the law. ELCA Bishop Rick Jaech of the Southwestern Washington Synod warns his Synod "...no country today, including the United States, provides legal permission for a church to deny entrance to a legal authority looking for someone who is suspected of having committed an illegal act. Therefore, a congregation that is considering whether to give shelter to a person who is at risk of deportation should first consult with an attorney to research all of the specific legal considerations." (see here)
If you doubt the truthfulness of Mr. Van Zile's statement watch the following news discussion: The ELCA has a responsibility to know who they hire and pay to work for the denomination. As a claimed "Christian" denomination it is not acceptable to have people employed (paid by ELCA members financial gifts to the denomination) who are involved in other religious practices that go against Christian belief.
Inez Torres Davis is a lady who “retired as the core racial justice/anti-racism trainer of Women of the ELCA (WELCA) after 20 years. She is also rostered Word & Service lay professional of the ELCA…and she sits on the ELCA’s Theological Discernment table.” She is also a blog writer for WELCA. In a recent article by Inez Torres Davis, that was posted by a Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago webpage, we find out that she is a "Reiki master." (see here) I didn't know what a Reiki master was so I looked it up and found: "Although Reiki claims to be an 'ancient healing practice that Buddha (and Jesus) used,' all records of it were lost. It was allegedly rediscovered by Mikao Usui, a Zen Buddhist monk, in the mid-1800s 'during a psychic experience.' Additionally, it is claimed that details about lost aspects of the practice have 'been revealed through channeling.' Channeling is the New Age term for mediumship and involves contact with, and usually possession by, 'spirit guides.'...a second-degree Reiki practitioner 'learns about spirit guides and how to contact and use them in healing sessions.'... third degree Reiki masters give 'complete control of healing sessions to their spirit guides.' Healing sessions appear to be based on the use of 'life-energy' (i.e. ki, chi, or prana), which is sent from the practitioner into the patient’s body. The greatest concern would seem to be the identity of the 'spirit guides.' Since they are typically contacted in ways expressly forbidden in Scripture, and since they advocate unbiblical ideas and practices, it is honestly quite difficult to view them as anything other than the biblical demons." “Reiki is antithetical to biblical Christianity. Channeling is a way of communicating with spirits to obtain information not otherwise accessible. It is denounced in the Bible as sorcery, mediumship, and spiritism (Lev. 19:26, 31; 20:6; Deut. 18:9-14…).” (see here) This is wicked, evil, dangerous stuff and the ELCA has employed someone who considers herself a "Reiki master." They have placed her in leadership positions and given her the opportunity to influence hundreds of thousands of members through her writing and the positions she has held. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is responsible to qualify leaders for service in the denomination. Given this example and the multitude of questionable ELCA leaders I've highlighted over the years (and the ELCA's terrible record on Biblical Truth,) the ELCA should not be trusted for finding Godly, Bible-believing pastors to lead congregations and ministries. See more Exposing the ELCA articles about Inez Torres Davis here.
This is an ELCA church, an ELCA pastor and his wife holding a "blessing" for their son who they say is a transgender girl. The son's mother (pastor's wife) said the gathering was to affirm "her" (the boy's) "forever name." This is the way today's society is going and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seems to be leading the way.
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Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
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Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
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