Blog Archives

Expanding the Outreach of the Exposing the ELCA Ministry

9/28/2015

The internet and social media are today’s primary avenue in reaching people with news and information. Exposing the ELCA, with that in mind, would like to announce the addition of our two new ELCA focused websites:

- TheELCA.com takes a softer, more reserved approach, but only in its title, “Learn About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Teachings and Actions.” Most of the information on this website points people, like a portal, to information on ExposingtheELCA.com and ELCAToday.com. (see here)

- NadiaBolz-Weber.com is our website dedicated to informing people of the non-Biblical and non-Christ-like teachings, actions and quotes of this popular ELCA pastor, national speaker and best selling author. (see here)

It is our hope that hundreds of thousands of ELCA members and potential ELCA members will come to our websites and learn what the ELCA believes and for which it advocates.

If you would like to help us financially in this effort, you can give by going here. http://www.exposingtheelca.com/help.html

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ELCA Leaders and Speakers

9/22/2015

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The woman who works for and writes the tweets for the Northern TX-Northern LA Mission Area of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, according to the synod's twitter page (see here), describes herself as an “angry feminist, former teacher, former blogger. Mom to 1 son and 4 cats.” (see here)

This women has written 2 or 3 dozen tweets and retweets this week supporting abortion. Below is one tweet she wrote, in response to someone else who tweeted this, "Abortions aren't 'cool' nor anything to be proud of. I'm disgusted that #ShoutYourAbortion is even a thing. Where is Jesus in our world?" -

Walking with the person walking into the abortion clinic & holding her hand through the procedure #ShoutYourAbortion https://t.co/e9PxsqYJhX
— Criss (@c4shay) September 22, 2015

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Kristin Berkley-Abbott is a frequent writer for the ELCA's website Living Lutheran - see here. (Exposing the ELCA just posted a blog about one of her articles - see here). The following paragraphs by Berkley-Abbott will give you a little insight into the type person (with terrible theology) the ELCA is comfortable having write for their website.

"I don't really want to unpack my pastor's idea this morning--it's a little too close to troubling aspects of atonement theology, with which I don't agree. I think that Jesus died on the cross not to save us from our sins, but because he was a threat to the established social order, and crucifixion was the punishment for people who posed that threat to Empire. Enough of that unpacking.

But the idea of reconciliation appeals to me. I agree with theologians like Marcus Borg who says that Jesus came to show us what is possible for a human life. And reconciliation is one of our chief tasks." (read here)

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The Rev. Lamont Wells is in the position of Director for Evangelical Mission/Assistant to the Bishop of the ELCA's Metropolitan New York Synod. If you go to his Twitter page, see here, you will find that every day Rev. Wells tweets his (I assume) horoscope. Most of his Twitter page is filled with these horoscopes. God's Word warns us to stay away from fortune telling and astrology. (see here) Yet here is a high-level leader in the ELCA doing just that.

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The ELCA's Trinity Lutheran Seminary will host extreme liberal Brian McLaren. Trinity Seminary's website announced -

“This year’s Trinity Days will take place on September 24 and 25. Brian McLaren, named by Time magazine as one of America’s top 25 evangelicals, will be the keynote speaker. Brian McLaren is an author, speaker, pastor and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists. He will speak on the theme 'Christian Identity and Mission Tomorrow.'” (see here)

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Trading God as “Mighty Fortress” for God as “Quilt”

9/17/2015

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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.)

Another “don’t miss” according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s website is a blog from Kristin Berkey-Abbott, a lifelong Lutheran and college professor. It is entitled “Reforming our metaphors for God.” In recent years it has become “enlightened” to get rid of the Bible’s “offensive” metaphors for God. For some this means getting rid of the “sexist” language of God as Father. Some would also like to get rid of any military language the Bible uses for God. Berkey-Abbot has written about getting rid of God as “mighty fortress” found seven times in the Bible (Psalms 18:2, Psalms 16:1-3, 2 Samuel 22:2, etc.). It is also found in Luther’s most famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress”.

She writes of the Bible’s “problems”:

"Earlier this August, our congregation’s sending hymn was “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”…The imagery is fierce and militant. While some might find that comforting, I wonder if it’s the best metaphor for God. I know the history of the time period in which Luther lived, work and wrote. I know that God as fortress, as bulwark (to use the older language), as sword and shield might have been remarkably effective for those listeners.

But I am weary of wars of all sorts. I’m weary of the horrific images from wars fought in other countries….I’d like different imagery.

I realize that the Bible is full of rich imagery, but it has problems, too. I think of all the agricultural metaphors and bread metaphors. Do they speak to people who have never made a loaf of yeasted bread? …If I were to write a hymn or a poem or a parable to explain my understanding of God to a person who has yet to meet God, what metaphors would I use?…

A quilt would make an obvious metaphor for both God and the church. I like the idea of a crafter taking scraps of cloth and making them into a larger item that has both beauty and utility. The God I know would combine fabrics into new patterns. The God I know would delight in bits of lace, ribbon and some interesting buttons as adornments."

Berkley-Abbott lists other metaphors that she would like to use for God and concludes with this:

"I could go on and on, but let me stop here. It’s a fun exercise to do alone, and I imagine it would be an even more interesting exercise to do in a group. It’s a different way to talk about God, and if the metaphors work, it’s a different way to know God."

My response: Since when are we free to invent new metaphors for God? God has revealed Himself in the Bible as “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” and also as “Redeemer, Rock, Fortress, etc.” If we do not like these metaphors for God, it is not that something is wrong with the Bible, it is that something is wrong with us. We would be putting our own opinions and imaginations above the authoritative truth of Scripture. I love worshipping God as my Father and Fortress. I have no desire to worship God as my quilt.

Pastor Tom Brock

pastorsstudy.org

(read the ELCA article here)

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The ELCA’s first transgender pastor and grace abuse‏

9/14/2015

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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.)

A glowing article about Megan Rohrer, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s first transgender pastor, appears in the current issue of the ELCA’s official magazine “The Lutheran”. I’m not sure, but it appears from her picture that Megan is a woman who thinks she is a man. The article asks her “How do I refer to someone who is transgender?” She responds: “…it is best to use the name and the gender or non-gender pronoun they prefer.” So, if a woman is confused and thinks she is a he, we are to aid her confusion and call her “he”. Next Rohrer is asked “What about people who say being transgender is a sin?” She responds: “Thankfully, as Lutherans we believe God’s grace is more important news than who and how we are sinning.” This is called grace abuse, the belief that we can continue to live in sin because we are saved by grace. The Apostle Paul taught the opposite in Romans 6:1 “Are we to continue in sin that that grace might abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” This current example of grace abuse is reminiscent of a Lutheran bishop who years ago defended elective abortions at a Lutheran hospital in Portland, Oregon by saying that we can do these abortions “because the Lutheran Church believes in the grace of God.” Tragic. Because we are saved by grace, we can kill babies. Of course, the opposite is true. In Ephesians 2:8-10 the Apostle Paul insists that salvation by grace leads us to good works. But sadly in the ELCA one can live in homosexual or transsexual behavior, have an abortion, etc. and there is no need to repent. Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:22-23 are telling where He teaches one can do many wonderful things in HIs name, but “I will declare to them “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.””

We will not be perfect in this life, but true grace leads us to repent when we commit “works of lawlessness”. If there is no repentance, one has not been touched by the grace of God. As one pastor rightly put it “We are saved by grace alone, but grace never is alone.”

Years ago I never would have dreamed that I would see an article in The Lutheran promoting transgender pastors. If you are an ELCA member, it is time to take your time, talents and money and join a more Biblical denomination.

In Jesus our Savior,

Pastor Tom Brock

(See The Lutheran article here)

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Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Claims Jesus Made Errors in Judgement

9/7/2015

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Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA) went on Twitter and Facebook this week claiming the Son of God made errors.

God's Word says, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22), but these ELCA leaders foolishly think they know better.

If this isn't proof enough that the ELCA has a false view of Scripture and God Himself, I don't know what it will take to convince you.

10-second sermon for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. pic.twitter.com/E2T9IQui0p
— Women of the ELCA (@WomenoftheELCA) September 7, 2015

(Update: It looks like WELCA deleted the tweet I originally posted. It was the same as above except it included this comment "Today is the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. Jesus corrected his errors; how will you do the same?" They have not remove this comment from Pinterest yet, you can see it here or I have taken a screenshot of it and posted at the end of this article).

This teaching is widely taught in the ELCA and widely accepted by ELCA leadership.

Just a few days ago ELCA Pastor Cindy Muse of Calvary Lutheran Church, West Chester, PA begins this video asking, "Was Jesus a racist?" Please view this video. Later, after claiming she is "Shocked" by Jesus' words she says "Jesus just uttered a racial slur."

Here is a blog from a couple months ago with two more ELCA leaders (a seminary professor and a pastor) making similar claims.

http://www.exposingtheelca.com/exposed-blog/bigoted-biased-and-racist-jesus

ELCA.org published a post by ELCA pastor Bob Chell, Sioux Falls, SD, on this same topic and he writes “Jesus is being rude and dismissive to the woman he encounters. That is the simplest and, I believe, best explanation.” (see here)

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WELCA's Pinterest post -

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Reader Responds to Article About ELCA Church Closing

9/4/2015

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"MarcC" nails it with his comment (posted below) to this article. The church he writes about is an ELCA church.

“The story dos not say which of the several Lutheran denominations in the USA St. Luke's once belonged to, but I am guessing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America -- the liberal, "progressive" Lutherans. If St. Luke's was an ELCA congregation, it is no surprise at all that it closed, being reduced to about 30 members. The ELCA is the progressive culture-church most like the Episcopal Church, and the ELCA is hemorrhaging members, money and whole congregations with their buildings at an increasing rate over the past 10-15 years, having now lost nearly one million of what was once a 5 million member denomination. A whole new Lutheran denomination has come into being from expatriate ELCA churches and members (as well as politically incorrect seminary and college professors) and is flourishing: the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), The ELCA, since the 1990s, has endorsed abortion on demand; encouraged the use of contraceptives and birth control among middle-school and high school students with anonymity; embraced the agenda of radical feminism ; and now has embraced the LGBT agenda, normalizing homosexuality; adopted same-sex marriage ; ordains active and practicing, open homosexuals to the ministry. It is socially activist in left-wing radical ways.: The ELCA is increasingly authoritarian in its national governance and restrictive of regional and parish leadership. It has turned all of its seminaries into centers of political correctness (the NALC has established its own seminary staffed by booted professors who did not cave in to PC requirements, and will not allow any candidates for ordination to attend any ELCA seminary). So, you can expect to see many, many more ELCA churches close their doors or defect to the NALC while they still have a congregation. At least probably very affluent people will have a very cool building for their condo.”

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"Courageous" Gay ELCA Bishop Helps Others Embrace Homosexuality

9/1/2015

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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.)

The official website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has listed some “Don’t miss” stories for its readers.   The first listed is the story of Bishop Kevin Kanouse, Bishop of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod of the ELCA, who announced his homosexuality to teenagers at the ELCA’s national youth assembly this summer.   He has stated that “the Holy Spirit” led him to do this. He told the teens that earlier in his life when he was struggling with God’s call, God said to him “You a**hole, why aren’t you listening to me?”

What has happened since his coming out? “The support …and love I have received have been amazing…Perhaps 98% of emails, letters, texts, notes, phone calls, and conversations have been positive. Some have told how their mind has changed as a result of my courage in coming out…”

What an indictment of the ELCA, that 98% of those writing him have rejected the Bible’s teaching regarding homosexual behavior to embrace the bishop’s “courage.” No, Bishop Kanouse, it would have been courageous of you to say “I have this temptation, but I believe this behavior is contrary to God’s Word.”   But the bishop didn’t say that. Instead he encouraged young people to embrace homosexuality.

The bishop writes “the majority of teen suicides are caused by depression and fear over issues around gender identity and rejection.” He cites no study to support this statement, but even if it is true, could not the culprit be not “society’s condemnation” but that there is something inherently depressing and destructive about homosexual acts themselves? Given the liberal climate of the ELCA, it would have been courageous for the bishop to encourage teens to abstain from homosexual behavior, but he didn’t do that.

The bishop writes “Among the first comments I heard when I sat down after delivering my sermon at the Youth Gathering where I came out was: “You saved some lives today.” That brought tears.”

No, bishop, perhaps your sermon damned some lives that day since I Corinthians 6:9-11 states that those who continue to live in impenitent sin, including the sin of homosexual behavior, will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

The bishop continues to share the results of his coming out sermon: “Soon another pastor said: “One of my girls came up to me and asked if I would mind if she talked to our youth group tonight about her own sexuality. She has never told anyone that she is a lesbian.” So the bishop’s message of accepting homosexuality is spreading to ELCA youth groups.

The bishop writes of more results of his coming out:

“Said one pastor: “…my bible study group (made up mostly of people over 70) spent the entire hour telling stories of people we knew or to whom we were related who were gay or lesbian. We talked about how times have changed. We laughed together and we cried together and in the end they wanted me to tell you (bishop) that you are always welcome to come to our church …”. That kind of heartening response has been repeated over and over again.”

Next the bishop writes:

“A mother and father pulled me aside… with tears in her eyes (the mother) told me of her daughter…who had come out to her as a lesbian… She said: “I have prayed every night: ‘God change her. God change her.’ Then I read your (bishop’s) letter and subsequent story about your experience and I picked up the phone and called her right away. I apologized to her and reassured her that I love her.” Their daughter had pretty much dropped out of church some years before, perhaps because of this reality in her life, but the following Sunday they were in church, all three of them.”

So the point appears to be “Lets get people back in church by telling them their sin is okay.”   The truth is that liberal churches which do this are shrinking and conservative churches which uphold the Bible’s teaching are growing. And where is the bishop’s concern for people’s eternal salvation? There are more important things than pleasing people and getting them to attend an heretical church.

Lastly, the bishop states “if God can and does love us as we have been created, with all our uniqueness and individuality, how can we as a church reject anyone? Indeed, how can we continue to live with self-hatred, doubt, and rejection? Since God loves us as we are, created in God’s own image, we indeed are freed in Christ to love ourselves unconditionally. That is a new acceptance of grace for me and from me toward others who are LBGT.”

My response: Yes, God deeply loves us sinners, but wait a minute, bishop, what about original sin?   The Bible (Romans 5:12, 15-19) and the Lutheran Church teach we are born in sin and need to be redeemed from sin. This bishop seems to say we are all born wonderful and have no need to repent of whatever “uniqueness” we have. No, bishop, we are to do what the Apostle Paul writes “If you are living according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).   Tragically it appears the bishop is using his influence to teach that homosexual sin is not really sin, so no need to repent. Again, if I Corinthians 6:9-11 is true, what the bishop is doing is not loving, but damning.

I know what this struggle with homosexual temptation is about. I encourage people to read my story entitled “My struggle with same sex attraction” at pastorsstudy.org   Also read my article there “What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?”   The difference between my position and the bishop’s is the difference between the Bible and the world, truth and falsehood, light and darkness.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Tom Brock

pastorsstudy.org

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Expanding the Outreach of the Exposing the ELCA Ministry

ELCA Leaders and Speakers

Trading God as “Mighty Fortress” for God as “Quilt”

The ELCA’s first transgender pastor and grace abuse‏

Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Claims Jesus Made Errors in Judgement

Reader Responds to Article About ELCA Church Closing

"Courageous" Gay ELCA Bishop Helps Others Embrace Homosexuality

Dan Skogen

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