That is wrong. But what was sinful is when the ELCA voted to allow the ordination of practicing, monogamous homosexuals. It is a position that has harmed many people.
Is being monogamous even a requirement anymore or was it ever? And if the ELCA was sinning because they did not ordain practicing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual/Allies (LGBTQIA+) people, it stands to reason that the ELCA believes that those that do not celebrate these behaviors are also guilty of sin. One must also consider as to when the ELCA voted to ordain people who identify as bisexual and transgender? After the ELCA comment, a few posts later, the ELCA recommended resources that are made by an LBGTQIA+ organization. (See below) 
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Facebook statements were made in the comment section of the ELCA-posted video (below), celebrating "the process of inviting more than just cis-men to ordained ministry."
2 Comments
Nicole Garcia is the latest transgender pastor ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Rocky Mountain Synod of the ELCA made the announcement:
"Let it be acclaimed that Nicole Garcia is a called and ordained minister in the church of Christ. Pastor Nicole has been called by the Rocky Mountain Synod Council to serve as mission developer for Westview, a new worshipping community in Boulder CO. Christ's Church, Better Together!" One needs to ask, is Rev Nicole Garcia and the "new worshipping community" being financially supported by the ELCA synod? In the pictures that follow you will see the Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Jim Gonia, high-profile ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, and transgender ELCA pastors Megan Rohrer and Asher O'Callaghan. 
(The following article was written a few days ago by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) A student named Madeline opened the worship service by saying she uses "she/her" pronouns. Lace (who uses "they" as a pronoun) assisted during the service, as did Luther Seminary professor Amy Marga who is interested in "queer theologies and feminist theologies". The preacher was Austen Hartke, a "transgender person of faith" who is the author of "Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians". Instead of opening the service in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the service invoked the "Creator, Christ and Holy Breath" (some believe it is sexist to refer to God in exclusively masculine terms such as "Father" and "Son"). During the sermon, the transgender preacher talked about the persecution of transgender people because they often cannot use the bathrooms they prefer and "because those of us who are sex workers aren't legally protected." The preacher talked about transgender suicide caused by "religious intolerance and exposure to conversion therapy." The preacher bemoaned the "churches who teach that the white, Western gender binary is God-ordained...(and) the parents who believe that their child's soul is at risk if they transition..." Transgender people "are acting in Jesus' name by embracing the identity that God gave them." The preacher encouraged the seminarians to "correct the nurse who uses the wrong pronouns for a patient". He encouraged the seminarians to "begin the conversation about becoming LGBTQ+ affirming in your church." By "allowing LGBTQIA people...the opportunity to testify... you will find that God's new heaven and new earth are already breaking in." During the strange closing prayers (which sounded very New Age), it was stated that God "delights in every flourishing twirl...of gender expression...". When I attended Luther Seminary many years ago, I remember being taught that the Church is not to follow the "Zeitgeist" ("spirit of the Age") but the Holy Spirit since Christians are to be "in the world, not of the world." Today, Luther's namesake seminary shows itself to be both in the world and of the world as it follows the Zeitgeist wherever it leads. Since the ELCA claims to be open to both conservative and liberal voices on transgenderism, it would now be appropriate to balance the above worship by bringing in a chapel speaker like Walt Heyer who went through gender transition and regrets it (see his video at https://youtu.be/k9jC34sk_3I). But don't expect that to happen, the Zeitgeist at Luther Seminary will not permit any voice but its own. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://youtu.be/aHhepYaIbIk  (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Luther Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has this announcement for tomorrow's chapel service: 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 19 Transgender Awareness Week liturgy... Preacher: Austen Hartke, graduate of Luther’s Master of Arts program in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies, and author of Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians (2018), a book on theology and personal narratives. Then Thursday will be this: 11 a.m. Thursday, November 21 Transgender Day of Remembrance healing prayer and song vigil. I am sure the "healing" on Thursday will not be about helping those in sexual confusion live according their God-given gender, but instead helping them heal from "oppression" from those who believe transgenderism is contrary to God's will. This is yet another example that the radical take-over of Luther Seminary is complete. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock --- (See below or see here.)  (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Wicker Park Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, was featured this month in the ELCA's national magazine Living Lutheran. Living Lutheran regularly presents pro-gay and pro-transgender stories but never allows the traditional viewpoint of homosexuality and rejected a request for advertising from a conservative ministry to homosexuals. In the October issue, it was reported that Wicker Park Lutheran planted 300 rainbow flags in the garden in front of the church to show their support for the LGBTQIA+ cause. The congregation also co-sponsored a summer movie night "with a table covered with rainbow and transgender flags where kids and adults drew messages of God's love". The church also hosts a monthly Bible study in which "both a person's LGBTQIA+ identity and their Christian identity can be accepted and celebrated". How far removed the ELCA has become from Biblical Christianity. The Bible teaches that one cannot be a practicing homosexual and a Christian at the same time (I Corinthians 6:9-11), but don't try to find that view in Living Lutheran. They have pretty much banned it, in spite of the fact that the 2009 ELCA decision stated the ELCA would respect both conservative and liberal views on homosexuality. Not anymore. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock (See here) 
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, through its advocacy office, celebrated gay Pride Month this past June.
In most cases, some money given to ELCA churches makes its way to ELCA synods, which in turn distributes some of that money to ELCA Churchwide. ELCA Churchwide uses some of the money received to promote and advocate for things they believe in, decisions headed by the ELCA Advocacy division. Therefore money given by individuals pays for the ELCA's extreme and often unBiblical policies, beliefs, pastors and leadership.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) recently compared the Berlin Wall to the United States border wall with Mexico and the Israeli wall with the terrorist Palestinian entity.
The ELCA social media post (see below) says "Today is the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. As we celebrate this historic symbol of freedom, we also hold in our hearts those who are still divided by walls — in Palestine, at the U.S.-Mexico border and in all the other places we build barriers." This is disgraceful. Extreme liberals are running the ELCA. They proclaim their extreme ideas under the guise of Christianity while collecting their salaries from people who are tithing/giving to the Lord. It is time to either stop giving and attending churches that are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or help your church or the churches around you move out from under the leadership of the ELCA. 
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Luther Seminary of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recently held a chapel worship service based on Native American spirituality. A Native American woman burned a plant and waved a feather over it, explaining that smudging "releases the energies within yourself". She led the congregation to inhale and exhale "which cleanses you" (see minute 4:02 below). Prayers were made in the direction of the four winds, patterned after Native American religion. The preacher explained that her Christianity is an extension of Native American spirituality. She said "I am a hybrid" in that she practices Christianity and holds to native spirituality. She talked of her "natural fusion of Christian and Sioux spirituality". She spoke of "the foundational values of God's original covenant with Native Americans that must never be violated." A version of the Lord's Prayer was made to "the Great Spirit."
Years ago when I was still in the ELCA, our Minneapolis Area Synod convention had participants pray toward the North, South, East and West. At that convention I got to the microphone to complain about the Native American worship. I said "I am German. My ancestors worshipped Thor and Odin. I hope we aren't going to incorporate Thor and Odin worship next." I shared this with my congregation and a Native American woman came up to me after church with tears in her eyes saying "They are trying to get us to return to the things that Jesus saved me from!" Luther's Christian/Sioux worship service is consistent with where the ELCA is heading. At the recent ELCA church-wide assembly, in the presence of representatives from non-Christian religions, the ELCA overwhelmingly passed an interfaith resolution stating that we don't know what God thinks of non-Christian religions. A delegate said that we indeed know since Jesus said He is the only way of salvation (John 14:6), but the delegate was voted down by 97%. Some time ago an elderly woman who has donated to Luther Seminary asked me if she should continue to do so. I said "Not a penny." One Luther chapel service brought in a transgender preacher who prayed "Our Mother in heaven". Another Luther chapel service had a feminist/womanist preacher tell the students to hold hands and imagine they were in "the pushy womb of God". Another chapel service observed National Coming Out Day for homosexuals. Another chapel service observed the Transgender Day of Remembrance. And now this smudging service (watch it below). Like I said, "Not a penny." Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock PS Luther Seminary is selling off 15 acres and some of its buildings because of the seminary's financial problems. (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. I have included some additional information at the bottom of the page. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) According to its Facebook page, the Park Church Co-op, a congregation of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, this past week hosted a drag queen event for children called "Halloween Drag Queen Story hour with Luna Paradise". Park Church has hosted drag queen story hours before (see below). Last year the ELCA's Metropolitan New York Synod granted the struggling congregation a 9 month extension of funding. According to the ELCA's website, the congregation has an average attendance of 15. It is tragic that some public libraries have drag queen story time for children. It is super tragic when this is done by a church. Your offering dollars at work in the ELCA's New York Synod: helping children embrace drag queen story hour. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://deplorablekel.com/2018/10/17/church-hosts-drag-queen-story-hour/ -- https://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/41/4/dtg-bb-drag-queens-read-to-kids-at-greenpoint-church-2018-01-26-bk.html   
The Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America held a youth gathering (see here) two weeks ago for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The person chosen to be chaplain for the middle schoolers was transgender ELCA vicar Atticus Zavaletta. (see here and below)
This is another example of how the ELCA continues to lift up transgender confusion and homosexuality to young people. People of God, please pray for God's will to prevail in the hearts and minds of those still worshiping in the ELCA and for ELCA leaders and those struggling with same-sex attraction and gender confusion to turn from sin and trust God and His Truth. Below are Facebook posts about the youth event by the Delaware-Maryland Synod, Delaware-Maryland Synod Bishop Bill Gohl and transgender ELCA vicar Atticus Zavaletta. 
|
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.
Give online by clicking the "donate" button below: Categories
All
Archives
January 2023
 Exposing the ELCA is on Facebook 
Follow Exposing the ELCA on Twitter
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
|
RSS Feed