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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 graduated from this seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America back in 1979. It was somewhat liberal back then and much more so now. In the below chapel service at minute 6:50, the preacher from Intertwine Church in Northeast Minneapolis talks about prayer as "listening to self" and then leads the seminary congregation in deep breathing, centering meditation. Later he preaches that secular people are finding the Spirit of Christ at yoga studios. His church is about "gathering around questions and not answers", they are about "how to be human together". I prefer a denomination which unapologetically sings "Jesus is the answer for the world today" and which does not incorporate non-Christian meditation and breathing exercises in its worship. It is one more reason I am glad I have left the ELCA for a more Biblical branch of Lutheranism and that many others have also left. The size of the congregation at the Luther Seminary chapel in the below video is way down from what it was when I was a student at Luther, just one more evidence of the shrinking effect of liberal religion. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org
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chapel service or church should not happen. Religions other than the Judeo-Christian faith are false, but it gets worse.
At the St. Olaf service, Fardosa Hasson spoke of how Muslim students at Augsburg University asked her to help them hold Friday prayers on campus. She said, “The Director of Ministry, Pastor Sonya (Hagander), says, ‘Oh it would be great if we can actually have it in the Chapel.’ And I remember the conversation, as we go on, and now that I see every Friday, on campus, we have Friday services, inside the Chapel…it is reaffirming of diversity and inclusion to actually have it in a space where we all worship that one god. And remember, our chapel is not like here, where there are so many pictures of Jesus and Mary…” (see here) So Muslim prayer services, to Allah, who is NOT the God of the Bible, are happening every Friday at Hoversten Chapel at Augsburg University. This is happening, as the speaker said, at the initiative of ELCA Pastor Sonja M. Hagander, University Pastor and Director of Ministries and Associate Director at Augsburg University (see here), and obviously with the approval of Augsburg University itself. Using a house of God to worship other gods is a violation of the first commandment. God’s Word in Exodus 20:2,3 tells us, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.” Here are some similar verses - https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Do-Not-Have-Other-Gods The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its colleges, like Augsburg University and St. Olaf College, cannot and should not be trusted with the responsibility of teaching and guiding you or your family’s faith development. Preaching about your pet causes and infusing them into your sermon is typical of ELCA pastors. It is hard to find anyone in the denomination preaching the Good news of Christ's sacrifice and payment of sins for those that believe He is the Son of God. Below is an egregious example of this from an ELCA seminary, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). Where is the news and proclamation of God coming to Earth as a baby and that "he will save his people from their sins?" Matt. 1:21b This Christmas, and the years to follow, are you going to entrust your soul, your faith and that of your loves ones to the pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America?  (See here)
Additionally, below is the type of person this ELCA seminary, LSTC, is placing in leadership of the future pastors studying at the school, the people who will lead ELCA churches for years to come: “The Rev. Erik Christensen has accepted a call to serve as pastor to the community and director of worship at LSTC.” “He served as co-chair of the board of directors of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and is a member of Proclaim, a Lutheran community of LGBTQ+ rostered ministers, seminarians and candidates for ministry.” (See here, on page 2) The ELCA is Just an Extreme Social Policy and Political Organization that Cloaks Itself in Religion12/19/2017 God's Word in Matthew 4:17 tells us that Jesus preached the message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” You will not hear ELCA leadership preach repentance of sin (unless it has to do with "Global Warming" or lack of being inclusive). They must believe Jesus was naive to think that people needed to repent or that hell awaited those that reject Christ as their Savior. Instead ELCA leaders succumbed to Satan's directives and are preaching their liberal social and political policies. Here are some examples: - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America stands against the Congressional tax cut being voted on this month. They are spewing leftist propaganda saying it is a bill that "benefits corporations and the wealthy over lower and middle-income families." (See here and below.)  - Today the ELCA's Metropolitan New York Synod shared a post from a pro-LGBT organization about the case of the Christian baker from Colorado who was sued by two gay men because the baker would not use his artistic talents to make them a wedding cake. The article features an ELCA pastor condemning the Christian baker's claim of religious freedom (see here and below). In the case of gay men vs. a Bible-believing Christian, it is not a surprise with whom the ELCA synod is siding.  - Next is an article co-written by ELCA bishop William Gohl Jr. of the Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA. It condemns "current immigration policies" of the United States and says the "repeal of DACA would be morally reprehensible." He even says, "If we are to truly live out our faith, then we must...advocate that those who (are in the United States)...through DACA be allowed to stay." (See here) - Gun regulations and laws are a favorite topic of many ELCA leaders. Here is some of what ELCA bishop Steven L. Ullestad of the Northeastern Iowa Synod is using to fill up his Facebook page:
(See here) - News from the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has them adopting the Israel-inspired (anti-Israel) investment screen that was passed at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2016. (read the summer blog here) They also “declined the request for the ELCA to declare itself a sanctuary denomination, yet supported the spirit of the sanctuary movement by encouraging congregations to serve and support the protection of migrants in their communities.” (see here) - Finally, I will end this with what is truly one of the most morally reprehensible positions held in the ELCA, the support of abortion. After someone posted this abortion-supporting article on an ELCA Clergy Facebook page, some challenged the thought. Then ELCA pastor Russell L. Meyer wrote the comment below:  (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org a number of months ago. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Tonight I visited a Lutheran church which, I'm pretty sure, was using the "Sundays and Seasons" prayers put out by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. These ELCA prayers regularly ask God to protect the environment and waterways. In the past, a prayer asked God to protect the manatees, today it was for "the wolverine and all endangered species." Nothing is wrong with these prayers, I suppose, except for the fact that in recent years I don't recall one prayer asking God to protect unborn human beings. Nor do I recall one prayer asking that He would bring lost people to saving faith in Christ. I'm am afraid there is a reason for this. The ELCA pays for abortion (for any reason) in its healthcare plan for pastors and their families, and this is funded by offering dollars. It is hard to pray for the unborn if church offerings can be used to kill them. And why no prayers that lost people will come to Christ? My guess is because the heresy of universalism (the teaching that all people are saved) has made much headway in the ELCA. In fact the New England Synod of the ELCA recently passed a resolution asking the ELCA to drop the language of "bringing people to Christ" from the ELCA constitution. This was in order to be sensitive to Muslims and Jews and also because we are not sure that people of other religions are indeed lost. So, if everyone is saved, lets pray for manatees and wolverines. The Missouri Synod branch of Lutheranism is much more Biblical and conservative than the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but the church that used these prayers today was a Missouri Synod congregation. I attend a different Missouri Synod church which gratefully finally dropped these ELCA prayers. I had complained about the ELCA prayers and finally, after an ELCA prayer was made to God as "Mother", the prayers were dropped for good. So if you go to a church that regularly prays for the environment but never mentions the lost or the unborn, you might want to have a talk with your pastor. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org St. Olaf College is a school of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is a private liberal arts college located in Northfield, Minnesota. Many parents send their children to St. Olaf believing they will be going to a Christian college and will learn about the Christian faith, deepening their faith with godly teachers leading the way. This could not be further from the truth. As is evident in this entire website, the ELCA has turned its back on the truth and the authority of Scripture, and when you take a look at this ELCA-affiliated institution, it is easy to surmise that St. Olaf College has done the same. See the following: Related to Sex - The St. Olaf College website provides free condoms and lubricant at the school's wellness center. The school also details other forms of contraception students can consider. See below and here.  - St. Olaf’s Sexual Health “Helpful Links” page lists the National Gay and Lesbian Hotline. (See here) - The St. Olaf website has a section called "CitizenBlog" which has an article about the The Vagina Monologues, a play performed on the campus of St. Olaf. The article talks about one monologue often presented called “The Little Coochie Snorcher that Could.” Here is how the article describes the monologue. “(A)n underage girl recounts having been given alcohol and then having sex with an adult woman––her female abuser is portrayed positively as someone ‘rescuing’ her from the sexually abusive men of her past…” (See here) - St. Olaf also has a student group called "GLOW!" It “stands for ‘Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever!’, and is a student organization comprised of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual persons. GLOW! helps to educate, provide resources for and foster acceptance and support for self-identified GLBT persons with and through the alliance of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” (see here) - St. Olaf offers 16 different LGBTQ Scholarships. (see here) - Did you know that “The St. Olaf College Student Congregation has been a Reconciling In Christ congregation since 1989. Together, we advocate for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) students in all aspects of the life of our congregation and community.” (see here) - The St. Olaf College Students Activities Committee posted pictures on its Facebook page. Among the photos are two men kissing. (See here) - St. Olaf's "Champion of the Hill" competition, during Parents Weekend I believe, a man dressed as a women performed a dance routine. He was voted the "Champion of the Hill" and announced "This is the years of the queers." (see video here and pictures of the competition here) - St. Olaf has a "Students for Reproductive Rights" group. This disturbing club recently hosted a “Birth Control Methods w/ Planned Parenthood!” event as well as “Sex Toys 101” event. (See below)  Planned Parenthood - St. Olaf has a “Helpful Links” page on their website that includes a link to Planned Parenthood. (see here) - The college website has a page titled “Local Health Providers” where St. Olaf gives Apple Valley Planned Parenthood’s phone number and a link to Planned Parenthood. (See here) Transgender - St. Olaf must have been mighty proud to post this story about a transgender alumna’s appointment to White House staff. (see here) - Transgender artist, Zackary Drucker, spoke a number of times in 2015, at St. Olaf College, including a “CILA Faculty Lunch Conversation on Trans-Sensitivity Awareness.” (see here) - There is a “Gender and Sexuality Center” at St. Olaf that “seeks to educate, increase awareness, and create dialogue around issues of gender and sexuality, including feminism, queer and transgender issues, and safer sex practices, as well as the intersectional effects of these issues.” (see here) - St. Olaf College's website has a section of pages called “The Edit Desk: A guide to student journalism at St. Olaf.” On the main page they have a link to an article. Under that link it says, “The Radical Copyeditor provides a starting point for determining what language to use in articles that reference transgender people or transgender issues.” That article is written from a transgender supportive view. (see here) - The St. Olaf Sociology/Anthropology Department has offered a class called, “GLBT Lives and Issues.” Here is the class description: “This course explores the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from several social science perspectives. Students examine whether gender and sexual orientation (both heterosexual and homosexual) are socially constructed or biologically natural, and what cross-cultural and historical examples can tell us. Students also study controversies over the family and religious status of GLBT people, why homosexuality has become such a political issue, and movements for change. Offered during interim.” (see here and here) Other Religions God's Word is clear that Christ is the only way to the Father. Yet . . . - St. Olaf College employees Anant Rambachan as a Professor of Religion. His school profile says “Prof. Rambachan has been involved in the field of interreligious relations and dialogue for over twenty-five years, as a Hindu participant and analyst” and “Prof. Rambachan has traveled and lectured in many part of the world and teaches regularly at several Hindu temples in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.” (see here) - On campus is a Muslim Student Association. (see here) - The St. Olaf student-run radio station, KSTO, has a program called “The Hour of Islam.” (see here) - St. Olaf has a program celebrating Diwali, “the Hindu festival of lights that is celebrated every year during the Fall season…During Diwali, we worship goddess Laxmi, who is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.” (see here) Additional Information - If you attend St. Olaf College, you will find that they hold "Drag Balls." It is described as “An annual Pause dance at which students are encouraged to dress in drag, whatever that means to them and their unique wardrobes. Part of this tradition includes performances on stage from practiced drag entertainers, with a Q&A panel with the guest performers preceding the dance.” (see here) - Angela Davis was brought to St. Olaf to speak. She is a "a two-time Communist Party vice presidential candidate." See (here and here)
- What ELCA college doesn't have its Palestinian supporters or Anti-Israel activists? At St. Olaf there is a group called "Oles for Justice in Palestine." (see here) - This year the "Christian" college hosted a “Ghosts of St. Olaf tour" which was led by Vice President for Student Life Greg Kneser. (see here) Politics and Race Beware if you are a conservative or Republican. The article titles say it all: - "Conservative Students Say They Have Been ‘Violently Threatened’ at Lutheran College." (see here) - "Higher Education: No Safe Spaces For Conservatives." (see here) - "Outnumbered and 'threatened,' some conservatives are leaving St. Olaf College." (see here) Racial problems? St. Olaf College has that too: - "‘Student Coup’ at St. Olaf College: Students Block Buildings, Classes Shut Down Over Racial Unrest." (see here) - "St. Olaf President Says Racist Note Was 'Fabricated.'" (see here) - "The Farce at St. Olaf." (see here) It truly is disturbing what is happening at this Evangelical Lutheran Church in America college. I would pray diligently if you are trying to decide to go to or send your college-age children here. -- Exposing the ELCA has shared many other disturbing stories concerning St. Olaf College over the last few years. They can be found here. |
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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