|
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
A friend of mine graduated from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, a school related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He recently received this communication from the university about the university’s specialty housing for LGBTQ+ students, its new LGBTQ+ Resource Center, and Midday Mindfulness yoga: “Susquehanna University recently dedicated the LGBTQ+ Resource Center as an on-campus space where queer students will feel supported and empowered. “We want to promote students and community visibility by empowering and lifting up queer students and giving them a bigger voice on campus,” said Kyoti Tavarez ’24, a QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) student liaison with the resource center. “This is a space where we want to highlight queer students and their accomplishments, talents and joy.” …the center’s creation was due in part to growing demand among LGBTQ+-identifying students, said Dena Salerno, senior director of inclusion & diversity. “…over 30% of a recent incoming class tell us that they identify as queer in some way,” Salerno said. In addition to opening the resource center, Susquehanna also created specialty housing for LGBTQ+ students this year….Midday Mindfulness sessions, led by a certified student yoga instructor, are scheduled…” My friend complained to the university and got this response from the university chaplain: “Theologically—and I speak now as the university chaplain—I want to be very clear: we do not in any way endorse theologies that frame same-gender attraction as wrong or disordered. Quite the opposite, we celebrate the presence of God in the lives and loves of our LGBTQ members, and our community and campus are blessed daily by their inspiring faith, abundant spiritual gifts, and all-around brilliance.” My response: 30% of students are LGBT? Highly unlikely. And never mind prayer at this Lutheran college, let’s promote mindfulness yoga. Yes, this chaplain celebrates LGBT behavior, but he stands in contradiction to the Scripture and 2000 years of Christian teaching (see my article “What does the Bible say about homosexuality?” at pastorsstudy.org). This wholesale embracing of the homosexual/transgender movement is also evident at Augsburg, Concordia Moorehead, Saint Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus, Augustana, Luther and Wartburg Colleges. The only ELCA college I know of that still has some Biblical faithfulness is Grand View University in Iowa. So don’t send your child to a college of the Evangelical Lutheran church in America thinking they will get a Christian education. Instead, they will be indoctrinated in the lies of our culture. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock Susquehanna’s chaplain also wants to make clear where he stands on abortion, see below.
3 Comments
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) The below video by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America shows an 11-year-old boy who thinks he is a girl (minute 8:29) and says the ELCA “respects diverse bodies rather than devalues them”. This child spoke to 31,000 teens at the ELCA’s Youth Gathering, promoting transgenderism. The video states the ELCA supports “reproductive health care”. The ELCA indeed pays for abortion for any reason in the denomination’s healthcare plan, which is funded by offering dollars. The video rails against the “patriarchy” and states God is not literally a Father. If you want to be part of a denomination which believes what Jesus said about human sexuality, that God made us “male and female“ (Matthew 19:4)…If you want a denomination which values human life from conception to death…and if you want to be part of a church which unashamedly worships the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, do not join the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA’s woke 9 minute video below looks more like a commercial on why not to join the ELCA. In Christ, Pastor Tom Brock (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Below is more heresy from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s website. No, all people are not children of God. The Apostle Paul taught that we begin life as children of God’s wrath and only become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:4, Galatians 3:26). The ELCA bids us to speak truth to power. So let us do that… ELCA leaders, please stop killing unborn children in the womb with the offerings of the people of God through the ELCA’s healthcare plan. ELCA leaders, no, a little boy cannot become a little girl, so please stop giving hormone blockers to children through the ELCA’s healthcare plan, again, funded by offering dollars. ELCA’s leaders, no, a man cannot become a woman, so please stop paying for sex change operations with offering dollars. ELCA leaders, you should not ban the Bible’s teaching that homosexual behavior is sinful as you are doing in your national publications like Living Lutheran magazine. ELCA leaders, you should not be embarrassed by “Father, Son, Holy Spirit” language for God as you instead seek for more “expansive, inclusive” language for God. ELCA leaders, you should not deny Jesus’ teaching on the reality of Hell as your head bishop did when she told a Chicago newspaper “If hell exists, I think it is empty“. ELCA leaders, your head bishop should not produce another gay pride video this June as she has done the last two years to celebrate LGBT pride month. ELCA leaders, you should not put a confused 11-year-old boy who thinks he is a girl on stage to promote transgenderism to 31,000 teenagers at the national ELCA Teen Assembly. ELCA leaders, you should not send your head bishop to the White House to promote abortion rights as she did before the fall of Roe v. Wade. ELCA leaders, you should not vote down an amendment stating that Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 14:6) as you did at the ELCA national assembly. Because of all of the above, I encourage everyone who is still a member of this denomination to find a more biblical Christian denomination to join. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock 
Rev. Stacie R. Fidlar is the new bishop of the ELCA's Northern Illinois Synod. Here is some of what she posts on social media:
Read about the event speaker Bishop Fidlar is publicizing here.
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Below is a picture of a lesbian pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and her "wife". She has posted memes stating "I chose abortion", "This pastor is pro-choice", "Trans is beautiful" and a rainbow meme "This pastor will marry you and support you as you access reproductive healthcare. Full stop. No exceptions." The ELCA's official abortion statement is muddled. One page sounds pro-choice, another sounds pro-life. But the bottom line is this: the ELCA pays for abortion for any reason whatsoever in its healthcare plan which is funded by offering dollars. The bottom line is also this: Recently the head bishop of the ELCA went to the White House to stand in favor of abortion rights and Roe v. Wade. The ELCA has also become much bolder in recent years in its promotion of all things LGBT. The ELCA's national magazine, Living Lutheran, has published many pro-LGBT articles, but has not printed one article representing the traditional, biblical viewpoint on homosexuality. I know, because we asked about paying for an advertisement for a group which helps people out of homosexuality, but Living Lutheran turned us down stating that such a view no longer represents more recent teaching of the ELCA. But in 2009, when the ELCA voted to ordain practicing homosexuals, conservatives were assured that their viewpoint would also be allowed and respected. Not anymore. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=547335566727274&set=pb.100043525052350.-2207520000..&type=3  (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) The two men pictured in the first link below are “married” and both are pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The one on the right recently preached a sermon (see video below) entitled “The road ahead will be difficult”. In it he tells parishioners that we follow Jesus by working for abortion rights. He also quotes the ELCA’s head bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, who has also called upon Lutherans to work for abortion rights. Tragic. “Thou shalt not kill” was not mentioned. Please pray for Christ’s Church. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100871211507480&set=a.558482085790&type=3 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly happens in a couple weeks. On the docket:
"Proposals (known as memorials) from the ELCA's 65 synods that address social justice issues and matters relating to the structure of the ELCA, including greenhouse gas reduction; gun violence; LGBTQIA+ welcome; pastoral counseling as a result of changes to Roe v. Wade; the land back movement; ELCA governance restructure; specialized ministries and on leave from call status; and review and revision of the ELCA social statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, adopted by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly." ttps://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/8163 (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Now she proclaims on a sign that the Virgin Mary is evidence that we should be pro-choice and she calls her opponents "mother-f....ers". This isn't just some rogue pastor who to my knowledge has never been disciplined by the ELCA for her blasphemy. The head bishop of the ELCA herself, Elizabeth Eaton, went to the White House recently and stood up for abortion rights, desiring to uphold Roe v. Wade. I want to believe that most ELCA Lutherans would not be comfortable paying the travel expenses of Elizabeth Eaton so she could promote abortion rights at the White House. And I have to say it again: it is far past time to leave this on unbiblical denomination and join a good, biblical church which upholds Christian values. In Jesus our Savior, who is the Lord of life, Pastor Tom Brock
The ELCA supports and advocates for abortion (see here), and their bishop's and pastors are overwhelming in support of abortion.
ELCA pastor Elle Dowd, who is a minor celebrity within the ELCA crowd, says, "I love abortion" and "Any reason someone needs - OR WANTS - an abortion is a good reason." 
Michael Rinehart, Bishop of the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod, of the ELCA made numerous abortion related FB posts, including this one that ends with "Enter the Taliban":
The ELCA's pastor of public witness, Nadia Bolz-Weber, tweets: 
Transgender ELCA pastor Drew Stever says, "I will help you find a safe abortion." 
ELCA pastor Lura Groen took to Facebook with these abortion-related posts: 
Lesbian ELCA synod bishop Brenda Bos writes: The East Central Synod of Wisconsin's synod bishop Anne Edison-Albright posted this:
"I'd like to see picket lines at clinics which provide abortion procedures made illegal, defined as an act of terrorism and as such no longer defensible under the right to free speech as set out in the 1st Amendment."
"Let's face it: Roe v. Wade is not going to be reversed. Frankly, it shouldn't be". (see here) These are the words of ELCA pastor Scott Johnson. Rev. Johnson was elected bishop, a few days ago, by the Nebraska Synod. A man who thinks prolife demonstrators at abortion clinics are committing acts of terrorism. Think about that for a minute. This is from the man Nebraska ELCA voters chose to lead them. The newly elected ELCA bishop has a long history of public support for abortion. Here is some of what he has been saying and posting on his social media:
In the post below Pastor Johnson tweeted his joy at people donating to abortion provider Planned Parenthood in the name of pro-life Vice-President Mike Pence. 
Where does Bishop-elect Scott Johnson stand on other topics, you ask? 
Johnson is a one of the new boisterous, woke pastors that have been taking over the ELCA in the last decade.
Is the Bishop-elect friends with some of these ELCA pastors, many of whom this ministry has highlighted? I'm not sure but Bishop-elect Johnson wrote a book review of a book by Pastor Lenny Duncan saying:
"I'll echo the blurb from Nadia Bolz-Weber from the front cover: "I dare you to read this book." I particularly dare you to do so if you're a white, straight, American male in the ELCA. You need to sit down, read, and listen. You need to know that your privilege is real, that there are things you don't encounter simply because your skin color and your sexual preference fall a certain way." (See here)
And it wasn't surprising to see Bishop-elect Scott Johnson was "following" many of them: 
Bishop-elect Johnson has a recommended blogs section on his website that includes Nadia Bolz-Weber's and Clint Schnekloth's blogs. (See here, on the right hand side.)
If you are prolife you need to stop supporting and end your membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is time to leave.
See the ELCA news release and the tweet below from the ELCA Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, about the Supreme Court and their likely decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which would give states the right to decide on abortion. 
The news release is a statement from the Presiding Bishop titled "A pastoral message on abortion." (See here) The tweet above is included in the ELCA news release. Here are some additional quotes from the statement:
I don't care what your reason is to remain in the ELCA, whether you are a pro-life pastor or a pro-life congregation or a pro-life member. You are part of a denomination that supports and advocates for the killing of unborn children (the ELCA also pays for employees' abortions). You can not justify remaining.
Abortion is evil and barbaric. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America supports abortion.
The leaked draft from the United States Supreme Court indicates the law on abortion will likely change. States, the people, will get to decide. This change has upset many including ELCA pastors and leaders. Here is a small segment of what they are saying: From ELCA pastor Jennie Chrien: 
From ELCA pastor Lura Groen: ELCA pastor Emily Scott responded to the news with this Facebook post: From ELCA pastor Kwame Pitts:
ELCA pastor Clint Schnekloth writes: 
Here is what ELCA pastor Tuhina Verma Rasche is saying: 
Replying to Tuhina's tweet, Rick Barger says: 
From ELCA pastor Elle Dowd:
From Carmine A. Pernini, ELCA pastor: (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) The below is written by a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as her "personal response to countless anti-choice laws at the state level". How can pastors who believe in the Bible, Psalm 119 and 'Thou shalt not kill' support abortion? They can't. But below you will see a pastor try to defend abortion with statements like: "I have reason to believe the Kingdom of God is like a woman who knows herself, who believes she is worth more than what the Empires of this world decide about her body". Sadly, the below article, radical as it is, is not radical in the ELCA. The ELCA pays for abortion for any reason in the denomination's healthcare plan, which is funded by offering dollars. And recently ELCA head bishop Elizabeth Eaton, also in response to states' attempts to restrict abortion, issued a letter reminding people that the ELCA believes in abortion access. How the Lord of Life must grieve that the ELCA, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church in America and the Presbyterian Church USA all support laws that enable 3000 babies to be killed in America daily. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock See article - https://web.archive.org/web/20190625023941/https://tangledupingrace.blogspot.com/2019/05/i-have.html  (The following is a letter written by a married couple to their ELCA church council. I have made a few edits to remove names and places)
On January 8, 2021, ELCA Bishop Elizabeth Eaton was one of several religious leaders who signed a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress and the Cabinet calling for the removal of President Donald Trump from office following the events of January 6 in the Capitol. This letter was written two days following the events at the Capitol while causes of the events of January 6 were in the early stages of investigation. The letter signed by Bishop Eaton stated, "In addition, we recognize the need to hold responsible not only those who invaded the Capitol, but also those who supported and/or promoted the President’s false claims about the election or made their own false accusations." We read this to state that the leader of the ELCA is now calling for repercussions for those with thoughts and beliefs that are not her own. Our world is currently so very divided, and one place we want to feel at peace, loved, appreciated is in our church home. When we read this letter from Bishop Eaton, we immediately felt that due to our political beliefs we were no longer welcome in the church we called home. We must admit that since the covid pandemic started, our involvement with (our church) has waned. Some of it was due to covid, but much of our lack of involvement was due to our research beginning in January 2021 on the beliefs of the ELCA and our realization that our beliefs differed greatly from ELCA leadership. Polls show that 75 to 80 percent of Republicans believe there was some fraud involved with the 2020 presidential elections. We fall within that group that questions whether fraud occurred in the election process in some states. While we accepted the results of the election, we do believe that there was some questionable election activity in multiple states that should be explored. We are not saying the fraud was absolute, but there was cause for investigation. According to the leader of the ELCA, we are outright wrong in our beliefs and there is no room for discussion. Considering that at least 50 percent of (our state) are registered Republicans, and according to polls 75 percent of Republicans believe there was some fraudulent activity in the 2020 election, that would equate to a rough estimate of 40 percent of the church membership of the ELCA in (our state) that needs to be held responsible for the events of January 6 at the Capitol according to Bishop Eaton. We disagree. This was the start of not feeling welcome by the ELCA, and the beginning of our research on what the ELCA currently stands for. We moved to (this city) in 2012 and joined (this ELCA church) because it was the church at which (my wife's) father was a member and that her paternal ancestors had belonged to, though (my wife) had been raised as a Catholic and (I) as an American Baptist. We knew that (this church) was a member of the ELCA, but we didn’t do our research as to what the ELCA believed. We just believed that all Lutherans were essentially the same. The January 8, 2021 letter signed by Bishop Eaton led us to do further research. Our research found a multitude of issues to which we disagree with ELCA leadership. Below we will highlight just a few of the issues with which we disagree.
These are just a few of the reasons we started questioning whether membership in an ELCA church was right for us. Then on November 19, 2021, Bishop Eaton released a pastoral message on the Rittenhouse acquittal stating, “When a child is allowed to become a vigilante without recourse, we are forced to confront the idols of our society: guns, violence and white supremacy.” She also stated, “Today’s acquittal is an injustice.”
Following much research, prayer and discussion, we have decided to withdraw our membership in the ELCA which means we need to withdraw our membership at (this church) and seek a local church that more closely fits our beliefs. We wanted you to know that our withdrawal of membership is not based on our local church family, but rather the work and beliefs of the leadership at the highest levels of the ELCA. We love and support our friends and neighbors who are members of the ELCA and will continue to support the work of (this church) at the local level through prayer.
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Years ago I graduated from Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. When I attended it was moderate to liberal, today is radical with transgender and lesbian speakers and prayers to God the “Mother.”
Now and then I drive through Luther’s parking lot to see the awful bumper stickers on students’ cars. Below is one. This person fits right in with the ELCA, which pays for abortion for any reason whatsoever in its healthcare plan, a plan funded by offering dollars. That’s right, your offering dollars at work in the ELCA, paying for abortion for pastors and their families. Way back in 1997 some of us tried at a church convention to put restrictions on abortion payments, but we failed. I left that convention hall and literally shook the dust off my feet, and later led my congregation out of the ELCA to join a more biblical branch of Lutheranism. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock |
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
September 2024
 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