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(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
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This is the time of year when many seniors in high school are finalizing their decisions on where they will go to college. It is an important decision that will shape and influence the rest of their lives in many ways. Most importantly, it will influence students' Christian faith. Parents need to ask and investigate how the prospective college will influence their child's Christian faith and belief. To help parents and students in their investigation I have written the following about Gustavus Adolphus College. Gustavus Adolphus College is a school of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. One would think this Lutheran college would be an excellent place to grow in your Christian faith, to encourage you in your faith and to deepen your understanding of Scripture and God’s will for you. It is not. I repeat, it is not. As you will read below, Gustavus Adolphus College is openly encouraging thoughts and behaviors that go against the will of God, thereby leading students away from Christ Jesus and the Truth of God’s Word. Sexuality --- The Gustavus Adolphus Department of Theatre/Dance performed the play “In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play.” On the Gustavus Adolphus website, announcing this production, is the warning, “If you are offended by beautiful naked people and/or consenting adults having frank conversations about physical pleasure please, do not come to see this play.” (see here) --- Gustavus Adolphus’ made news when freshman orientation activities were filmed and posted online in 2010. The article linked below describes the school's orientation gathering as a “series of sexually suggestive skits explaining to incoming students such things as where to get free condoms on campus, how to signal to your roommate that you are busy having sex (so he waits until later to come in), and how to tell your roommate you're gay (as well as the appropriate response you ought (to) take when receiving such information).” (see report here) Here is a video of the Gustavus Adolphus College freshman orientation activity. The second Gustavus Adolphus College freshmen orientation video post below is equally disturbing. --- Last month, a Safer Sex Carnival was held at Gustavus Adolphus. The college’s website reports “The Carnival will include resources and information about having safer sex and overall healthier, more satisfying relationships.” The Safer Sex Carnival is sponsored by Title IX, the Dean of Students Office, and the Sexual Education and Decision Committee. (see here) --- On the Gustavus Adolphus website you can find a section from a book called “Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex.” One line from the excerpt says “Child or teen sex can be moral or immoral.” (see here) --- The college paper, Gustavus Weekly, tells us, “Gustavus library finalizes plans for gender-neutral bathrooms.” (see below)  --- The College newspaper published another piece called “Legalize Sex Work” where the author encourages the legalization of prostitution. (see here) --- Gustavus Adolphus’ Women’s Awareness Center held an event to talk about “orgasms, safe sex decisions and the importance of respecting our bodies.” (see here) Other religions --- The Gustavus Day of Fasting-A Ramadan Celebration in honor of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan was sponsored by the Chaplains’ Office. (see here) --- Last year the Chaplains’ Office and Diversity Center sponsored a webinar called Campus Responses to Islamophobia (see here) --- Office of the Chaplains’, Siri Erickson, Brian Konkol and Ailya Vajid released a statement saying “we are deeply grieved by the rise of Islamophobia in our nation…we stand against hate, ignorance, and bigotry wherever they occur and together work to promote dignity, inclusion, and equity.” (see here) --- The ELCA Lutheran school has a multifaith center. “The Center is the new home for a number of student organizations, including Gustavus’ Muslim Student Association, Gustavus Meditation, Gustavus Interfaith Lodge, and the Multifaith Leadership Council.” (see here and the screenshot below)  --- “Diwali Festival of Lights, a traditional Hindu celebration, will be observed at Gustavus Adolphus College at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 in Alumni Hall, in O.J. Johnson Student Union.” (see here) --- What about Buddhism at Gustavus Adolphus? Yep. “Gustavus community will have the opportunity to participate in a cultural event not normally seen in this part of the world. Students and faculty are invited to join in the celebration of the annual Buddhist festival of Vesak…” (see here) --- The Chaplins’ Office section on the college website has a list of small groups and programs one can attend. Among them is Feminist Bible Study, Muslim Student Association and Gustavus Meditation. On the Chaplins’ Office webpage we are told that Gustavus’ “Meditation is lead (sic) by a local Buddhist monk, Prof. John Cha, and Cody Kirk and is followed by discussion. The purpose of this organization is to provide a weekly meditation classes for the entire Gustavus campus.” (see here) --- Department of Theatre/Dance at Gustavus presented a performance of The Ragamala Dance’s 1,001 Buddhas: Journey of the Gods. This performance was “inspired by twenty-eight Hindu deities that guard the 1,001 Buddhist statues of the Sanjusangendo temple in Kyoto, Japan.” And illustrated “the myriad histories and energies of these gods and goddesses and to bring to the modern stage a vision that traverses the scope of spiritual experience, from the intimate to the infinite.” (see here) More LGBT --- Yes, Gustavus Adolphus College observes “Coming Out” week. It is run by the group “Queers & Allies.” There is an article about it in the school paper, The Gustavian Weekly, titled “Importance of Coming Out Week…” (see here) --- On the Gustavus Adolphus College website it has a Latina/o resource page on ‘coming out,” LGBT issues, “Transgender Resources and Immigration Law and Policy” (one resource shared is information on the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) (see here) --- The college website also has a LGBTQ resources page. (see here) --- Another Department of Theatre/Dance performance was “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” a play about a 1980’s gay community. (see here) Speakers/performers --- A gay comedian/actress was on campus pushing her causes. The school paper writes, “Orange is the New Black’s Lea DeLaria speaks in Christ Chapel May 13, 2016 – Star of the popular Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, actress Lea DeLaria visited Gustavus on May 10. DeLaria is also known for being the first openly gay comic to take the stage on many late-night talkshows. She is also a prominent figure in the LGBT community. DeLaria entertained the audience through humor and song, while discussing important topics on gender identity and equity.” (see here and see the Exposing the ELCA blog about DeLaria’s performance here) --- Historian and professor Kevin Mumford came to Gustavus Adolphus College and gave a lecture on black gay history. (see here) --- The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus performed at Gustavus Adolphus. (see here) --- And when a Christian musician who “used to identify himself as a homosexual but now identifies himself as heterosexual” performed on the Gustavus Adolphus campus with his band, they were protested because the “band spoke about the possibility that homosexuals could be ‘cured…’” (see here) --- Like so many ELCA colleges, Gustavus Adolphus holds a drag show (see here and here) Planned Parenthood --- The Gustavus Adolphus website has an article blasting abstinence-only sex education and the article is produced by Planned Parenthood. (see here) --- The Gustavus Adolphus College website has a webpage called “Sex & Relationships.” The page provides a link to Planned Parenthood (see here) --- The Gustavian Weekly posted a one-sided, pro-Planned Parenthood article. (see here) Another article that discusses the same event tells how students "all over campus sported pink attire to support Planned Parenthood. (read here) Professors --- Professor John Cha, Associate Professor in Religion and Japanese Studies at Gustavus Adolphus, is a Buddhist monk and a meditation teacher/guide for the group Gustavus Meditation. Those who attend Gustavus Meditation “experience Buddhist mettā bhāvanā (loving-kindness meditation) and ānāpānasati (breathing meditation).”(see here) Professor Cha’s “teaching and research interests include Buddhist philosophy, Indian intellectual history, comparative philosophy, and inter-religious dialogue (primarily Buddhist/Christian dialogue).” (see here) --- Fuad S. Naeem is an assistant professor who teaches Islam and World Religions at Gustavus Adolphus College: “His interests include Islamic intellectual traditions in South Asia, Muslim encounters with religious others, Islam and modernity, the Qur'an and its exegesis, and Islamic philosophy, theology, and esoteric traditions.” (see here) --- “Professors at Gustavus Adolphus College make on average $108,181 per year. This is $44,715 more than the average liberal arts college professor's annual salary ($63,466).” (see here) Race --- Just this spring (2017), the “Diversity Leadership Council” did something that had many media outlets talking. They posted racially offensive posters (FAKE racist posters) around Gustavus Adolphus’ campus (see here) --- The Gustavus Adolphus student newspaper published a piece called “Mein Trump,” mimicking the name of a book written by Adolph Hitler. A Gustavus Adolphus writer expressed the following, “Trump is quickly and not so quietly building a coalition of white supremacists and closet racists alike.” (see here) Politics --- The Gustavus College Republicans decided to leave the The Diversity Leadership Council “implying that their opinions have been disregarded.” (see here) --- A Gustavus Adolphus College woman wearing a “make America great again” hat was allegedly assaulted on campus. (see here) --- Lutheran Pastor Tom Brock recounts what he saw and experienced while visiting Gustavus Adolphus College writing, “I visited the campus today and walked past the chaplains' offices and the offices of the religion professors, wondering what I would see on their doors. A picture of Jesus or a Bible verse? None of that. Instead I saw signs saying 'Gay safe zone' and 'Hate free zone'. One religion prof showed a rainbow sticker and a sign 'My Karma ran over your dogma'. One door had a posting for feminist theology, another door or two displayed images from Eastern religions. As I was perusing the doors, an Asian religion professor was talking to a student about the different kinds of meditation. Nothing of Jesus." (see here) Students who grew up believing God’s Word, believing in biblical marriage (one man, one woman) and that you shall have no other gods before Him, are having their beliefs trampled on at Gustavus Adolphus. Gustavus Adolphus College is not a faithful, Bible-believing college. This is a series of investigations into the colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Below are links to the first two installments. --- What to Expect if You Attend Luther College (see here) --- Beware of the ELCA’s Grand View University (see here) The work required to run this website is extensive. Please prayerfully consider supporting the ministry of Exposing the ELCA. Click here to find out how. (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
(Pastor Brock has updated this article with corrections.) No, I'm not talking about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's decision to ordain practicing homosexuals and to allow homosexual "weddings". That took place in 2009 and caused the largest church split in American history. I am thinking of the ELCA's decision in 1997 to continue to pay for abortion for any reason--and no reason--in its healthcare plan for pastors and their families. This plan is funded by offering dollars. Here is what happened. About 1995 I discovered the ELCA had been paying for abortion-on-demand, no questions asked, for a number of years. I knew the ELCA was liberal, but I was still surprised by how radical their abortion policy was in its healthcare plan. I sent 11,000 letters to every ELCA church in the country explaining the situation since few were aware of the policy. I received many letters, some pastors were grieved and others supportive of the abortion payments. It looked for a while that a change was coming. The ELCA's Board of Pensions which administered the health program was about to offer amendments to only pay for abortion for rape, incest, life of the mother, and fetal anomaly incompatible with life. This was too broad for my liking, but at least it was better than abortion-on-demand. But this Board of Pensions' move was not encouraged by the ELCA's Conference of Bishops which from my understanding wanted to keep the status quo. The only concession was that abortion payments would be restricted after the 20th week of pregnancy. Again, I was somewhat surprised, I thought perhaps the bishops would be on the side of life. The Presiding Bishop at the time was Herbert Chilstrom who has since become public in his affirmation of abortion rights and homosexual "marriage". So I sent out a second letter to 11,000 churches urging people to take the issue to the national assembly. The only way to overrule the liberal abortion policy was to pass a resolution through the national assembly, which was to take place in Philadelphia in 1997. I attended that assembly. God bless the pro-life people who got to the microphones urging the ELCA to stop paying for abortion with the offerings of the people of God. Others urged that this is a private matter between a woman and her doctor and self-righteous men need to be quiet. I thought to myself "If this is a private matter (which it isn't) then don't make the Church pay for it." But when the vote was taken, the ELCA decided by a 3 to 1 margin to continue to pay for abortion for any reason. I literally shook the dust off my feet as I left that assembly and a few years later my congregation left the ELCA. Many people today are still unaware that when they give their offering to the ELCA it can go to pay for abortion. Your ELCA offering dollars at work: killing unborn children. As one pastor said back then "Real churches don't kill babies." In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org
“On Saturday, thousands of women dressed up in vagina costumes and descended upon DC to demand, among other things, free birth control and abortion. They called this the "Women's March," but I think that name is a terrible insult to women. The women closest to me in my life would rather die than put on a vagina hat and march through Washington in support of the mass slaughter of children.” – Matt Walsh (read here)
And that's not all. Check out this article about one of the organizers of the gathering, Women’s March Organizer is a vicious Jew-hater with ties to Islamic Terror (see here) The ELCA had a strong presence at the Women's March. What kind of "Christian" denomination or person would take part in this kind of event? It was a pro-abortion demonstration that also embraced such things as LGBTQ rights, BlackLivesMatter, illegal immigration rights, Palestine and Muslims. And the glue that held it all together was anger against President Trump. As I reported last week Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, was in Washington, D.C. last weekend and was scheduled to take part in some Women's March activity (see here). And of course there were many social media posts by ELCA pastors and members voicing and displaying their support for the march. Here are a few of them. Most of you know the ELCA's favorite pastor and best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber. These two posts by Bolz-Weber show you the state of the ELCA. — Nadia Bolz-Weber (@Sarcasticluther) January 21, 2017 From ELCA Rev. Bethany C Hull Somers:
This is a picture of a sign at Luther Place, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America church:
Here is what this ELCA seminarian shared:
ELCA Pastor Nancy Kraft marched:
ELCA pastor Priscilla Austin posted the next two social media posts:
And,
A number of ELCA congregation members from this church marched:
ELCA Rev. Carmine A. Pernini, Zion Lutheran Church, Rahway NJ marched in the march: ELCA Pastor Kathryn Irwin of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Nutley, New Jersey writes on her Facebook page, "Today I marched and rallied in Trenton, alongside a staggering number of New Jerseyans, and in concert with folks around the country and the world." (see here) Pastor Irwin also shared some pictures of the signs they made for the Women's March: For many of you, this is your denomination gladly partaking in this vile, hateful and evil demonstration. ELCA Presiding Bishop to Participate in the Pro-Abortion Women’s March on Washington Activity1/19/2017
The controversial Women’s March on Washington will take place this weekend, January 21, 2017, one day after the Inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. As with so many far-left activities, you can find the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s heavy involvement. The ELCA’s Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod publicized a schedule for the week which included a number of Women’s March events along with an announcement saying, “Don’t be surprised if you see the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, downtown. She is expected to take part in an inauguration prayer service and Women’s March-related activity.” (see here)
So what is this Women’s March on Washington about? Let’s look at a few of the groups stated principles: “REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS We believe in Reproductive Freedom. We do not accept any federal, state or local rollbacks, cuts or restrictions on our ability to access quality reproductive healthcare services, birth control, HIV/AIDS care and prevention, or medically accurate sexuality education. This means open access to safe, legal, affordable abortion and birth control for all people, regardless of income, location or education. LGBTQIA RIGHTS We firmly declare that LGBTQIA Rights are Human Rights and that it is our obligation to uplift, expand and protect the rights of our gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans or gender non-conforming brothers, sisters and siblings. We must have the power to control our bodies and be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes. IMMIGRANT RIGHTS Rooted in the promise of America’s call for huddled masses yearning to breathe free, we believe in immigrant and refugee rights regardless of status or country of origin. We believe migration is a human right and that no human being is illegal.” (see here) Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America are the only two "Premier partners" of the Women’s March on Washington. Linda Sarsour, the national co-chair of the Women's March on Washington explains that a theme of the Women’s March is “Hands off Planned Parenthood and our reproductive rights.” (see here) So check this out. The ELCA presiding bishop, an ELCA synod, at least two ELCA churches and many ELCA members are participating in Women’s March activities where one of its main themes is abortion rights. How wicked!! The highest ELCA leader is participating! And this is from a denomination that is never present at the March for Life, an annual pro-life march in Washington, D.C. Joelle Colville-Hanson, the Director of Evangelical Mission at the ELCA’s Northeastern Iowa Synod is going to the Women’s March. She tweets,
And here Pastor Colville-Hanson retweets a tweet by the President of Planned Parenthood. 
Earlier this week it was reported that a pro-life feminist group was kicked out of the Women’s March. A statement from the Women’s March said, “The Women’s March platform is pro-choice and that has been our stance from day one.” “We want to assure all of our partners, as well as participants, that we are pro-choice as clearly stated in our Unity Principles. We look forward to marching on behalf of individuals who share the view that women deserve the right to make their own reproductive decisions.” (read here) Cecile Richards, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America president said her organization became involved with the Women's March because the march will “send a strong message to the incoming administration that millions of people across this country are prepared to fight attacks on reproductive healthcare, abortion services and access to Planned Parenthood.” (see here) As I mentioned above, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America are premier partners of the event. Other partners include: #VOTEPROCHOICE, FREE THE NIPPLE, GLAAD, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), American Atheists, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Southern Poverty Law Center, Students for Choice, Catholics for Choice, The Center For Reproductive Rights, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, CODEPINK, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), National Center for Lesbian Rights and National Organization for Women (NOW). (see here) Popular Christian blogger Matt Walsh writes, “The march will be explicitly pro-abortion, anti-family, anti-Christian, etc. To march along side them is to implicitly endorse the ideas that the march was organized to promote. And those ideas are almost entirely vile and reprehensible.” (see here) And there you have the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Standing up for the killing of unborn children. How any pro-life pastor can stay in the ELCA is beyond me. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's strong pro-abortion position can be seen in their policies, actions, non-actions and by what their leadership says. I'd like to share with you what ELCA leaders are saying on their social media pages about Planned Parenthood and abortion:  ELCA Campus Pastor Casey Kloehn wrote a blog called "Abortion, actually." In it she writes: "I am already tired of fighting against those who have spent my entire life (as well as the decade before my birth) trying to undo the protections that decision provides." "I'm tired of feigning apology for where I stand." "I'm tired of men who have systematically threatened, oppressed, and injured women (for decades, centuries, millennia) through legislation, regulation, and theology." "...women who have had abortions do not need your forgiveness." "I stand with Planned Parenthood." "Women should have safe access to abortion on demand." "Even if Planned Parenthood was first and foremost an abortion provider, I would stand with them. I stand with every woman who is considering, has considered, will consider, is choosing, has chosen, or will choose abortion. Not in spite of my education, not in spite of my Christianity but--straight up--because of those privileges and commitments, I stand with women. I stand with Planned Parenthood." ELCA Pastor Scott Alan Johnson, Story City, IA wrote this in his blog: "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) Recently Pastor Johnson tweeted his joy at people donating to abortion provider Planned Parenthood in the name of the strong pro-life Vice-President elect Mike Pence. See below.  ELCA Pastor Joelle Colville-Hanson is the Director for Evangelical Mission at the Northeastern Iowa Synod and she tweeted this last week:  ELCA pastor Robert Franek, from Illinois retweeted the following from NARAL Pro-Choice America:  Rozella Haydée White is the former Director for Young Adult Ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Days ago she tweeted this:  Early this year Pastor Tom Brock wrote a blog titled "An ELCA leader supports Planned Parenthood" (see here) where he writes: "Inez Torres Davis is the Director of Justice for Women of the ELCA (WELCA). On her Facebook page she has a photo that says 'I stand with Planned Parenthood.' These are difficult days to stand with the nation's largest abortion provider, given the grisley facts that came out in the news about what they do with aborted baby parts. But sadly, this ELCA leader stands with them, and the ELCA continues to pay for abortion." The ELCA has long been a supporter of abortion. (see here and scroll down the page here) And as Pastor Brock mentioned, the ELCA even pays for abortion, for any reason, in their employee health care insurance. Today I've shown you vocal pro-abortion, pro-Planned Parenthood ELCA leaders shouting their support for Planned Parenthood. Is there any wonder Pew Research found that 65% of Mainline Lutherans (ELCA) say abortion should be legal in all/most cases. ELCA leaders have a profound influence on your thoughts and beliefs. That is a big danger in sitting under their teaching.  (see Pew Research study here) (The following article was written a number of months ago by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
Today I walked inside the Philadelphia Convention Center where back in 1997 I watched the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America convention vote to pay for abortion, for any reason, with offering dollars in its healthcare plan for pastors and their families. Some of us tried to change this abhorrent practice and we lost the vote by a two-thirds majority. This ELCA policy remains the same today, your offering dollars can go to kill unborn babies. At the same convention the ELCA voted to interchange clergy with the very liberal United Church of Christ. Before the vote a delegate publicly asked the UCC President "Why does the UCC ordain practicing homosexuals?" The UCC President replied that "the Holy Spirit" led them to do this. I went up to him afterward and wondered if he had perhaps blasphemed the Holy Spirit. I believe a spirit led the UCC to do what they did, but it wasn't the Holy Spirit. He said he would have to think about that. Today in 2015, the ELCA, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church in America, and the Disciples of Christ and have decided to follow the UCC in its decision to ordain practicing homosexuals. They follow the world, not the Word. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org The following personal account and exchange comes from the comment section of this article about abortion and the church and took place in 2009.
One persons writes: “I am the wife side of Lutheran Lurker, or should I say ex Lutheran Lurker. My husband walked away from 22 years of parish ministry, into the darkness of a recession, over life issues. We were ELCA in a very liberal congregation. It was clear to us that any, and I mean any however subtle, hint of pro-life leanings was met with temper tantrums and aggressive action. I felt that my head was going to explode. I have bitten my tongue so often it is almost off. A few years ago, I purchased a Feminists for Life bumper sticker for my truck. I was afraid to put them on, knowing the consequences. That sticker sat in the drawer for two full years haunting, or perhaps better stated, convicting me. Eventually, it went on and Hell did break out. Anyone who tells you these mainline churches are tolerant is fooling themselves. They are militantly pro-choice with a handful of pro-life people afraid to come out of the closet on the issue because most of the other church choices involve the word Catholic or evangelical. He is still job hunting, any leads would be appreciated. We crossed the Tiber where the air is cleaner and the grass is greener. As a wise mother of a young man with developmental disabilities in our special service said, “no regrets, except for the timing.”” Someone replies: “Lutheran Lurker, my heart goes out to you and your husband for making this difficult and courageous stand. In the 80s, I was a member of an LCA church that then became an ELCA church. When I asked my pastor for a reference because I was applying to become a volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, he got very angry and told me off. He then went into a long tirade about the importance of allowing abortion in all kinds of situations, giving half a dozen or more examples from his years counseling parishioners who chose abortion with his blessing. He initially refused to give the reference, saying crisis pregnancy centers were very harmful organizations who hurt women badly. He then reluctantly gave it. Learning his response, I didn’t have the courage to bring up the abortion issue with anyone else in the congregation. And it wasn’t long before I moved on to another church. Your experience is so very sad. I hope your husband is able to find a job soon. This reminds me of the story of Richard John Neuhaus, the Lutheran pastor who was a liberal civil rights activist changed forever by Roe v. Wade, and who left the Lutherans to become a Catholic. Most likely you know way more about him than I do.” It is well known and documented that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is pro-abortion. (see here and scroll down here for that information), but when you see an ELCA pastor outright promoting abortion, it is still startling for most God-fearing believers. Rev. Peder Hinderlie, an ELCA pastor in Milnor, North Dakota, proudly posted his donation to fund abortions on his Facebook page:  And there is more to this story. As you might have been able to deduct, the woman who is raising money for this cause is Pastor Hinderlie's wife. Not only is she raising money to help pay for abortions, she also works at the abortion-providing Red River Women's Clinic as a Patient Educator/Advocate. Here is the fundraising page the ELCA pastor's wife made:    Abortion is evil. And here we have an ELCA pastor and his wife working to see more unborn children be aborted. Below is a related post from Pastor Hinderlie's wife shouting her support for Planned Parenthood and gay pride.  (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
Recently I read an article by a liberal Lutheran pastor entitled "11 Reasons I Am Proud to Pastor in the ELCA". Permit me to do the opposite. Here are 11 reasons everyone should leave the ELCA. 1. The ELCA pays for abortion for any reason in its health care plan – which is funded by offering dollars. 2. The ELCA's health care plan has recently decided to pay for sex change operations. 3. The ELCA has a hard time referring to God as "He" and references to God the Father are rare. The ELCA's hymnal has removed all masculine references to God in the Psalms. The ELCA's "The Lutheran" magazine also avoids masculine pronouns for God. 4. The ELCA allows for the worship of "the goddess" and pagan deities like Asherah at an ELCA congregation called Herchurch (check out the false teaching for yourself at herchurch.org). When people have shared concern about this congregation, the ELCA has defended Herchurch instead of disciplining it. 5. The heresy of universalism, which teaches that all people will be saved regardless of faith in Christ, is being taught at ELCA seminaries. The ELCA's "The Lutheran" magazine also has articles promoting universalism. This is done even though the ELCA's founding documents teach that we are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. 6. The number of ELCA missionaries has been reduced dramatically since the ELCA's founding in 1988. If universalism is true, why send out missionaries? 7. Some ELCA pastors, like the popular ELCA speaker Nadia Bolz–Weber, deny the substitutionary atonement of Christ, which teaches that Jesus died on the cross in our place to pay for our sins. This central Christian teaching is rejected as "divine child abuse" by some in the ELCA. 8. The ELCA ordains practicing homosexuals as pastors. The ELCA now has a male bishop with a "husband" who rode in a gay pride parade in California. 9. The ELCA recently has ordained transgender pastors. 10. Basic Christian teachings like the Virgin Birth of Christ are denied by many seminary professors in the ELCA. 11. The ELCA regularly advocates for liberal political causes, but does little to nothing to advocate for the unborn. This is understandable since the ELCA pays for abortions with offering dollars. Need a good alternative to the ELCA? The Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, Lutheran Churches in Mission for Christ (LCMC), the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, the Wisconsin Synod Lutheran church, and the Association of America Lutheran Churches are all options which provide good Biblical teaching for those seeking to live out their Christian faith. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock Pastorsstudy.org (The following article was written a week ago by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
Today in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s “Prayers of the Church”, this prayer was made: “Make your church a prophetic voice for the voiceless…” I thought of the voiceless cries of over 3,000 unborn children who die daily in American abortion clinics. To my knowledge, the ELCA has never had a prayer for unborn children. Perhaps this is because the ELCA pays for abortion for any reason in its healthcare plan—which is funded by offering dollars. That’s right, your offering dollars can be used to pay for elective abortions. Way back in 1996 when I was an ELCA pastor I sent letters to all 11,000 ELCA congregations upon discovering the ELCA pays for elective abortions. Sadly, the ELCA bishops sided with the current (and still current) policy of paying for abortion for any reason, including sex selection. The issue came before the 1997 ELCA assembly. It was proposed that the ELCA limit abortion payments to rape, incest and fetal anomaly incompatible with life. For some of us, these exceptions are not valid reasons for abortion, but it was hoped that this compromise would pass and limit the vast number of reasons that the ELCA would pay for abortion. We lost. Two-thirds of the assembly voted to continue to pay for abortion for any reason, and no reason, in its healthcare plan. As one pastor said back then “Real churches don’t kill babies.” But the ELCA does. Back in those days I received a letter, I believe from a pastor’s wife, who said she was so glad the ELCA “was there” to pay for her 16-year-old daughter’s abortion. So is it any wonder that the ELCA never prays for unborn children? And again this week the ELCA offered an environmental prayer: “Guard all creatures that fly, swim, creep, and walk upon the earth. Defend and preserve threatened lands and waters.” But again, no prayer that God would bring lost human beings to saving faith in Christ. No prayer that God would guard the unborn. But they can pray for the environment. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org (The following article was written by Rev. Tom
Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.) I attend a Missouri Synod Lutheran church. The Missouri Synod is much more Biblical than the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but for some reason my Missouri Synod church is using the Augsburg/Fortress "Prayers of the Church" of the ELCA on Sunday mornings. Here is what I have noticed in the past two years. The Augsburg/Fortress prayers regularly pray for the environment, the planet, etc., but I don't remember one prayer for the salvation of the lost. Recently we prayed that God would help our churches practice "radical hospitality". I don't think most people know what that means, but in ELCA circles it can mean the affirmation of homosexual and transgender behavior. This past Sunday the Augsburg/Fortress prayers asked the Lord to "Strengthen the bonds between humans and the animals...Teach his to value all animals." I thought to myself "I have never heard an Augsburg/Fortress prayer asking us to value all human life, born and unborn." Most of the Augsburg/Fortress prayers sound very nice, but don't hold your breath for the ELCA prayers to ask God to save people from eternal Hell through Jesus Christ or to save unborn children from the horror of abortion. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org
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?" -
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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) --- 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) (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
The ELCA officially and nationally does not give money to crisis pregnancy centers which help women bring their babies to term. Individual ELCA congregations are free to do so, but nationally the church does not. What does the ELCA nationally pay for? Abortion, for any reason (and no reason), in its health care plan for pastors and their families. The ELCA health care plan is funded by offering dollars. That's right, your offering dollars at work, killing unborn children. Years ago when I was still an ELCA Lutheran, I sent out a letter to all 11,000 congregations of the ELCA telling them about the ELCA abortion payments. I received a letter, I think from a pastor's wife, who told me she was so grateful the ELCA "was there" to pay for her 16-year-old daughter's abortion. If ever the Old Testament word "Ichabod" ("the glory has departed" from I Samuel 4:21) applies, it does to the fact that a number of liberal, mainline Protestant denominations pay for abortion with offering dollars. The days of child sacrifice are back. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America begs for YOUR money in a new video saying, "When we launched 'Always Being Made New,' the campaign for the ELCA, we envisioned all of us, every synod, congregation and member coming together to achieve things we never thought possible." --- The ELCA's Oregon Synod promotes the People's Climate March in Portland. (read here) ---
Guess what Lutheran Denomination is NOT served by Lutherans For Life? (find out here) --- Showing their satanic inspired stupidity the World Council of Churches, of which the ELCA is a member, Demands Israel Release Terrorists. The article states “The World Council of Churches (WCC) is holding its annual 'World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel' (WWPPI) this week, calling on Israel to release jailed terrorists - despite the severity of their crimes and the abundance of terrorists immediately returning to terror.” (read 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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