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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.) Nicole Garcia was born a man, married a woman, and then divorced. After that time he went to a transgender conference and discovered “I’d always been a woman. The weight lifted from my shoulders and, for the first time in my life, I felt at peace. I claimed myself as Nicole.” “She” then joined a congregation of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and “fell in love with Lutheran theology...Now, as an ELCA pastor, I proclaim the gospel of love and inclusion of my savior, Jesus Christ. The ELCA has embraced me.” This article appeared in the official magazine of the ELCA in its September 2020 edition. Today one can be a practicing homosexual pastor and also a practicing transgender pastor and lead a congregation of the ELCA. And the ELCA continues to shrink in members and donations. As I have said before, ELCA really stands for “Extremely Liberal Church in America” or “Everything Luther Cautioned Against” or “Every Lutheran Confession Abandoned.” In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock -- (See Living Lutheran article here) 
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ELCA Bishop Michael Rinehart is a social justice warrior and loves the internet. He is the bishop of the ELCA's Gulf Coast Synod.
Let's learn more about Bishop Rinehart by checking out some of his social media posts. As you can see, he loves marching for his favorite liberal social justice causes. 
And here is Bishop Rinehart with controversial ELCA pastor Lenny Duncan: 10 days ago I attempted to post an article on Facebook from my website ExposingtheELCA.com. It is something I've been doing for over 10 years. But this time I received the following message:  Now, any link from ExposingtheELCA.com can not be posted or shared on Facebook. The statement Facebook displayed says that "other people on Facebook" have reported the content of my website as "abusive." This, of course, is not true. One can disagree on issues, behavior, actions, etc. and not hate someone. Nothing on my website is "abusive." This is an attack by those that do not like the ministry of Exposing the ELCA. So as of now, and likely forever, Facebook is preventing anyone from sharing any story or any link that comes from ExposingtheELCA.com. It is sad to see Biblical principals being censored and banned by American companies. (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Perhaps you heard the story of the 2009 Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at which a tornado struck the Assembly as they voted to ordain practicing homosexuals (by 66.6 percent). Many saw it as a sign of God's displeasure on the ELCA. Across the street from the Minneapolis Convention Center is the historic Central Lutheran Church which hosted the gay lobby back in 2009. Beer tents were set up on the lawn of Central Lutheran to serve convention-goers and the tornado not only tore up the beer tents but also tore down the large iron cross from the steeple of Central Lutheran. The cross hung upside down for months while it was being repaired. Fast forward to today. Below at minute 8:38 and again at minute 21:16 you will hear one of Central Lutheran's pastors teach that Jesus made mistakes and had to "come to His senses". The pastor even says that Jesus "repents and apologizes" (minute 22:52). She repeats (minute 24:38) that "Jesus sees what He has done is wrong, says He is sorry". She says Jesus "screwed up" (minute 28:51). None of that, of course, is in Matthew 15:21-28. Commentators believe Jesus was challenging the syrophoenician woman to press on in her faith, not sinning against her. The rest of the sermon mentions eunuchs and sexual minorities (Central is very pro-LGBT). The tragedy of Central Lutheran's teaching is that it gets rid of the atonement. Christ was sinless, therefore He could pay for the sins of others. But if Jesus sinned, He would have had to pay for His own sins and could not pay for ours. But, sadly, some liberal Protestants no longer believe in Christ's substitutionary atonement. They believe for God the Father to punish His Son for our sins would amount to "divine child abuse." In their view, substitutionary atonement never needed to take place to begin with because God is a God of love, not of wrath. So Jesus didn't need to be sinless. But the Bible teaches Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22). The Bible teaches that Jesus saves us from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9, I Thessalonians 1:10) and that He made atonement for our sins. In fact, the Apostle Paul teaches that one must believe that Christ died for our sins in order to be saved, since it is a matter of "first importance" (I Corinthians 15:1-4). What a tragic day in which we live when clergy deny Christ's sinlessness and His atoning sacrifice. May the Lord save His Church from such "pastors." In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock PS I can't help but think of the hymn Luther wrote in 1542: "Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word; curb those who by deceit or sword would wrest the kingdom from your Son and bring to naught all he has done.  (The following article was written last year by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) In 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to ordain practicing homosexuals, thus violating Scripture and causing the largest church split in American history. Countless people have left this denomination, along with their offerings, and the denomination continues to decline.
God Himself and His Word are opposed to what the ELCA is doing. The ELCA churchwide assembly even voted down a delegate-by 97%- who tried to affirm that Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 14:6).
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man shows that also he shall reap” (Galatians 6:7). In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock https://www.livinglutheran.org/2019/08/perspective-scraped-floors-open-doors/ 
Kristen Kuempel is the Bishop of the Northwest Intermountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In a Twitter exposition Bishop Kuempel explains what the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is about, saying, "There is a church in America working to address poverty, racism, systemic racism, reproductive health, full-inclusion of LGBTQIA+, hunger, & more."
In subsequent tweets Bishop Kuempel uses the F word and mentions Franklin Graham saying "I rebuke him." It is truly scary to see what kind of people the ELCA is elevating into highest echelon of leadership. (read more about ELCA Bishop Kristen Kuempel here) 
(The following article is from Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Watch the video below to see where offering dollars go in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The video claims that ELCA advocacy does not push a political agenda, while pushing the LGBTQAI+ agenda to the hilt. You may go to ELCA.org and view their press releases of liberal causes. As I said in an earlier post, the ELCA does not lean to the left, it falls over to the left. But, they say, they don't have a political agenda. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock (See video here or below) 
Gay Pride month happens every June. It is a time when you see people, businesses and organizations make statements and social media posts showing their support. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service was one organization which was fully invested in "celebrating" Gay Pride this June. One Facebook post by the organization has a picture of a man dressed like a woman and an article honoring this "Transgender Activist & Immigrant." Another post by LIRS celebrates a "queer" undocumented artist. (See both below)
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is a partner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the ELCA financially support LIRS. It is time for Bible-believing ELCA Lutherans to stop putting up with the denomination's rebellion against God. Stop being content and silent in your comfortable, "isolated" ELCA church. The ELCA's heretical, faith-destroying beliefs are harming everyone who comes in contact with it. Leading your church and/or your family out of ELCA is the God-honoring action Bible-believing Christians should take. 
(The following article is from Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) He is risen! (Yes, I said “He”). Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota is a congregation of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This past summer the ELCA in convention voted to use more expansive language for God. This means, among other things, the ELCA desires to include more female imagery for God (God as “Mother”, etc). But back in 2015, Pilgrim Lutheran was already doing this. See the below from their website on how strange things get when a congregation wants to abandon using exclusively “Father, Son, Holy Spirit“ language for God. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom From Pilgrim Lutheran’s website: “Use language that is expansive in communicating the nature and activity of God. Consider using one or more of the following strategies: Choose non-anthropomorphic language for God (examples: Eagle, baker, hen,bread), being careful not to limit these by following them with male or female pronouns. Choose titles that suggest the activity of God but do not imply gender. (Examples: Advocate, Healer, Refuge, Sustainer, Creator) Use second person language to speak to, instead of about, God. Use similes Replace pronouns with articles (for example, “God sent His Son” could be changed to “God sent The Son”) Keep in mind that although Jesus was male, his humanity is more significant to our faith than his gender. Consider using terms like Christ, Teacher, Emmanuel, Savior, Redeemer, Word in addition to or as substitute for Lord or other exclusively male descriptors." (See here)  (The following article is from Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Look at the picture below and you will see Elizabeth Eaton, head bishop of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, holding hands with pro-abortion rights Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on the right and homosexual ELCA Bishop Guy Erwin (who has a "husband") on the left. This is not surprising since Eaton has publicly defended abortion rights, transgenderism and homosexuality. The below video claims that the ELCA is neither blue nor red politically, but look through the news releases at ELCA.org and you will get a different story. The ELCA doesn't lean to the left, it falls over to the left. Eaton publicly was thrilled by the recent Supreme Court decision affirming transgender rights and she did a video celebrating gay pride in June. In a press release some months ago Eaton reminded that the ELCA supports abortion rights when she thought some conservative states would make restrictions on abortion. The ELCA continues its practice of paying for abortion for any reason in the denomination's healthcare plan, which is funded by offering dollars. Yes, that is right, your ELCA offering dollars can go toward killing unborn children for any reason whatsoever. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock 
(The following article is from Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Here are excerpts from the below video of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: "To my LGBTQIA+ siblings...you are who you were created you to be...Our creator is not one gender but God is at the same time full of gender and also beyond gender...The Church told lies about who and what was acceptable in God's sight. We as the Church have killed and wounded our LGBTQIA+ siblings by...declaring bodies sinful that God has called good...I am deeply sorry...Church...we must repent...". The video ends with the prayer "May we follow the Spirit's lead and work for justice and equity for our LGBTQIA+...siblings".
Very disturbing is the claim by some in the Church today that the Holy Spirit is leading the Church to affirm homosexuality and transgenderism. This is close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible's teaching on homosexuality (see my article "What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?" at pastorsstudy.org). Sadly, this pro-LGBT teaching has also invaded the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church in America, the Presbyterian Church USA, the United Methodist Church and the Disciples of Christ. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock 
Should biological males be placed in female homeless shelters? The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is rallying their faithful to advocate: "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed a new rule that could decrease shelter access and increase the risk of homelessness for transgender and non-binary people in our communities...HUD’s proposed change would weaken existing protections under the 2016 issued 'Equal Access Rule,' allowing sex-segregated shelters to consider someone’s biological sex — rather than their self-identification — in making placement choices and how they accommodate people seeking shelter. Currently, the unrevised Equal Access Rule requires housing and shelter facilities to ensure equal access to benefits, services and accommodation for individuals based on their gender identity without intrusive and harmful questioning or government ID requirements." The ELCA then asks its readers to send a form letter, provided by the ELCA, to the U.S. government advocating for no change to the current rule. (See here) 
In a sermon given on July 12, 2020, Rev. Mark Knutson, a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), makes an egregious statement:
“…how can you preach about joy when the administration of this land is so out of touch? How can you preach about joy when a president is a racist and white supremacist…” (see video here starting at 36:25) It shouldn't surprise us that a radical, Bible-twisting denomination like the ELCA has pastors who call our president a racist and white supremacist, but it is certainly disturbing, none-the-less. Rev. Knutson continued on by saying the president “goes after Bubba Wallace...”, a black NASCAR driver who made news last month with the what-proved-to-be false claim that someone put a noose in his NASCAR garage. Pastor Mark Knutson then repeats that false claim, that someone placed a noose in Wallace's garage stall, despite it having been proven to be false, weeks ago. This same pastor made news recently for prominently applauding speakers at a highly controversial rally, according to Gateway Pundit news site. See here and here. According to the article, one rally speaker called for the abolition of the United States and another advocated for violent protests. If you are a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, you need to know that your money supports radical pastors and policies and extremely liberal political viewpoints. 
ELCA pastor W. J. Mark Knutson was also the subject of this post and article:
(The following article is from Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Some in liberal, mainline Protestant denominations have begun calling the Holy Spirit “she“, though there is no biblical warrant for it. Watch the very brief video below of a female pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who is “married” to a woman, call the Holy Spirit “she“. It is also common among liberals in mainline denominations to claim the Holy Spirit blesses homosexual behavior and desires the Church to affirm the LGBTQAI+ movement. But the Holy Spirit never contradicts the Scriptures which he himself inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). For all the Bible verses about homosexuality, see my article “What does the Bible say about homosexuality?” at Pastorsstudy.org. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://www.facebook.com/1403802538/posts/10223769687335847/
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(Additional social media posts by ELCA Rev. Meagan McLaughlin - ) 
Lutheran Pastor Tom Brock addressed the situation saying: "Here is drag queen story time for your children, presented by the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I am not making this up. This is not a satire. Here is drag queen story time for your children courtesy of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America." "Claire Burkat, retired ELCA bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, wrote of the drag queen story time books: 'Three books I will buy for the little ones I love:)'" (Read Rev. Brock here) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has a mission to indoctrinate their membership, including children, with their ultra-liberal, Bible-rejecting beliefs. How can anyone who fears God and believes His Word stay in this vile denomination that is teaching evil, in many forms, to people under their care? |
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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