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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.) Lutherans believe in "Sola Scriptura", that the Bible alone is the highest authority for the Christian. Since the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, and since the Holy Spirit and Jesus are one in the Trinity, Jesus and the Holy Spirit-inspired Bible are not going to contradict each other. But read the below in which the bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America approvingly quotes the belief that Jesus and the Bible can contradict each other. "We Lutherans believe that the Bible truly matters. But, it doesn’t matter as much as the Word made Flesh. It doesn’t matter as much as Jesus. To quote Marcus Borg, “Jesus is the norm of the Bible. When the Bible and what we see in Jesus conflict, as they sometimes do, Jesus trumps the Bible. … In Jesus, Christians see more clearly than anywhere else the character and passion of God.” Years ago my Minneapolis bishop was Herbert Chilstrom who went on to become the first national bishop of the ELCA. He did not want anyone teaching in our Lutheran seminaries who believed in the infallibility of Scripture. Today, years later, this is the result: Lutheran bishops, pastors, and seminary professors who believe Jesus and the Bible can contradict each other. In Christ, Pastor Tom Brock (Read article from ELCA bishop here) 
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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.) Below is a picture from the current issue of Living Lutheran, the national magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Pictured is Guy Erwin leading a worship service at the National Assembly. Erwin is the ELCA’s first homosexual bishop with a “husband“ and he is now the president of an ELCA seminary. The article mentions that the Native American practice of smudging occurred during the assembly, along with the Native American “Prayer to the Four Directions of the Earth.” Smudging is a Native American practice of burning sage in order to get rid of evil spirits and energy. In a previous post here was my comment on incorporating pagan practices into a Christian worship service: “Years ago when I was still a pastor in the ELCA, I went to one of our conventions where we turned to the north, south, east, and west in order to pattern our prayers after Native American spirituality. I got to the microphone and said "I am German, my ancestors worshiped Thor and Odin. Are we going to incorporate Thor worship at our next convention?" When I returned home, I told that story to my congregation and a Native American woman with tears in her eyes said "They're trying to take us back to what Jesus saved me from." This is called syncretism, when people mix various gods and religions together. It is what got the ancient Jews in trouble when they tried to mix Baal worship with the worship of Jehovah.” It is interesting that the ELCA’s national magazine put all of this on display for everyone to read. I hope many ELCA Lutherans will become upset over what happened, but I’m afraid the “frog in the kettle“ syndrome has dulled the senses of many in the ELCA. But I must say to the ELCA: No, ELCA, smudging and sage do not drive out evil spirits, but only the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. 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.) Pope Benedict passed away recently and the head bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elizabeth Eaton, has written the below letter of condolence.
I got to thinking. Pope Benedict believed abortion is a sin. Bishop Eaton works for abortion rights. Pope Benedict believed homosexual behavior is a sin. Bishop Eaton has produced gay pride videos. Pope Benedict believed in Hell. Bishop Eaton has said that, if Hell exists, she believes it is empty. Martin Luther believed in Hell and in the sinfulness of abortion and homosexuality. It is ironic that we live in a day when a Catholic Pope is more Lutheran than a Lutheran head bishop. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock --- ELCA presiding bishop issues message on death of Pope Benedict XVI Dear church, Yesterday we awoke to the news of the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. As part of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), we mourn his death and celebrate his life eternal in Christ Jesus. In the LWF statement, which I commend to all of you, General Secretary Anne Burghardt reminds us of Pope Benedict's enduring commitment to the unity of Christ's church and, in particular, "his appreciation of the 'Joint Declaration of the Doctrine of Justification' that has enabled many advances in Lutheran-Roman Catholic relations." His brilliance as a theologian and his ecumenical spirit will continue to challenge us to build bridges of mutual understanding and visible unity through dialogue, cooperation and common witness. We also pray for Pope Francis, who will continue to lead the Roman Catholic Church in this historic time – the likes of which haven't occurred since nearly a century before the Reformation. We extend our condolences and unceasing accompaniment to all our Catholic neighbors, including the bishops, priests, deacons, scholars and laypeople with whom we are in dialogue and partnership. Pope Benedict lived in the surety that "whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's" (Romans 14:8). Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled. Amen. In Christ, Elizabeth A. Eaton Presiding Bishop, ELCA (view here)
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
In the video below, the bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America makes a plea that Lutherans should become allies of the transgender movement. Lately the ELCA teaching seems to be that men who identify as women don’t need to repent, we who believe something is wrong with that do. The ELCA used to be liberal, now it is radically so. If you are still a member, it is way past time to leave for a more biblical denomination. In Christ, 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.
Last week the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America held it's Churchwide Assembly. The assembly brought ELCA leadership from across the nation together. A social media post that includes a picture shows one unofficial gathering that took place (see below) and it includes a comment saying "@ELCA how many rostered ministers you think we can get in a gay bar? #elcacwa #cwa2022". The picture posted below shows ELCA Synod bishop Kevin Strickland, ELCA seminary president (United Lutheran Seminary) R. Guy Erwin, along with apparently many other ELCA ministers. The person in the front row with red hair and in blue is unknown.  (or see here) The person who wrote the social media post was apparently under 18 years old in April of 2021 according to an ELCA biological information for nominees form this person filled out. (The ELCA form is posted on an ELCA run website but I am not posting a link because it contains personal information). The ELCA official Twitter account shows its approval by retweeting the post/picture and saying "Having an awesome time in #Columbus for #ELCAcwa!" (See below) 
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: (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 last week’s memorial service for Lowell Erdahl, long-time bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Bishop Erdahl was a difficult bishop for me. As you may know, I have struggled with same sex attraction most of my life but I follow the Bible's teaching and abstain from such behavior. But Erdahl championed it. I remember a difficult meeting I had years ago with Erdahl in which another pastor and I urged Erdahl to follow the Bible's teaching on this issue, but we left grieved by Erdahl's stance. Erdahl co-authored a book with head ELCA Bishop Herbert Chilstrom entitled "Sexual Fulfillment: For Single and Married, Straight and Gay, Young and Old" in which both Lutheran leaders affirmed gay sex, masturbation and more. At minute 1:09 below you will see a homosexual pastor praise Erdahl for championing the LGBT cause and that Erdahl "unlearned" what he had been taught. May you and I never unlearn the Scriptures. May we follow God's Word even if it goes counter to our desires and to the direction of our culture. What a tragedy to be praised at one's funeral for violating the Word of God and for causing such damage to Christ's Church. Erdahl's view won over the ELCA in 2009 when the ELCA voted to ordain practicing homosexuals. Today the ELCA has the world's first transgender bishop and many ELCA congregations perform homosexual and transgender "weddings". But at the below funeral service, Erdahl was praised as a "faithful servant". Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock PS Tap this link to see Erdahl's "testimony time" of how he came to believe in homosexual behavior. Erdahl states that he ordains practicing homosexuals because “I try to follow Jesus “. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ZNWtPRGF8&t=226s
"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.) (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
A year ago the very liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America elected the world's first transgender bishop. This is a woman who looks like a man and who wants to be called "they". Now, she (I refuse to say "they") has been asked to step down by the very, very liberal head bishop of the ELCA. You will see in head Bishop Elizabeth Eaton's letter (linked) below, Eaton is very willing to call this singular woman "they". The transgender bishop was not asked to step down because transgenderism denies who God creates people to be, but because she allegedly mishandled a situation with an Hispanic church. In our sad age of sexual confusion, it is tragic that the ELCA leads the way in confusion by electing a transgender bishop to begin with, and then consistently referring to her as "they". In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock PS In September at the transgender bishop's installation service, Bishop Eaton prayed to the "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" also as "Parent, Child, and Holy Breath" and "Rain, Estuary, and Sea" (Here) is Bishop Eaton's press release about the situation
A bishop in the ELCA is teaching that the three faithful Jewish followers of God; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whom we read about in Scripture (Daniel 3), were transgender slaves.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America bishop Megan Rohrer, is transgender. And in a Facebook post last weekend, she shared her youtube video of her retelling this story. The video is titled "Transgender slaves Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Follow God When Fancy People Do Not." (See here) In one part of the Bishop's retelling of the story the ELCA bishop talks about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego eating different foods than the others in the King's court saying, "they were able to get away with it because their bodies continued to please the king and others in the court who liked to look at them and probably other stuff" How can any faithful follower of Jesus remain in a denomination whose leaders are twisting and teaching falsely God's Word? 
The ELCA's Greater Milwaukee Synod Bishop, Paul Erickson, wrote a letter a couple weeks ago "Affirming our LGBTQIA+ Siblings". (See the Facebook post at the end of the blog or here)
As Christians we need to love people. But the ELCA is making a detrimental mistake encouraging thoughts that go against what God has said. It is NOT an act of love encouraging people to believe their desire for sexual relations with someone of the same sex or their wanting to be anything other than their gender is "good" or is "God's will." God did not make people homosexual. God did not make people one gender at birth and want them to live as the opposite gender. Encouraging people to live out their sinful desires is detrimental to spiritual and physical and mental health. Satan has deceived so many and he has religious leaders encouraging destructive behavior.
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Bishop Lowell Erdahl, retired Bishop of the St. Paul Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, died this month. He and I were on opposite sides of moral issues back in the days when I was still in the ELCA. He and former head ELCA Bishop Herbert Chilstrom, who died last year, co-wrote a book entitled “Sexual Fulfillment: For Single and Married, Straight and Gay, Young and Old”. The book endorsed homosexual behavior in ‘loving, committed relationships” and also stated that “self-pleasuring” (masturbation) can be a gift from God.
I have personally struggled with same sex attraction for most of my life, but for the sake of Christ and my eternal soul, I abstain. Thus, I was grieved that Erdahl and Chilstrom promoted the acceptance of homosexual behavior in the Church. And they won. Since 2009 the ELCA has ordained practicing homosexuals and transgender persons and many ELCA congregations now perform homosexual “weddings.” In May, the ELCA elected the world’s first transgender bishop. Today, Erdahl and Chilstrom stand before God to answer for denying the Bible which teaches “homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:9-11). Romans 1:32 talks about people who give “hearty approval” to sin. I am sad to say, I think these two bishops did that. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock --- (Here is Bishop Erdahl's obituary) |
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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