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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 X - here.) Many years ago, I graduated from Luther Seminary, a seminary of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. When I graduated, Luther was moderate to liberal. Today it is radical. Luther has brought in transgender preachers at chapel. Luther held a pagan Native American smudging ceremony during chapel. Chapel services have featured womanist/feminist preachers with periodic prayers to “God the Mother.”
In a previous post, I explained that due to shrinking attendance and finances, a few years ago Luther had to sell off half of its seminary buildings. Did Luther Seminary learn from this? No, two years ago Luther hired a "queer theologian". Please take a look at today’s announcement from Luther below. Luther is now having to sell all of its seminary buildings, downsize and relocate. This is tragic. I think of the godly Lutherans who founded Luther Seminary in 1892 and how aghast they would be to see what it has become. I cannot help but think of the verse from Revelation 2:5, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Therefore, remember, from where have fallen and repent, and do the deeds you did it first. Or else I am coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand from his place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5). In the providence of God, I think it is best that seminaries like this close. And many liberal seminaries of the ELCA Lutheran, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church USA, Episcopal and United Methodist seminaries are shrinking and closing. If a seminary is promoting unbiblical teaching, it is probably best for the Kingdom that it closes. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock (see here)
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An ELCA article from 2014 gave us these statistics:
"The ELCA is still some 9,500 congregations with 3.95 million members. In the most recent year for which statistics are available (2012), we had 7,472 more baptisms than deaths, hopefully deflating comments about a dying church. Regular giving by members totaled nearly $1.8 billion while total receipts reached $2.45 billion. The total value of congregational properties and assets was $19.7 billion, with total indebtedness of $1.8 billion, or a respectable and very manageable 9.1 percent. And 64.18 percent of our congregations had no debt at all." (See here) The ELCA currently is stating they have "2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities..." (See https://www.elca.org/news-and-events/pastoral-message-on-the-death-of-pope-francis) I would like to point out the how much money the ELCA brings in per year and the value of their properties and assets. "ELCA 2018 in Review" is a video made by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The video states, “2018 brought many blessings to this church and beyond…” and then they go on to list many things they seem to be proud of, things like “(t)hrough the AMMPARO program, 116 welcoming and sanctuary congregations in 30 synods.”  Sounds like sanctuary congregations are a source of pride for the ELCA. See video below: Below are a few Facebook posts from ELCA Pastor Lura Groen:   
Why is Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, an ELCA seminary, selling their property and buildings? The slow death of the apostate denomination rolls on.
A news release by the school titled "Institutions Agree on Plan for Sale of Hyde Park Property" can be read here. The article did not list the sale price. This news was a surprise to the ELCA's United Lutheran seminary president: I found this an interesting side note. The LSTC Seminary website says this: "ABOUT THE LAND The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago recognizes that our school stands on the lands of the Potawatomi, Miami, and Peoria peoples. For thousands of years before their forced removal, this was their traditional homeland, and it continues to hold their ancestral stories and wisdom. We honor and thank the elders of these and other nations, past and present. These lands are still home to many indigenous people, and we are grateful to learn in this place." (see here) With such a statement I find it telling that the ELCA is not giving the land "back" to the Potawatomi, Miami, and Peoria peoples. And we have yet to learn if the ELCA will keep the money made on the sale the "native American lands."
Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa is the largest ELCA church in the nation and has numerous satellite locations, that are also ELCA churches, in surrounding communities. Lutheran Church of Hope hosted the ELCA's 2019 Southeastern Iowa Synod Assembly at their church. Lutheran Church of Hope and senior pastor Mike Housholder has been hosting ELCA synod assemblies for many years, which we will be detailing in a future blog. From a conversation I had years ago with an Lutheran Church of Hope pastor, their church also pays for many of the expenses that normally would be the responsibility of the Southeastern Iowa synod.
It is disturbing and I would suggest, a sin against God for Lutheran Church of Hope to be aligned, aiding and abetting a denomination that preaches universalism (that all are saved), is pro-abortion, uses feminine words for God, demonizes Israel, encourages homosexual relations even with their pastors, allows goddess worship, pushes liberal policies, ordains transgender individuals, twists and ignores Scripture and rejects God's clear historical account of creation recorded in Genesis. If you are a member of Lutheran Church of Hope or any ELCA church you would be wise to find a new church that is not be part of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's battle against the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 
(See here)
Disturbingly, there were two resolutions at the 2019 assembly, held at Lutheran Church of Hope, seeking funds from the United States to be given to the Palestinians. (See here)
Lenny Duncan is a highly controversial pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It should surprise no one that he and his radical message have been embrace by the denomination's leadership and pastors, who are paid by conservative, Bible-believing membership.
A recent article talks about Rev. Duncan and his former church, Jehu's Table, saying, "At Jehu’s Table church in Brooklyn, New York, Duncan proclaims his gratitude during Communion for African American role models ranging from transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson to Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X to civil rights minister Martin Luther King Jr." (See here)
Below you can read what Pastor Duncan is about and what he is saying. You will also see that the ELCA has embraced Rev. Lenny Duncan all the way up to the highest of ELCA leaders.
- The official ELCA magazine published an article written by Rev. Duncan where he says,
"I believe that the call of the church in the 21st century is to dismantle white supremacy; that the way of the cross for the entire church is to lay down our lives, resources, buildings and endowments to this cause. That our entire future as a church and as a credible, viable Lutheran witness in the 21st century and beyond is balanced on this alone." And, "Our church is the place to have hard and loving conversations that call us to repentance and reparations..." (See Living Lutheran article here) Rev. Duncan then says implementing his vision for the ELCA will bring about church vitality, that sanctuaries will swell.
- “You can't have reconciliation without repentance. Until the ELCA recognizes the way that it's treated persons of color, specifically black folks, and until they realize their style of church is inherently racist and repent from that, until they talk about reparations to the children of pastors who were never paid full salaries, then I don't think there can be reconciliation.” - Lenny Duncan (See here)
- As a form of reparations, Rev. Duncan also advocates for, "..all straight white males in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to remove their names from ballots for bishop." (See here) 
- Fortress Press, Rev. Lenny Duncan's publisher, describes Rev. Duncan's book saying, "It is time for the church to rise up, dust itself off, and take on forces of this world that act against God: whiteness, misogyny, nationalism, homophobia, and economic injustice. Duncan gives a blueprint for the way forward and urges us to follow in the revolutionary path of Jesus." (See here)
(See above article http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2019/07/queer-lutheran-preacher-calls-on-church-to-end-white-supremacy/
- At this time Lenny Duncan was the pastor at Jehu's Table:
- From ELCA Bishop Patricia Davenport, of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.
- Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton appeared in a film made by Lenny Duncan. 
- Kristen Kuempel, ELCA bishop of the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod is promoting Rev. Lenny Duncan and says about his book "I know several of our church leaders are reading" it.
- Rev. Duncan now has a new job as the Mission Developer Pastor an ELCA church, Messiah Lutheran Church and Preschool in Vancouver, Washington. Currently, Rev. Duncan is writing blogs calling for the ELCA to pay reparations. (See the first of four, so far, here) Pastor Duncan is throwing ELCA higher ups under the bus and making things difficult for the ELCA with his anger, race baiting and demands. This should be no surprise to those who know history.
Over these ten years, Exposing the ELCA has reached millions of people. - ExposingtheELCA.com has had over 2.7 million page views - Our website elcatoday.com has had 280,000 page views Publications in which I have been quoted directly or those who have shared content and have referenced or quoted Exposing the ELCA:
This ministry also has five Facebook pages or groups that reach hundreds of people daily. We face an organization, in the ELCA, that has almost 20 billion dollars in assets and has brought in income, in the past, that has exceeded 2 billion dollars a year (see here). They have millions of allies, thousands of websites and social media pages, dozens of educational institutions and a publishing company that they utilize to preach and teach their falsehoods. Shockingly, heretical leaders, preposterous teaching and radical policies in the ELCA have grown immensely in the last decade, and there are still 3.3 million ELCA members and millions of potential members who need to know the truth about the ELCA. Just peruse our "Newly Added Articles and Information" section on our homepage to see the height of the ELCA's heresy, and understand the need to carry on this calling, to expose the beliefs, teachings and actions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Thank you for reading, praying for and supporting this ministry!
In Christ, Dan Skogen
Kristen Kuempel is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) bishop of the newly named Northwest Intermountain Synod. Bishop Kuempel took to Facebook on October 2, 2019, to comment and share an article that attacks Franklin Graham's Operation Christmas Child (OCC) organization.
The recommended article contains the assertions that "Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham spews ever more hateful rhetoric about immigrants and Muslims" and that Operation Christmas Child is one of the "more toxic forms of charity." The bishop-recommended article offers additional hollow criticism and then ELCA Bishop Kristen Kuempel concludes her post with a self-serving suggestion: "If this article changes your mind about OCC but you still want to help, check out the ELCA Good Gifts program." One thing to know or remember about Operation Christmas Child is that they include a Gospel booklet, with their boxes, that shares Bible stories and invites children to follow Jesus, helping children know about our Lord and Savior. When was the last time you saw ELCA charities doing that? 
Another Tweet by the ELCA bishop has her attacking Franklin Graham:
If you reject the ELCA bishop's implications and behavior, see here to be part of Operation Christmas Child's God-honoring work. Click here to read another Exposing the ELCA article of an ELCA leader attacking Operation Christmas Child. (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.)
Luther Seminary, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is advertising the May 2019 Festival of Homiletics with numerous liberal speakers like Brian McClaren, lesbian ELCA Pastor Barbara Lundblad, and ELCA Pastor David Lose who denies that Jesus died in our place to pay for our sins. Last year liberal senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren addressed the Festival participants. It is also offering yoga for attendees with this description: "Yogadevotion...is an organic response to a deeply profound experience of God’s Presence following a vinyasa yoga class. The experience of God’s Presence through the practice of yoga... Some call it a time of prayer, some a time of worship, some a time to simply be present to God in a new way, and experience an increased sense of God’s Presence in the midst of busy lives." As I have noted in previous posts, my alma mater Luther Seminary has embraced radical worship with chapel services featuring homosexual and transgender preachers, "deep breathing" meditation, and womanist/feminist worship, sometimes referring to God as "She" and "Mother". A few months ago President Robin Steinke of Luther Seminary announced that, due to financial problems, Luther is selling off a number of its buildings. There is no sign that Luther Seminary has learned that unbiblical teaching will not grow a seminary. Sadly, I can recommend my old seminary to no one. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock ELCA Wants the United States to Pay Palestinian Bills to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)10/4/2018 Yesterday the ELCA Conference of Bishops issued a statement (see here) that coincides with the statement last month, by ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, asking for the United States to pay $25 million in expenditures to 6 hospitals that treat Palestinians. One of those hospitals, the Augusta Victoria Hospital, is run by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), of which the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a member.
The ELCA and LWF are very sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and antagonistic to Israel. And they want U.S. taxpayer money to compensate them, because the Palestinian people and their government are not paying the bills that they accumulate at the hospital. The terrorist Palestinian state is manipulating the system, and the ELCA and LWF are willing participants who, up until this year, were passing the bill on to the United States. The ELCA and LWF need to pay their own bills or demand the Palestinian government pay for their services received. The United States has helped this terrorist, Jew-hating entity enough. The United States has given over $700 million alone to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in 2016 and 2017. (see here) It is time to stop paying their and the ELCA/LWF’s expenses. Doing so enables evil behavior. Read more about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s evil actions against the Israel here. A letter written to the President of the United States, as reported in the article "More than 750 Faith Leaders and Faith Organizations Decry Low Refugee Arrivals" included the supporting signature of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The ELCA and the other signators want the United States to resettle “at least 75,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2019” (see here). This is a great cost to the United States and its citizens, which is something the ELCA should realize when one reads the following article, by Ann Corcoran, who reports that the ELCA's Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is "95% funded by you—the taxpayers of America!" She reports that in 2014, LIRS received $55,341,275 in federal grants. (See here) This seems self-serving. Wanting more refugees, one would think, means more tax money would be coming to Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. That is just one of the problems I see with this. (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
When I graduated from Luther in 1979 it was somewhat liberal, today it is extremely so. In past posts I have written of Luther’s chapel services with de-sexed God language, “breathing meditation”, and homosexual and transgender preachers. Luther President Robin Steinke has sent a letter asking for funds in which she states: “We’re leading into a new vision of an inclusive, counter-cultural, Christ-centered community. This semester, a representative group of students, faculty, and staff—including international community members, students of color, individuals who identify as LGBTQ+…progressives and conservatives—collaborated on an intentional welcome statement that gets to the heart of who we are…”. Then she drops the bombshell “…we are planning to put the lower campus…on the market this summer.” Thus Luther Seminary is in financial trouble and much of the campus has to be sold. The verse “You reap what you sow” comes to mind. A woman who watches our TV show and has been a contributor to Luther Seminary asked my opinion about giving to Luther. Even though I graduated from there, I told her that I cannot give Luther a penny because of the false teaching there. A prayer that I regularly pray is: “Lord may these erring denominations turn around, but if they are going to keep leading people astray, may they shrink and die and may the people in them be moved into more Biblical denominations.” I believe God is answering my prayer. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org It is great to see at least one ELCA pastor publicly criticizing ELCA leadership.
“The Revd Paul Messner, a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who serves at the Otsego County Lutheran parish, in rural Upstate New York, voted for Mr Trump as 'the lesser of two evils'. He says that opposition to the administration by his own denomination and other mainline Protestant ones is 'frankly irrelevant: they are "bleeding" members. Many in the Church on the Left relish their self-indulgent "prophetic’ role,"' he argues, 'and forget their pastoral role toward all in their congregations and communities.'” (see here) Rev. Messner is correct that the ELCA is "bleeding" members. “The ELCA saw its membership decline to 3.5 million members in 2016, down from 5.2 million in 1988 when the denomination was formed as a merger of three other smaller Lutheran groups. Today, 40 percent of its churches have between 50 and 100 worshippers each Sunday.” (see here) The ELCA is a dying denomination. Any conservative, Bible-believing members still in the ELCA need to stop funding this liberal, radical, Bible-twisting and faith-destroying denomination and leave it for a God-honoring, truth preaching, Bibilical church. I, and many others, have been saying for years that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pays for abortions of those who are covered by the ELCA health insurance plan (ELCA employees and their families). It is truly horrific that a church, claiming to be followers of Christ, would willingly participate in the killing of an unborn child. It is unfathomable that a pro-life person would be part of that church. In order to shed more light on the vile policy and support of abortion happening in the ELCA, I wrote Portico Benefit Services, an ELCA ministry who administers the ELCA's health insurance, asking them about their coverage of abortions. Below is their response:  As you can see "the ELCA health plan does cover a range of procedures that includes those for abortion, up to 20 weeks gestation." Portico also states they cover abortions that fall after 20 weeks of pregnancy, "when the life of the mother is threatened; or...when the fetus has lethal abnormalities indicating death is imminent." It has been said that the ELCA health plan will pay for abortions no matter the reason. If you look at the email you will see that "Portico Benefit Services does not collect data related to abortion claims." That seems to confirm the belief that all abortions, including sex-selection abortion and those because of Down syndrome, would be covered. You can also find much of this same information stated in their 2013 ELCA Health Benefits Plan ELCA-Primary Coverage document. (see here, page 14) |
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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