Category: Right And Wrong

Prominent ELCA Pastor Says He is a Universalist

3/1/2018

More and more ELCA pastors are coming out of the closet and admitting they are universalists. Universalism is the belief “that all human beings will eventually be saved.” (See here)

Below is a recent Facebook post by prominent Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor, Clint Schnekloth. Schnekloth is a pastor, author and blogger; he created and facilitates the ELCA Clergy Facebook Group that has over 5800 members.

This is a false teaching that is dangerous, risking the eternal lives of people who put their trust in it. The Bible, which is God’s Word, teaches that some people will be saved and go to heaven when they die and some people will go to hell with they die. "...Universalism and universal salvation are unbiblical beliefs. Universalism directly contradicts what Scripture teaches…To say that those who reject God’s provision of salvation through His Son will be saved is to belittle the holiness and justice of God and negate the need of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.” (See here)

Rev. Schnekloth is one of the growing number of ELCA pastors that espouse this belief. The most renowned pastor in the ELCA, Nadia Bolz-Weber, is a universalist. (See here) Rev Bolz-Weber will be a keynote speaker at the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering. Around 30,000 youth typically attend the event.

There are still ELCA pastors who will not admit to the label “universalist,” most likely because they understand that it is viewed as heresy, but they do openly teach the principles of universalism. For example, the leader of the ELCA, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, in an interview last year was asked, “Is there a hell?” She replied, “There may be, but I think it is empty.” (See here) That is universalism, plain and simple. If hell is empty, all people will go to heaven. Presiding Bishop Eaton is a universalist.

There are many more examples of the ELCA propagating universalism. They do it in their seminaries, in their publications, on social media and in their churches. If the growth of universalism is a concern to you, please go to the following links, here (and scroll down the page) and here, to find just how prevalent this teaching is in the ELCA.

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ELCA Bishop To Preach At Transitioning ELCA Pastor's Renaming Service

1/25/2018

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You can not change your sex. You can not change your gender. Those are facts. Trying to do so goes against God's will for you and is a sin against God. (see here)

It is also a sin to encourage sinful behavior. The ELCA is guilty of this. They do this regarding homosexuality and transgenderism. This week the ELCA's St. Matthew-Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoboken, New Jersey, announced that one of their pastors is "transitioning" from female to male. They will be holding a renaming service for this pastor. The bishop of the New Jersey Synod, Tracie Bartholomew, will be the featured preacher that day.

Here is Pastor Rose Beeson, the transitioning woman who is having the renaming service.

Pastor Beeson's church will also be holding LGBT Etiquette Training. The church newsletter describes it this way, “a refresher course on terminology used by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to equip us with more tools and resources to make St. Matthew Trinity an even safer and more welcoming congregation. This builds on SMT's historic commitment to be a Reconciling in Christ congregation, welcoming people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” (See here)

Here are a couple excited St. Matthew-Trinity members sharing the news of their pastor's renaming ceremony.

Proud that my @ReconcilingWrks, @ELCA (spec. @njsynod) congregation is one of hospitality, love, understanding, and progress.

Join us in supporting our pastor and showing the world what God's love looks like. https://t.co/Gs1ugQllaT
— Olivia Whitener (@owhitener) January 23, 2018

This isn't just a case of one wayward church or one wayward ELCA leader embracing transgenderism. It is happening throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

- Not long ago a ELCA website published an article by an ELCA pastor about her transgender child. (See here)

- The ELCA's Sierra Pacific Synod 2016 Assembly Handbook tells us how the synod had a workshop called “The Story of Gender.” Here are the first few sentences describing the workshop:

“Gender is no longer just male and female. As a church we need to know and understand the language around gender identities and be able to include this language into our liturgy.
Now that many people are getting the language needed to help them understand who they are, such as transgender, people are now able to live into authenticity.” (See here, page 18)

- Also in the Sierra Pacific Synod 2016 Assembly Handbook you can read all the changes being recommending to the synod and the ELCA by the Committee on Gender Identity Inclusivity in response to two resolutions that were passed at the 2015 Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly. (see previous link and go to page 71)

- Fittingly, I just came across this tonight.

Lifting prayers for strength and courage to all my dear friends at #CC18. I am finishing my last semester of seminary by serving as a pastoral intern. Next year, I hope to be with you as a transgender Latina who is an ordained pastor in the ELCA.
— Nicole Garcia (@nicoleg152) January 28, 2018

- Then there is this from the ELCA Youth Ministry Network:

Transgender children are whole and holy, they are not mistakes, and the Body of Christ is fuller when they are present in it with us. - @hippypastorwife #Ext18
— elcaymnet (@elcaymnet) January 27, 2018

To see more evidence of the ELCA embracing transgenderism see here and scroll down the page here.

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Transgender "Man" to Preach at Luther Seminary

11/13/2017

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(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. I have included some more information at the end of the article. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)

Reverend Asher O'Callaghan, a woman who presents herself as a man, is the first transgender pastor ordained through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's ordination process. In 2009 the ELCA voted to ordain practicing homosexuals. There was never a vote to ordain transsexuals, but ELCA leadership has been doing it anyway.

Not too many years ago Luther Seminary (my alma mater) was known as the most conservative of the ELCA's seminaries. I'm afraid those days are gone. On November 15th at Luther Seminary's Holy Communion service, Reverend O'Callaghan will be the preacher in observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

How sad that the ELCA is jumping on the transgender bandwagon which says "You are whatever sex you think you are." As Bible-believing Christians we respond " No, you are the sex God created you to be." But instead of siding with God and biology, the ELCA has sided with our sexually confused culture. Instead of helping people out of their confusion, the ELCA confirms people in their confusion. In a recent interview, in which she stated that she thinks Hell is empty, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton also took a stand for transgender rights.

Sadly, I'll say it again: This is not my grandma's Lutheran church. Last week we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. Luther would grieve over the ELCA.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.org

PS. Below is a description of Reverend O'Callaghan from the pro-LGBT website "Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries".

"Before becoming a Lutheran pastor, Asher fancied himself spiritual but not religious. He thought he was done with organized religion after growing up transgender and bisexual in a fundamentalist church. But then he stumbled into a church called House For All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado where God messed up all his plans. There he heard an invitation he couldn’t help but go share. From Christ’s open table he heard: “Behold who you are. Become what you receive.” Becoming what he’s received has led him to earn a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary, to pastor a small mountain congregation called Zion Lutheran Church in Idaho Springs, Colorado, and now to serve as ELM’s Program Director." (see here)

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Not only is the ELCA indoctrinating their future pastors with their false view of Scripture and the world but they are doing the same with college kids at their institutions. Last week Luther College (an ELCA school) brought in a transgender speaker.

Here is a link to the article on the Luther College website.

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ELCA Pastor-to-be Strips Down to Her “Skivvies” For a Photoshoot

11/9/2017

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(Warning: Sexuality explicit language)

Elle Dowd is an ELCA seminarian at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) and is also part of the leadership of Decolonize Lutheranism (read about this group here). She recently wrote a blog called “Jesus and Black Lace Lingerie” where we are told:

“…I was at a casting call, auditioning for the chance to model a body-positive line of bras and underwear. The church has a reputation for prudishness about anything having to do with things like desire, bodies, or sex. And so me, a seminarian, a pastor-in-training, showing up ready to strip down to my skivvies for a photoshoot seems to a lot of people like a glaring (or at least interesting) contradiction.”

She then goes into a strange discourse about God having a body, experiences He had with his body (using intentionally provocative words and descriptions of Christ’s birth), and experience she has had with her body. Then she writes:

“Learning about a shockingly embodied God empowered me to reconnect to my own body in a variety of ways through therapy, yoga, running, dancing, sex...Talk about the ways in which sex has been a powerful way not only to reclaim my body and reconnect to my sexuality, but to heal from spiritual abuse perpetuated by the church? It seems unheard of.”

After reading Elle Dowd's blog I believe a main message she is trying to communicate is that we should celebrate our bodies. Unfortunately, that seems to mean “in whatever fashion you want, sinful or not.” And that leads us back to her lingerie photo shoot. The ELCA seminarian writes:

“I felt my black lacy, cheeky shorts rub against my skin underneath my jeans as I sat on that futon and talked with the designer and the photographer about being a faith leader. Then I took off my t-shirt and took some photos in my bra, feeling free and brave, knowing that if anyone found this scandalous, at least I was in good company with my Scandalous, Incarnate God.” (read here)

Elle's blog has been the subject of some conversations with a number of ELCA leaders on Twitter recently. Here are some of the more shocking answers to questions posted by ELCA Deacon Tara L Ulrich, that were inspired by Elle Dowd's blog (notice that Elle retweeted each one):

ELCA Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson, Director for Evangelical Mission for the Northeastern Iowa Synod.

ELCA Rev. Jason P. Chesnut

ELCA Rev. Priscilla N. Paris-Austin

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Responding to Liberal Pastors Who Say "Judge Not"

10/12/2017

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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.)

Some liberal pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America did not like a recent post in which I wrote about the false teachings I encountered at a United Church of Christ worship service. They basically said that I'm too critical and I need to "judge not."

I think "Judge not" is the most misquoted verse in the Bible. Below is my response to them.

In Jesus our Savior,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.org

The same Jesus who said "Judge not" said "...judge with righteous judgement (John 7:24)" and "Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? (Luke 12:57)." Both are true. I believe "judge not" means we are not to see ourselves as superior to anyone, and "judge with righteous judgement" means we are, of course, to distinguish between right and wrong. We can't get away from that nor should we. In fact, people who say "Judge not" are making a judgement about those they deem judgmental. Jesus tells us we will know false prophets by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-20), so we must be discerning (I John 4:1).

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ELCA Pastor Posts That Jesus, Buddha and Mohammad Taught the Same Message

12/5/2016

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Here is another example of the Scripturally ignorant, false teaching pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has placed in ELCA congregations.

Karen K. Torrez is a pastor in the ELCA. She posted this cartoon on her Facebook page.

There is a lot wrong with the cartoon the ELCA pastor posted. Those reading it could deduct false doctrines:
- all of the "gods" of other religions are equal to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- belief in Christ is not necessary.
- all religious teachings are the same.
- all religions point to the same god.
- "love" is what is most important.
- Mohammad was about "love."

...To name a few.

The ELCA allows pastors who believe this evil garbage to pastor in their denomination.

Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him in your house and do not give him a greeting: for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deed. - 2 John 9-11

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Skewed Understanding of Right and Wrong Among Mainline Lutherans

11/7/2016

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This is the second in a series of blogs Exposing the ELCA will post sharing findings from Pew Research Center.

This Pew Research Center survey questioned "Lutherans in the Mainline Tradition." I believe the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is the only Lutheran denomination considered to be in the mainline tradition.

There are two charts below. Firstly, people in the ELCA were asked "who they look to...most for guidance on right and wrong."

When almost 75% of ELCA members do not identify their religion, or better said "God's Word," as the source for knowing right and wrong, it is obvious that their denomination has failed them. That failure is because the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been teaching against the truth of Scripture in word and deed since its inception. (see the Pew Research poll here)

In the second chart posted here, people in the ELCA were asked about their belief in absolute standards for right and wrong.

(see here)

Again we see the lack of Biblical literacy, knowledge and reverance of ELCA members, due, for the most part, to a low regard for Scripture and its truth being preached in their ELCA congregations. Seventy percent of those surveyed said that "right or wrong depends on the situation." No wonder the ELCA supports the killing of unborn children, celebrates homosexuality, ordains transsexuals, makes antisemitic policies, allows goddess worship, rewrites the Bible to their way of thinking and does not instruct their missionaries to lead people to Christ. Many of the people and pastors do not know the Bible, have decided it has little authority in their lives or have turned their backs on it.

It's time to find a Bible-believing church to attend, my friends.

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Prominent ELCA Pastor Says He is a Universalist

ELCA Bishop To Preach At Transitioning ELCA Pastor's Renaming Service

Transgender "Man" to Preach at Luther Seminary

ELCA Pastor-to-be Strips Down to Her “Skivvies” For a Photoshoot

Responding to Liberal Pastors Who Say "Judge Not"

ELCA Pastor Posts That Jesus, Buddha and Mohammad Taught the Same Message

Skewed Understanding of Right and Wrong Among Mainline Lutherans

Dan Skogen

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