Luther Seminary has a website that provides advice and help for pastors writing sermons. An article on the ELCA seminary website shows you how far the denomination has departed from Scripture and how the secular world mindset has taken over the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The article's authors edited the following Bible verse to say: “They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and Ze delivered them from their distress; Ze brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart” - Psalm 107:13-14.
The article's ELCA affiliated authors replaced two pronouns for "He," used to refer to God in the verses, with the recently invented word "Ze." According to the Cambridge Dictionary, 'ze' is "a pronoun sometimes used instead of 'he' or 'she' because it does not show a particular gender." (see here) This is all part of the gender fluidity lie, transgenderism embrace, rejection of calling God "Father" and rewriting of God's Word that is dominating the culture. Again, this is an article for pastors posted by a website of Luther Seminary, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America institution. (see here) The article was co-authored by Rev. Jennifer Chrien and Jessica Davis. Jennifer Chrien is the senior pastor at the ELCA's Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Simi Valley, CA. Jessica Davis is a chaplain for #decolonizeLutheranism, an organization formed of mostly ELCA leaders, and a signer of the "Naked & Unashamed Statement" which was also written by ELCA leaders. Interestingly, last year Jessica Davis was part of a discussion panel that included the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and is obviously in a position of influence in the ELCA.
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You often read on Exposing the ELCA of the radical and anti-Biblical happenings and teachings of ELCA seminaries. (see here and scroll down the page) Today I want to share with you two accounts, that were shared on Facebook, by two people describing their experiences at their respective ELCA seminaries.
“I remember a female seminarian who once, while leading worship in the seminary chapel, referred to the elements of the Holy Sacrament as God's (as female) menstrual blood which we are to drink. Many walked out of chapel that day! Nothing was ever done by any administration to correct or reprimand the seminarian. She is now an ordained pastor in the ELCA. And we scratch our heads at the ELCA!” – Posted by a Lutheran Pastor on Facebook “I took one distance education class at an ELCA seminary in the early 2000's. When publicly castigated for having the gall to suggest the Bible is more reliable and holy than the Koran, I knew right then that I would never surrender myself to them for spiritual formation.” – Posted by an Assistant Professor on Facebook I’ve had similar disturbing experiences while I studied at an ELCA seminary. Do you want to be under the leadership and teaching of an ELCA ordained pastor? (Updated March 2018 - Original blog was written March, 2011) One would think that ELCA pastors, bishops and teachers would believe Scripture. However all one has to do is read, “The Clergy Letter - from American Christian clergy: An Open Letter Concerning Religion and Science,” to find that most do not. Over 2400 ELCA leaders signed this letter which states, “the overwhelming majority (of Christians) do not read the Bible literally, as they would a science textbook. Many of the beloved stories found in the Bible – the Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and the ark – convey timeless truths about God, human beings, and the proper relationship between Creator and creation expressed in the only form capable of transmitting these truths from generation to generation. Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth.” Make no mistake, what these Christian leaders are saying is that they do not believe what the Bible actually says. They are calling the story about creation, Adam and Eve, and Noah’s ark, lies. These ELCA leaders think they know better than Jesus, the Old and New Testament writers, and 2000 years of Christians, who knew these stories to be true. (read more here) The letter goes on to say, “We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests. To reject this truth or to treat it as ‘one theory among others’ is to deliberately embrace scientific ignorance and transmit such ignorance to our children.”
Really? So those that believe God’s account of creation, are “ignorant?” Maybe these religious elites should read from the following website of the many scientists who are skeptical of Darwinism. (read here and download the list of scientists who signed "A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism.") The Clergy letter also says, “We believe that among God’s good gifts are human minds capable of critical thought and that the failure to fully employ this gift is a rejection of the will of our Creator. To argue that God’s loving plan of salvation for humanity precludes the full employment of the God-given faculty of reason is to attempt to limit God, an act of hubris.” Let me get this straight, now these “Christian” leaders, who say that the Biblical account of creation is not true, are now telling us that if we believe God’s account of creation we are REJECTING God’s Will? Finally the letter says, “We urge school board members to preserve the integrity of the science curriculum by affirming the teaching of the theory of evolution as a core component of human knowledge.” (read here) Here are “Christian” leaders urging school boards to have the teaching of evolution be a “core component of HUMAN knowledge.” These are the people teaching us and our children about Jesus and the Bible? Someone may ask, “What’s the big deal?” “Who cares if ELCA leaders and pastors don’t believe what the Bible says about creation?” Here are a few quotes that highlight why we should care: "More cases of loss of religious faith can be traced to the theory of evolution--- than anything else." - Martin Lings, quoted in Christian Century July, 1982 “Evolution is the greatest engine of atheism ever invented.” - Noted evolutionist, Professor Will Provine, in “Evolution: Free will and punishment and meaning in life.” "Any creationist lawyer who got me on the stand could instantly win over the jury simply by asking me: 'Has your knowledge of evolution influenced you in the direction of becoming an atheist?' I would have to answer yes and, at one stroke, I would have lost the jury." - Noted evolutionist, Dr. Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion (2008) p. 93 While I was studying at an ELCA seminary, the Dean of Students told me that not one ELCA seminary professor in the United States believes Adam and Eve were real people. I have no doubt that statement is true. Sadly, seminary professors’ beliefs are being picked up by their students, who are the current and future ELCA pastors. Linked at the end of this blog is the list of current and retired ELCA pastors, ELCA seminary professors, ELCA college professors, ELCA seminary presidents and ELCA Bishops who agree with this letter and signed it. Some of the notable signers are: Bishop Tom Aitken (Northeastern Minnesota Synod), The Rev. Hans R. Arnesen (Associate to the Bishop of the New England Synod), Bishop Allan Bjornberg (ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod), Bishop Paul J. Blom - Houston, Texas, Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, The Rev. Stacy Boorn (herchurch), The Rev. Michael Cooper-White, D.D., (President - Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, PA), The Rev. Jean DeVoll-Donaldson (Assistant to the Bishop/Director for Evangelical Mission Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod), Bishop Ralph W. Dunkin (West Virginia -Western Maryland Synod), The Rev. James Kenneth Echols, Ph.D. (President - Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago), The Rev. Paul W. Egertson, Ph.D. (Bishop Emeritus - Southwest California Synod), The Rev. Jim Hazelwood (Bishop of the New England Synod), The Rev. Anita C. Hill, The Rev. B. Penrose Hoover (Bishop - Lower Susquehanna Synod), The Rev. Robert L. Isaksen, (Retired ELCA Pastor and Bishop of the New England Synod), The Rev. Jeff R. Johnson, Kevin S. Kanouse, (Bishop Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod), Paul R. Landahl (Bishop Metropolitan Chicago Synod), Bishop April Ulring Larson (La Crosse Area Synod), The Rev. Duane H. Larson, PhD., (President - Wartburg Theological Seminary), The Rev. Felipe Lozada-Montanez (Bishop of the Caribbean Synod of the ELCA), Bishop Brian D.Maas (Nebraska Synod - ELCA), Bishop John S. Macholz (Upstate New York Synod - ELCA), The Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Mansholt (Bishop Central States Synod), The Rev. Robert W. Mattheis (Bishop Emeritus, Sierra Pacific Synod), The Rev. George Paul Mocko (Bishop Emeritus, Delaware-Maryland Synod), Bishop David G. Mullen (Sierra Pacific Synod), Bishop Dean W. Nelson (Southwest California Synod), Bishop Margaret G. Payne (New England Synod), The Rev. Dr. Ted Peters (Interim President - Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary), The Rev. Dr. Jerry L. Schmalenberger (Retired President - Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary), Rev. Robin J. Steinke, Ph.D. (President Luther Seminary), Bishop David R. Strobel (Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod), The Rev. Dr. Christopher M. Thomforde (President - St. Olaf College), Bishop Ron Warren (ELCA Southeastern Synod), The Rev. Dr. Howard E. Wennes (Retired Bishop ELCA), The Rev. Paul M. Werger, (Bishop Emeritus - Southeastern Iowa Synod), The Rev. Eric G. Wolf(Assistant to the Bishop of the South Carolina Synod, ELCA), The Rev. Dr. Herman Yoos (Bishop - South Carolina Synod) and Bishop David B. Zellmer (South Dakota Synod). More than 14500 American pastors signed this letter and over 2400 of them are Evangelical Lutheran Church in America leaders. Here is a list of all the ELCA leaders who signed the Clergy letter. To read more about creation, intelligent design or evolution see: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2012 http://www.icr.org/article/5669 http://www.icr.org/article/creation-evolution https://evolutionnews.org/ http://www.trueauthority.com/cvse/faq2.htm http://scienceagainstevolution.info/topics.htm --- It takes a lot of work to keep this ministry going. 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.) The below promo for the seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America mentions being a prophetic "voice for justice" and mentions sexuality showing a transgender (?) person. God and Jesus are not mentioned. Evangelism is not mentioned. Bible study is not mentioned. That is telling. One thing that matters in this promo is "justice", which in the ELCA context often means liberal politics, gay rights, etc. I would suggest that anyone who seriously wants to study God's Word as it has been interpreted for 2000 years not "show up" at an ELCA seminary. Sincerely 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.)
Theresa Latini is the president of the newly formed United Lutheran Seminary in Pennsylvania, a merger of two shrinking seminaries of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Years ago Latini was the director of OneByOne, a group of which I am a board member and which teaches that homosexual behavior is contrary to God’s will. Someone found articles Latini wrote back in the late 1990s with OnebyOne's heading and she and OneByOne are now under attack. See this article by the pro-homosexual group Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries: https://www.elm.org/…/elm-statement-concerning-united-luth…/ And see this blog by a professor at United Lutheran seminary who laments that Latini used to think homosexuality is wrong: https://happylutheran.blog/…/forgiveness-a…/comment-page-1/… Most tragically, however, is that President Latini has now repudiated the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality and has wholeheartedly embraced the LGBTQ community. She believes the Holy Spirit helped her “evolve” to embrace homosexual relationships. She has experienced “transformation”. To quote Latini: “Thanks to the Spirit’s work and relationships with an ever-expanding community of others, my understanding and ministry evolved into one that is “open and affirming” of LGBTQ+ persons. I listened to church leaders and theologians who had adopted an inclusive sexual ethic based on compelling interpretations of scripture and theology. I met LGBTQ+ Christians who celebrated their sexuality as a gift of God and somehow managed to remain in a church that rejected them—barring them from ordination and refusing to bless their faithful partnerships…In short, transformation worked its way in me…I apologized to persons I knew had been hurt by my previous work, and committed myself to teaching, writing, and administrating from a position of support and advocacy for my LGBTQ+ students, colleagues, and others. I regret the ways that my words and work once failed to embody inclusion, justice, and care. I am now the proud President of United Lutheran Seminary, a Reconciling in Christ seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As the leader of this community of faith and learning, I acknowledge the beauty and diversity of God’s creation, including all sexual orientations and gender identities. Together we are working to become culturally competent, actively identifying and resisting homophobia and heteronormativity (as well as other forms of bias) in our community and world.” (For Latini’s entire statement here: http://theresalatini.com/open-and-affirming/) The trustees of United Lutheran Seminary are now making this “highest priority” and are expressing “our distress and concern for the pain experienced by so many”. They are calling for a special meeting (see here: https://unitedlutheranseminary.edu/statement-board-trustees-march-2nd/) Wait a minute. What happened to the 2009 decision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that conservatives’ “bound conscience” on homosexual behavior would be just as respected as liberals’ “bound conscience”? What happened to the decision that the ELCA will allow both views? It appears now that a seminary president cannot hold to the traditional, biblical teaching on homosexuality without perhaps losing her job. And this president doesn’t even believe the Bible anymore on the issue. It appears to me the liberals are firmly in control of the ELCA and will permit no view but their own. Most sadly in all this is that Latini attributes her endorsement of homosexual behavior to the Holy Spirit. That is much too close to blasphemy. Please pray for her and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which grows more heretical by the day Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org Racism is defined as “Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.” (See here)
There is racism in this sinful world, and it is against God’s will. I pray for an end to all racism. True racism. And when Christ returns we will see an end to all sin. With that said, the ELCA has made some claims about white people and racism that are highly questionable. It could be argued that the ELCA's statement itself is racist. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) Living Lutheran magazine recently ran an article with this claim, “You can’t grow up white in the United States and not be racist.” (see here) I’m sure many ELCA church members would be shocked that their denomination is calling them racists. (96% of all ELCA members are white.) It is irresponsible of the ELCA to make this incredibly audacious statement. The ELCA does not know everyone’s thoughts, actions, beliefs, life stories and feelings. If the ELCA wants to claim that all people of the world are racist, that is one thing. But to single out all white people in the United States as being racists is false and dishonest. This must be a popular notion with ELCA leaders because here we have an ELCA seminary president saying something very similar: “In particular, I am writing this mainly to white people like me at our seminary. I am convinced that we are in denial about the racism that saturates our society and from which we directly benefit. That denial produces predictable twin reactions from white people: either silence about the racism that plainly reinforces our way of living or surprise at the frustration and outrage African Americans and others express at how they are treated. I believe this denial, with its attendant silence and surprise, is nothing other than a refusal to acknowledge the privilege we hold and the degradation it inflicts on others. If we as white people have any conscience left, if we at this moment feel any distress at all with recent events, then we should at least have the moral courage in a seminary to admit that how we live is destructive for other people and ultimately unsustainable for ourselves. As white people, we must acknowledge our racism.” - The ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago President James Nieman (see here) The ELCA is in trouble. Besides the trouble we see surrounding the ELCA's heretical teachings, they are also dealing with a continual, yearly financial deficit, dwindling membership and a clergy shortage. - Bishop James Hazelwood, of the New England Synod of the ELCA reports, "Several years ago, I presented a picture to the June Assembly of this synod. I explained that we were a synod of 40-100-40: Forty congregations in near crisis, forty healthy and one hundred in between trying to figure out which way they were going. Three years later, I’d venture a guess that this assessment is no longer accurate. In the last three years, we’ve had churches close, others merge, others partner with Episcopal congregations, and others go from full time clergy to part time. In 2017, I think we are now 20 functionally or officially closed, 60 in crisis, 60 in the middle and 30 that are healthy. These are challenging times.” (see here) Despite the financial crisis in the bishop’s synod, he is/has taken two trips to Israel within a matter of months. (see here) - The ELCA recently released their 3rd Quarter financials for 2017, and they do not look good. (See here) - Then we learn from a publication of St. John's Lutheran Church in Summit, NJ, that, “Bishop Bartholomew of the NJ Synod has asked our pastors to be willing to occasionally serve as supply pastors in 2018 due to the lack of supply pastors in the Synod.” (see here) - I also came across the following information online. If someone could help me find the source I'd greatly appreciate it. It tells of the enrollment problems happening at ELCA seminaries over the last 10 years. You can see additional ELCA seminary enrollment information here. - A poster on ALPB Forum writes: "In the Lutheran Forum (Winter 2017 Edition) there is a interesting chart on the enrollment at the 8 ELCA Seminaries for the 2016-2017 Academic year. There was a total enrollment of 663 ELCA students studying for their Master of Divinity degree. This compares to 1274 ELCA students studying for the M.Div degree ten years ago. This amounts to a decrease of 611 seminarians in one decade." (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.) I graduated from this seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America back in 1979. It was somewhat liberal back then and much more so now. In the below chapel service at minute 6:50, the preacher from Intertwine Church in Northeast Minneapolis talks about prayer as "listening to self" and then leads the seminary congregation in deep breathing, centering meditation. Later he preaches that secular people are finding the Spirit of Christ at yoga studios. His church is about "gathering around questions and not answers", they are about "how to be human together". I prefer a denomination which unapologetically sings "Jesus is the answer for the world today" and which does not incorporate non-Christian meditation and breathing exercises in its worship. It is one more reason I am glad I have left the ELCA for a more Biblical branch of Lutheranism and that many others have also left. The size of the congregation at the Luther Seminary chapel in the below video is way down from what it was when I was a student at Luther, just one more evidence of the shrinking effect of liberal religion. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org Preaching about your pet causes and infusing them into your sermon is typical of ELCA pastors. It is hard to find anyone in the denomination preaching the Good news of Christ's sacrifice and payment of sins for those that believe He is the Son of God. Below is an egregious example of this from an ELCA seminary, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). Where is the news and proclamation of God coming to Earth as a baby and that "he will save his people from their sins?" Matt. 1:21b This Christmas, and the years to follow, are you going to entrust your soul, your faith and that of your loves ones to the pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America? (See here)
Additionally, below is the type of person this ELCA seminary, LSTC, is placing in leadership of the future pastors studying at the school, the people who will lead ELCA churches for years to come: “The Rev. Erik Christensen has accepted a call to serve as pastor to the community and director of worship at LSTC.” “He served as co-chair of the board of directors of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and is a member of Proclaim, a Lutheran community of LGBTQ+ rostered ministers, seminarians and candidates for ministry.” (See here, on page 2) (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Today the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's first officially ordained transgender pastor (a woman who presents herself as a man) preached at Luther Seminary's Transgender Day of Remembrance worship service. I watched the hour-long service below and here are the sad low-lights: The service began not in the name of the “Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” but in the name of the “Creator, Christ and Holy Breath” (some shy away from masculine references for God because they claim they are sexist). They recognized transgender people who have died and stated that dead transgender people “rest in the company of the saints of God”. They stated "We celebrate transgender resilience…., We will not keep silence…Transgender people offer a witness of hope to us….God, help us to embrace your wondrous diversity". During the sermon the preacher stated “It is my joy to speak to you today as a transgender Lutheran pastor." She then told her story of being raised as a girl and how horrible that was. She stated that Joseph’s “coat of many colors” in the Old Testament can also be translated “princess dress.” She quoted a poem called “Josephine” that says Joseph/Josephine perhaps wore a princess dress and that “when your brothers saw you in your flowing dress, they became enraged…the ground mourns the loss of its gender queer child…(Joseph/Josephine), I am claiming your story for every queer kid told they are unholy…Dear pastor…you’ve been lying about my (transgender) people too long.” The pastor stated that "Christ will not be bound by bathroom laws”. After the sermon came the prayers when a woman prayed as a “cisgendered woman”, lifting up her prayers for her “transgender siblings”. She prayed for those “between and beyond the gender binary” and for future calls for future transgender clergy. She prayed “Mother and God, be with seminarians…who do not fit the either/or categorization that we so often put them in…give them strength when they proudly present their pronouns and courage to continue to come out.” She prayed for “transgender sex partners...tender-hearted butches, street queens and gender non-conforming seminarians”. Then came Holy Communion when the transgender pastor led the congregation in the Lord’s Prayer “Our Mother in heaven, holy be your name…” What a tragic day for my alma mater. I again noticed how small the attendance is at Luther Seminary Chapel, way down from when I graduated there in 1979. This is evidence of the shrinking power of liberal religion. When God the Father is not mentioned once in a worship service, but God the "Mother" is mentioned twice, something is very wrong. Let us have mercy on people who suffer from gender confusion. May we help them be the biological gender God created them to be. Sadly, instead, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is joining our culture's sexual confusion and saying "If you think you are a man, you are a man, even if you are biologically a woman." In a recent interview, ELCA head Bishop Elizabeth Eaton took a stand for transgender rights (and also said if there is a Hell, Hell is empty). As mainline, liberal denominations get further and further from Scripture, they will continue to shrink, and they should. If you are a member of the ELCA, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church in America, or the Presbyterian Church USA, is it time to take your money, time and talents and join a more Biblical denomination. I guess I never thought I would see the ELCA sink quite so low in my lifetime. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org (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) -- 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. (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):
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary has become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) school. Read below to see what that entails but basically they are making a public statement that they view LGBT behaviors as normal, not sinful and that persons who are LGBT may be leaders in the church, school or synod. They can be a worship leader, Sunday school teacher, seminary professor, pastor, etc. All without repenting for this sinful activity.
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On a related note, this was posted today by Pacific Lutheran Theological, an ELCA seminary and one of the six RIC seminaries. They seem very happy about "National Coming Out Day." (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here. At the end of his article you will find a few additional comments by me.)
Universalism is the false teaching that all people will be saved, regardless of faith in Christ. This heresy is negated by Christ Himself (John 14:6) and the Apostles (Acts 4:12). So it is troubling to see the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America try to get away from Bible's teaching that those who reject Christ will be lost. Below is an excerpt from an article written by an ELCA seminary professor in the ELCA's official magazine "Living Lutheran". "At first glance...phrases like “Christ alone” can sound like salvation and wisdom belong to “Christians alone.” That is not what this phrase means. Many New Testament verses tell us that Jesus knows the people of this world better than we do. Jesus has sheep in other pastures (John 10:16), he promised salvation to the honest thief on the cross (Luke 23:43), and he welcomes into heaven those who never knew that they were serving him (Matthew 25:34-40). From this perspective, “Christ alone” is not a way to keep people from God. Instead, “Christ alone” is a word of freedom...When religious people—including our churches—want to define who is in or out of God’s kingdom, we recall that “Christ alone” is the good shepherd and merciful judge." My response: The "other sheep" Jesus was talking about in John 10 were the Gentiles who were to come to saving faith in him. He is not referring to people of non-Christian religions. And, it not "religious people" who define who is in and who is out of God's kingdom. The Bible itself does this many times (for instance, John 3:36). The professor should support these religious people who are following the Bible, not criticize them. Martin Luther, following the Bible, taught that we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. It is sad to see an ELCA Lutheran professor try to redefine what that means. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock Pastorsstudy.org (See the Living Lutheran article here. It is written by Martin Lohrmann, who is an assistant professor of Lutheran confessions and heritage at the ELCA's Wartburg Theological Seminary. His article was posted by the ELCA Facebook page eight hours ago and has garnered 290 "likes." It has been shared 106 times and many of those sharing it are ELCA churches. See below)
If you are an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America member who believes Scripture, that homosexuality is a sin and that marriage is only to be between one man and one woman, then you are at odds with your denomination. You are the target of a propaganda effort by ELCA leadership to push their pro-homosexuality viewpoint on you and your family. The ELCA, by way of their institutions, publications and social media (among others) are bombarding people with their false, anti-scriptural, pro-LGBTQ view. Let me show you some examples.
The ELCA magazine Living Lutheran wrote an article titled, "Equal participants in the body of Christ: LGBTQ members find spiritual home in ELCA congregations." In the article you will find three pro-homosexual stories and one pro-transgender story. (see here)
-- The ELCA, through Living Lutheran, also published this pro-homosexual article titled, "A dad’s concern." (see here) It is written by an ELCA pastor.
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The ELCA Gulf Coast Synod tweeted that "LGBTQIA people are good & holy & made in the image of God.” See below.
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Another article from the ELCA’s Living Lutheran website says, “We want to ensure that LGBT individuals are in the fabric of our church and that it is never questioned.” (see here)
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The ELCA's Metropolitan New York Synod published an article on their website about two of their synod churches participating in gay pride marches. They title the article "Pride: conversations and connections." (see here) The ELCA synod's article claims falsely, as so many in the denomination do, that the ELCA's social statement, "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust," is “grounded in scripture and Lutheran theology.” The article also says that a resolution was brought to the “. . . 2017 Synod Assembly that asks us to have deeper conversations with one another ‘that will seek to cultivate and nurture listening to one another’s stories, concerns, and fears, especially concerning issues of human sexuality and the call for full inclusion of all on the gender spectrum.’" (here is the link to this resolution) --
One month ago the presiding bishop in the ELCA wrote this moral and political social media post:
Then the ELCA Facebook page followed up with this today:
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And here we have the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at the Metro D.C. Synod Assembly with a rainbow banner, a symbol of support for homosexuality, front and center:
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The ELCA Young Adults' Facebook page chimes in:
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The cover page of the June 2017 issue of Living Lutheran highlighted a teenager who won a contest with a doodle of "eight diverse teenagers lined up in an over-the-shoulder embrace. On their shirts were symbols of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, LGBT pride, gender nonconformity and disability rights." (see here, front page and page 17) -- (Former) ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson made a video (below) where he talks about bullying of gay people for "being the people God created them to be."
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The shot below sat on top of the page of an ELCA Facebook group that has almost 14,000 members:
The red sign in the above picture declares, "Queer Saints."
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The founder and moderator of this 14,000 member ELCA Facebook group, Rev. Clint Schnekloth, wrote an article for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette saying,
“June is Gay Pride month, and I'm taking a moment to proclaim loudly and proudly how thankful I am for the increasing number of Christian faith communities who celebrate LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer] lives, and who partner with them to deepen our shared Christian walk of discipleship.” He goes on, “LGBTQ+ people are leaders in our congregation, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, and in our wider denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They serve on council, teach our Sunday school classes, are called as pastors and much more.” (see here) -- Just a couple of weeks ago the ELCA's Lower Susquehanna Synod posted a page on their website detailing their becoming an RIC synod, which means they are accepting and supporting homosexuality, as well as LGBT participation in church leadership. The page included a number of videos and additional information in support of their message. (see here) --
Below is a social media post by the ELCA's Sierra Pacific Synod in support of people marching in Gay Pride events:
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Another Living Lutheran magazine article by the ELCA tells us: "The (sic) can also be said of same-sex couples who are seeking acceptance in a congregational setting. All congregations are supposed to be welcoming, but there’s a difference between lip-service and genuine acceptance and hospitality. Eight years ago the ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted in support of LGBTQIA folks both as rostered leaders and members within the church body, yet how many of our congregations make a point of posting visible signs of welcome to this community? Better yet, how many congregations are willing to have a Pride Sunday in addition to Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations?" (see here)
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The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a seminary of the ELCA, posted this on their Facebook page:
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Below is a response to an Exposing the ELCA post from Mike Rinehart, bishop of the ELCA's Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. Notice his view of those with an accurate historical and biblical view of this issue. -- Here are a number of other Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Living Lutheran articles presenting homosexuality in a positive light:
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Here is another pro-homosexual article from the ELCA magazine Living Lutheran. As you can see below it was shared by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Living Lutheran Facebook pages:
Friend to Exposing the ELCA, Rev. Tom Brock, recently wrote about the above ELCA article and shared his concern over the ELCA's pro-homosexual agenda. Here is what Pastor Brock wrote:
No surprise here: Yet another ELCA article promoting gay pride. Gus Barnes, Jr., a seminarian of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, writes a June 25th article for the Living Lutheran website, the official magazine of the ELCA. He writes: "I am now back at Wartburg (Seminary); will marry my spouse, Steve, this summer; and will finish school by the first week of February. My faith is strong, knowing the challenges I may face in the future. My inner pride is carrying me through the journey to ordination....This pride flows through me, a gay man in an interracial relationship. This pride keeps me grounded in my faith daily..." There has not been one article with a conservative viewpoint on homosexuality in "Living Lutheran", but there have been an abundance of articles like the above painting transgenderism and homosexuality in a positive light. In 2009 the ELCA agreement was to respect both conservatives and liberals on this issue. Living Lutheran has given no space to the traditional, Biblical point of view. The abundance of pro-gay and pro-transgender articles shows that Living Lutheran's leadership has an agenda and the powers that be in the ELCA are allowing them to push their agenda through the ELCA's national magazine. Yet one more example of why members of the ELCA should leave this erring denomination and join a more biblical branch of Lutheranism. ELCA offering dollars help support Living Lutheran. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock (See Pastor Brock's article here)
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Pastor Tom Brock had this to say in another blog: “Around the country, ELCA churches are often found marching in some of these lewd parades. The ELCA has a practicing homosexual bishop in southwest California who has a 'husband' And last year the ELCA's executive for worship (a 'married' homosexual pastor) came out with official materials so that ELCA pastors can perform gay 'weddings.' The ELCA materials declare this blasphemy: 'God joins this celebration, pouring out the Holy Spirit to bless your marriage...' ELCA presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton called the materials ‘faithful.'" (see here)
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Below is a small taste of all the pro-gay messages happening from individual ELCA pastors and churches:
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Here is another:
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Next is the popular ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber's church:
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This ELCA Pastor tweets:
-- Then you can read this newspaper article about a tiny ELCA church which mentions them being an RIC church here. -- Lots of ELCA Lutherans marching in this Gay Pride parade:
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This ELCA church makes a public witness by marching in a gay pride parade and posting their pictures for the world to see. (see here and below) How sad and evil that ELCA members, both straight and those struggling with same-sex desires, are being deceived and bombarded by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, pushing their pro-LGBT agenda. An agenda that stands in direct opposition to God and His Word. |
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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