|
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) This coming summer in New Orleans the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will hold another Youth Gathering. The last time this happened was in 2018 when 31,000 Lutheran teens were told to support transgenderism by an 11 year-old-boy who thinks he is a girl. Also, ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber led the teens in a kind of mock baptismal vow, saying “I renounce the lie that queerness is anything other than beauty.” For 2024, the Teen Gathering theme will be “Created to Be”. “We are created to be free—to work for justice for all our siblings”. You will notice the ELCA now shies away from calling people “brothers and sisters” because that is too binary and excludes transgender people, so instead we get “siblings”. Teens are told to introduce themselves in this way, “Hi, my name is ________ and I use the pronouns __________.” Teens are told to “honor everyone by calling them by the name and pronouns they feel comfortable with…You might be surprised to learn that someone in your group has been longing to introduce themselves to you in this way!” Sessions of the Teen Assembly will begin with a “Land acknowledgement”, stating that the Assembly is being held on land stolen from Native Americans. A big theme of the Youth Gathering will be to teach teens to become “disruptive to injustice”. Teens are told to discuss “what injustices you have experienced” and are told “We are created to be disruptive, to work for justice for all our siblings”. Youth are taught “interrupting phrases” such as “We don’t say things like that here” to “help them disrupt an unjust situation”. In a nod I believe to the LGBT movement, teens are told to “be authentic and bring our whole selves”. Then comes this strange statement: “Our host city, New Orleans, has always been its true, authentic self…. New Orleans was built to host and be a city where all God’s children come together.” I’m not sure how the ELCA knows this. Teens are asked in small groups “What would it mean for you if your congregation became a Reconciling in Christ congregation?” Reconciling in Christ is the movement that promotes all things LGBT in the ELCA. It is no secret how the ELCA wants to influence teens here. Lastly, teens will be taught not to think of sin as “darkness” because this is racist. “One particularly harmful part of theology is associating sin with all things dark and black…(this creates) an implicit bias against things that are black…harmful intertwining of white supremacy and God’s love…”. Teens are asked “How does claiming the holiness of darkness reframe who God is for you?” This, of course, is nonsense—most black Christians have no problem at all agreeing with the Scriptures, “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5). Perhaps the most tragic thing in all of this is there is no mention of evangelism and bringing lost friends to Christ. The head bishop of the ELCA has stated that she believes Hell is empty. So if everyone is going to heaven and we don’t need to instruct in evangelism, what will the ELCA do with its teens at a teen gathering? Teach them liberal politics and how to “interrupt injustice.” And of course, the injustice being done to babies in the womb is nowhere mentioned. The ELCA is a strong supporter of abortion rights and even pays for abortion with offering dollars in the ELCA healthcare plan. If you know an ELCA Lutheran, please urge them to keep their teens away from the ELCA. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://www.elca.church/gathe.../about/promotional-materials 
9 Comments
Shared by an ELCA member who wishes to remain anonymous Just as Bishop Eaton likes to make social statements on every single progressive partisan issue she can find, I find myself in the position needing to make my own statement about the recent published documents about the need for more DEI indoctrination within the church, and the inevitable decisions that will be made at the next Churchwide Assembly that will complete the ELCA’s transition from a Mainline Protestant denomination into a partisan social justice activist group…
Honestly, out of all the things you’ve ever posted on here, those 2 documents scare me the most. (links to the two ELCA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility documents here and here) When I see the ridiculous articles about “Brazenly Queer” pastors, the absurd partisan statements from Bishop Eaton, churches hosting drag shows and reciting the Sparkle Creed, it’s easy to think “how will this affect my congregation?” and stay put. But if all of this stuff passes, then the ELCA’s partisan agenda WILL indeed affect my individual home congregation. DEI sessions will become mandated as part of regular worship, sermons will increasingly talk about social justice issues instead of the week’s gospel lesson, and we’ll have to do joint worship services with another congregation just because their majority skin color happens to be different from ours. What the ELCA is doing here is nothing short of indoctrination, the kind that people like Ron DeSantis are trying so hard to push back against. The church, as we all know, is governed by a far-left overhead, and yet through the years they’ve had a very hard time pushing their ideology into individual congregations. So now, they’ve had enough, and think the only way they can spread their partisan agenda is to FORCE congregations to indoctrinate their congregants. They know these are partisan political issues, but they think if they use the Bible to back up their positions that people will just magically buy in. The thing is, as I said yesterday, the Bible verses they have picked do little to support their leftist agenda. I think this will be eye-opening for the hundreds of thousands of congregants within the ELCA that are more conservative and moderate. They will realize that those Bible verses have nothing to do with DEI. They will finally be forced to make a choice - continue being ELCA members or go somewhere else and worship God. Pastors and, ahem, “Pastrixes” will no longer be able to do “safe sermons” that don’t touch on hot button political issues, as most still do now. I also think a lot of clergy will end up leaving because of this whole mess, even more moderate/liberal clergy that would prefer to preach the Bible and not indoctrinate on humanism/socialism. When I tell my liberal friends about stuff like this, they will claim I’m the racist, that I’ve haven’t done enough research and education regarding the inequities in society between men and women, whites and blacks. The thing is, I have. I know that black communities remain disproportionately poor. I know that women face sexual harassment in the workplace much more than men do. But, in my opinion, these are not church issues. As a church, we are to help the poor every chance that we can, including communities of color. As a church, we must stress that both men and women are made in God’s image and deserve equal rights and respect. As a church, we must teach that sin is sin but also to “love the sinner” and refrain from judgment (I have several gay friends). This is not an excuse, however, to indoctrinate congregants on Critical Race Theory, Queer Theory, Gender Theory, etc. The whole notion that the US is an “inherently racist country” and that “we need to completely dismantle our legal systems to prevent racism” is not only not true, but is directly at odds with the Bible and has no place being taught in the Church. I’ve seen many ELCA pastors, including one of my own, give money towards reparations for black people. Do you think Jesus would hand out money to people based on skin color? We all know the answer to that. Black people and white people are equally sacred and holy. The way to move away from our racist past is not to force black congregations to merge with white congregations. The way to move away from our racist past is not to divide us into categories based on race. If Martin Luther King, Jr were alive today he would be a staunch conservative. He wanted a society where people would be judged based on the content of their CHARACTER, not based on skin color, which is precisely what Critical Race Theory does. The ELCA is the most white denomination in the country, and national clergy hate this with a burning passion. Instead of just blindly stating “we’re a racist church,” they should take a step back and try to understand why this is. First of all, Lutheranism came to America through German and Scandinavian immigrants, and many congregations today are made up of the descendants of those immigrants. Secondly, if you take a look at the kind of churches that are popular with the black community, none of them are nearly as socially progressive as the ELCA. Many blacks, especially in the South and Midwest, are very socially conservative. It’s just that nobody realizes this since most of them still vote for Democratic politicians because they view the Republican Party as being a bunch of white supremacists. I don’t think the ELCA’s current brand of “toxic positivity” toward contemporary social issues appeals to many in the black community. It is so hard for me to make a decision here. I love my congregation and I’ve been employed at ELCA-affiliated institutions. There are many wonderful people within the organization. But if all of this passes and congregations become essentially chapters of the ACLU with some Bible verses thrown in for good measure, then I will be out the door. I will probably go to the Catholic church, as it’s become the new mainline church, one that truly does respect those on both sides of the political spectrum. Pope Francis may be progressive by Catholic standards, but when comparing him to Elizabeth Eaton and countless others within the ELCA (and the PCUSA, and the Episcopal Church, and the UCC, and the Unitarian Universalists), he is a true moderate. I have Catholic friends and relatives that are waiting for me over there. It may be sad to leave the church I’ve always called home, but (it) may also be necessary.
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.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met last month for their 2019 Churchwide Assembly. One event scheduled was a march to an ICE building in support of migrants, immigrants and illegal immigrants. Below are social media entries of the event from the ELCA, ELCA participants and observers:
Fox News ran a 5-minute panel discussion last Sunday about the ELCA's decision to be a sanctuary church body. (See video here) That video was no doubt seen by more people than my website has reached in 10 years. Because of the ELCA's actions and publicity they garnered this week, the ELCA has managed to upset hundreds of thousands (probably more) of their members. ELCA bishops are getting an earful from these members and appear to be in panic mode, writing and disseminating letters to try to undo the damage this decision and this publicity has caused. (See here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here for just a few examples.)
One concerned, former member sent me a letter that the person sent to the ELCA:
"What the ELCA has done regarding its 'sanctuary' designation this week is another sign of a culture committing suicide.
I'm no theologian, but I know that Jesus exhorted his followers to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's"; meaning that in the civil sphere you follow the law. I think if Christians want to try to alleviate the suffering of poor people, they should go directly to where the poor people are in person - or send private donations. The ELCA - the church I grew up in, by the way - is wrong to encourage law breaking that affects our American compatriots outside of the ELCA. My old church now is taking a stance that will worsen the quality of education for Americans in the public schools, and put great pressure on municipal, state and federal budgets for education, health, infrastructure, pensions and so on. The ELCA's stance also will tend to drive up housing costs for everyone. Further, it will drive down wages for the poorest and most vulnerable Americans. As I see it, going forward the ELCA owes us all financial compensation. Unfortunately, the resources of the ELCA almost certainly don't amount to even one percent of the costs its irresponsible and wanton promotion of illegality will impose on American society. The ELCA is no longer so much a mainstream Lutheran denomination as a bunch of radical and myopic economic terrorists hellbent on eroding the rule of law and foundation of order and prosperity in our still-great country that millions have sacrificed so much to build and protect. I am saddened that an important aspect of my upbringing - the ELCA - no longer makes me feel happy and proud but ashamed and anxious."
The day the ELCA declared itself a sanctuary church body, many ELCA leaders celebrated. Below are some social media reactions from ELCA leadership and supporters who celebrate the decision:
Betty Rendon is an ELCA Synodically Authorized Lay Minister at an ELCA church and received her Masters of Divinity from the ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). A few days ago, she and some family members were arrested by ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
So far we do not have many details about the incident, except what ELCA entities are saying. It all started with a one-sided account from Betty Rendon's church. You can read it here. Then the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's presiding bishop began tweeting about the situation.
A letter about the situation was posted by the ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) from President James Nieman, Dean of Student Services Scott Chalmers and Pastor to the Community Erik Christensen. In the letter they call the United States' immigration policy "racist." Here is the quote (see below also), "This incident brings into painful focus the ongoing need to reform this country’s racist, violent, and inhumane immigration system." 
Of course, ELCA Advocacy had something to say. Below is part of an email they sent (see the full email here): 
ELCA partner, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service commented: "This is absolutely heartbreaking and shameful behavior on behalf of ICE officers. LIRS will pray for and advocate for the just treatment of Pastor Rendón and all those who find themselves in her position."
Some of the readers of the LIRS Facebook post commented saying, "We are becoming like a Hitler state..." "I am ashamed of our country..." "ICE equals deliberate cruelty." "ICE has no humanity....this is like the Nazi era." "We are very close to becoming a communist nation, Trumps SS is ICE. The time is near for all Americans to March on Washington!" "Abolish ICE." "Our government is looking more and more like murderous criminals." "ICE is disgraceful."
A newspaper article titled ICE allegedly arrests Racine student pastor; Vigil planned for Wednesday can be seen here.
A seminary classmate of Betty Rendon added his 2 cents:
Benjamin Stewart, a Professor & Director of Advanced Studies at LSTC tweeted that the "family was terrorized & separated":
ELCA pastor Chad McKenna writes "#AbolishICE":
From ELCA Pastor Paul Eldred:
The DE-MD Synod tweeted:
Matthew Short, the Assistant to the Bishop for Evangelical Mission at Greater Milwaukee Synod, was part of a gathering outside Betty Rendon's detention center. Below is his Facebook post about it: More from the ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago: And from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a partner to LIRS (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). (See here) Recently, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah was appointed the President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
ELCA Synod Bishop Michael Rinehart is the LIRS board chairman is quoted as saying, “Krish is exactly the kind of once-in-a-generation leader LIRS needs right now...In the wake of unprecedented challenges to U.S. refugee resettlement and immigration policy, the LIRS mission — to protect, embrace, and empower those we serve — is more crucial now than ever.” A lot of ELCA money goes to LIRS. Let's learn a little about Krish O'Mara Vignarajah. She is Hindu and is married to a Catholic. In 2016, they had a Hindu wedding ceremony and a Christian ceremony. (see here) She worked as a senior advisor under Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry before becoming Policy Director for First Lady Michelle Obama. (See here)
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah was a Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland in 2018.
The Baltimore Sun newspaper, during the campaign season, said "Vignarajah has many big promises for Maryland spelled out in more than 100 pages of text and nearly 14,000 words on her website: universal pre-kindergarten, free college tuition at community colleges and historically black colleges and universities, more reproductive health centers, paid leave for new parents, expanded use of renewable energy sources and a massive increase in school construction funding." (Read here)
Also on Krish Vignarajah's campaign website is a tab that addresses issues that are important to the candidate. One of those issues was "LGBTQ," where Vignarajah says "My Administration Will Make Maryland The Most Welcoming And Anti-Discriminatory State In The Union."
The website's LGBTQ page then listing "Priorities" where we find the following: 
(See here)
Below are a couple of Facebook posts by Krishanti Vignarajah. She seems like the perfect fit for a partner of the ELCA.
Madeline Burbank is a Master of Divinity student at the ELCA's Luther Seminary. Below is an announcement she made on her Facebook page about her education choice and the motivation behind it. Madeline Burbank does not mention telling people about Jesus and His free gift of salvation. It is about "Effective relief efforts, lifelong service, environmental stewardship, anti-racism, immigrant and refugee support, intersectional feminism, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, interfaith dialogue, sex positivity, and improving education..."
Everyone should be frightened about the pastors the ELCA is and has ordained. 
Women of the ELCA (WELCA) tweeted a link to a video where God is referred to as "She." The video was made by the theologically liberal "Sojourners." The video is called "My God is ---------." Seven seconds into the video a woman says, "She breaks through stained glass ceilings and brings down walls." The video shows about a dozen people completing the statement "My God is..." (See additional examples of the ELCA referring to God using female terms here and here)
Jesus spoke to God calling him "Father." One needs to ask why the ELCA is going against Jesus' own words. Based on all the ways the ELCA defies Scripture, some would say the ELCA wants a god after their own making. Other statements in the WELCA shared video include, "My God was a refugee, was an immigrant, and wasn't white," and "My God doesn't care if I don't speak English." The video laced with manipulative statements that hold to the ELCA's and Sojourners social justice beliefs like, "My God heals without worrying about insurance." This is what the Women of the ELCA is putting forth and sharing on Twitter for all who will listen. Here is the video. Below is a picture of the video WELCA shared speaking about God as a woman. And here is a link to the Women of the ELCA's tweet. 
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) ELCA former bishop to teens: “I’m pissed off” about school shootings, “I grieve” unclean water, “I am furious” about separation of children at the border, but says nothing about separation of children in the womb Former bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Reverend Stephen Bouman, told 31,000 Lutheran teenagers at the ELCA’s youth assembly last week that he is angry about school shootings, the unclean environment, blaming Muslims, and separating children at the border. But in his speech he said nothing about the tragedy of separating children in the womb. Why? The ELCA is so radically pro-choice that it pays for abortion for any reason in the ELCA healthcare plan, which is funded by offering dollars. That’s right, your ELCA offering dollars at work, killing unborn children. I believe people who are pro-choice should sit out the discussion about separating children from their mothers. If you have any doubt that the ELCA wants its teenagers to be liberal democrats, endorse things like “Black Lives Matter”, etc., watch the below video. The ELCA claims to be a “big tent” which welcomes everyone, including conservatives. No sign of that in this message. 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.) 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 ELCA is Just an Extreme Social Policy and Political Organization that Cloaks Itself in Religion12/19/2017 God's Word in Matthew 4:17 tells us that Jesus preached the message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” You will not hear ELCA leadership preach repentance of sin (unless it has to do with "Global Warming" or lack of being inclusive). They must believe Jesus was naive to think that people needed to repent or that hell awaited those that reject Christ as their Savior. Instead ELCA leaders succumbed to Satan's directives and are preaching their liberal social and political policies. Here are some examples: - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America stands against the Congressional tax cut being voted on this month. They are spewing leftist propaganda saying it is a bill that "benefits corporations and the wealthy over lower and middle-income families." (See here and below.)  - Today the ELCA's Metropolitan New York Synod shared a post from a pro-LGBT organization about the case of the Christian baker from Colorado who was sued by two gay men because the baker would not use his artistic talents to make them a wedding cake. The article features an ELCA pastor condemning the Christian baker's claim of religious freedom (see here and below). In the case of gay men vs. a Bible-believing Christian, it is not a surprise with whom the ELCA synod is siding.  - Next is an article co-written by ELCA bishop William Gohl Jr. of the Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA. It condemns "current immigration policies" of the United States and says the "repeal of DACA would be morally reprehensible." He even says, "If we are to truly live out our faith, then we must...advocate that those who (are in the United States)...through DACA be allowed to stay." (See here) - Gun regulations and laws are a favorite topic of many ELCA leaders. Here is some of what ELCA bishop Steven L. Ullestad of the Northeastern Iowa Synod is using to fill up his Facebook page:
(See here) - News from the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has them adopting the Israel-inspired (anti-Israel) investment screen that was passed at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2016. (read the summer blog here) They also “declined the request for the ELCA to declare itself a sanctuary denomination, yet supported the spirit of the sanctuary movement by encouraging congregations to serve and support the protection of migrants in their communities.” (see here) - Finally, I will end this with what is truly one of the most morally reprehensible positions held in the ELCA, the support of abortion. After someone posted this abortion-supporting article on an ELCA Clergy Facebook page, some challenged the thought. Then ELCA pastor Russell L. Meyer wrote the comment 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.
--
The ELCA Gulf Coast Synod tweeted that "LGBTQIA people are good & holy & made in the image of God.” See below.
--
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)
--
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: 
--
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: 
--
The ELCA Young Adults' Facebook page chimes in:
--
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."
-- 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."
--
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:
--
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)
--
The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a seminary of the ELCA, posted this on their Facebook page:
--
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:
--
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)
--
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)
--
Below is a small taste of all the pro-gay messages happening from individual ELCA pastors and churches: 
--
Here is another:
--
Next is the popular ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber's church:
--
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:
--
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. (The following article was written a couple weeks ago by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
August 8-13 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will have its national convention in New Orleans. The ELCA website lists topics for the assembly, but I cannot find a word about evangelism. Instead it states this: "God's Grace in Action Afternoon" will offer experiential learning on several topics to inspire participants to take action back home, including: Music, Justice and Peace; From the Doctrine of Discovery to BlackLivesMatter; Human Trafficking; Care of Creation; and Food Security. So, why is there not a word about bringing people to salvation through faith in Christ? I fear the Gospel has been supplanted by social causes. And of the ELCA's social causes, why is there not a word about rescuing unborn children from abortion? The tragic truth is that the ELCA pays for abortion, for any reason, in its healthcare plan which is funded by offering dollars. As one Lutheran commentator observed years ago "The ELCA has looks more and more like the left wing of the Democratic Party." Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org The vast majority of the leaders in the ELCA are liberal, left-wing democrats who use your offering dollars to push their political and social agenda. They are strong proponents of abortion but are against capital punishment for the worst violent offenders. They want more restrictive gun laws but can not make the connection between terrorist actions and Islam. They push for LGBT causes, including making unrepentant practitioners leaders in the church, but they are against laws that protect the first amendment rights of Bible-believing business persons to not participate in the celebration of sinful actions. They are against the state of Israel, a haven of freedom, and they side with the "Palestinian" people who celebrate the murder of Jewish children, naming streets after the perpetrators of evil. They sound the alarm of "climate change," "white privilege" and embrace the "BlackLivesMatter" movement (see here). These are liberals, no doubt. Is this what you want out of your Biblical teachers? (we won't even get into the multitude of ways they are in opposition to Scripture). Recently Pew Research Center came out with findings showing the 43% of ELCA members lean toward or identify with the Republican Party. (see here) If you want a clue to what the ELCA leadership thinks of people who are conservative and/or Republican, take a look at what Josh Evans, who describes himself on Twitter as a "Seminarian at @LSTChicago. Gay, sarcastic, introverted, justice-seeking Lutheran" (go to Josh's twitter comment here) says:  Many Evangelical Lutheran Church in America members have figured out the liberal, anti-Biblical ways of their church leadership and the numbers make it apparent. The once 5 million member denomination is now 3.7 million and growing smaller every month. I've highlighted the financial troubles of the ELCA over the last six years and here are two more statements that underscore the financial crisis the ELCA is facing: “Over the past 18 years, annual offerings have dropped by more than 50 percent—from $3.6 million in 1997 to $1.7 million in 2014” - Women of the ELCA (WELCA) reports on their finances (see here - page 4). H. Julian Gordy, bishop of the ELCA's Southeastern Synod reveals this about his synod: "The percent of giving from congregations to mission support has declined for at least the past three decades. Over the past seven years, we have addressed the decline with severe cuts in our synodical programming budget and in support of committees and task forces. We have significantly cut our support of our synod's agencies and institutions, and we have cut salaries and staff positions in the synod office." (see here) |
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.
Give online by clicking the "donate" button below: Categories
All
Archives
May 2025
 Exposing the ELCA is on Facebook 
Follow Exposing the ELCA on Twitter
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
|
RSS Feed