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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a dying denomination. People have been leaving in droves. In 1989, the ELCA had 5,251,534 baptized members. At the end of 2015, the ELCA had 3,668,034 baptized members. (see here) Members who actually go to their churches number much less than that. A new study, "Theology Matters: Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy," seems to confirm my belief, and that of countless other Bible-believing Lutherans, as to the reasons for the downfall of the ELCA. The study’s lead researcher, David Haskell, reports that growing churches "held more firmly to the traditional beliefs of Christianity and were more diligent in things like prayer and Bible reading," compared to churches where membership is in decline. Additionally, Mr. Haskell states that “conservative believers, relying on a fairly literal interpretation of scripture, are 'sure' that those who are not converted to Christianity will miss their chance for eternal life. Because they are profoundly convinced of (the) life-saving, life-altering benefits that only their faith can provide. They are motivated by emotions of compassion and concern to recruit family, friends, and acquaintances into their faith and into their church." (read here) Most ELCA congregations, their pastors and upcoming ELCA seminarians are in accord with the liberal stand on Scripture and Bible-twisting theology that the ELCA champions. (I provide proof of this throughout this website.) Below is a different survey from Pew Research Center showing how infrequently Mainline Lutherans (ELCA) read scripture. Over half of the respondents said they “seldom/never” read the Bible.  (see here) The next chart shows that only 17% of Mainline Lutherans (ELCA) say Holy Scripture should be taken literally. Thirty-two percent say Holy Scripture is “not the Word of God,” and 10% say "other/don't know."  (see here)
The ELCA has a Bible problem. When you teach and treat Scripture the way of the ELCA, it is not a surprise that people who know differently will leave congregations, and a pastor will be left with people who hold Scripture in low regard, all thanks to the ELCA pastors' poor teaching.
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Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA) went on Twitter and Facebook this week claiming the Son of God made errors.
God's Word says, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22), but these ELCA leaders foolishly think they know better. If this isn't proof enough that the ELCA has a false view of Scripture and God Himself, I don't know what it will take to convince you.
(Update: It looks like WELCA deleted the tweet I originally posted. It was the same as above except it included this comment "Today is the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. Jesus corrected his errors; how will you do the same?" They have not remove this comment from Pinterest yet, you can see it here or I have taken a screenshot of it and posted at the end of this article).
This teaching is widely taught in the ELCA and widely accepted by ELCA leadership. Just a few days ago ELCA Pastor Cindy Muse of Calvary Lutheran Church, West Chester, PA begins this video asking, "Was Jesus a racist?" Please view this video. Later, after claiming she is "Shocked" by Jesus' words she says "Jesus just uttered a racial slur." Here is a blog from a couple months ago with two more ELCA leaders (a seminary professor and a pastor) making similar claims. http://www.exposingtheelca.com/exposed-blog/bigoted-biased-and-racist-jesus
ELCA.org published a post by ELCA pastor Bob Chell, Sioux Falls, SD, on this same topic and he writes “Jesus is being rude and dismissive to the woman he encounters. That is the simplest and, I believe, best explanation.” (see here)
-- WELCA's Pinterest post - 
Every Christian would be wise to be well informed as to the beliefs of the person who is leading and teaching their congregation about God. What does your pastor believe? Does he believe the Bible? Is she even a Christian?
Here are questions to ask your pastor so you will know if they are a Christ-follower or a wolf in sheep’s clothing: 1 - Will everyone go to heaven? 2 – Do you approve of abortions? 3 – Is homosexual sex a sin? 4 – Are some Biblical stories that are normally considered historic actually myths? 5 – Was Jesus born of a virgin? 6 – Will some people go to hell when they die? 7 – Did Jesus actually say the words Scripture records Him to have said? 8 – Did the miracles of Christ, recorded in the Bible, truly happen? 9 – What is your definition of the “gospel?” 10 – Do you refrain from calling God “Father,” using “He” or other male pronouns? 11 – How many who were once “lost” have thanked you for leading them to Christ? 12 - What must one do to be saved? (a question asked of Paul in Acts 16:30) If you are not sure what the correct answers should be to these questions…read the Bible. (The following is by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. Follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
How do liberal pastors get around the Bible's clear teaching that Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12)? Below is a tragic example of a pastor trying to do just that. You will notice the tortured hermeneutics he uses to get around the plain meaning of John 14:6. It is sad because once Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, a huge ELCA congregation, was known for being more evangelical. It looks like ...those days are gone. Pastor Tom Brock From Prince of Peace's website: One Way March 16, 2015 by Jeff Marian Recently a friend confided that he was troubled by John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Like many others, my friend was troubled by the way that this verse is often interpreted. The interpretation goes something like this: “God will only accept, and give entrance into heaven, those who believe certain doctrines about Jesus, like his virgin birth, his divine/human nature, his substitutionary atonement. Everyone else will be rejected and condemned.” John 14:6 would trouble me, too, if that’s what I thought it meant. But I don’t, if for no other reason than that it runs counter to the profound inclusivity that Jesus modeled throughout his life and ministry. There are, fortunately, other ways to understand and interpret Jesus’ words...I understand “the way” of Jesus as the pathway of love, forgiveness and self-sacrifice … not the way in to God’s favor, and not the way out of eternal condemnation. The way, the truth and the life are not an end result reserved for people who believe certain religious doctrines. Daily dying to old self-centered ways and daily rising to newness of life is a journey that’s universal and inclusive, and God’s Spirit meets and empowers all who choose to walk that road. I’ve met far too many who profess all the right doctrine but seem to walk the dead-end road of life-denying anger and judgment. But I’ve never met anyone walking in the way of Jesus – dying to self-centeredness and rising to newness of life – who didn’t radiate life-giving grace, no matter what their doctrine. So, in light of John 14:6, I think the question is this: Which “way” are you walking? Jeff Marian is Lead Pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN (See here) The following is a comment that was posted on a previous Exposing the ELCA blog from a student at St. Olaf College, an ELCA school. It is truly a disturbing account of what the students are being taught and is a warning to all Bible believing parents considering sending their students to an ELCA college.
Hello everyone. As a St Olaf student and full Christian Bible believer, I have found that St Olaf has increasing hatred towards me and what I believe. We are taught in our "religion" classes that Christians are hateful, hypocritical, sexist, and racist. We are taught that Christian beliefs were responsible for the Holocaust and the extermination of Native Americans. They tell us that much of the Bible is fiction; in particular, they teach that Ezekiel and Paul were mentally insane, Exodus never happened, and Matthew, Mark, and John never actually were followers of Jesus. It's incredible that this college still says it is a "Christian" college. The hatred I've received from students because of my beliefs is more than I've ever had before. Please pray that the actions of this college will come to light. Thanks, Anonymous St. Olaf Student You read some interesting things when you peruse an ELCA clergy Facebook page. Here are a few dandies from pastors in the ELCA:
(About the Truth of Scripture)
(Again about the Truth of God's Word)
(About what Christ said in Scripture)
(About what God has said in Scripture about creation)
(Again about God's creation account)
--- The above quotes come from a closed Facebook group and some of them can be viewed at this link (here) if you are a member of the group. Here is another example of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's view of Scripture. It comes to us from Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson, Director for Evangelical Mission for the Northeastern Iowa Synod. Rev. Coville-Hanson replied to a tweet which stated, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Here is Rev. Coville-Hanson's response - What was so wrong with the original tweet that this ELCA synod employee felt she needed to respond with a different answer? Is the Bible not the reason we all even know about Jesus? The ELCA has been denying God's Word for decades. They have manipulated it, cast doubt on it, denied it and viewed much of it as myth. If this is the kind of view you have of the Bible then you are worshiping in the correct denomination. But if not, what are you doing remaining in the ELCA? The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's website has a reoccurring column called “Ask a Pastor.” One recent question addressed by the denomination was this, “My kiddos go to a Lutheran preschool and we — me and my kids, ages 4 and 5 — are reading the Bible. How do you explain the very old ages of some of the people in the Bible (Old Testament)?”
These kind of questions are difficult to answer for a denomination that doesn't believe that what God tells us in Scripture is true. The ELCA casts doubt on Jesus being birthed by a virgin, that Jesus actually said what He is recorded to have said in the Bible, that hell or the devil are real or that God created everything in six days – all which is well-documented on this website. The ELCA even casts doubt or denies that Adam and Eve were actual real humans beings. So the answer to the question, “How do you explain the very old ages of some of the people in the Bible (Old Testament)?” by ELCA pastor, Rosanne Swanson, is not a surprise. She writes, “There are many theories about the ages recorded in the Old Testament — like years back then were not the same as years now so that there was a different counting system for years. Or, before the flood, people lived longer and after the flood they didn’t...” (read here) How ridiculous that the ELCA even suggests that years may not have been the same as they are now. Early church father and Christian theologian Augustine believed the genealogies written in Genesis to be literal chronologies. He believed what the Bible said, that pre-flood patriarchs lived to be around 900 years. (see Augustine, The City of God, Book 15, Chapters 11–12, pp. 436–440.) Read just a few verses of Scripture on what God says about the age of people before the flood: When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died. When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died. When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died (Genesis 5:3-11). ELCA leadership: God is wiser, bigger, more powerful, more intelligent than you are. Stop telling His children that God's Word is full of myths and can not be trusted. You are pushing people away from God, and He will hold you accountable for your actions and your misleadings. She hangs out with ELCA bishops, she speaks on the biggest ELCA stages, she is more popular and revered than Martin Luther in the denomination, but her theology is poison. Its ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber. Exposing the ELCA has exposed Bolz-Weber's teaching in detail (scroll down page here) and in a recent interview we hear more of her heretical thoughts concerning Scripture.
At the 16 minute mark of Nadia Bolz-Weber's profanity-laced interview she says, “I had this weird realization about Paul, the apostle Paul . . . There's stuff in Paul's letters that is like so incredibly beautiful its like you almost tear up reading it, right? At where you're like that is the Gospel. Like when he is good he is unbeatable, right? When he is bad he is wretched. Right? So in Paul's letters its like at one point he is just going off about his opinions about on how you should do church and what this person should do and don't do that and this isn't okay and blah blah blah and then he speaks theologically and it's like beautiful, right? . . . there's a difference in me in what I say as a speaker and what I say as a preacher.” Bolz-Weber goes on to describe that when she is speaking to people, she has some authority to speak on the topics but a lot of what she says are her own “snotty opinions.” According to Bolz-Weber, preaching is different. “. . . Preaching hopefully in some way is the word of God, speaking is not. So I thought, I wonder, we can look at Paul that way. You know like sometimes he was just going off on his snotty opinions, he has some authority to speak on it but that’s not necessarily the Word of God.” (listen here) You read that right, Nadia Bolz-Weber believes that the parts of the Bible she likes are the “Word of God.” However, the parts of Scripture that she doesn't like are not the “Word of God” but rather they are just the author's snotty opinions. Bolz-Weber is dangerously wrong. ALL of Scripture is God's Word! Paul, the man who wrote 13 books of the New Testament, says this about the Bible - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Paul writes, all Scripture is God-breathed, but ELCA superstar Nadia Bolz-Weber disagrees. She even believes that her preaching is more of the Word of God than the segments of the Bible she doesn't like. Why are some of you staying in the ELCA when such heresy is lifted up? (This report is by Pastor Tom Brock. Check out his ministry at The Pastor's Study here. The "Jesus, Justice and Jazz" National Youth Gathering of the ELCA was held in 2009).
The ELCA's "Jesus, Justice and Jazz" youth conference gave out Bibles for youth which re-interpret what the Bible says about homosexuality in I Corinthians 6:9-11. For 2,000 years Christians have read two Greek words in that text to refer to homosexuality. Not any more. Here's what the ELCA Bible says (to youth yet): "Two terms..have been mistranslated from the Greek in all modern versions, and this has caused needless pain in the church....The issue here is violence. Neither term pertains to homosexuality or to the lives of gay and lesbian people." So "all modern versions"--and all ancient versions for that matter-- are wrong and the ELCA is right. The truth is that the ELCA's promotion of homosexuality is what will really cause "needless pain in the church" as youth embrace a lifestyle that is physically harmful in this life and eternally harmful in the next. I urge those who are still members of the ELCA, time to find another church. God tells us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). He also tells us, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11). With that in mind, listen to the disturbing and defiling things ELCA leaders are saying. Note: I have edited the foul language with asterisks (*). The ELCA leaders did not edit their words. “Job took his precious handful of seeds to God and God – there’s no delicate way to say this – God s**ts on him,” spoken by Rev. Wil Gafney during her sermon given at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia's chapel service (ELCA) where she teaches. The seminary website and Rev. Gafney's website later posted the sermon. (see here and here) Rev. Gafney's sermon also included this crude remark in reference to Job, “Then when he loses every thing he has including the skin he is in, it is because God gambles with his life and the lives of his children, consigning them to death to prove a point and win a bet with a character who is a satan but not the devil, (yet). And Job has the – I have to say it because the text calls for it – Job has the balls to sue God over what he knows was an injustice done to him . . . ” ELCA Pastor Ericc Clapp, serving Immanuel Lutheran Church in Camanche, Iowa writes in his blog - “If you are constantly negative or acting like an a*s, you will be banned.” (see here) And, “We need to call bulls**t...” (see here) And, “I won’t lie, the only words that ran through my head when I put this book down after finishing it were, 'Holy s**t.'” (see here) ELCA New England Synod bishop Jim Hazelwood recommended in his blog that people should “Form a WTHIGOAU group. This stands for What the H*ll is Going On Around Us.”(see here) The queen of foul language, the popular ELCA pastor, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, has so many examples to choose from, here are just a few - Breaking the second commandment, Bolz-Weber says, “Oh my god, are you people whiny.” (see here) Here are some snippets from Rev. Bolz-Weber's new book. “'S**t,' I thought to myself,” and “It's a f**king fairy tale,” and “What the h*ll am I'm doing?” and “Jesus gathered with some real f**k-ups, held up bread and said take and eat . . .” (see Bolz-Weber's book Pastrix, in the section “Fall 2005” here) These are ELCA leaders proudly, with intent, saying these things. This kind of talk is not Christ-like. Granted, these people serve in a denomination with a track record which shows little regard for what the Bible says. Scripture is arbitrary to them. But one would think this kind of talk would be something of which these “Christian” leaders would be embarrassed and try to refrain. That is not the case; these ELCA leaders are proud of the foul words they use. ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber defends her foul language, “I swear like a truck driver . . . I refuse to pretend I’m somebody I’m not . . . I speak like other people.” And “I have not said the ‘F-word’ in a sermon. When I swear it’s really for emphasis or humor, not to be mean or to be foul toward someone. Just colorful and funny speech that is effective.” (read here) Additionally she comments, “Some people think pastors shouldn't swear. I think pastors shouldn't pretend to be people they're not.” (see here) ELCA leadership, this is what God tells us in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” In James 3:10, God says, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." I see prideful church leaders who have no interest in conforming their speech to be more like Christ. It is no surprise. It is clear that it is not only speech that is affected by stubborn unwillingness to conform to God's ways, leadership and teaching. This translates to encouragement toward other blatantly sinful choices and ways of living. Leaders lead . . . one question is, to where are they leading those who will follow? --- Updates: ELCA pastor Martin W. Eldred of Joy Lutheran Church in Eagle River, AK commented on an ELCA facebook page saying "Now THATS f**king offensive." (find here) ELCA pastor Eric Clapp, referenced and quoted above tweeted this: Last month Antje Jackelén was elected the new archbishop of the Church of Sweden. Antje Jackelén use to teach in the United States at an ELCA seminary. She was a professor at the ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. “From 2001-2007, Dr. Jackelén taught systematic theology and religion and science...and was director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science.” (see here)
Due to the election process in Sweden, we have the privilege of learning more about this former ELCA seminary professor, including what she believes. Here is what has been reported:
While a professor of the ELCA, Antje Jackelén signed a letter declaring her support of evolution and rejecting the Biblical account of creation and Noah's ark. (see here) Promoting evolution is something she is known for in Sweden (read here) I know it will not surprise anyone to also learn that former ELCA seminary professor Jackelén rejects the Biblical authority on homosexuality. She said this during a sermon she gave at the seminary (LSTC): “Nevertheless, talking bodies and sex is difficult, especially in churches. We need to find holistic ways of talking about sexuality in church – that was one of the take-home messages from an LSTC leadership conference a couple of years ago. 'The church can't deal with homosexuality because we can't deal with sexuality,' claimed Rev. Jeremiah Wright nine months ago standing at this same lectern. He said so at a workshop for medical and religious professionals on HIV/AIDS.” Dr. Jackelén continues, “The incapacity of dealing with sexual love is not a marginal problem. It costs lives. When homosexual men are forced into heterosexual marriages, they are likely to spread a potential HIV infection to their wives. This happens in the Christian family, with fatal consequences. How can a church proclaim love of God and love of neighbor as the greatest commandments and at the same time sacrifice lives on the altar of the hypocrisy of so-called Christian morality?” (see here) Rev. Paul T. McCain, made this comment following an article regarding the newly-elected archbishop Antje Jackelén: “This is absolutely gut wrenching stuff. When I first read all this I just felt sick to my stomach. I have friends in Sweden who have been fighting for years against the apostasy that has overtaken the state church. In some ways, the election of a person who is so openly apostate makes their task 'easier' simply in the sense that the issues are so starkly put on display for all to see. Oh, and by the way, she has taught at the ELCA seminary in Chicago. She frankly is simply saying what most every mainline protestant liberal church actually believes. The only 'secret' is that a huge number of laypersons simply are still kept in the dark about the degree to which outright apostasy has overtaken their churches. Back when I was serving a parish in Iowa, in the early 1990s, a new ELCA pastor moved in and we paid a courtesy visit and as things happened, it was a very cordial chat so a fellow LCMS pastor and I asked her, 'Hey, what do you teach your folks about this?' And we pointed out to the cemetery next to her churches and the rows of tombstones. She said, 'Oh, the resurrection? It's a wonderful story and so inspiring. Of course, I don't believe in a bodily resurrection of Jesus, but I preach about it, because that's what the people believe.' We both just stood there in stunned silence for a few moments." (read here) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America promotes that everyone, worldwide, is saved by grace. This theological position flies in the face of sound Biblical teaching. That's why you will not hear ELCA leadership respond to the question, “What must I do to be saved?” with a Biblical answer like “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31) or “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
This false understanding of salvation for all plays out clearly through the ELCA's policy for the very small number of missionaries that they send out. ELCA missionary Rev. Angela Zimmann lets everyone know what her job is NOT as a missionary of the church. She writes, “My job as a missionary in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is not to convert anyone to anything. The 'accompaniment model' for missionary work, to which we subscribe, is defined as walking together in solidarity, practicing interdependence and mutuality.” (read here) Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 27:19). Yet in complete opposition to the Prince of Peace, an official website of the ELCA churchwide published an article whose author clearly states, “I usually associate evangelism with an effort to convert nonbelievers to Christianity, something that makes me very uncomfortable. Too often the desire to bring about conversions grows out of a belief that nonbelievers need to be 'saved' from eternal damnation by adopting the Christian faith. To the extent that evangelism is about 'saving souls,' I want nothing to do with it. I approach matters of faith and belief with humility, unwilling to assert the superiority of my own religious beliefs over those of others.” (read here) Can it be true? The ELCA and its missionaries do not seek to bring anyone to knowledge of God and faith in Jesus? There is no doubt. The ELCA once again admits it on their website Living Lutheran - “Today, missionaries with the ELCA serve in 48 countries. . .Most missionaries from Europe and North America are now lay people with special expertise, rather than clergy intent on conversion.” (read here) I imagine that the enemy of God is very happy that the ELCA does not seek to save anyone who does not know Christ as Lord and Savior. So if ELCA missionaries and ELCA leaders are not interested in bringing the lost to Jesus, then what is the point? By the time most of you read this, Elizabeth Eaton will be installed as the new presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She is getting a good amount of press these days because she will be the first woman to hold the position in the denomination. With all the press coverage, we are provided a great opportunity to learn more about the bishop, her beliefs and theology, as well as the ELCA at large.
During an interview on Chicago's ABC7, Eaton was asked, “But what do you say to your critics who say biblically, homosexuality is a sin and it's not of God. What do you say to those critics that say that should not be accepted in the church?” Eaton responded, “Well, Lutherans have a specific way of reading the Bible. We're not biblical literalists. I mean, there are different lists of disciples. The mustard seed isn't the smallest seed. That doesn't mean that our Lord didn't know what He was talking about. But whatever shows forth God's love as it was revealed in Jesus Christ, that's what's key. And there's a lot of stuff that really is not as important.” (see here) Did you catch that? "There's a lot of stuff (in the Bible) that really is not as important." Everything in the Bible comes from the God of the universe. How can a godly Christian leader say that much of what God says isn't really important? How arrogant and ignorant! This view of God's Word allows ELCA leaders, and their members, to ignore things they do not like in Scripture. That is exactly what she is trying to say here. She lists a of couple instances in Scripture that she believes the Bible got wrong, to make her point, that the ELCA rejects and discounts many parts of the Bible. Sadly, this is a commonly-held understanding of many in the leadership of the ELCA. Notice also that she says Lutherans are not biblical literalists –another familiar saying among ELCA leaders. Wikipedia defines biblical literalism as “the interpretation or translation of the explicit and primary sense of words in the Bible . . . The essence of this approach focuses upon the author's intent as the primary meaning of the text. Literal interpretation does place emphasis upon the referential aspect of the words or terms in the text. It does not, however, mean a complete denial of literary aspects, genre, or figures of speech within the text (e.g., parable, allegory, simile, or metaphor). Also literalism does not necessarily lead to total and complete agreement upon one single interpretation for any given passage.” (see here) Presiding Bishop-elect Eaton is communicating to all, that if the ELCA doesn't like what the Bible clearly says, they will reject it or say “God's love” overrides whatever that part of Scripture says. This is clearly shown in a second interview Presiding Bishop-elect Eaton gave this week with WTTW11 in Chicago. She is asked, “If you believe that God is at work in the world, do you believe that Satan is at work in the world?” Eaton answered “Do I believe there is evil in the world? Yes, absolutely. And maybe Satan could be personified as an individual being, but yes, there is evil in the world. The world is a dangerous place.” (see here) Now the Bible, plain as day, tells us that Satan is a real individual being. He is mentioned 47 times in Scripture (see here), yet Presiding Bishop-elect Eaton can not even definitively say so. In fact, she simply leaves room for those who understand evil personified. If she believed God's Word, she would have answered, “Yes, Satan is absolutely at work in the world.” This is a major problem, people. The ELCA questions or denies biblical facts such as the virgin birth, hell, how God created all that there is, that unborn babies are made in the image of God and deserve to live, that homosexuality is a sin of which repentance is necessary. (see here) The list goes on. ELCA missionaries do not seek to win people to faith in Jesus, many leaders preach universalism against the testimony of Scripture that says - “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him (John 3:36). An understanding that “receiving” Jesus is not necessary is widely held in the ELCA, but God tells us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12). The ELCA is a denomination that does not stand on the truth in the Bible. Sadly, this is modeled from the top on down through the leadership of the ELCA. Were you hoping for a brighter day in the future of the ELCA? The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is inundated with pastors who preach universalism.
Below you will find commentary by Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon, an associate professor of New Testament at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, explaining how universalism is not Biblical. (the information below comes from Dr. Gagnon's facebook page here) Read it and then try to explain how any ELCA leader in their right mind could teach that everyone will be saved.
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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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