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Last year, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America endorsed transgenderism by having a 12-year-old "transgender" person and his/her advocate mother speak to 31,000 youth at the ELCA Youth Gathering. (See here) This last week, the ELCA is pushing the transgender narrative by promoting a television show about about this same child, calling him/her the "Marvel's first transgender hero." (See below)
This liberal, Bible-defying, God-mocking denomination is encouraging and celebrating sinful lifestyles. Attending and financially supporting the ELCA makes it possible for the ELCA to push their sinful agenda and pay professionals to indoctrinate people under the guise of Christianity. 
ELCA pastor Emily Heitzman writes:
Of course, "Rebekah's" mother is heavily promoting her child's show. Below are a couple examples. "Rebekah's" father is an ELCA pastor. Pastor Tom Brock had an excellent post about this story. I will embed it below:
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That is wrong. But what was sinful is when the ELCA voted to allow the ordination of practicing, monogamous homosexuals. It is a position that has harmed many people.
Is being monogamous even a requirement anymore or was it ever? And if the ELCA was sinning because they did not ordain practicing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual/Allies (LGBTQIA+) people, it stands to reason that the ELCA believes that those that do not celebrate these behaviors are also guilty of sin. One must also consider as to when the ELCA voted to ordain people who identify as bisexual and transgender? After the ELCA comment, a few posts later, the ELCA recommended resources that are made by an LBGTQIA+ organization. (See below) 
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Facebook statements were made in the comment section of the ELCA-posted video (below), celebrating "the process of inviting more than just cis-men to ordained ministry."
Nicole Garcia is the latest transgender pastor ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Rocky Mountain Synod of the ELCA made the announcement:
"Let it be acclaimed that Nicole Garcia is a called and ordained minister in the church of Christ. Pastor Nicole has been called by the Rocky Mountain Synod Council to serve as mission developer for Westview, a new worshipping community in Boulder CO. Christ's Church, Better Together!" One needs to ask, is Rev Nicole Garcia and the "new worshipping community" being financially supported by the ELCA synod? In the pictures that follow you will see the Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Jim Gonia, high-profile ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, and transgender ELCA pastors Megan Rohrer and Asher O'Callaghan. 
(The following article was written a few days ago by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) A student named Madeline opened the worship service by saying she uses "she/her" pronouns. Lace (who uses "they" as a pronoun) assisted during the service, as did Luther Seminary professor Amy Marga who is interested in "queer theologies and feminist theologies". The preacher was Austen Hartke, a "transgender person of faith" who is the author of "Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians". Instead of opening the service in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the service invoked the "Creator, Christ and Holy Breath" (some believe it is sexist to refer to God in exclusively masculine terms such as "Father" and "Son"). During the sermon, the transgender preacher talked about the persecution of transgender people because they often cannot use the bathrooms they prefer and "because those of us who are sex workers aren't legally protected." The preacher talked about transgender suicide caused by "religious intolerance and exposure to conversion therapy." The preacher bemoaned the "churches who teach that the white, Western gender binary is God-ordained...(and) the parents who believe that their child's soul is at risk if they transition..." Transgender people "are acting in Jesus' name by embracing the identity that God gave them." The preacher encouraged the seminarians to "correct the nurse who uses the wrong pronouns for a patient". He encouraged the seminarians to "begin the conversation about becoming LGBTQ+ affirming in your church." By "allowing LGBTQIA people...the opportunity to testify... you will find that God's new heaven and new earth are already breaking in." During the strange closing prayers (which sounded very New Age), it was stated that God "delights in every flourishing twirl...of gender expression...". When I attended Luther Seminary many years ago, I remember being taught that the Church is not to follow the "Zeitgeist" ("spirit of the Age") but the Holy Spirit since Christians are to be "in the world, not of the world." Today, Luther's namesake seminary shows itself to be both in the world and of the world as it follows the Zeitgeist wherever it leads. Since the ELCA claims to be open to both conservative and liberal voices on transgenderism, it would now be appropriate to balance the above worship by bringing in a chapel speaker like Walt Heyer who went through gender transition and regrets it (see his video at https://youtu.be/k9jC34sk_3I). But don't expect that to happen, the Zeitgeist at Luther Seminary will not permit any voice but its own. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://youtu.be/aHhepYaIbIk  (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Luther Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has this announcement for tomorrow's chapel service: 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 19 Transgender Awareness Week liturgy... Preacher: Austen Hartke, graduate of Luther’s Master of Arts program in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies, and author of Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians (2018), a book on theology and personal narratives. Then Thursday will be this: 11 a.m. Thursday, November 21 Transgender Day of Remembrance healing prayer and song vigil. I am sure the "healing" on Thursday will not be about helping those in sexual confusion live according their God-given gender, but instead helping them heal from "oppression" from those who believe transgenderism is contrary to God's will. This is yet another example that the radical take-over of Luther Seminary is complete. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock --- (See below or see here.) 
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, through its advocacy office, celebrated gay Pride Month this past June.
In most cases, some money given to ELCA churches makes its way to ELCA synods, which in turn distributes some of that money to ELCA Churchwide. ELCA Churchwide uses some of the money received to promote and advocate for things they believe in, decisions headed by the ELCA Advocacy division. Therefore money given by individuals pays for the ELCA's extreme and often unBiblical policies, beliefs, pastors and leadership.
The Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America held a youth gathering (see here) two weeks ago for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The person chosen to be chaplain for the middle schoolers was transgender ELCA vicar Atticus Zavaletta. (see here and below)
This is another example of how the ELCA continues to lift up transgender confusion and homosexuality to young people. People of God, please pray for God's will to prevail in the hearts and minds of those still worshiping in the ELCA and for ELCA leaders and those struggling with same-sex attraction and gender confusion to turn from sin and trust God and His Truth. Below are Facebook posts about the youth event by the Delaware-Maryland Synod, Delaware-Maryland Synod Bishop Bill Gohl and transgender ELCA vicar Atticus Zavaletta. 
Bill Gohl, bishop of the Delaware-Maryland Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America officiated the wedding of a transgender person (who is a vicar at an ELCA church and an ELCA seminary student) and well known ELCA pastor Emily Scott. Rev. Scott was a keynote speaker at the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering. (see here beginning at 2:23:20 and read more about her here)
Are there any Biblically led leaders in the ELCA anymore? 
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Jesus said there are two genders: "He who made them in the beginning made them male and female" (Matthew 19:4) but now it appears the ELCA will be "educated" to believe otherwise. This week in its national assembly, delegates of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America approved a recommendation to ask the Office of the Bishop (Elizabeth Eaton) to "provide materials to facilitate education among ELCA members so as to build awareness of the broad varieties of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation among God's people, as well as to provide pastoral care insights regarding concerns and issues of the transgender experience and gender nonconformity, and to request that the Church Council consider authorizing development of a social message on gender identity and gender expression." Eaton was interviewed by a Chicago newspaper and said "...God’s creation is diverse and... the diversity of God’s creation is actually a gift. When we take a look a people’s sexual orientation or gender identity, it’s not completely binary. Everybody isn’t male or everybody isn’t female. There’s a whole spectrum to that. I think that’s something that’s new for a lot of our people to think about, but it’s the truth…" So it appears the ELCA is now going to "educate" people to see that there are not two genders but a "whole spectrum." Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock --- (See a report of day two at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide assembly here) 
Celebrating sin. That is what we see happening in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Case in point, the bishop of the New England Synod of the ELCA, James Hazelwood, announced that the New England Synod's Churchwide Assembly t-shirt will, in part, say "We Celebrate" and "LGBTQ+." (See below)
The t-shirts are being made by the synod to be worn at the upcoming ELCA Churchwide Assembly. 
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) In the February 2019 issue of Living Lutheran, the national magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a glowing article is devoted to Reconciled in Christ (RIC). RIC promotes the acceptance of homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism in the Lutheran Church. But Living Lutheran will not allow a conservative ministry group (of which I am a part) to advertise. OneByOne is a Christian ministry which follows the Biblical view that homosexual behavior is contrary to God's will. OneByOne inquired about buying an advertisement in Living Lutheran about our ministry but was told that our viewpoint is not consistent with more recent ELCA teaching. Back in 2009, the ELCA voted to ordain practicing homosexuals and now allows for homosexual “weddings” and transgendered pastors. In 2009 conservatives were assured that their “bound conscience” on the homosexual issue would be respected. But since 2009 Living Lutheran magazine has promoted many articles showing homosexuality and transgenderism in a positive light, but has not printed one article representing the traditional viewpoint on homosexuality. What we see happening today shows the intolerance of the religious left, a group which pretends to be tolerant. Today if you want to present the traditional viewpoint on homosexuality in the ELCA's venues, your voice will most likely be banned. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock -- (Below is Living Lutheran's Facebook post sharing the article Pastor Brock wrote about.) 
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) came out last week in support of the so-called "Equality Act" bill. The bill "would place nearly all Christian ministries, religious organizations, and faith-based companies in the cross-hairs of discrimination lawsuits" according to Craig Parshall, General Counsel for National Religious Broadcasters. (See here)
Mr. Parshall went on to say "The law adds sexual orientation and transgender identity as protected categories and then wildly expands the list of activities and organizations impacted by the civil rights law to include any public 'gathering,' 'exhibition,' or 'display,' or anything involving the provision of goods or 'any service, or program.' During one House subcommittee hearing, employment law expert Lawrence Lorber flatly acknowledged that the bill would apply to 'churches' and 'houses of worship.'" The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Advocacy department publicly posted their support of The Equality Act last week. (See below) Director of ELCA Advocacy, Pastor Amy E. Reumann announced "We applaud this historic legislation..." (See here) 
Portico Benefit Services says, "As an ELCA ministry, Portico offers health, flexible spending, retirement, disability, and survivor plans to help rostered leaders and lay employees strengthen their well-being." (See here) In a questionnaire, Portico asks ELCA employees "How do you describe yourself?" The first two choices are "Man" and "Woman." The next choice is "Transgender" and the forth choice is "Do not identify as man, woman or transgender." Seriously? What is going on with this denomination? See the screenshot below.  Since we are talking about Portico Benefit Services, if you haven't heard before, this ministry of the ELCA "will cover services including . . . hormone therapy, and sex reassignment surgery..."  What about abortion? In the following email sent by Portico Benefit Services they say "the ELCA health plan does cover a range of procedures that includes those for abortion, up to 20 weeks gestation." Portico also states they cover abortions that fall after 20 weeks of pregnancy, "when the life of the mother is threatened; or...when the fetus has lethal abnormalities indicating death is imminent." 
A discernment retreat called "Queering the Path" is being hosted by the "Seminaries of the ELCA" and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) at the ELCA's Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in April 2019.
The retreat is for LGBTQIA+ individuals who are considering going into public ministry. "The Seminaries of the ELCA" are working with a LGBT supportive ministry to find future pastors. Is there any doubt where the ELCA stands on homosexuality? They are actively seeking lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people to become pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ELM calls itself a "professional community for publicly identified gender and sexual minority ministers and candidates." (See here) 
More on the ELCA and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries: The ELCA's Sierra Pacific Synod Vice-President wrote how they are honored to represent the synod at the "Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries 'Extraordinary Callings-Holy & Queer Resistance in the Lutheran Church' exhibit..." (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) If you go to the website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, you will find the ELCA frequently taking liberal positions on all kinds of social and political issues. Recently the ELCA quickly responded against a Supreme Court decision because it may keep transgendered people out of the military. Since then, the State of New York has passed a radical law allowing abortions up to the due date. And the governor of Virginia made a statement in favor of infanticide, saying that a newborn child with severe deformities may be allowed to die. What is the ELCA's response? Silence. Even though the ELCA's official abortion statement is against late-term abortion, ELCA leadership is silent. Why? My guess is that when they are passionate about a social cause, they speak, and when they are not passionate about even their own official position, they choose to remain silent. The ELCA abortion statement is a problem. In one paragraph it sounds pro-life and in another it sounds pro-choice. The tragedy is that for years now the ELCA abortion statement has been interpreted to allow the ELCA to pay for abortion for any reason in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. The ELCA healthcare plan for pastors and their families is paid for with offering dollars. That's right, the ELCA pays for abortions with offering dollars. I remember years ago when I was still in the ELCA I received a letter, I think from a pastor's wife, who was so glad the ELCA "was there" to pay for her 16-year-old daughter's abortion. Years ago the congregation that I served and I left the ELCA over this and other issues. I pray that if you are still in the ELCA, you will take your money, time and talents, and join a denomination that does not destroy unborn children with offering dollars. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock  |
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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