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(The following is a letter written by a married couple to their ELCA church council. I have made a few edits to remove names and places)
On January 8, 2021, ELCA Bishop Elizabeth Eaton was one of several religious leaders who signed a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress and the Cabinet calling for the removal of President Donald Trump from office following the events of January 6 in the Capitol. This letter was written two days following the events at the Capitol while causes of the events of January 6 were in the early stages of investigation. The letter signed by Bishop Eaton stated, "In addition, we recognize the need to hold responsible not only those who invaded the Capitol, but also those who supported and/or promoted the President’s false claims about the election or made their own false accusations." We read this to state that the leader of the ELCA is now calling for repercussions for those with thoughts and beliefs that are not her own. Our world is currently so very divided, and one place we want to feel at peace, loved, appreciated is in our church home. When we read this letter from Bishop Eaton, we immediately felt that due to our political beliefs we were no longer welcome in the church we called home. We must admit that since the covid pandemic started, our involvement with (our church) has waned. Some of it was due to covid, but much of our lack of involvement was due to our research beginning in January 2021 on the beliefs of the ELCA and our realization that our beliefs differed greatly from ELCA leadership. Polls show that 75 to 80 percent of Republicans believe there was some fraud involved with the 2020 presidential elections. We fall within that group that questions whether fraud occurred in the election process in some states. While we accepted the results of the election, we do believe that there was some questionable election activity in multiple states that should be explored. We are not saying the fraud was absolute, but there was cause for investigation. According to the leader of the ELCA, we are outright wrong in our beliefs and there is no room for discussion. Considering that at least 50 percent of (our state) are registered Republicans, and according to polls 75 percent of Republicans believe there was some fraudulent activity in the 2020 election, that would equate to a rough estimate of 40 percent of the church membership of the ELCA in (our state) that needs to be held responsible for the events of January 6 at the Capitol according to Bishop Eaton. We disagree. This was the start of not feeling welcome by the ELCA, and the beginning of our research on what the ELCA currently stands for. We moved to (this city) in 2012 and joined (this ELCA church) because it was the church at which (my wife's) father was a member and that her paternal ancestors had belonged to, though (my wife) had been raised as a Catholic and (I) as an American Baptist. We knew that (this church) was a member of the ELCA, but we didn’t do our research as to what the ELCA believed. We just believed that all Lutherans were essentially the same. The January 8, 2021 letter signed by Bishop Eaton led us to do further research. Our research found a multitude of issues to which we disagree with ELCA leadership. Below we will highlight just a few of the issues with which we disagree.
These are just a few of the reasons we started questioning whether membership in an ELCA church was right for us. Then on November 19, 2021, Bishop Eaton released a pastoral message on the Rittenhouse acquittal stating, “When a child is allowed to become a vigilante without recourse, we are forced to confront the idols of our society: guns, violence and white supremacy.” She also stated, “Today’s acquittal is an injustice.”
Following much research, prayer and discussion, we have decided to withdraw our membership in the ELCA which means we need to withdraw our membership at (this church) and seek a local church that more closely fits our beliefs. We wanted you to know that our withdrawal of membership is not based on our local church family, but rather the work and beliefs of the leadership at the highest levels of the ELCA. We love and support our friends and neighbors who are members of the ELCA and will continue to support the work of (this church) at the local level through prayer.
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A letter signed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is calling for President Trump's removal from office. Even more shocking, the ELCA comes against anyone who believes the 2020 election was fraudulent saying, "In addition, we recognize the need to hold responsible not only those who invaded the Capitol, but also those who supported and/or promoted the President’s false claims about the election, or made their own false accusations." (See here)
Buckle-up God-fearing Christians, in a country that was built on freedom of speech, half of our society, big tech and the faux-Christian community have succumbed to hate and are now calling for repercussions for those with thoughts and beliefs that are not their own. It is time to reexamine your relationship with God, invest in your faith, grow in your knowledge of God's Word and train up those around you to do the same. Fear not, God is with you. Here is the article on the ELCA website announcing the "ELCA presiding bishop joins NCC leaders in letter to vice president, Cabinet and Congress." 
Showing no concern over the claims of mass voter fraud which, if true, would completely undermine our country and our freedom, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has joined with other radical progressive "Christian" organizations saying "We invite all people of faith to recognize the outcome...the outcome of this election. Joe Biden has been announced as the President-elect. Attempts to delay the peaceful transition of leadership risk endangering our democracy in critical ways." (See video below)
Would the ELCA, under the same circumstance, delivered this same message if Pres. Trump had won? If allegations are true, the election was rigged and a usurper and his party have illegally taken control of the United States. The claims needs to be taken seriously and adjudicated. But the radical leftists who control the ELCA, from their pastors, to synod leaders, to ELCA churchwide leadership, and all the entities under their banner, want to ignore it all and want us to honor "the outcome of the election." See the video and transcript below. "As people of faith we cherish a democracy that guarantees freedom of speech freedom of worship, and a vote for every citizen. ...and a vote for every citizen. Throughout a contentious and divisive political battle, communities and congregations and families have struggled to maintain respect and love for each other. It is time we do the hard work of repairing the damage ...repairing the damage in relationships we value and cherish, and upon which all democracies rely. As President Lincoln wrote, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We invite all people of faith to recognize the outcome ...the outcome of this election. Joe Biden has been announced as the President-elect. Attempts to delay the peaceful transition of leadership risk endangering our democracy in critical ways. We are all proud of our place in this democracy. We owe it to our country to unify - if not in celebration of the announced winner – at least in the belief that the common good is served by honoring the outcome ...by honoring the outcome of the election."
In a sermon given on July 12, 2020, Rev. Mark Knutson, a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), makes an egregious statement:
“…how can you preach about joy when the administration of this land is so out of touch? How can you preach about joy when a president is a racist and white supremacist…” (see video here starting at 36:25) It shouldn't surprise us that a radical, Bible-twisting denomination like the ELCA has pastors who call our president a racist and white supremacist, but it is certainly disturbing, none-the-less. Rev. Knutson continued on by saying the president “goes after Bubba Wallace...”, a black NASCAR driver who made news last month with the what-proved-to-be false claim that someone put a noose in his NASCAR garage. Pastor Mark Knutson then repeats that false claim, that someone placed a noose in Wallace's garage stall, despite it having been proven to be false, weeks ago. This same pastor made news recently for prominently applauding speakers at a highly controversial rally, according to Gateway Pundit news site. See here and here. According to the article, one rally speaker called for the abolition of the United States and another advocated for violent protests. If you are a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, you need to know that your money supports radical pastors and policies and extremely liberal political viewpoints. 
ELCA pastor W. J. Mark Knutson was also the subject of this post and article:
The leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presiding Bishop, issued a statement via Twitter and Facebook:
"The president used federal troops to clear a path through peaceful protesters in order to stand before an Episcopal church make a statement and hold up a bible. Neither the priest nor the bishop were consulted or warned. Not only was this manipulative it was desecration" (See below). This statement is highly political, bias and an abuse of her office. Going to a church building, with your Bible, is manipulative? President Trump doing so is an act of desecration? This should be eye-opening to any conservative Bible-believer who remains in the denomination. Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has gone full-blown extremist in thinking this, let alone making a public declaration of this sort. This denomination has turned their keys over to liberal leftists who Bible-twisting seminaries have been raising up for decades. They are doubling up their efforts to indoctrinate all who will listen. Staying in the ELCA harms your soul, funds false teaching and the ELCA's destructive efforts, provides a facade of Christianity to onlookers and gives power to the ELCA's collective voice. It is time to free yourself from the chains of destruction and falsehood that the ELCA has embraced. 
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Facebook page then shared Presiding Bishop Eaton's statement: Bishop Michael Rinehart of the ELCA's Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod also voiced his approved of statement:
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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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