ELCA in Panic Mode After Declaring Itself A Sanctuary Church Body

8/19/2019

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:

One of the mainline denominations in the United States .@ELCA voted to become a sanctuary denomination. THIS IS HUGE. .@washingtonpost
— AlitaDays (@alaidevi) August 7, 2019

Extremely proud to be a baptized & confirmed member of the @ELCA—which became the 1st mainline Protestant denomination to declare itself a sanctuary church today, allying itself with undocumented folks & officially declaring itself a place of respite for people in crisis.
— Britta Moen (@brittamoen) August 7, 2019

I'm regretting not mentioning this during the conversation about the Sanctuary memorial. If the #ELCA is a Sanctuary church body it seems to me that it is incumbent upon us to demand divestment. Right? Maybe that can be part of council's recommendation and leadership. #elcacwa
— Nicholas Tangen (@nicholastangen) August 7, 2019

The ELCA is now a sanctuary denomination!!! Let us do everything within our power to live up to and go beyond this designation, and make sure that this is not only shared between ourselves but shouted as loudly as possible to the entire world.#ELCACWA
— Bergen Nelson (@bergen_nelson) August 7, 2019

Memorial to make the ELCA a sanctuary church body is adopted! #ELCAcwa
— Josh Evans (@jwe312) August 7, 2019

The @ELCA votes in the affirmative to become a Sanctuary denomination!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #ELCACWA #QueerintheELCA
— Emily E. Ewing (@rev_ewing) August 7, 2019

The Bishop of the Oregon Synod (a Sanctuary Synod of the @ELCA) encourages the amendment and puts to rest fears, encouraging us listen to the young leaders and leaders of color who are clear on this memorial! #ELCACWA #QueerintheELCA
— Emily E. Ewing (@rev_ewing) August 7, 2019

The @ELCA decision to be a sanctuary denomination means we stand against evil like this. https://t.co/Y9sLNUJp0e
— Rev. Emmy Kegler (@emmykegler) August 13, 2019

11 Comments

Didaskalos link

8/20/2019 06:48:00 am

The ELCA keeps doing its best to accelerate the exodus of its members and to ensure that anyone looking for authentic Christianity will steer clear of this world-pleasing counterfeit.

"If God’s desires are indistinguishable from our own and His commands identical with the progressive social agenda — to the extent that you don’t even have to believe in Him to pastor a church — then we might as well all stay home on Sundays and listen to NPR.”

When 'Christianity' is Pointless -- https://stream.org/when-christianity-is-pointless/

Didaskalos

8/20/2019 07:11:44 am

Northeastern Ohio Synod Bishop's letter: "It is also important to note that the designation as a sanctuary body in no way calls for congregations, synods, or ministries to engage in civil disobedience or any illegal actions."

ELCA seminarian Elle Dowd's tweet: "My face tonight at the vigil when @ELCABishopEaton called for felony lawbreaking and civil disobedience on behalf of our undocumented neighbors."
[ https://www.exposingtheelca.com/on-social-media-elca-wolves-blog/seminarian-says-elca-presiding-bishop-called-for-felony-lawbreaking ]

Face it, Bishop: strident feminists and world-appeasing quislings have taken over your shrinking denomination, and after-the-fact dissembling can't hide the lawless, libertine ELCA's mirror-image resemblance to the Democratic Party and Planned Parenthood.

8/20/2019 04:36:23 pm

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Synod-E-News--August-20--2019.html?soid=1101477504383&aid=3NY5JofDhN0

Note the 4-item bulleted list prefaced with:
" Rather than simply consuming the “spin” of the national media or anti-ELCA groups, the following three items might be helpful to you: "

Jo Stephanos

8/20/2019 07:15:51 pm

The back-pedaling of the vote to be a sanctuary church is so typical of the ELCA that even those individuals that don't pay attention to their ridiculous and never-ending policy amendments, Scripture rewrites, etc., should have no trouble recognizing their self preserving and deceitful behaviors.

In order to survive, both financially and as an organization, they are intentionally vague and misleading in their publications and policies so as to confuse their members. And at the same time they appear to address/allow for all opinions. It's a very subtle trick - the "sheep" think their concerns aren't valid because the "leaders" have said the actions of the ELCA have been misinterpreted and there isn't a need to question their decisions/intents. When, in fact, just the opposite is true.

Obviously, this methodology raises many questions but one important question is:

What are they really doing that they don't want you to know about?

8/21/2019 01:50:57 pm

Another reason for teeth-gnashing consternation at ELCA headquarters, in its seminaries, and among its clerical class: despite being relentlessly barraged with ear-tickling propaganda, many ELCA members are *still* notably resistant to toe the ELCA's progressive "Christian" line.

'It’s Not Just Evangelicals: Trump and Mainline Protestantism' -- https://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2019/08/mainline-protestants-donald-trump/

. . . "Consider some of the numbers that political scientist Ryan Burge has been crunching from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES), which surveys over 64,000 Americans every two years. Not only do 49% of ELCA respondents in the 2018 CCES identify as Republican (vs. 42% as Democrats), but even more approve of Donald Trump: 52% of those Lutherans, 35% strongly. When Burge drilled down to look at religious behavior, he found that ELCA support for Trump was strongest among those who attended church most often and weakest among those who show up just once or twice a year.

. . . "There’s also a divide between clergy and laity. Consider a 2017 article by political scientists Eitan Hersh and Gabrielle Malina., who wondered just how partisan Christian pastors and their flocks were. Using earlier versions of the CCES survey and public data from the 29 states where voters register by political party, they found that clergy partisanship varies dramatically, if predictably, by denomination. Not only did nearly 100% of the ELCA’s seminary faculty register as Democrats, but so too did 73% of its pastors — vs. just 46% of the ELCA respondents in the CCES data, one of the biggest clergy-laity divides in the study."

PJC

8/21/2019 11:03:29 pm

To get an idea read the proposed constitutional amendments.
Interestingly enough the ELCA formal name was replaced by church in the wording... Could re branding be in the future..

Also the other social statement that took 7 years to make to announce we should eliminate pronouns... if you are serious just change the liturgy and move on but instead we spend 7 years and get recommendations... That statement had no positive examples of women or men overcoming difficult situations and offers no positive model of healthy behavior by either gender. 7 Years... but hey the immigration one got all the news, so maybe it's part cover for the pronoun swap...

In both cases the real frustrating thing for me is that they should just pick a side so your members really know where we stand, but they make a statement and walk the middle. To walk back the statements almost immediately calls into question the value in the first place. If you are going to walk the middle why bother..

Jean Phillips

8/21/2019 08:40:34 pm

As of Monday, August 19, I have stopped all automatic contributions to the ELCA church to which I had belonged.

Michelle Hansen Daberkow

9/1/2019 04:30:56 pm

I have stopped all automatic contributions to the ELCA as of reading their statements and prayerfully considering my 51 yrs of membership.

Ronald Eckert

9/14/2019 02:42:29 pm

After watching the New York Synod for a year or so, it was certain in my mind that it would be brought up and passed!
Not sure other than purely political motivations why this was pushed.
We watch everyday and read & hear about NOT being able to say GOD or express our religious beliefs, because we might offend someone! Yet we watch the LEADERS of this dysfunctional organization tell us this is SO important to pass the Sanctuary Buffalo Chip motion!
Guessing the ELCA has decided to take Religion out of the Church and replace it with Leftist Politics.
After 69 years as a Lutheran, and since the ELCA started, I have determined they do NOT deserve my Membership or Money!

Robert Patrick

10/15/2019 09:41:57 am

The one place that I could count on where politics stops at the door is church. There is a difference between legal and illegal. ELCA has now blurred that line,big time. There was no reason to inject Liberal ideology into the church. We are beyond angry at this, and now have three choices-stay in the church and bite a gihugic bullet,leave the church,or just stop donations and donate to regional charities where we will not be offended. This purely politician move was rammed down our throats with no consideration how millions of Lutheran’s felt. A terribly bad move that will have serious consequences for the church.

Michael Borta

9/14/2020 05:53:15 pm

After this ridiculous, political resolution to be a 'Sanctuary' denomination, I ceased my 25 year ELCA membership in October, 2019. The New York Metro Synod introducing this resolution, and the sheep that voted for it, is too much against my beliefs. Church should not be this political, this left-wing. I am greatly saddened by the Annual Assembly leadership and their support of an, essentially, illegal resolution. I will look for churching elsewhere.

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ELCA in Panic Mode After Declaring Itself A Sanctuary Church Body

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