ELCA Living Lutheran magazine: Everyone is saved, helping Lutheran camps be pro-LGBTQIA+, and more

​(The following article is from Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)

Living Lutheran, the national magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran, regularly promotes a liberal viewpoint and the April 2020 edition is no exception.

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In one article, Kevin Vandriver, assistant to the ELCA bishop in the Metropolitan New York Synod, writes "We firstly proclaim that Jesus absorbed and buried all sin, and we are saved. That goes for everyone. No matter who you are. Full stop." This sounds like the false teaching of Universalism, that everyone is saved, whether you believe in Jesus or not. Universalism contradicts the teaching of Jesus (John 14:6) and the Apostles (Acts 4:12).

Another article highlights that a grant has been given to ELCA Lutheran camps to help them be more welcoming "to people who identify as LGBTQIA+." The Bible teaches homosexual behavior is sin, but the article does not mention that.

Another article is written by a young woman who left her evangelical upbringing and joined the ELCA. She writes "When I left my evangelical roots and began to find a home in the ELCA, I realized there were many faithful Christians who hadn't interpreted being "in the world but not of it" to mean shunning R-rated movies." She now watches R-rated movies and says "I met up with truth in young adult fiction and R-rated movies..."

Since 2009, the ELCA has ordained practicing homosexuals and Living Lutheran often highlights homosexual pastors. In this edition, Pastor Joe Larson, "the first openly LGBTQ+ pastor called by an ELCA congregation of North Dakota" talks about sharing worship space with a Jewish synagogue. "We see the Spirit of God moving among us." He said he and the rabbi share a similar vision of what a faith community is meant to be. "We are working together on shared values." My response is this. Christians are indeed to love and respect people of other religions, but how can Christians have a "similar vision of faith community" with religions which reject Jesus as Lord and Savior? This is more evidence of Universalism in the ELCA. This past summer a delegate to the ELCA's national assembly tried to amend an inter-religious resolution by affirming that Jesus is the only way of salvation. He was voted down by 97 percent.

Much as the ELCA claims to love diversity and inclusion, in its national magazine conservative viewpoints are rarely heard.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Tom Brock

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(Three different articles in the April 2020 ELCA magazine spoke of "LGBTQ+" or "LGBTQIA+." Link to the Living Lutheran April 2020 magazine here.)