ELCA's "Living Lutheran" Magazine Highlights "Queer for Christ"

9/8/2016

(The following was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)

"Living Lutheran", the official magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has had a number of articles highlighting homosexual and transgender Lutherans. In the most recent issue, an article is written about Larry Meyer. "His outgoing personality and desire to building relationships also led him to form the group Queer for Christ (queerforchrist.org), which he calls "an ecumenical, young-adult LGBT Christian group."

Back in 2009 the ELCA decided to ordain practicing homosexuals. It was acknowledged at that time that there was a division among ELCA members about homosexuality. Everyone would be allowed to hold either a conservative or liberal view on the issue and be members of the ELCA. Since 2009 there have been favorable articles about homosexuals and transgenders in the ELCA's official magazine, but there has not been one article giving a conservative point of view.

You can view the latest issue of Living Lutheran at elca.org. Notice how much space is given to "community organizing" and social justice issues and how little print is given to evangelizing the lost with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are still conservatives in the ELCA, but for those who read the ELCA's national magazine--which I am guessing is not many--it is harder and harder to stay.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.org

11 Comments

Curt

9/9/2016 07:37:25 am

As a reluctant member of an ELCA church, this is just another piece of evidence that I'm in the wrong church.

We have a remarkable relationship and loyalty to our current pastor, so we stay and to his credit we rarely talk about the leftist issues the ELCA seems to want to dwell on, his sermons are biblical in nature and he doesn't preach social justice. However, when/if he leaves, I think it might be the end for me as far as the ELCA.

John

9/10/2016 10:37:49 pm

Curt,
You said it: "I'm in the wrong church."
Exactly.

Lois Gronberg link

9/12/2016 04:34:50 pm

Why does pastor remain with ELCA. Why do you stay? It is difficult to leave, I know. If you stay, you re not loyal to your own faith or the ELCA, nor is the pastor. Some are just hanging in until retirement. It is so sad

Tom Brock link

9/12/2016 09:58:40 pm

Hi Lois,

The congregation that I served and I left the ELCA way back in 2001. I keep tabs on what the ELCA is doing to encourage people who watch our TV show to leave it for a more Biblical denomination.

9/14/2016 08:27:08 am

Lois,
There were other reasons we ended up in this church, reasons I won't get too much into but there is a long family bond with this church, long before the ELCA came to be. Leaving is not an easy thing, as many can attest. We're not just "hanging on" and our Pastor is fairly young, so I don't think he's "hanging on" either.

This weighs heavily on us as a family. The Pastor came up through an ELCA seminary, I don't see him walking away but who knows, he has an open mind and has mentioned before he doesn't agree with a lot of things coming our of the ELCA leadership these days.

Gene Pardee

9/12/2016 09:26:06 pm

After two years in "exile" and checking, visiting etc, we ended up with an LCMS congregation.

tom brock link

9/12/2016 10:00:43 pm

The congregation that I served and I left the ELCA way back in 2001. I keep tabs on what the ELCA is doing so I can encourage the people who watch my TV show to leave it for a more Biblical denomination

Dave from Minnesota

9/14/2016 02:25:07 pm

Why do traditional Biblical Christians stay in the ELCA? I see two reasons. One is that many people are very non-political, and that means not following what the ELCA is doing. They don't see a homosexual rainbow flag hanging outside their church, and do not realize that that flag is being flowing in front of ELCA churches in the Twin Cities (and elsewhere).

But a big reason.....I have relatives who are in their 60s-80s. They go to ELCA churches that family has been going to for decades and decades. Many of their circle of friends attend the same church. A 75 year old Christian is not likely to leave the church he/she has been going to for..in some cases 75 years.

9/14/2016 10:46:43 pm

Curt and Dave from MN,
When you say that people don't want leave their longtime church, what does that really mean? Do you mean attachment to the building? That would be a little superficial, yes?
Or do you mean attachment to the people? That would be more likely, I think. But if all those people were kindred spirits, then they wouldn't have to leave each other, they would just meet together at the town library, or on someone's patio, and have church there. If they were really spiritually connected.
Some seven years ago when my congregation discussed the implications of staying in the ELCA, it was a real eye-opener. Most of the members, including Sunday school teachers and council members, had never been committed to Biblical truth, they were just playing along to get along, and as long as the show went on they were happy. Only a few families really believed the Bible, and together we left for another congregation across town -- and we all agree it was good riddance.
So I guess the irony is that some people stay and play in the ELCA now, the same way many stayed and played in the 1990s. If you want the show to go on, then you probably belong there. If you want truth instead, then visit a Christian congregation. Taste and see ...! (Ps 34:8)

9/15/2016 06:56:47 am

John,
Actually we don't fly a rainbow flag, we don't have a gay pastor, and we don't really talk politics at all. We pray to (male) God, we recognize Jesus who died on the cross to save us, we have a very traditional communion service, and in fact we have a very traditional Christian service overall. My bet is that if you attended a service at my church you'd have no idea we were affiliated at all with the ELCA. Our pastor has voiced his discomfort many times at ELCA proclamations, which give me a glimmer of hope that perhaps there's a reason we're all there together. Maybe things are proceeding just the way they are supposed to and I trust that God has this all worked out as far as when and where I'm supposed to be. I do believe that I'm not in the right church, but I also don't feel prompted to leave, at least right now, if that makes any sense.

9/15/2016 09:14:15 am

John, good point. This gets back to a much deeper discussion. On churches not really talking about sin and living in accordance with true Christian values. Instead we hear about "God's Love" and how he "Gave his only son", but really you can live in accordance with modern western pop culture.
So maybe the ELCA is roughly 1/3 hardcore activist leftists. 1/3 (and shrinking) true traditional practicing Christians. and 1/3 who will go along with whatever. The last group 50 years ago would have been with the true Biblical Christians, but today view their church as a social club. I have an older great aunt, who years ago, was more of the "church lady" type of person. At a recent family gathering, the subject of a large group of people leaving her ELCA church due to the gay marriage thing (her church is going to merge with another ELCA church due to a big decline in members and giving). My great aunt said "if gays want to get married, what's the big deal?".

She is very non-political and doesn't even have internet access. So when every TV show and her church say homosexual marriage is fine, well, then maybe it is fine (in her views).

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ELCA's "Living Lutheran" Magazine Highlights "Queer for Christ"

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