Jesus Has Left the Building: Former ELCA Churchwide Director Talks About Leaving the ELCA

The Rev. Dr. Gemechis D. Buba is the former Director of African National Ministries of the ELCA. However in 2010, he resigned from his position and left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for good. Below is a word from Dr. Buba explaining his decision.

Dr. Buba was challenging his listeners to know that Jesus is calling them to himself, “Sometimes God calls you, but you don't know where he called you to . . . don't build relationship with institutions, build relationship with a Person. Don't build relationships with a religious system, build relationships with Jesus . . . (Jesus) call them (the disciples) to Himself. He did not call them to--that is what Luther got during the Reformation. That's why he said, 'Who are you, sitting in Rome, dictating over the Word of God? Who are you, Council of Cardinals, bishops and archbishops, snuffing out the Word of God? Declaring your authority above the Word of God? Who are you? You are just an institution.' He says 'I'm not going to stand and line up with an institution, I will walk with Jesus.'

The day I resigned from my position in the churchwide office in Chicago, my office was on the ninth floor. I sit on that floor and look down on O'Hare airport, and I was big, and I was earning, and I was just in a position in an institution. And Jesus, was standing down (pointing down, as in out a window), he was not on the ninth floor with me; he left that building. He left that institution. He left that organization. He was right there on the grass, and he was saying, 'Are you going to stay in the institution or follow me?' December 8th, 2010, I submitted my resignation, came down with an elevator and went to that field. Jesus and I went into my Jeep, and that day I did not drive, I flew. I went home. All the burden was gone.”

Jesus left the building. Jesus left the ELCA.

Rev. Dr. Gemechis D. Buba is now the Assistant to the Bishop for Mission for the NALC.

View Dr. Buba's remarks starting at the 1:42.45 minute mark -