Nebraska Church's Battle with ELCA Continues

2/23/2015

It has been a long-drawn out battle for Bethel Lutheran Church in Holdrege, Nebraska. Almost two years ago, Bethel Lutheran passed their second vote to leave the ELCA. That was just the beginning. Since the vote the ELCA Nebraska Synod Council voted to deny the congregation's decision. Bethel was taken to court by some of their pro-ELCA church members over the church's vote. The presiding judge dismissed the lawsuit. The pro-ELCA members appealed. Here is an update:

"The Nebraska Supreme Court has overruled the district judge's decision to dismiss the pending lawsuit against Bethel. We are back to the beginning. Even though the district judge has dismissed the case twice the Supreme Court has asked her to rule on it a third time." (see the Neb. Supreme Court's decision here)

"The people of Bethel need to know that this battle matters. Please send letters of encouragement and support to-
Bethel Lutheran Church
Attn. Pastor Jamie Strickler
704 West Ave
Holdrege NE 68949"

Read a news report about Nebraska Supreme Court decision here.

Other articles concerning Bethel Lutheran from Exposing the ELCA here, here and here.

8 Comments

W. James Young link

2/25/2015 05:49:46 am

As an attorney, I'm trying to figure out how the minority members have standing to assert the apparent rights of the Synod?

CJ Conner

2/25/2015 01:38:05 pm

This tactic was successful at Grace in Eau Claire. Likely what happened is the synod proclaimed that minority of disaffected members that want to stay in the ELCA as the rightful "heirs" and ordered all those who want to leave the ELCA to vacate the council.

Linda

3/18/2015 08:19:36 am

I am also an attorney. They have no standing to assert rights on behalf of the Synod per se. When the majority forges ahead, the Synod stimulates and supports the remaining ELCA supporters as if they are in exile. The Synod does not let them go to other congregations but helps them form a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC). Eau Claire church is an example. This case involves one person who the Bishop identified to be a named plaintiff on behalf of the ELCA Bethel Lutherans. It's obvious that somehow the Synod funds these lawsuits for the benefit of the ELCA. It's all about the property and money as the ELCA is failing and cannibalizing church properties, while getting young progressives who want the new theology to ditch buildings and go support the hierarchy by working very hard under impossible conditions. All done legally, and without any legal relationship. It should come under the organized crime statute, RICO, but comes under 1st Amendment law instead.

I'm glad our church just left the ELCA. It is a corrupt organization.

W. James Young

12/29/2015 11:08:15 pm

Thanks for that explanation, Linda. My expertise is in another area of First Amendment law. Sadly, my former congregation wouldn't even discuss the issue, and we were forced to leave ... after 20 years.

Dennis

2/25/2015 01:34:21 pm

Congregations formerly affiliated with the Lutheran Church in America CANNOT leave the ELCA without the permission of the synod. (See the Model Constitution for ELCA Congregations, section C6.05-h ). That proviso has always been there.

Didaskalos link

2/28/2015 03:33:07 am

When it comes to ELCA votes, peons' votes are not like movers' and shakers' votes. When the ELCA 2009 convention delegates put the denomination's imprimatur on homosexual sex, the apostasy was approved by a 55 percent margin in a single vote: 559-451.

When the predictable jailbreak of members and congregations occurred in the next two years, the ELCA changed its already-stringent exit requirements for congregations:

* A congregation must hold a 30-day consultation period with its bishop before taking a first vote to leave the ELCA, in addition to the current 90-day consultation after a congregation's first vote.
* The synod bishop is given authority to determine how the consultation will be conducted "in consultation with" the congregation's council.
* The bishop will be able to appoint "designees" with whom the congregation will be required to consult.
* The bishop or his/her designee must be granted the opportunity to speak at special congregational meetings regarding ending ELCA affiliation.
* A congregation will be required to vote by a two-thirds majority to join a new Lutheran church body, or else it will be "conclusively presumed" to have become an independent Lutheran congregation, potentially forfeiting its property.
* Congregations will be required to meet any financial obligations to the ELCA before leaving.
* Congregations must wait at least six months before taking another first vote if the original first vote does not achieve the required two-thirds majority.
* Congregations must wait at least six months and restart the process if their second vote does not achieve the required two-thirds majority.
* Congregations which fail to follow the specified process must obtain synod council approval in order to leave the ELCA.

The current ELCA practice is “Forget your two 67%+ votes to leave the ELCA, rubes. If you have property that we — or a small peevish minority of your congregation’s voters — covet, we’ll fight you in the courts.”

3/1/2015 06:53:29 am

As I understand it, a congregation must adopt the provisions you've mentioned whenever it updates its constitution. However, if a congregation's constitution was LAST revised on any date before the new procedure was set up in 2011, that congregation is only bound to follow the older, less oppressive procedure in ITS constitution.

Chuck Braun

3/3/2015 11:42:11 pm

This whole situation poses a dilemma for congregations unable to leave the ELCA, where the majority of members and a pastor who both a trying to hold on to the truth of the Scriptures. While the Word is being faithfully preached and the Sacraments administered, (hopefully to call the erring brothers and sisters back to Jesus in repentance by the Holy Spirit's power), such a congregation must send some of their funds to ELCA leadership to promote elective abortion, the radical gay agenda and the cause of the PLO, which all oppose the cause of Christ.

Fortunately for Grace in Eau Claire, the pastors and congregation were able to walk away and find a new home, leaving the lovely building they had cared for so long. But what of the congregations out in remote rural areas who cannot afford to relocate, and are 50 miles from a non-ELCA Lutheran church?

In the Bible, God was able to use the work of evil people for His purposes. And I believe that the saving Gospel of Christ crucified for our sins and risen for our justification is still being preached in certain corners of the ELCA. But someday the ELCA leaders will stand before Jesus. Will they be the sheep who cared for "the least of these My brethren", or will they have ignored their Good Shepherd's call and become goats?

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Nebraska Church's Battle with ELCA Continues

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Dan Skogen

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