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The 20th Anniversary of the ELCA'S Worst Decision

1/27/2017

3 Comments

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

(
Pastor Brock has updated this article with corrections.)

No, I'm not talking about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's decision to ordain practicing homosexuals and to allow homosexual "weddings". That took place in 2009 and caused the largest church split in American history. I am thinking of the ELCA's decision in 1997 to continue to pay for abortion for any reason--and no reason--in its healthcare plan for pastors and their families. This plan is funded by offering dollars.

Here is what happened. About 1995 I discovered the ELCA had been paying for abortion-on-demand, no questions asked, for a number of years. I knew the ELCA was liberal, but I was still surprised by how radical their abortion policy was in its healthcare plan. I sent 11,000 letters to every ELCA church in the country explaining the situation since few were aware of the policy. I received many letters, some pastors were grieved and others supportive of the abortion payments. It looked for a while that a change was coming. The ELCA's Board of Pensions which administered the health program was about to offer amendments to only pay for abortion for rape, incest, life of the mother, and fetal anomaly incompatible with life. This was too broad for my liking, but at least it was better than abortion-on-demand. But this Board of Pensions' move was not encouraged by the ELCA's Conference of Bishops which from my understanding wanted to keep the status quo. The only concession was that abortion payments would be restricted after the 20th week of pregnancy. Again, I was somewhat surprised, I thought perhaps the bishops would be on the side of life. The Presiding Bishop at the time was Herbert Chilstrom who has since become public in his affirmation of abortion rights and homosexual "marriage".

​So I sent out a second letter to 11,000 churches urging people to take the issue to the national assembly. The only way to overrule the liberal abortion policy was to pass a resolution through the national assembly, which was to take place in Philadelphia in 1997. I attended that assembly. God bless the pro-life people who got to the microphones urging the ELCA to stop paying for abortion with the offerings of the people of God. Others urged that this is a private matter between a woman and her doctor and self-righteous men need to be quiet. I thought to myself "If this is a private matter (which it isn't) then don't make the Church pay for it." But when the vote was taken, the ELCA decided by a 3 to 1 margin to continue to pay for abortion for any reason.

I literally shook the dust off my feet as I left that assembly and a few years later my congregation left the ELCA.

Many people today are still unaware that when they give their offering to the ELCA it can go to pay for abortion. Your ELCA offering dollars at work: killing unborn children. As one pastor said back then "Real churches don't kill babies."

In Jesus our Savior,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.org
​
3 Comments
Didaskalos link
1/28/2017 09:38:08 am

Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer concur that real churches don't kill babies.

Luther: “For those who have no regard for pregnant women and who do not spare the tender fruit are murderers and infanticides.” [What Luther Says: An anthology, compiled by Ewald M. Plass (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959), Vol. 2, NO. 2826, p.905.]

Bonhoeffer: “Destruction in the mother’s womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And that is nothing but murder.” [Ethics, trans. Neville Horton Smith (New York: Macmillan, 1955), p.131.]

ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton just tweeted yesterday (January 27); "We're called to stand with the most vulnerable..."

How cynically mendacious and hollow are those words coming from the head of a denomination that self-funds the killing of the most innocent and vulnerable: the preborn babies God created, knew and loved in their mothers' wombs.

Reply
Mark Dybvig
7/28/2021 04:41:39 pm

I am a 66 yr old Child, finally awakened. Since 2009 I knew there was something wrong with my church. But sat quiet, didn't want to upset the status quo. My Wife and I decided enough is enough, and decided to leave the church my Grandfather helped to build, I was babtized, confirmed, and since 1955 have been a member.of this church. Something kept telling us, leaving is not the answer as so many others have done over the years. So we decided this was the hill to fight for, our church Family. Tomorrow evening we have the undauting task to face down our ELCA Synod. This we shall do. Lines have been drawn in the sand by our opposition, attacks are coming hard and fast. But to the GLORY of our Lord God, we fight on.

This website has been such a blessing, and we will prove it by donating to this great cause..

To God be the Glory.

Reply
Dan Skogen
7/29/2021 04:45:37 pm

God bless you, Mark! We will be praying for you and those standing with you!

Reply

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    Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  
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  • Home
  • ELCA Exposed News
    • on The Bible
    • on Homosexuality & Sex
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    • on Goddess/Mother God/Gender Neutral Lang.
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    • on Abortion
    • on Social Media (ELCA Wolves Blog)
    • on Radical Hospitality and Prophecy
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    • Submit Tips