The ELCA Says... But the Truth Is...

Countering the (ELCA) SPIN DOCTORS...
(an article from the Faithfulness Gathering website.  See here)  


They say:
"But You don't have to call a gay pastor..."
The truth is:
Any ELCA pastor, gay or straight, can become a bishop or serve on the bishop's staff! This is a poor compromise, in fact, no compromise: you are forced to accept the decision for all of the ELCA.

They say: The ELCA does so many good things for people that you can't get other places...  (LSS, LDR, WH, LWR)
The truth is:
The ELCA does some things well, but anyone, including other denominations like the Missouri Synod, work together with the ELCA (for now), to help serve people in need. You don't need the ELCA to support Lutheran World Relief, for example. The decision by the ELCA has actually threatened some of these ecumenical relationships, especially in mission outreach work. Some of your donations in the ELCA social organizations (World Hunger) has actually been used for radical social advocacy, and not feeding people.

They say:
You won't get good pastors if you leave, groups like CORE and LCMC don't have seminaries... 
The truth is:
There are currently LCMC students scattered all over at different seminaries, including Luther Seminary in St. Paul.. ELCA seminaries already teach students from other denominations, including non-Lutherans! There are currently two groups working to form new, independent seminaries for Lutherans. 
 
They say:
There aren't any pastors out there for you if you leave.
The truth is:
A new mission start in Waseca, MN, had over 28 candidates apply - mostly ELCA pastors trying to get out. A new mission church in Alexandria, MN had over 30 candidates applying. There are pastors out there, but would you want to send a new seminarian into the ELCA during a time like this? Obviously, location matters, but ask yourself if the ELCA has helped supply your congregation with solidly bibilcal, faithful pastors recently? For the larger churches, they can be more choosy, but for the smaller, more rural churches, it can be difficult. Again, the most vulnerable suffer. 

They say:
Places like LCMC don't have good oversight, you won't have the support you have in the ELCA if your congregation falls into conflict or a sexual misconduct.
The truth is:
The ELCA has just inflicted every congregation with a sexual misconduct by ignoring the biblical norms for marriage and sexuality. They have betrayed our trust! While it may be true that LCMC, for example, does not have a heavy,expensive bureacracy that has committees and experts for crisis like these, they do have a few groups that do work with congregations in crisis. They could do more, but congregations could also do more to take responsibility for themselves rather than be spoon fed by synods. Sometimes the conflicts are made worse by synod intervention, rather than helped. There is no easy, perfect answer in this broken world.
 
They say:
Well, the church has spoken, you voted for this. We didn't force it upon you, you decided!
The truth is:
A few more than one thousand people gathered to take a vote, were told that they don't represent anyone, that they should follow the spirits leading, and then they disappeared after the vote. No one is there to hold accountable, there are no checks and balances. A few, well organized and well funded advocates, have systematically placed people in positions of authority, using everything from quotas to appointment power, to make these changes. The only vote left is with your pocketbook and your feet.

They say:
Well, I (would have) voted against this because I don't think the church was quite ready for this yet.
The truth is:
If you are really for it, then you ought to be truthful enough to advocate for it openly and loudly, or you are a coward.
If you are really against it, then you out to be truthful enough to advocate against it openly and loudly, instead of hiding your head in the sand hoping it will just go away. Sometimes you have to take a stand, or you will stand for nothing. 

They say:
Very few churches have left, perhaps only 1-2%. It really isn't that big of a deal you are making it out to be.
The truth is:
Only 1-2% of ELCA congregations have left, which sounds insignificant! But when you have 10,000 congregations in the ELCA, that percent means that over 200 congregations have left or are preparing to leave! That is larger than some other Lutheran denominations like the AALC! LCMC has more than doubled in the last year, and is now the 4th largest Lutheran denomination with over 400 congregations. And of those 2%, many are very large congregations, and in fact, some synods are nearing bankruptcy as they are losing their largest contributing churches. Over the years we've been losing them - like the largest, North Heights with over 10,000 members. Or last summer, Lutheran Church of Joy in Phoenix, AZ. Or Hosanna! in Lakeville, MN. Many of our largest, most vibrant churches, have left, cut benevolence, or are in the process of leaving. Is that a big enough deal?

They say:
It doesn't affect us, here. It will help the mission of a church in a few places, we need not worry about.
The truth is:
It does affect us, all of us. Not only this issue of homosexuality, but also the big questions of scripture and its interpretation and application to our everyday lives. This issue is just the one that has gotten the most attention of late, and in fact, there are many other areas or issues which have an impact, whether we like it or not. For example, abortion - the ELCA health plan pays for abortions. Or Israel, the ELCA opposes Israel and favors the Palestinian cause. Education - the ELCA has opposed charter schools and other attempts to bring reform education. Missions - the ELCA no longer sends out missionaries to do evangelism, direct outreach with the Gospel (although some missionaries do it on their own). Policies of "accompaniment" prefer to respect the religions of the people they reach, and tend to focus only on feeding and clothing and medical, or social justice issues, at the expense of any talk of conversion.  

They say:
Gays and Lesbians will flock into our churches and make up for the losses we're experiencing. We will be a more loving, inclusive, and grace filled church without those that left.
The truth is:
Gays and lesbians might come, but many already were coming and are welcome, as all sinners in need of repentance are. This whole movement has actually made it more difficult for them to worship, or even to serve as pastors in the ELCA, if they are celibate. The reality is that only 1-2% of people consider themselves homosexual, which will not necessarily have any effect on the church, financial or numerically, in the positive.