Exposed Blog

Updated - The Truth About Grace

4/28/2013

Grace Lutheran Church Council President and its Pastors respond regarding the issues surrounding their congregation and the ELCA.

"A message from Anne Carter, Rev. Rolf Nestingan, and Rev. David Irgens."

(New Update: from Dean Kallenbach)

Friends,

The former members of Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, who have had their voting status removed by action of the Northwest Wisconsin Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) supported by a ruling by Polk County Circuit Court Judge Molly GaleWyrick on Tuesday, gathered for worship this morning in the Stokes and Mundt Funeral Home in Altoona. 386 individuals in attendance at the service. Following the communion services, children went to Sunday School while the adults had coffee before moving to a question-and-answer session and then a business meeting.

In that meeting, the former Grace members in attendance voted unanimously to form a new congregation. Saving Grace Lutheran will be an affiliate of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), a centrist, congregation-based Lutheran church body which recognizes Scripture as the sole source and norm of faith and life.

The church council that had been representing the members at Grace Lutheran Church was appointed as the council of Saving Grace for at least the next year when there will be a new constitution and elections.

A constitution committee was appointed, as ws a relocation/property committee to find a semi-permanent place to worship. According to Saving Grace President Anne Carter, the congregation needs a good space, a good kitchen and plenty of parking.

Pastors Rolf Nestingen and David Irgens were asked if they were willing to serve the congregation. Both pastors agreed, and their response was greeted with a standing ovation.

The business staff -- formerly of Grace Lutheran -- will continue to work with Saving Grace on a part-time basis to start, according to Anne .

According to the Saving Grace LCMC Facebook page, "Saving Grace Lutheran was formed after the ELCA closed the doors of Grace Lutheran Church, removing the congregation and staff until further notice. There is where Saving Grace was born in the heart of Eau Claire. Saving Grace church's mission is to make Jesus Christ known to others and to serve the people; in the heart of Eau Claire with a heart for the world as well as to serve our brothers and sisters in other countries."

The Facebook page lists the address of the new congregation as 800 Wisconsin St, Building D2 420K, Box 65 in Eau Claire (54703). The congregation phone number is listed as 715-797-1020.

I understand a news release regarding the new congregation is being developed, and I'll share that when I see it.

In related news, Grace Lutheran Church has had a long-standing television ministry. In anticipation of the many questions viewers would have based on the court decision this past week, leadership of what was formerly Grace Lutheran Church and is now Saving Grace Lutheran recorded a video that aired this morning on WQOW-TV 18 at 6 a.m.. That video -- nearly one-half hour in length -- is available on You Tube, and may be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJnO9hLZrdE&feature=youtu.be

As I understand it (thought I wasn't in town to see it), the Grace Lutheran broadcast for this Sunday (the normal 10:30 a.m. broadcast) was a recording of a choral presentation from several years ago.

Finally, according to the Grace Lutheran Church website, no Sunday service was held at the church today. According to the web site, "During this time of transition, the Grace Lutheran Church building on 202 West Grand Avenue will be closed. During transition, Grace ELCA will worship at First Lutheran..." No reason was given why the new leadership of Grace Lutheran Church chose to worship in a different building.

10 Comments

Chuck Braun

4/28/2013 11:39:44 pm

They won't open the original Grace Church. They will sell it to the highest commercial bidder, unless they get a bid from an Islamic, Hindu or Muslim group. Then they will give it away at bargain-basement prices to them. Just a money grab from the Ex-Lutheran Cult of Apostasy. So now Augsburg Fortress publishes a book which denies Jesus' Resurrection. So, at least at the management level, the ELCA has left the Christian faith as has the Episcopal "Church".

Praise God these 380 people are free from the ELCA, and they should be celebrating their deliverance. It's gotta be hard, to see their old church either be razed or converted to a pagan temple, a parking lot or an office building.

Mehart

7/24/2013 08:03:57 am

Do you have a source to cite regarding the book published by Augsburg Fortress denying the resurrection of Christ?

Michelle Volz

2/1/2014 01:43:49 pm

Saving Grace Lutheran is far larger than 380 now, and we are filled with the joy of Jesus!!! Truly an amazing family of Christ and God continues to send blessings upon us. All glory be to GOD!!

Dave from Minnesota

4/29/2013 07:02:31 am

The pop-culture ELCAers have the building and the bank accounts. Now what do they do? Hold a a single untelevised, no-radio broadcast service with 67 people in attendance? Well, at least its summer now so they don't have to pay a heating bill until next fall. Will there be an outside audit next year to see what happens to the trust funds and other cash that is designated for a specific use?

I am very curious to know if the ELCA minipulated the 67 to keep this fight up. Were they used by the ELCA to make an example for any congergation that is thinking of resisting?

3 years from now, I wonder where those in need will go for assistance. Grace Lutheran on Grand Ave, or the new Saving Grace church. I think we all know that answer.

Gary Wilkins

4/29/2013 08:16:10 am

The situation with Grace Lutheran is much worse than previously reported. About 2 minutes into the video, Pr. Rolf Nestingan said, "We were asked to return to the ELCA by the court and by the synod council...We did that." At 3 minutes he said, "We're an ELCA congregation..." And again at about 8:50, "We complied [with the synod council's demands]..., we have been an ELCA congregation ever since."

I'm afraid that when Grace Lutheran complied with the synod council's demand to REAFFILIATE with the ELCA, the congregation incurred GOD'S judgment. A man cannot serve two masters (Mt. 6:24), and neither can a congregation.

Didaskalos

4/29/2013 09:35:47 am

By their fruit you shall know them. Let's see the "fruit" produced by Amazing Greed, the judge and the NW Wisconsin Synod.

** Well before they launched the lawsuit, the rapacious band of litigants had already left Grace Lutheran to pollute another church. According to Pastor Nestingen, some members of Amazing Greed had never even been members of Grace Lutheran.

** Now that Amazing Greed owns the church building, it hasn't held a service, nor has it kept the church open for the Boy Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and other groups who regularly meet there. According to Anne Carter, these groups showed up for their meetings at the church to find only a note saying "Sorry for the inconvenience." No phone number to call. No member of Amazing Greed bothered to take the responsibility to let these groups know when or whether they'll ever be able to meet at the church again.

** Amazing Greed has, according to Pastor Nestingen, thrown about 20 people out of work, including the church custodian, who wonders where his next mortgage payment will come from. No sense keeping a custodian when you're not even holding services at the church you've just stolen, is there?

What a cold-blooded, small-souled bunch Amazing Greed, Judge Wyrick and the NW Wisconsin Synod are.

4/30/2013 12:10:05 am

Grace never officially disaffiliated with the ELCA when they were also LCMC. By their obeying the rules of the ELCA and submitting to their ELCA authorities, albeit ill-intentioned authorities, they acted in a noble and Christian manner.

The judgment of God fell not on the people of Grace Lutheran; rather God's favor fell on them by fulfilling their desire to be free of ELCA tyranny. These 600 souls are now delivered from the apostate ELCA. The ELCA took their building and assets, but these will be replaced. Their pastors, choir and members will find or build a new home to worship in. They will find plently of LBW copies on Ebay for hymnals...

I imagine the ELCA church where "Amazing Grace" worshipped while out of Grace's building may take over that property, perhaps consolidating with other nearby failing ELCA congregations to start one new IHOP (Interfaith House of Pluralism) in the soon-to-be-desecrated sanctuary. Or, they will sell off the building for the organ, stained glass windows and bells and developers will raze it and put up luxury condos for all the lawyers who work at the courthouse across the street. Or, perhaps they will sell it to a Muslim group as a mosque, or to some nouveau riche teenage Internet mogul who wants to make a mansion, or restaurant, or a dance hall out of it.

God's judgment awaits those ELCA leaders who have shredded the Bible, gutted the Gospel of Christ and decided not to play fair. But as a sinner myself, saved only by Christ's Righteousness by His death in my stead, I pray that these folks would heed the Holy Spirit's call and repent. "Return to the LORD your God, for He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love!"

5/1/2013 03:14:55 pm

The good news is that a new congregation, Saving Grace, has been formed and has no entanglements with the ELCA. IF it is true that old Grace never disaffiliated with the ELCA while they were affiliated with LCMC, that would mean that they essentially voted to become indemendent, in which case "title to property of this congregation shall continue to reside in this congregation ONLY WITH THE CONSENT OF THE SYNOD COUNCIL." (Model Constitution, Section C7.04). And that would mean that old Grace lost its property by its own mistake, and is free to drop the appeal of the legal battle for the property.

Dennis Beckmann

5/1/2013 02:42:52 am

I know this is a little far out but can the Apostate take over of this church and worshiping the god of this world at the altar be compared to the abomination of desolation in Revelations?

Didaskalos link

5/4/2013 09:34:35 am

Don Kriefall supplies more information about the sordid dealings of Amazing Greed and Bishop Peterson:

". . . About 70 disgruntled ELCA supporters left Grace and began to do whatever they could to disrupt the congregation that they once worshipped with. Anonymous complaints made against a council member at their place of employment. An unauthorized Facebook page purporting to be the official Grace Lutheran worship community was set up announcing that worship services would no longer be held at the church. Some would call this persistent troublemaking, but the all welcoming, all inclusive and tolerant ELCA not only allowed this behavior, they encouraged it.

Out of a few angry congregants, "Amazing Grace" was born and dubbed the “synodically authorized worship community”, to be led by none other than Bishop Duane Peterson, himself embroiled in a messy divorce. Now the ELCA specifically and strongly recommends that clergy involved in divorce refrain from ministering to congregations, since they may be negatively affected by the stress and proceedings of their divorce. Not this champion of the ELCA. Peterson filled the void in his life by leading the small break away congregation out into the world of legal proceedings. Not satisfied with the daunting task of beginning a new mission church, Peterson, the "Amazing Grace" malcontents, and the ELCA decided to take Grace to court. New territory here, but as you know, the ELCA has been claiming to be hearing God saying all kinds of new things, so they deem it is best to avail themselves of worldly laws and to use them against the people of God in spiritual matters.

The first court proceeding ordered Grace to end its affiliation with LCMC, of which Grace complied. The ever forgiving ELCA then decided to judge the pastors at Grace harshly, and removed them from the ELCA roster. It gets even more convoluted. The final court proceeding ordered the leadership of Grace to step down, turn over the keys and assets to the 70 malcontents, and removed the other 1700 members, (no, this is not a typo) from the active membership roll, making them associate members with no voting rights. Judge Molly GaleWyrick, one of the lowest rated judges in the state of Wisconsin, presided over one of the most illogical judgments ever rendered in a Wisconsin court. To make matters even worse, an appellate court refused to issue a stay, giving the ELCA free rein to dispose of the ample assets of Grace. Justice is truly blind and in this case, the best friend of the court was none other than the evil one himself.

Now, this case mirrors another instance of the un-evenhandedness of the ELCA. Although many ELCA churches are dual affiliated, only a few are challenged by the ELCA and not allowed to leave. . . .

For those who choose to remain in this apostate denomination, hear this. While Jesus sat with sinners, those sinners were led to repentance. The ELCA is scrambling to maintain their power and refuses to repent of their sinful actions. Sit in the pew of an ELCA church and turn over the gifts God has blessed you with is the equivalent of funding the evil one’s mischief in the world. These tax collectors will not only fail to apologize for their actions and make amends, they will continue to take money and resources from the willing and the unknowing, not using it to further God’s Kingdom, but to build up and maintain their own earthly wealth and status. By choosing to remain in unity with this errant church, you choose to hold on to the things of this world, rather than being united in Christ. Ephesians 5:5-7, “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.”

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Updated - The Truth About Grace

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