Wrong Way Rimbo: ELCA Bishop To Officiate Same-Sex Wedding

ELCA Bishop Robert Alan Rimbo of the Metropolitan New York Synod announced last week that he will be officiating a same-sex wedding this summer. To my knowledge, Bishop Rimbo will be the first ELCA bishop to do this.

Jesus tells us, “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life” (Matt. 7:14). God then warns us of false teachers that teach contrary to God's Word, leading people the wrong way and down the broad road to destruction (Matt. 7 +). Bishop Rimbo and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are acting contrary to Scripture and are leading people into bondage to sin. Bishop Rimbo's actions and words tighten the chains of bondage around people who are embracing their sinful desires and are being affirmed in them with the blessing of clergy and the Church. The ELCA and Bishop Rimbo are those whom Jesus warned us about.

Last week Bishop Rimbo was featured in a Wall Street Journal article, where we learned of his intentions to officiate at a same-sex wedding. It is greatly disappointing to read of the extent to which Bishop Rimbo will go to embrace worldly values which go against God's Word.

Readers of the article also learned a lot more about the high-ranking ELCA leader – like his unique, gospel-less ways to try to “rebuild his flock.”

Here are some highlights from the article:

• "'The younger demographic wants a religion that won't divide,' (Rimbo) said, referring to social issues like gay marriage.”

• “Bishop Robert Alan Rimbo may be the only spiritual leader trying to rebuild his flock with giant crossword puzzles in the subway and interactive art projects involving dye-filled soap bubbles.” 
  (An ELCA minister in charge of the interactive art projects said) “Did most people pick up on this spiritual message? Probably not."
  

• “As for Bishop Rimbo, he hasn't exactly been afraid of stoking controversy: He came out for the practice of intercommunion, in which Christians of different denominations can receive Communion at one another's services.”

• “And several years ago, he lent his support to a proposed Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center site that had drawn criticism, arguing that the branch of Islam preached by the proposed center's imam is 'in my opinion, the most tolerant and pluralistic.'" (read article here)

Throughout the whole article there was not one mention of Jesus or God.

Five years ago Bishop Rimbo was quoted by a reporter saying, "After years of personal struggle, of study, of conversations, I believe that people who are gay are created that way. Who am I to deny something that God has created?” (see here)

Bishop Rimbo's personal belief goes completely against Scripture.  Who is he to deny what God has said in His Word?

Pilot Douglas Corrigan, in 1938 filed a flight plan saying he was going to fly to California but he somehow ended up in Ireland. He later said that he must have made a navigational error and flown the “wrong way.” (see here)  This incidence earned Douglas Corrigan the nickname “Wrong Way.”

Much like Corrigan, Bishop Rimbo and the ELCA leadership, who are supposed to lead people to Christ, are leading their flock and all those listening to them the wrong way, down a road that is broad but leads to destruction. ELCA Bishop Rimbo and his denomination, in my view have also earned the nickname, “Wrong Way.”

Read more about Wrong Way Rimbo here and here -