Issue
tor for LCMC, said his phone and Church-Missouri Synod. spokes-
e-mail box have been fl ooded. He woman Vicki Biggs said that her
scheduled three visits to churches in denomination has gotten inquiries
Buffalo, N.Y., Sioux City, Iowa, and from individual ELCA members.
Jacksonville, Fla., for this fall. All are “People are saying, ‘If the ELCA
thinking of leaving the ELCA. goes this route, I might be looking at
The group calls itself “post- another church,’ “ she said.
denominational,” meaning churches However, neither the Wisconsin
can associate with it while retaining nor Missouri Synod churches ordain
membership in other bodies. The women, while the LCMC does — a
only requirement is an agreement factor important to many wishing to
with the LCMC’s statement of faith leave the ELCA.
and constitution. The loose confed- The specter of departing congre-
eration of churches does not have gations was one Presiding Bishop
bishops, but it does have an annual Hanson addressed in August as
conference, which took place this he begged conservative and liberal
October in Fargo, N.D. Lutherans to bear with one another.
Until now, conservative Lutheran “Those deeply disappointed will
churches that have wanted to leave have the expectation to continue
generally have been allowed to take to admonish and teach,” he said.
their property with them, unlike in “Those who’ve experienced recon-
the Episcopal Church, where the ciliation today — you are called to
denomination has sued nearly every humility. You are called to love.”
departing congregation. Lutheran In a press conference, Hanson
clergy and bishops after the vote said said gay Lutherans had stuck with
that situation could change if there the ELCA during the long years they
is a substantial exodus or if the local were not accepted and he urged
synod — which is like a diocese —
holds the title to the property.
There are several Lutheran
denominations in the United States.
They include the 390,000-member
UNITED Debating Lutheran voting
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran
members stop for a prayer.
Synod (WELS), which posted a state-
ment on its Web site condemning
late July, Bishop Nicholas Tai of the ELCA’s decisions.
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of “It’s unfortunate that many head-
Hong Kong said the votes, if passed, lines have referred to the recent deci-
would be “a source of profound sions of the Evangelical Lutheran
embarrassment for the Lutheran Church in America as something
ACCEPTANCE Bishop Mark Hanson calls for all
Church in Asia.” ‘Lutherans’ have decided,” WELS Lutherans to pray and unify.
The vote has created a fl urry of President Mark Schroeder said. “We
interest in Lutheran Congregations are saddened that a group with the traditionalists, who felt the tables
in Mission for Christ (LCMC), a col- name Lutheran would take another had been turned, to exercise similar
lection of 226 congregations found- decisive step away from the clear patience. “We need you in the con-
A
ed in March 2001 with 25 charter teaching of the Bible, which was versation about the shape of our life
F
E
L
C
member churches dissatisfi ed with the foundation of the Lutheran together. It’d be tragic if we walked
O
the denomination’s liberal drift. Reformation.” away from one another. Then the
T
E
S
Y
R
U
O Since the controversial resolu- After the ELCA, the larg- story I hoped to tell will not be the
/
C
N
S
O tions passed, Bill Sullivan, a former est Lutheran denomination is the one told this week.”
N
A
H ELCA pastor and national coordina- 2.4-million-member Lutheran © 2009 WASHINGTON TIMES
NOVEMBER 2009 / NEWSMAX 51
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