Tag Archives: gay

Editor of ELCA magazine “The Lutheran” says magazine won’t give NALC “any special coverage just because of its heritage. This group, like Elvis, has left the building”

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Daniel J. Lehmann

In the current issue of “The Lutheran,” an ELCA publication, its editor Daniel Lehmann writes:

“Page 8 of this issue contains a 203-word article (“Another Lutheran body formed“) on the founding of another Lutheran denomination. No more, no less.

The North American Lutheran Church came about in response to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly decisions on sexuality…

“What we have here is a classic case of schism — a formal division or separation in the Christian church …

“So now the NALC becomes, in the eyes of this magazine, one more Lutheran denomination. Just as the staff follows major events in the life of the LCMS, the same will be true with the NALC. The Lutheran won’t give it any special coverage just because of its heritage. This group, like Elvis, has left the building.”

Read the full editorial: http://www.thelutheran.com/article/article.cfm?article_id=9348

Wannaska church votes to cut ELCA ties

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Riverside Lutheran Church in Wannaska, Minn., passed its final vote Sunday to cut ties with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/293049/publisher_ID/1/

Talk about it: http://topics.areavoices.com/2010/09/29/wannaska-church-votes-to-cut-elca-ties/

Divinity and Beyond talks to the ELCA’s Jen Nagel

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From www.divinityandbeyond.com

Faith blog Divinity and Beyond talked to Rev. Jen Nagel of Minneapolis who is one of four lesbian pastors in Minnesota welcomed this month to the clergy roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Read the Divinity and Beyond post: http://www.divinityandbeyond.com/?p=706

Star-Tribune: Three lesbian pastors from Twin Cities welcomed as ELCA clergy

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“Three pastors from the Twin Cities who are lesbians in committed relationships were embraced Saturday as Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastors. The Reverends Anita Hill, Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart were inducted during a service presided over by St. Paul Bishop Peter Rogness at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,” the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

In 2009, the ELCA voted at its biannual Churchwide Assembly to allow individuals in committed same-gender relationships to serve in the clergy. Hundreds of congregations in the ELCA have explored the possibility of exiting the denominations in the wake of the assembly. The ELCA has at more than 10,0o0 congregations.

Read the full story: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/103204234.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUac8HEaDiaMDCinchO7DUs

Read the ELCA press release: http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=4638

California Gov. Schwarzenegger does not plan to appeal Proposition 8 ruling

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Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

The “Christian Post” reports:

“California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger remained resolute Wednesday to not appeal the ruling that determined the state marriage definition – between one man and one woman – unconstitutional.

“In a brief to the California Supreme Court, the governor’s lawyer, Andrew Stroud, said Schwarzenegger has “complete discretion over his own litigation strategy, including whether or not to appeal an order,” according to The Associated Press.”

Proposition 8 was passed by the residents of California and defined marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Read the full story: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100909/calif-gov-remains-resoluteno-prop-8-appeal/index.html

ELCA bishop Mark Hanson to hold online town hall meeting

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ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will answer questions on a variety of topics from members of the denomination at 4 p.m. (Central Time) Sept. 19.  Hanson will take questions during an hour-long “Town Hall Forum.”

The town hall comes a little more than a year after the 2009 Churchwide Assembly when the denomination opened it’s pulpits to individuals in same-gender relationship. Critics have seen that as another step in a continuing slide away from the scriptures.

Don’t expect that issue to eclipse all else in the discussion. It’s likely that other issues will be brought to bear. Though not completely unrelated to the gay clergy issue, there may be questions related to financial issues in the denomination.

It is the second such meeting of the year and the third since December 2009.

For more info on the town hall, visit: http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx#&&a=4616

Hawley Lutheran Church to vote on leaving ELCA; it will be the congregation’s second vote on initiating the process; the first failed in May

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Hawley (Minn.) Lutheran Church, a congregation of more than 1,100 baptized members, could take the first step Sept. 19 toward breaking with its denomination.

The congregation has scheduled a “special meeting” that day to vote on whether to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Congregation President Clayton Lilleby confirmed the meeting via e-mail Tuesday.

To leave the ELCA, a congregation must pass two votes separated by at least 90 days.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/290327/publisher_ID/1/

Talk about it: http://topics.areavoices.com/2010/09/07/hawley-church-schedules-vote-on-leaving-elca/

Erskine church leaves the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

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From the Grace Lutheran Church website

Members of Grace Lutheran Church in Erskine, Minn., have voted to leave the Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America following the ELCA’s controversial decisions on sexuality just over a year ago.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/289410/

Traditionalist LCMC denomination hits 500-congregation milestone

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Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) accepted its 500th congregation this month.

Members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Morris, Minn., voted on Aug. 22 to join the traditionalist denomination.

LCMC has has grown by well over 100 percent since the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) controversial Churchwide Assembly last year. At that Aug. 2009 gathering, the ELCA opted to allow individuals in same-gender relationships to serve in the clergy and passed a controversial social statement on human sexuality. Some congregations displeased with those decisions and what they see as a drift away from scripture, have sought affiliation in the more conservative LCMC.

Of course, to keep things in perspective, the ELCA is the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States with more than 10,000 congregations.

The decisions by the ELCA also sparked the creation of the North American Lutheran Church, a denomination that was officially born Friday at the annual convocation of Lutheran CORE.

ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson addresses discernment, repentance, reconciliation in letter to church

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A press release from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America reports:

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), addressed a number of topics in an Aug. 24 pastoral letter to the church, including differing views on human sexuality, reconciliation, not bearing false witness against one another and ongoing dialogue about faith and life.

“It is my prayer that we use this time for discerning and engaging; for repenting and reconciling; for restraint but not timidity; and for rejoicing,” Hanson wrote in his letter.

“Throughout the ELCA I hear people asking, ‘Is my voice heard? Will my voice be respected as we seek together to discern God’s purpose for us?’ The answer is yes,” Hanson wrote. “Nevertheless, people of deep faith and a desire to be part of this church wonder: Do we mean it when we say we can preach, teach and hold divergent views on sexuality and be full participants in the ELCA’s life and witness? Again, the answer is yes.”

Hanson wrote that his “yes” is predicated upon members’ commitment “to be engaged together in discernment,” which “must be grounded in the witness of the Scriptures and the confessions, and it needs the voices of all the baptized.”

Read the full release here: http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=4614