Since the ELCA's decision last month to lift restrictions on gays and lesbians in the pulpit, some Lutherans have worried the move could prompt members or congregations to leave the country's largest Lutheran denomination.
After hearing from local Lutherans and reading reactions from others in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, it's unclear how things will shake out. However, predictions of schism seem premature.
Many Lutherans said the decision won't affect them much, if at all, and don't plan to go anywhere. Congregations won't be required to accept non-celibate gay pastors.
Others welcomed the change. One pastor told me about a gay man in his church who felt God calling him to ministry but wouldn't consider seminary because of his long-time partner. The pastor hoped the man would now reevaluate. Read more at the jump.
Still others have real concerns about the denomination's liberal drift and what the new policy could do to ecumenical relationships and partnerships with other Lutheran bodies. Several Lutherans told me they directed their church treasurer not to send their benevolence money to the Chicago headquarters of the ELCA.
While a number of Lutherans expressed a desire to disaffiliate, church-watchers predict the number of defectors will be relatively small. Robert Benne, director of the Center for Religion and Society at the ELCA-affiliated Roanoke College, told RNS that conservatives will likely head in many directions. He predicted at last 200 churches would soon distance themselves from the denomination.
Statistics are important here. Nationwide, the ELCA counts 4.6 million members and more than 10,000 congregations. The Lower Susquehanna Synod alone has more than 260 congregations and 119,000 baptized members.
At a meeting in York County last week, about 60 people gathered to hear from the Rev. Bill Sullivan of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), a network of 227 (mostly former ELCA) congregations.
Sullivan spoke later in the day at two other locations in the synod. He predicted LCMC could double in size in the next few years as a result of the ELCA's gay-clergy decision.
But even if 200 churches leave for the LCMC or elsewhere, they would represent a small percentage of the ELCA. According to Sullivan, churches can be rostered in both the ELCA and the LCMC, so some might maintain their ELCA roots.
John Brooks, spokesman for the ELCA, has said individual congregations breaking off are a matter of concern, but ultimately the presiding bishop, Mark Hanson, doesn't see the issue as being church-dividing.
Update: Read Benne's opinion piece on the ELCA churchwide assembly posted at CT today, "How the ELCA Left the Great Tradition for Liberal Protestantism."
Below is Bishop Hoover's letter to the synod dated Aug. 31.
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BISHOP'S MESSAGE ON CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY ACTIONS
August 27, 2009
Dear Co-laborers with Christ,
As I stated in my pastoral letter of last week (August 21), the actions of the Churchwide Assembly on the issues of human sexuality, the approval of finding means for recognizing same-sex unions, and the ordination of same sex couples in committed relationships revealed deep disagreement and division within the ELCA. Many rejoice in the outcome of the debates, many others lament. I am deeply saddened to see this church tear itself apart over these decisions. The disagreements and divisions are felt deeply in our synod as pastors, congregations, and individual members seek to discern whether and how we can live together in disagreement and ask what it all means for our life together as the Church of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray our way through this time of pain and uncertainty. As we do, it is important to keep several things in mind:
(1) These decisions did not create new policies. Rather, they authorized the development of policies that will reflect both the change many were hoping for, and a means to respect the position of those who are conscience bound to oppose such change. An amendment to the recommendations mandates that provisions be made in whatever policies are approved to "recognize the conviction of members who believe that this church should not call or roster people in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship."
(2) New policies cannot be implemented until they are developed in consultation with the Conference of Bishops, and adopted by the ELCA Church Council. The timeline of that process is uncertain, but it will be at least several months before such policies can be developed, November at the earliest. Many have suggested that it will take longer.
(3) A way is being opened for persons in committed, publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gendered relationships (now barred from serving on any of the official rosters of this church) to serve in such ministries if they are otherwise qualified, as determined by candidacy and call committees. No congregation will be expected to call a pastor they do not believe is being sent to them by the Holy Spirit.
(4) This church's understanding of marriage has not changed. Marriage is between a man and a woman, according to the approved social statement; and no pastor is being asked or is required to bless same sex unions. The approved social statement acknowledges that there is no consensus in this church on any of these matters. However, the assembly did find ways "to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable" couples in such relationships.
(5) While we find ourselves in this period of wondering and discernment, we are still the Church of Jesus Christ, called into mission for the sake of a world God so loves.
We need time. We need prayer, congregationally, communally and individually. Now is not the time to make hasty decisions. Together, we are still discerning where the Holy Spirit is leading us. We need to be in communication with one another. I and the pastoral staff of the bishop's office are available for conversation and consultation.
Even when we are in fundamental disagreement, we are still called to be the church. As another recommendation of the assembly states, we are called to "bear one another's burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all" (Resolution #1 of Ministry Policies).
Saint Paul admonished the splintered church at Corinth: If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
(1 Corinthians 12:14-18).
Pastors, congregations, members, you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Continue to make your witness known. Proclaim the good news of Christ. Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Hold fast to the hope that is ours in Christ Jesus.
Peace,
Bishop Hoover
I just saw information that meetings are planned all across the country for congregations interested in leaving the elca, organized by LCMC- 3 meetings alone will be attended by representatives of over 420 congregations, and the "registrants" for these "leaving the elca" meetings are mostly congregations of 2,000 members or more. Looks like a schism , but the ELCA should be okay even if it looses all the big churches, it will have the little churches, most of the ELCA churches have less than 100 members anyways.
The article is completely wrong. This is schism arising across the nation. A meeting in Indiana by a group opposed to change is getting to be so large they are moving to a new location. New regional breakaway synods are arising as we speak, in places as far flung as Arizona, Texas, and right here in PA.
The ELCA is finished as we know it. The landscape of Lutheranism will be very different two years from now.
The key here is how we define schism, as in a formal division of a church body. I am not suggesting that congregations won't leave the ELCA over these issues. Some will. But it's too early to predict -- based on attendance at meetings -- how many will depart.
You certainly have underestimated the repercussions of the ELCA's actions. Churches all over this country are leaving the ELCA. Those who are not are losing church members in record numbers. I know of 4 churches within 30 miles of my home who have already left and 3 more who are talking about leaving. This is a disaster for the ELCA. But that's what you get when you choose to take your direction from "society" rather than scripture.
ELCA LEFT US..WE DID NOT LEAVE ELCA!! Sadly our congregation's vote did not get the 2/3's it needed to break away from ELCA (159 to break away 147 to stay) which means our pastor & many others will begin a new Lutheran Church elsewhere & we will be right there with them. We don't want a homosexual teaching our children Sunday School & Confirmation classes. Watch the lawsuits come rolling in when churches who did not break away from ELCA refuse to hire a gay pastor. Then the fun will begin for their stupid choices. Satan is hard at work here but he will not win.
In Christ's Love..a caring grandma.
When the ELCA began ordaining homosexuals and blessing homosexual unions, they gave themselves over to Satan without pretense. If you are a christian, flee from this evil organization. You are disgracing Jesus Christ by sanctioning this abomination with your presence.
Now the ELCA is trying to take away our right of Free Speech!
How FCC and liberal churches try to shut you up
by MICHELLE MALKIN
The war on conservative speech has moved from the White House to your neighborhood pews. Left-wing church leaders want the Federal Communications Commission to crack down on "hate speech" over cable TV and right-leaning talk-radio airwaves. President Obama's speech-stifling bureaucrats seem all too happy to oblige.
Over the last week, an outfit called "So We Might See" has conducted a nationwide fast to protest "media violence" -- specifically, "anti-immigrant hate speech, which employs flawed arguments to appeal to fears rather than facts." Their ire is currently aimed at Fox News and conservative talk-show giants. But how long before they target ordinary citizens who call in to complain about the government's systemic refusal to enforce federal sanctions against illegal-alien employers or the bloody consequences of lax deportation policies?
The "interfaith coalition for media justice" is led by the United Church of Christ. Yes, that's the same church of Obama's race-baiting, Jew-bashing ex-pastor Jeremiah Wright. Other members include the Presbyterian News Service, the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the National Council of Churches. These religious liberals have partnered with the National Hispanic Media Coalition, which filed a petition in January demanding that the FCC collect data, seek public comment and "explore options" for combating "hate speech" from staunch critics of illegal immigration.
Open-borders groups have sought to marginalize, criminalize and demonize those of us who have raised our voices for years about lax immigration enforcement -- and to impose an Orwellian Fairness Doctrine-style policy on illegal-alien amnesty opponents. During the presidential campaign, the National Council of La Raza launched a "We Can Stop the Hate" project to redefine tough policy criticism from the right as "hate." La Raza President Janet Murguia called for TV networks to keep immigration-enforcement proponents off the airwaves and argued that hate speech should not be tolerated, "even if such censorship were a violation of First Amendment rights," according to Broadcasting and Cable News.
Now the gag-wielders have a friend in the White House -- and they won't let him forget it. Their FCC petition calling for a crackdown on illegal-immigration critics cites Obama's own words in a fall 2008 speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Obama told his amnesty-supporting audience that he knew they were "counting on us to stop the hateful rhetoric filling our airwaves."
Unsurprisingly, far-left billionaire George Soros' money is backing the So We Might See/National Hispanic Media Coalition effort. And remember that the Soros-funded Center for American Progress has provided the Obama White House with its Fairness Doctrine-embracing "diversity czar," Mark Lloyd.
Last week, United Church of Christ officials met privately with FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps in advance of the So We Might See campaign. Copps then delivered a lecture at the UCC's Riverside Church in New York City, expressing solidarity with the liberal church leaders' goals and egging the congregants to take action on "media reform: "We are taking huge risks with our democracy. We need to change that, and we need to do it now. We need to get a grip on what's happening, and we need to fix it."
Jeffrey Lord, who happens to belong to the United Church of Christ, reported in The American Spectator that not long after that speech, the UCC sent out a mass e-mail to its millions of members urging them to join the nationwide fast and regulatory drive. The church-state alliance missive directed its followers: "As a participant, you will be asked to sign a petition to the Federal Communications Commission asking that it open a notice of inquiry into hate speech in the media."
No word on when they'll be launching an inquiry into the fear-based, fact-free "hate speech" from the mouth of Florida Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson, who accused Republicans of wanting sick patients to "die quickly," likened health-care problems to the "Holocaust" and attacked an adviser to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as a "K Street whore."
Or when they'll be going after MSNBC and Air America radio hate-mongers who have openly wished on their airwaves for the deaths of George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck.
But I digress. In the age of Obama, the targets of left-wing hate speech don't have a prayer.
Lutherans are leaving the ELCA. Thousands of congregations are in turmoil and conflict over the ELCA's actions. Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ is a viable alternative. Within it, a new district is being formed for traditional congregations holding fast to the authority of scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Check out www.AugustanaDistrict.org
How can people think this won't be a big deal? My faith has become stronger and I was interested in finding a church to attend and learning more about the Lutheran church. After the gay clergy decision, I was firmly against the ELCA. I am now attending a Lutheran Missouri Synod congregation.
The time is now. Churches and ELCA members, get out this denomination. exposingtheelca.com has a lot of good information about what the ELCA teaches and believes.
Our ELCA congregation melted down today. We voted to leave the ELCA but could not reach the required 2/3 majority (62% wanted to leave....). It's likely that 40% of the members will be worshipping elsewhere. The remaining members will be unable to pay the bills...
Today we are the largest ELCA in our state. Next month we may cease to exist.
Dr. James R. Crumley (former Presiding Bishop) had some choice words to say concerning the current state of the ELCA. I will not go into those remarks, but I will say that his position is that the ELCA Lutheran Church is NOT what it was before the vote taken at the churchwide assembly. People need to learn how to discern false doctrine and take the appropriate action. The ELCA will reap what it sows.
Ms Burke I don't know who you talked to in coming up with a summation/title that smugly reports that "schism is unlikely over gay issue". My dear, this is more than merely a schism - there is a giant movement afoot whereby Lutheran churches all over America are unhooking themselves from this liberal organization that purports to be a Lutheran church body. It is not. It is a liberal social organization that
proposes that we accept any theology as long as it makes us "feel good". It is run by a hierarchy that is out of touch with the person in the pew on Sunday morning. Sad to say most of those pew sitters are waking up a little late as to the reality of this situation. Better late than never. Hopefully the ELCA will shrink as another church body in touch with the true doctrine emerges. This is happening slowly but surely. To all of you congregation members who are in the midst of turmoil within your local church - keep the faith. Our churches, our faith, and our God will prevail.