Post Script

A disturbing movement is taking place in the Lutheran Church. Several churches have left or may leave the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America), changing affiliations because the Church now allows the ordaining of homosexual pastors and placing them in congregations who want them. It is a grievous situation, reminding me of other unpleasant divisions.

I find it difficult to comprehend. If the "inclusion of gays" issue in the national church had been voted down last August, I would have been very disappointed, but would not have left my church. Perhaps if exclusionary practices persisted, I eventually might have left quietly, but try to get the entire church to withdraw and change its affiliation? Never.

Hopefully, understanding the disagreements of those leaving will help answer the questions: what is this about, and what does it mean to those who remain?

As a case study, consider Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Iron Mountain, MI which is in the process of withdrawing from the ELCA to affiliate with the LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ). The final decision is being made February 14(!), and the pastor and church council "strongly recommend" withdrawal.

I know senior Pastor Stephen Cowan from synod assembly meetings. A pleasant man, he has served for years as our synod council treasurer and knows intimately the work of the synod and the great financial damage withdrawal of churches will do. Why would he do this? And what if anything should we do about it?

The following quotations come from materials sent to their church members. It begins by saying that it was not the social statement and resolutions in Minneapolis that are the main issue for their disagreement with the ELCA. (State’s rights rather than slavery was often said to be the issue in seceding from the union.) Rather, it is that the actions "clearly demonstrate the direction the ELCA is heading and gives substance to the main issues" which are …"the emphasis on the social and political issues of the day has replaced the primary mission given to us by Christ to go and make disciples of all nations." Also, "’orthodox theology’ has been replaced with ‘revisionist theology’ that uses culture and experience to form its interpretation of the Bible."

I am grateful to have Marcus Borg’s lecture in this issue, because we can learn much from him including that "orthodox theology" uses metaphor, culture and experience! This is not revisionist. We are called to transform the world. Consider the words of Jesus Christ: "Thy Kingdom Come, The will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

To continue with the letters’ negative statements regarding the ELCA: "Our Saviour’s recognizes the grace of the Gospel to welcome sinners. The ELCA uses the grace of the Gospel to negate the reality of sin." This suggests different ideas of sin as well as grace. Our Saviour’s maintains that it will continue to be "open, inviting and encouraging."

Also, "Our Saviour’s has always preached and understood only one way to salvation in Jesus Christ. The ELCA has entertained, through its liberal theology, the possibility of other ways to salvation." The pearly gates apparently are an entrance to a heavily gated community.

"Our Savior’s has not considered being politically correct to be an important part of its mission effort.…(The ELCA)’s insistence that all reference to God be gender neutral seeks to make political correctness a determining factor in ministry effort." I’m not sure whether Pastor and Council see that referring to God as "He"(as a metaphor) should not concern us, or that they really consider God to be a "He." Could the ELCA’s position be a way to help us understand that God is neither male nor female?

"The LCMC maintains a list of pastoral candidates that have met their Lutheran ministry standards." I wonder if Jesus Christ himself would meet these beliefs and standards? I sincerely doubt it. As Borg says, Jesus did not come and give his life in order that we accept hard-to-believe rules of doctrine. Doctrines grasped tightly by the LCMC did not exist during the time of Jesus. I fear for those clergy who cannot ask questions. Clearly, Martin Luther would not have made the list of the orthodox church of his time.

"LCMC is firmly committed to accepting the normative and final authority of the Bible, rejecting the notion that science, personal experience, tradition, or other human endeavors have equal footing with scripture and acknowledging the Lutheran Confessions as accurate interpretations of the Biblical witness." There’s considerable déjà vu here-- reflecting back to the 1894 schism of the Danish church in part over "authority of scripture," dividing the "Happy Danes" from the "Holy Danes."

There is no alternative but to sadly accept the withdrawal of Our Saviour’s and other churches that are committed to this actions. We’re not going to change their minds. But what is it we can learn from this? Why are the LCMC congregations growing and membership in the AELC and other major denominations shrinking?

What it shows me is how lacking we are in religious education and re-education. We need fresh materials and forums to offer both children and adults that encourage discussions precisely on what Our Saviour’s rejects—science (current Biblical scholarship), personal experiences—what faith journeys have taught us, our own and other traditions, and what we are called to do personally and in society, always being respectful of others in their faith journeys, including those with whom we disagree..

May these painful separations be a call for us to provide better education for inquiring hearts and minds that all may grow "in wisdom and in strength."

And for those who leave--go in peace