More like a few every day, every week, every month!
Oh, my aching head."
Church's first vote goes against ELCA
Immanuel Lutheran Church of Crosby
By JENNIFER STOCKINGER
Staff Writer
Members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crosby voted Sunday to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The congregation made a decision more than two months ago to vote on whether to stay or leave the ELCA after the ELCA's decision in August to allow non-celibate gay clergy into its churches.
A total of 282 parishioners voted. There were 213 in favor of leaving the ELCA and 69 who voted to remain with the ELCA.
But the congregation is not officially out of the ELCA yet. The ELCA has a process for churches to go through if they want to leave. The congregation first needed a two-thirds majority vote in order to leave the ELCA, which was accomplished Sunday. Then there is a 90-day window where the bishop and/or his delegate will consult with church members. Then there will be a second vote where again two-thirds is needed to leave. If the second vote is successful, the congregation then needs approval from the Northeastern Minnesota Synod.
