ELCA News Release
As background reading for the meeting, Collver offered two papers he authored - one that discusses natural law and finds that it does not allow for homosexual behavior; and another that calls for "re-examination of the principle of 'cooperation in externals' … to consider what 'externals' can be cooperated in without compromising confession."
Collver also offered what he developed as five "theses for cooperation in externals on the basis of natural law." The first two state that cooperation in externals "can only occur when there is agreement in natural law" and "when there is agreement in doctrine and practice, because such agreement constitutes agreement in natural law."
The Rev. Dr. Marcus Kunz, executive for discernment of contextual and theological issues with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, provided "A Brief Response" to Collver's papers for discussion at the meeting.
Kunz expressed appreciation for Collver's papers, but placed greater emphasis on the need for acts of Christian love that result from faith.
"The motivation for Lutherans in the United States to form and support these organizations -- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Lutheran Services in America and Lutheran World Relief -- has been a confident faith created by the Holy Spirit that, trusting God's promises in Christ, has liberated Lutherans to respond graciously, generously and joyfully to the needs of their neighbors in the United States and throughout the world," Kunz wrote.
The Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, president of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, told the group that while Collver's papers are not an "official response" to the ELCA, they address a "significant question." He said that question has to do with how to be sure that activities in which the two churches carry out cooperative ministries "aren't dominated in a way that is impossible for us (in the LCMS) to accept."
This was Harrison's first meeting with the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation as president, following his election by Missouri Synod's convention delegates in July.
He said that while actions of the convention show that "the Synod is overwhelmingly in pain" over the ELCA's sexuality decisions, "the convention also said that it did not desire to discontinue all cooperative work."
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GJ - Thrivent, WELS, ELCA, LCMS, ELS, CLC (sic) - all work together promoting the ELCA/Thrivent agenda - the sanctity of homosexuality and the necessity of abortion on demand.
The inter-locking Lutheran organizations (Thrivent, Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran World Federation) also share a communication of attributes with the National and World Council of Churches.
In other words, when WELS and the ELS commune with other sects, they suffer from all the sects those sects have had fellowship with. The WELS and ELS do not need to join the NCC, WCC, or LWF to suffer from the same sectsually transmitted diseases.
The ecumenical urge is a biological need for all apostate church bodies, as Brett Meyer observed in another context -
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Taize Information Center":
The Charis essay exposes an important fact concerning the New Age Emergent apostasy that is consuming the (W)ELS, "The key for this liturgical renewal is a clear proclamation of Christ crucified flowing from a means of grace theology. At the forefront of this movement, however, there seems to be a great deal of support and encouragement for a form of liturgical worship known as Taize."
The Satanic practice of Taize is at the forefront of the (W)ELS' liturgical renewal. The (W)ELS is not going to renew using the historic Liturgy which is Scriptural and Confessional. The (W)ELS is going to renew using New Age mysticism and the occult.
Consider this in light of the (W)ELS continued involvement in the Ecumenical movement (abolishing the critical importance of doctrine in order to have unity with people who hold to different doctrines - we could accomplish so much more for Jesus if we all work together!), their claim that the church of the Antichrist is Christian, their financing of worldwide murder of men, women and children through Lutheran World Relief, their financing the murder of unborn babies through Thrivent, calling Satanist Leonard Sweet to teach them how to do evangelism and worship, calling the New Age Emergent church growth experts to teach them like Reggie McNeal, continued fellowship with the well rounded apostasy of Pastor Ski and Glende, their confession of the false gospel of Universal Objective Justification with forgiven saints in Hell, the Roman Catholic Pope's (all Antichrists) having been declared by God's divine verdict to be forgiven and justified by Christ etc. etc. etc...
