Creation Day - 2010

Willowcreek's Little College is a fad promoter.

For Creation Day I fired up the grill and sent a huge cloud of carbon dioxide into the air, cackling with delight. Al Gore may curse me, but the Icelandic volcano smoked extra hard as a testimony against the pagan tree-huggers best remembered in the Hitler video satire.

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From California:

The penchant for hopping on the pantheistic earth worship symbolism has a long acceptance in WELS. While still a member of a WELS congregation here in California, there was a likeable nice young summer vicar assigned to the congregation. When he arrived from Wisconsin, he had a bumper sticker widely used by what was called the Ecology Movement in the 60;s and into the 70's. It was a version of the flag done in green with the ecology "e" letter where the blue field of the flag would be. It's still around now and then.

Someone called attention to the inappropriateness of it especially since he would be considered to represent what the church stood for. He didn't see why it should be an issue, and thought it OK since to him it meant being a good steward of God's Creation. It was an example of the total disconnect on the part of WELS, that the world's symbols and methods had meaning, much of which was antithetical to Christianity. It seemed incredulous that WELS colleges and seminary would not prepare the students and seminarians to know and recognize that the message sent by displaying such symbols sent a message known and recognized by the world, not one of a naïve vicar's own interpretation. The bumper sticker remained until he returned to Wisconsin.

Four Atheist Essays in the Holy of Holies: WELS Essay Files

Hmm. LCMS CGM. No WELS CGM. No, let's try atheism.
Yes - Freedom From Religion.

Peterson, Curtis A.

Titles:

1. A Second and Third Look at Church Growth Principles
2. Dangers and Opportunities in the Contextualization of the Gospel
3. The Case for Remaining in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in a State of Confessional Protest
4. The Doctrine of Church Fellowship in the Lutheran Confessions

He is still publishing, too - for atheism.

Financial Peas University

This Seminar is based upon Financial Peace University (FPU), a life-changing program that teaches you to achieve your financial goals by eliminating debt, saving for the future, and giving like never before. More than 1 million families have attended FPU with amazing results. You will be challenged and motivated to make a plan for your money and change your family tree forever! The specific topics covered will be: saving, budgeting, and eliminating debt. The fee is $15 per family (payment due by the beginning of the first session). Childcare and a light supper will be provided.

• When – This course will be offered as a two part seminar on Sunday, April 11^th and Sunday, April 18th, from 4-7pm.
• Leader – Donna Nitschke (Donna is a certified counselor with Financial Peace University and has counseled over 400 families in the FPU principles.)
• Where – Old Settler’s Association (where we meet on Sunday mornings)

p.s. If you have a spouse, we strongly encourage both of you to be there together.

***

GJ - Correction on the headline. Mrs. I says, "Financial Peace, not Peas."

I thought Easter Sunday was so two weeks ago.

Sig Becker's UOJ

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "WELS Church Lady":

Siegbert W. Becker is used as the holy doctrinal standard for WELS defense of UOJ. Here's a beaut from Becker on the Kokomo statement #1

The first Kokomo Statement, 1) Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinner’s
attitude toward Christ’s sacrifice, purely on the basis of God’s verdict, every sinner, whether he knows
it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of a saint.

Becker, "One really becomes a guilt-free saint only through faith, if we limit ourselves to the biblical usage of the word. However, since our holiness, as Augustine says, consists in sin’s remission rather than in life’s perfection, we could say that when God forgave the sins of the whole world he regarded all sinners as guilt-free, but if they are guilt-free we might also say that they are considered sinless in the sight of God. But a sinless person is a holy person, a saint. The fact that unbelievers do not consider themselves to be forgiven does not change the truth of God’s Word that tells us that God does not impute the sins of all men to them, or that through one man justification has come upon all men." Page 14 http://www.wlsessays.net/files/BeckerJustification.PDF

Oh! don't limit yourself to the Biblical usage of the word!!

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "WELS Church Lady":

Additional WELS golden nuggets on the Kokomo statements via S.W. Becker states, "The
third statement is a basically good summary of our position" Becker follows with, "it is especially necessary to point out that the statements do not contain false doctrine."

Kokomo statement #1 - Becker, "the meaning of the statement is nevertheless clear and correct."

Kokomo statement #2 - Becker, "we could say that when God forgave the sins of the whole world he regarded all sinners as guilt-free, but if they are guilt-free we might also say that they are considered sinless in the sight of God. But a sinless person is a holy person, a saint."

Kokomo statement #3 - Becker, "The third statement is a basically good summary of our position,"

Kokomo statement #4 - Becker, "Even the fourth statement can be defended even though it leaves much to be desired. As we have said, the statement is not drawn from a WELS source. If it is true that God has forgiven the sins of the world then it is also true that he forgave the sin of Judas."

http://www.wlsessays.net/files/BeckerJustification.PDF

WELS Church Lady

An act of God - the Easter egg hunt was rained out.
Lutherans were egg-static.


WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "Brett Meyer Tries To Organize the Ball of Yarn Cal...":

If the powers that be think you can have a UOJ conference without the ichabodians knowing about it, they are sadly mistaken. We were on to them LONG before the conference. Why did Schleicher defend Kokomo?? Don't write a check that you can't cash. Bourman's essay? Where is it? Was he indeed the UOJ hold-out? Teaching Justification by Faith as noted in the Bible and BOC? Perhaps. Who knows, it could be just like the rest. Computer and technical errors do occur!

Hey, Five vicars will be assigned and guess what church in Austin is getting one. One lucky vicar will work alongside ex SP Gurgel. The four other assignments were worthy, Gods' blessings on those vicars and the congregations.

In Christ,
from WELS church lady

Freddy Asks a Question

Hoenecke's professor at Halle, Tholuck, was a Universalist.

Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "LP Cruz Explains Calvinism to the Crypto-Calvinist...":

If, as LP suggests, it is true that UOJ has turned the Law into a farce, it would explain the conspicuous rarity of Second-Use preaching. Who really needs it after all? Why not dumb-down Law preaching and adopt a more relevant, seeker-sensitive effeminate approach? You know, upside-down evangelism! Speak the Gospel, and the Law stuff can come later, if at all. That is, Speak to the unconverted righteous person as if he is already a believer! But wasn't that Karl Barth's error, a notion he derived from a mistaken interpretation of Aquinas? Wasn't failing to take sin seriously a hallmark of neo-orthodoxy? And wasn't Karl Barth a celebrity at Fuller in their early days?

If LP is correct in his analysis, it seems to me that in UOJ, while the doctrine of Original Sin is still acknowledged, the doctrine of Actual Sin has been rejected.

Is this the case?

Freddy Finkelstein

***

GJ - WELS Pastor Robert Schumann, a Wally Oelhafen fave, loved the Church Growth Movement and preached that the Law was obsolete - the classic Antinomian position. His members asked him if he really meant that - and he did mean it. He also denied Creation, which is why St. Paul, German Village left the ALC - denial of Creation.

WELS really did a number on that congregation. They made Stolzenburg a fake-pastor for years, and now Floyd is taking members from St. Paul whenever there is turmoil. With such abysmal doctrinal leadership, turmoil is a sure bet.

Antinomianism is big in WELS, but try to explain that to a layman whose pastor is sleeping around the parish.

Brett Meyer Tries To Organize the Ball of Yarn Called UOJ

The DNA comes out in the long run.


Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Make This a Dialogue on UOJ":

I'm wading through the essay titled is Objective Justification Universalism. http://scdwels.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/schleicher-paper.pdf
(I'm a bit grumpy because I was so thoroughly enjoying "Luther vs. the Pietists" - outstanding!) This WELS essay is replete with the standard contradictions and "Repeat After Me" UOJ statements.

One specific section needs more attention.

Page 5, "14 Justification does not involve a change in our nature, for Scripture speaks of the nature of 15 those justified as still sinful. Paul speaks of “God who justifies the wicked'' (Ro 4:5). He states, 16 “Christ died for the ungodly. . . . While we were still sinners, Christ died for us'' (Ro 5:6,8). 17 As our confessions state: “To be justified” here (James 2:24) does not mean for a
18 righteous person to be made out of an ungodly one, but to be pronounced righteous in a forensic sense'' (Ap IV:252)."

Questions: When is a man born again? When does a man die to sin and raised again to life in Christ? When does man, by the grace and work of the Holy Spirit, put off the old man and put on Christ? When does the carnal mind of man die and is given the Holy Spirit's spiritual mind? When does the Holy Spirit make of an unjust man a just man?

John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Colossians 3:9-10, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:"

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

71] "but we maintain this, that properly and truly, by faith itself, we are for Christ's sake accounted righteous, or are acceptable to God. And because "to be justified" means that out of unjust men just men are made, or born again, it means also that they are pronounced or accounted just. For Scripture speaks in both ways. [The term "to be justified" is used in two ways: to denote, being converted or regenerated; again, being accounted righteous. Accordingly we wish first to show this, that faith alone makes of an unjust, a just man, i.e., receives remission of sins".
http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justification.php

***

GJ - Now Brett. You know what happens when someone asks a WELS guy a pointed question. They answer a question with a question.

"Who told you this?" and

"How do you know Greg Jackson?"

They even have WELS Facebook police, who want to know why someone is listed as my friend. Alone in the world, I have 960+ FB friends, including Waldo Werning and Ed Stetzer.

Alone in the world, I am in constant contact with Little I and his family, who live a few minutes away. Brett: Just between you, me, and 8,000 readers - I cannot comprehend how WELS Stormtroopers can maintain such a colossal display of ignorance. Nothing seems to dent the depravity of their malice.

Alone in the world, I hear from various clergy and laity on a daily basis. I could list the names and titles, but I won't. Many times they write just to fill me in, and I keep that information for background.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Freddy Asks a Question":

Mr. Finkelstein, this is the case.

It is in fact worse than that if such a distinction can be made considering the consequences of perverting the Gospel of Christ. UOJ teaches that although God has declared the whole unbelieving world to be righteous, forgiven of all sin (justified) and guiltless by His divine verdict, they are also at the same time condemned and under his wrath because they don't believe that they have already been declared at peace with him and righteous. Consider the implications of this. For a sinful man to be forgiven by God he must have Christ's righteousness. To have Christ's righteousness and considered by God to be sinless, justified and righteous but still be under God's wrath means that Christ's righteousness and the bestowal of it upon man is not effective in making that man a child of God and no longer under His wrath and an heir to eternal life. UOJ is an attack on the righteousness of Christ. Either Christ died for all sins and his righteousness removes all sin or it doesn't. UOJ teaches that unless the unbelieving world believes they are already forgiven of all sin they go to Hell for the sin of unbelief. Wait - so Christ didn't pay for the sin of unbelief? His righteousness doesn't remove the guilt of the sin of unbelief? The same unbelief we were all born with? Christ himself states that he died and paid for the sin of unbelief. Romans 11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

Just another horrible perversion of Scripture by the false man made doctrine of UOJ.

***

GJ - That ball of yarn just won't unravel, Brett!

LP Cruz Explains Calvinism to the Crypto-Calvinists

John Calvin had trouble with Law and Gospel. Calvinist John Newton: "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear..."


L P has left a new comment on your post "Make This a Dialogue on UOJ":

Sorry to come late.

OK here is my bit. I am reviewing the Schleicher Paper.

He asked Is Objective Justification Universalism?
Me: Does he still need to ask? (LOL)

OK seriously we have these
1. The need to identify universalists societies which the paper does is useful but in the end, irrelevant. Why? Because one can be inventing its own brand of universalism and the fact that your position does not match the others do not imply your position is not a form or shape of universalism.

2. God has declared the world righteous for Jesus' sake. This is an objective reality, whether anyone believes it or not. Even if the whole world rejected the message of the gospel, it would still remain an objective reality that God had acquitted the world of sin.

Does the author believe in Law and Gospel distinction? Or in the first place does the author KNOW the distinction between Law and Gospel? It does not appear that he does by that statement. Proof: If the whole world is now declared righteous for Jesus sake, then what is the need to preach the Law and then the Gospel?. There is no more Law to preach. For what does the Law accuses us - precisely we are WICKED we are Unrighteous. But since the Gospel - so he says is that - God HAS declared the world righteous of Jesus sake, already then there is no more Law to preach. Since the author misses the Law, by default, he misses the Gospel as well. Even if he does what Dr . Siegbert Becker says - you do not preach the Gospel to the impenitent wicked (his words) unbeliever, still the Law he preaches is actually a farce. For he knows that this unrepentant unbeliever by his "Gospel" is already forgiven even before he was born, so the Law he preaches carries no sincere threat. The Law has been reduced to hypotheticals, it becomes a myth.

3. Another one he says Calvin would accept that justification is objective in nature (as it applies to the elect)

He is right about Calvin but he does not see that UOJ is really Calvinism in spirit. Calvinism sees at least for the elect already saved even without faith, which is what UOJ does except it does this universally!

4. Again category mistake equating the Atonement with Justification as on bottom paragraph p.5 God has justified the world

5. This paper is filled with so many flaws, I could not keep count of them. For example quoting Mt 9:2 and arguing that believing is synergism. Did this author even read carefully the passage? For in that verse before Jesus pronounced the forgiveness of sins, Jesus saw something ..."and Jesus seeing their faith, said to the paralytic - Take courage My son your sins are forgiven".

Clearly this teaching says believe you are already justified and so you are. Or else believe that you are not and so you are not. It all depends on what you believe. Now who is making faith in this manner a form of works?

Just like Calvinism, this paper muddles up the object of faith. For example, the paper mentions belief in Jesus. But what does believe in Jesus mean?

6. The paper is flying at mach speed, in lampooning faith in Christ as a none event, as if faith is something easy. Yet it is precious to God. The category mistake is just disheartening. For example when quotes "It is finished" - He mistakes this payment as automatically equivalent to justification. Rather it meant "paid in full". Tetelestai. In fact in the Bible, if you disbelieve this, you are still in your sins and the Scripture describes you as not righteous but "wicked". So one needs to wonder, if God declared the whole world already as righteous, then how does and why does he send them ever to hell (any of them for that matter). So God sends people whom he already declared righteous to hell. Or when anyone who is already declared righteous and then disbelieves God takes it back and calls them wicked. This paper make God an Indian giver (so to speak).


More could be said...

LPC

***

GJ - LP is good at examining the contradictory nature of UOJ. What keeps the little UOJ Klan operating is their inner conviction that they have the true Gospel.

My advisor at Notre Dame was Tjaard Hommes, a Remonstrant (Arminian) from Holland. His interest in Calvin, Schleiermacher, and Barth encouraged me to do plenty of research in those areas. Since he earned his doctorate at Harvard, the books I read were written by his professors and fellow students at Harvard. That was a far cry from the yellowed dog notes of the Mequon Sausage Factory, where brains are permanently entombed in talking points.

Remonstrants broke with traditional Calvinists over a number of points. They rejected Limited Atonement and Double Predestination. In keeping with the traditions of Zwingli and Calvin, they did not reject Enthusiasm.

Therefore, UOJ is Calvinism without the Limited Atonement. As Luther warned, when the Means of Grace are denied, all kinds of foul errors rush in.

At Notre Dame I edited a number of articles, written by Hommes, for scholarly journals. The process of getting them ready and seeing them in print was another stimulus for research rather than repeat-after-me slogans. As the sole Lutheran in my area, I was always being asked about Lutheran doctrine. But it was the anti-Lutheran, divorced, adulterous clergy in Columbus who really energized my research in the Confessions. They were UOJ and Church Growth, just like their counterparts in Texas.

Knapp's Portrait Contributed by...Someone

George Christian Knapp, Halle Pietist, still in print today.
Are those bees flying around his head?

Lectures on Christian Theology, p. 318.

1833 - in English!

By Georg Christian Knapp (Halle University), trans. Leonard Woods.

Translator's note• [This is very conveniently expressed by the terms objective and subjective justification. Objective justification is the act of God, by which he proffers pardon to all through Christ; subjective is the act of man, by which he accepts the pardon freely offered in the gospel. The former is universal, the latter not.]

Knapp's Halle lectures were first read in 1789, so we have the remnants of the Synodical Conference using a formula from a Pietistic book translated in 1833 but written 40 years before. Knapp was a standard Protestant theology book throughout the 19th century and remains in print today.

Walther started in 1847, although Loehe really began the Missouri Synod. Can we believe that Walther had no knowledge of Knapp in German, when Walther himself was a Pietist?

The great scandal of Midwestern Lutheranism comes from their anti-Luther Pietism embodied in Woods' double-justification scheme.

Anything else is Calvinism to them, and that proves how little they know about Christian doctrine.

WELS Munchkin Buried

Raabe posed with his own statue. He attended Northwestern College, Watertown.

Link

Meinhardt Raabe, who portrayed the Munchkin coroner in the "Wizard of Oz," will be buried Tuesday morning near his hometown in Jefferson County.

The public is welcome to attend the visitation for Raabe, starting at 10 a.m., in Immanuel Lutheran Church in Farmington, on county Highway B, three miles east of Johnson Creek. A funeral service will begin at 11.

Small in stature, at 4 feet, 7 inches tall, Raabe parlayed his role in the 1939 film into a lifelong adventure. He appeared at Wizard of Oz festivals around the country and joined the remaining Munchkins when they were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

Raabe, 94, had one of the few speaking roles among the Munchkins, the group of little people who gathered to celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the East. In song, Raabe made the official declaration: "As coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her. And she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead."

The movie, however, was just one part of his life. Raabe worked for 30 years as a spokesman for the Oscar Mayer Co., became a licensed pilot and served in the Civil Air Patrol.

Raabe is survived by a sister, Marion Zieglemann, of Watertown.

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Another WELS celebrity is the late Buffalo Bob, from the Howdy Doody show. Wikipedia says he died Presbyterian, but a WELS pastor told me Bob played organ for WELS churches in North Carolina. Wickedpedia is often wrong on details, so corrections are welcome.

Yes, the first Clarabell was Bob Keeshan, who would go on to become the venerable Captain Kangaroo. Originally, he was just an NBC go-fer who handed props to and ran errands for Buffalo Bob. However, it was decided that since he was seen on camera, he should have a costume. Thus, Clarabell was born. (fiftiesweb.com)

ELCA Defections Continue

ALPB

"Another congregation from Capt. Thin for this thread.

Christ The King Lutheran Church in Fallbrook, California took their second vote on April 18. The vote to leave the ELCA passed with a 95% majority. CTKLC is one of the largest congregations in the Pacifica Synod."

Captain Thin:

This page last updated April 5, 2010.

A .doc file of the following information is now available for download. Right-click here and choose “Save As.” (The .doc file last updated April 5, 2010)

A few months have now passed since the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America passed by a vote of 559-451 a resolution allowing practising homosexual people in committed relationships to serve as rostered clergy of the church. What follows is a sampling of the fallout. It is by necessity an incomplete list. Some congregations’ votes have not been reported in the media. Some congregations have chosen to remain in the ELCA, while condemning the August vote. Numerous congregations are still in the discernment stage as they decide what they should do. And of course numerous individuals have left ELCA churches as a result of the vote.

NOTE: Official withdrawal of membership from the ELCA by a congregation requires two votes, held 90 days apart, that each reach 2/3 majority. Hence the “first vote”/”second vote” language that follows.

2009

August 24 – St. Timothy Lutheran Church (Charleston, West Virginia) covers the word “Lutheran” on its sign.

August 26 – International Lutheran Renewal (ILR) Director Paul Anderson encourages each church to pray about leaving: “Those who leave can depart without shame from a Church that has lost its moorings. Those who stay to be a voice from within must pray for courage and focus, lest they lose their cutting edge and sink into trivialities rather than kingdom issues.”

August 31 – The International Lutheran Council (ILC) “in light of the current turmoil regarding same-gender relationships” releases a statement affirming its commitment to a biblical understanding of human sexuality.

September 6 – Zion Lutheran Church (Mission Valley, Texas) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with a 95 percent majority.

September 13 – Calvary Lutheran Church (Evergreen, Montana) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA and joining Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), which passes.

September 13 – Hebron Lutheran Church (Hebron, Kentucky) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 138-6 vote.

September 13 – St. Peter Lutheran Church (Ceylon, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 66% majority by 8 votes. Church leadership decides that another vote on the matter will not be allowed. As a result, numerous individuals and families leave the congregation, many joining local LCMS churches.

September 20 – El Camino Pines Lutheran Church (Frazier Park, California) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

September 20 – Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Walla Walla, Washington) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with an 87% majority.

September 26 – Lutheran Coalition for Reform (CORE) is re-established as “a free-standing synod for all faithful Lutherans” which intends to work with “other compatible churchly organizations leading toward a possible reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism” during an assembly of more than 1,200 Lutherans from the United States and Canada. Leaders will reconvene in a year’s time to decide whether to stay in the ELCA, form a new denomination or join an existing one.

September 27 – St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA and joining LCMC, which passes with a majority of 96 percent.

September 27 – St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church (Roanoke, Virginia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA and joining LCMC, which passes with a 342-143 majority. The congregation is considered “one of the largest, if not the largest” congregations in the Virginia Synod.

September 27 – Community Church of Joy (Glendale, Arizona), the 10^th largest congregation in the ELCA, holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA and joining LCMC. It passes unanimously.

September 27 – Bethany Lutheran Church (Bigfork, Montana) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, but fails to reach 2/3 majority.

September ?? – First Lutheran Church (Fargo, North Dakota), the second largest ELCA congregation in Fargo, redesignates its benevolence funds to bypass the national ELCA offices.

September ?? – Pontoppidan Lutheran Church (Fargo, North Dakota) votes to suspend its funds to the ELCA.

September ?? – St. Paul Lutheran (New Braunfels, Texas) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

September ?? – St. Andrew’s Lutheran (Weesatche, Texas) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

September ?? – Peace Lutheran Church (Rockdale, Texas) decides to suspend benevolence payments to the ELCA.

September ?? – Bethlehem/West Elbow Lake Lutheran Church (Elbow Lake, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes in a 42-11 vote. However, because of concerns as to whether proper notice was given, the vote will be retaken December 13.

September ?? – Trinity Lutheran Church (Hermiston, Oregon) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. While a majority vote in favour of the proposal (52-30), the vote fails to reach the 2/3 majority needed to pass. A second vote held at a later date also fails to pass. One member notes, “We now have a divided congregation and a pastor who wrote on his door of his office ‘pastor in exile’.”

October 1 – LCMS President Gerald B. Kieschnick sends a letter to ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and the Conference of Bishops stating, “I share this letter with you to confirm what I have already stated, namely, that this is a very serious matter, one that we cannot ignore. To the greatest extent possible, it would be a blessing to our ongoing cooperative relationships if the actions taken at the ELCA Assembly were not implemented, nor given influence, in the context of inter-Lutheran ministries involving the LCMS and the ELCA, so that these relationships would be neither damaged nor destroyed.”

October 4 – Christ Lutheran Church (Odessa, Washington) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 55-12 vote.

October 11 – Wangen Prairie Lutheran Church (Rural Cannon Falls, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, but fails to reach 2/3 majority by one vote. The church would vote again November 15, 2009. This time, the vote passes (see details in November 15 entry).

October 11 – First Lutheran Church (Little Falls, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, but it fails to pass. As a result, Senior Pastor Bjorge resigns (effective October 20). Following resignation, he begins leading worship for a group (many being disaffected members of First Lutheran and other local congregation Bethel Lutheran) who plan on starting an LCMC church in Little Falls.

October 11 – Christus Lutheran Church (Clintonville, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 162-28 vote.

October 13 – In North Carolina, approximately 450 vote unanimously to form a North Carolina chapter of Lutheran CORE.

October 18 – Concordia Lutheran Church (Kingsburg, California) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes overwhelmingly by 121 to 14.

October 18 – Singsaas Lutheran Church (Hendricks, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

October 18 – Christ Lutheran Church (Cottonwood, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. 74 vote to leave, but 44 vote to stay meaning the necessary 2/3 majority is not reached.

October 18 – Peace Lutheran Church (Pendleton, Oregon) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The motion is defeated in a 57-121 vote. Disaffected members form Faith Lutheran Church.

October 18 – Rodnes Lutheran Church (Erskine, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with an 80% majority.

October 18 – Advent Lutheran Church (Murfreesburo, Tennessee) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority.

October 18 – Christ Lutheran Church (Prattville, Alabama) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority.

October 20 – Hope Lutheran Church (Fargo, North Dakota), a congregation with two campuses and the largest ELCA congregation (10,000 +) in North and South Dakota, announces that it has suspended funding to the ELCA.

October 21 – The Economist reports that “at least a dozen congregations have already left to join Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.”

October 22 – Breham Banner-Press reports 120 gathered this day to discuss the “rebirth” of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas (ELST). The First (German) Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas existed as a separate denomination from 1851-1896 before being subsumed by larger groups which eventually became part of the ELCA.

October 25 – Bethel Lutheran Church (Little Falls, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails. Disaffected members join likeminded disaffected members of First Lutheran Church (including Senior Pastor Bjorge who resigned after his church voted to stay in the ELCA) with plans of starting an LCMC congregation in Little Falls.

October 25 – Zion Lutheran Church (Des Moines, Iowa) holds its first vote to leave the ELCA, which passes.

October 25 – Immanuel Lutheran Church (Waukee, Iowa) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

October 25 – Hopeful Lutheran Church (Florence, Kentucky) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

October 25 – Richland Lutheran Church (Richland, Washington) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 269 to 57 vote.

October 25 – Mount Pilgrim Lutheran Church (Haralson, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes unanimously. An additional vote to join the LCMC also passes unanimously.

October 28 – Christ the King Lutheran Church (Hutchinson, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes with a 226-99 majority.

October 29 – The ELCA issues a news release stating that at least 50 churches have held first votes to leave the ELCA since the August vote. Only five have failed.

October ?? – Oak Valley Lutheran Church (Velva, North Dakota) holds its first vote to leave the ELCA. 70% vote against the measure and it fails.

October ?? – St. Timothy Lutheran Church (Charleston, West Virginia) removes the cloth blocking the word “Lutheran” from its sign. Underneath “Lutheran” a new sign has been placed which states “Reclaiming the Name.”

November 1 – Faith Lutheran Church (Moline, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA but fails to reach 2/3 majority by a margin of 18 votes (182-118). However, motions to end benevolence funding to the ELCA, and join the LCMC both pass with votes of 195-104 and 190 to 109 respectively. A new vote on leaving the ELCA is held January 10, 2010.

November 1 – Community of Hope Lutheran Church (Rosemount, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

November 1 – Trinity Church (Pell Lake, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes unanimously.

November 2 – Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (Bessemer City, North Carolina) mails a letter to the ELCA informing them of their decision to end financial contributions to the denomination.

November 8 – Disaffected members of ELCA congregations in Effingham County (Georgia) hold the first worship service of a new alternate congregation (Lutherans for Bible Based Beliefs). The members of this alternate congregation intends to continue worshipping together until their respective congregations vote to separate from the ELCA. If their congregations vote to remain, then this alternate congregation could “very easily become permanent.”

November 8 – Central Lutheran Church (Elk River, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes easily in a 574-171 vote.

November 8 – Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church (Castroville, Texas) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with a 67% majority.

November 8 – First Evangelical Lutheran Church (Orange Grove, Texas) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with an 83% majority.

November 8 – Hosanna Lutheran Church (St. Charles, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes by a margin of 89.2% (207-25). A second vote to join the LCMC passes by a margin of 90.1% margin (209-25). Hosanna Lutheran Church had changed its constitution in 2004 to require only one vote to leave the ELCA.

November 8 – St. John Lutheran Church (Edgar, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. While 106 vote in favour of the resolution, 67 vote against, resulting in a failure to reach 2/3 majority by four votes. Later that night, all congregational leaders and council members resign their positions, with the exception of one deacon.

November 11 – King of King’s Lutheran Church (Woodbury, Minnesota) is reported as having withheld $30,000 in funds to the ELCA while it reflects on theological issue arising from the August vote.

November 11 – Shepherd of the Woods Lutheran Church and School (Jacksonville, Florida) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA which passes with an 85% majority. An additional vote to join the LCMC (to take effect after the second vote on leaving the ELCA) passes with an 89% majority. According to Rev. Johnson, suggestions have been made that the congregation will be pressured to return subsidy funds received from the ELCA during 1988-1992.

November 14 – The Northeastern Iowa Synod Council votes 10 to 5 (with one abstention) to uphold existing 1990 ministry policies in the synod (which require homosexual clergy to remain celibate), with a further vote of 8-6 (two abstentions) repudiating the General Convention’s August vote as unconstitutional. The Council also called on the Northeastern Iowa Synod to officially affirm its commitment to the 1990 policies at its assembly in 2010.

November 15 – St. John Lutheran Church (Boerne, Texas) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

November 15 – Wangen Prairie Lutheran Church (Rural Cannon Falls, Minnesota), after holding a failed vote to leave the ELCA on October 11, holds a new vote which passes. Rev. Joy Gonnerman announces her resignation from Wangen Praire and intention to serve elsewhere in the ELCA.

November 15 – Joyful Harvest Church (Johnsburg, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA and joining the LCMC. The resolution passes in a 71-19 vote.

November 18, 2009 – Lutheran CORE leaders announce an acceleration in their plans to leave the ELCA. CORE originally announced it would remain in the ELCA for a full year before deciding if splitting from the ELCA was absolutely necessary. That year commitment has now been scrapped. A working group will immediately begin drafting the constitution of a new Lutheran denomination, with plans to have it launch by August 2010. In the meantime, CORE will continue to operate as a free-standing synod of the ELCA.

November 18 – John Brooks, spokesman for the ELCA, reports that since the August vote, five congregations have ended their affiliation with the ELCA. Another 87 congregations have held first votes on leaving the ELCA; 28 of these have failed.

November 20 – LCMS President Gerald B. Kieschnick issues an open letter in response to CORE’s November 18 announcement that they will be accelerating the formation of a new Lutheran denomination for disaffected members of the ELCA. Noting again that such division in the ELCA is a natural result of the August vote which ignored the clear teaching of Scripture, he offered the continued prayers of the LCMS for the ELCA and other denominations divided by the issue of homosexuality, and charged all members, congregations and leaders of the ELCA: “As [you] deliberate and determine future courses of action in the days ahead, we urge [you] to be guided by the Word of God and the consensus of 2,000 years of Christian theological affirmation regarding what Scripture teaches about human sexuality. We offer this assurance of prayer and encouragement to faithfulness with deep humility and keen awareness of the reliance of all upon the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of our great and holy God.”

November 22 – Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church (Weddington, North Carolina) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA this day.

November 22 – Zoar Lutheran Church (Tofte, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA and joining the LCMC. Both resolutions pass with an 85% majority.

November 22 – Lutheran CORE’s website, as of this day, lists 87 member congregations.

November 25 – Peñasquitos Lutheran Church (San Diego, California) holds its second vote to leave the ELCA. It passes with a 97% majority. Peñasquitos was one of the largest congregations in the Pacifica Synod, with an average attendance of about 850.

November 25 – St. John’s Lutheran Church (Rincon, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails.

November 26 – The Oromo Evangelical Lutheran Churches of the ELCA issue a statement condemning the General Convention August vote. It is further reported that these Ethiopian-American ELCA congregations (along with their international Oromo Lutheran partners) “have unanimously voted to join Lutheran CORE.”

November ?? – St. Matthew Lutheran Church (Galena, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority.

November ?? – Geneva Lutheran Church (Geneva, Illinois) holds a vote on affiliating with the LCMC. It passes unanimously.

December 6 – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Maumee, Ohio) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with an 87% majority.

December 6 – Faith Lutheran Church (Grantsburg, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The vote fails as 119 vote in favour of the resolution while 154 vote against it. Disaffected members of Faith Lutheran and other local ELCA congregations have been holding alternate worship services in Siren, Wisconsin. This vote “solidifies their plan to start a new Lutheran church.”

December 6 – Christ Lutheran Church (Whitefish, Montanna) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The resolution passes in a 171-23 vote. A second resolution on joining the LCMC passes in a 171-16 vote.

December 6 – Bethel Lutheran Church (Springfield, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

December 6 – Zion Lutheran Church (Des Moines, Iowa) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

December 6 – First Lutheran Church of Harvey (Harvey, North Dakota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes with 2/3 majority.

December 6 – Stanfold Lutheran Church (Rice Lake, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 50-0 vote.

December 6 – Peace Lutheran Church (Palm Bay, Florida) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which falls just short of 2/3 majority with 64.5%.

December 11 – Lutheran CORE’s website as of today lists 114 member congregations in the USA. It also lists 4 Canadian Oromo member congregations, and 15 international Oromo member congregations.

December 11 – LCMC’s website as of today lists 212 member congregations in the USA, and an additional 48 international member congregations from seven other nations.

December 13 – Zion Lutheran Church (Clear Lake, Iowa) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The resolution passes in a 238 to 119 vote, exactly the 2/3 majority needed to pass. [Bishop Steven L. Ullestad (Northeastern Iowa Synod) is disputing the results of this vote, suggesting that there were 366 (and not 357) members registered to vote at the meeting and that thus 244 (not 238) votes were needed. The congregational president denies the charge.]

December 13 – Bethlehem/West Elbow Lake Lutheran Church (Elbow Lake, Minnesota) will retake its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The previous vote, taken in September, passed but questions were raised as to whether proper notice had been given.

December 13 – American Lutheran Church (Long Prairie, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The resolution passes in a 129-11 vote.

December 13 – Hebron Lutheran Church (Hebron, Kentucky) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 117-4 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC.

December 13 – Zion Lutheran Church (Finland, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The resolution fails to reach 2/3 majority in a 27-20 vote.

December 13 – St. Luke’s Lutheran Church (La Mesa, California) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes. The congregation further votes to officially join the Fellowship of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (FELC).

December 13 – Hope Lutheran Church (Smithfield, Nebraska) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes. A previous vote to join LCMC had also passed.

December 13 – Resurrection Lutheran Church (Fredericksburg, Virginia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails in a 101-136 vote.

December 13 – Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church (Smithfield, Nebraska) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 72-29 vote (1 abstention). An additional vote to associate with the LCMC passes in a 76-24 vote (1 abstention).

December 13 – Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (Rockton, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes by 76%. A further vote to join the LCMC passes with an 81% majority.

December 16 – The Longmont Times-Call reports John Brookes (spokesman for ELCA) to have said 135 congregations have held votes on leaving the ELCA, 97 of which have passed first vote and are in consultation periods as of this date.

December 19 – Zion Lutheran Church (Guyton, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails. Disaffected members of local ELCA congregations continue to hold alternate services together under the title Bible Based Lutherans of Efingham (BiBLE Church). (As of March 28, 2010, the new congregation changes its name to Bible Lutheran Church).

December 20 – Grace Lutheran Church (Detroit Lakes, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The resolution fails in a 48-92 vote.

December 20 – El Camino Pines Lutheran Church (Frazier Park, California) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA and joining the American Association of Lutheran Churches (AALC). It passes with a 98% majority.

December ?? – A tri-parish in Pennsylvania leaves the ELCA after calling a pastor from the Evangelical Lutheran Conference & Ministerium (ELCM). The three churches involved are St. Paul Lutheran Church (McConnellsburg), St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Big Cove Tannery), and Mount Zion Lutheran (Little Cove).

?? – Pondera Valley Lutheran Church (Conrad, Montana) holds its first on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 94-18 vote.

?? – Golden West Lutheran Church (Conrad, Montana) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 32-10 vote.

?? – Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (New London, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails in a split vote with 76 in favour and 77 against. The 76 in favour of breaking ties with the ELCA leave the congregation, and begin a new congregation called “Shepherd of the River” which officially joins the LCMC December 6, 2009.

?? – Peace Lutheran Church (Edgar, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes unanimously.

?? – Pilgrim Lutheran Church (Payallup, Washington) splits after a vote. The senior pastor and a number of congregants leave to start a new congregation.

?? – Bethel Lutheran Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Thanksgiving Lutheran Church (Bellevue, Nebraska) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Rejoice! Lutheran Renewal Church (Northfield, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ECLA. It passes.

?? – Skien Lutheran Church (Sloan, Iowa) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – St. Nicodemus Lutheran Church (East Aurora, New York) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Grace Lutheran Church (Oconto Falls, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Northland Lutheran Church (Iola, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (Big Falls, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (DuPont, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Zion Lutheran Church (Manawa, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – First Lutheran Church (Ogdensburg, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Christus Lutheran Church (Clintonville, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Gillet, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Skien Lutheran Church (Sloan, Iowa) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes. In response, Rev. Lilette Johnston resigns as pastor.

?? – Eagle Grove Lutheran Church (Eagle Grove, Iowa) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority.

?? – Ascension Lutheran Church (Navarino, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails to reach 2/3 majority by 2 votes. In response, Ascension’s pastor resigns from the ELCA.

2010

January 10 – Laurel Hill Lutheran Church (Clyo, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 47-0 vote.

January 10 – Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Springfield, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

January 10 – St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church (Roanoke, Virginia) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA and joining the LCMC, which passes in a 350-104 vote.

January 10 – Faith Lutheran Church (Moline, Illinois) reholds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 208-78 vote.

January 10 – St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, Minnesota) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA and joining the LCMC. It passes unanimously.

January 10 – Northland Lutheran Church (Iola, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in 86-5 vote. The congregation subsequently joins LCMC.

January 10 – St. John’s Lutheran Church (Springfield, Minnesota) holds its [first?] vote on leaving the ELCA. The motion gains 63% support, just short of 2/3 majority. On January 24, the church votes to redirect all benevolence from ELCA, and further joins LCMC and WordAlone in a 71% majority vote.

January 14 – Bishop David Zellmer (South Dakota Synod) announces he has no intention of leading his synod out of the ELCA, ending speculations on the matter.

January 17 – Moe Lutheran Church (Roseau, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 95-39 vote.

January 17 – Peace Lutheran Church (Palm Bay, Florida) holds its second attempt at a first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 176-80 vote.

January 17 – Singsaas Lutheran Church (Hendricks, Minnesota) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

January 17 – Immanuel Lutheran Church (Rockfalls, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach the required 2/3 majority. Disaffected members form a new church after three days: New Life Lutheran Church (Sterling, Illinois). Their first service draws 103 congregants.

January 17 – Christ Lutheran Church (Reese, Michigan) votes to affiliate with the LCMC.

January 17 – Jerusalem Lutheran Church (Rincon, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails. Disaffected members of local ELCA congregations continue to hold alternate services together under the title Bible Based Lutherans of Efingham (BiBLE Church). (As of March 28, 2010, the new congregation changes its name to Bible Lutheran Church).

January 19 – ELCA Secretary David Swartling issues a memo to synod bishops and vice presidents with the title “‘Dual Rostering’ of ordained ministers and congregations is impermissible under the Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” The document may have major implications for congregations currently dual-rostered or intending to dual-roster with CORE, LCMC, or another group.

January 24 – Hosanna! Lutheran Church (Lakeville, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with a 92.5 % majority. Hossana! is the second largest ELCA congregation in Minnesota with an average attendance of 4,500 people per Sunday.

January 24 – Sychar Lutheran Church (Silver Bay, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 48-17 vote. An additional vote to affiliate with the LCMC passes in a 49-15 vote.

January 24 – Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Maple Lake, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The vote passes with a 92% majority. An additional vote to join LCMC passes with a 93% majority.

January 24 – Mount Pilgrim Lutheran Church (Haralson, Georgia) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with a 94% majority.

January 24 – Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Portage, Michigan) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails.

January 24 – St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church (Columbus, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails in a 54-99 vote. Three weeks later, Rev. Larry Barksdale resigns.

January 24 – Bethel Lutheran Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes. An additional vote to join LCMC also passes.

January 24 – First Evangelical Lutheran Church (Barberton, Ohio) holds its [second?] vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes.

January 24 – Faith Lutheran Church (Hartwell, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

January 24 – Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (Lake Oswego, Oregon) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. The vote gains 64% support, just short of the 2/3 majority needed to pass. Disaffected members begin a new LCMC church “Community of Faith”.

January 30 – The Northeastern Iowa Synod rescinds a controversial resolution (see entry for November 14, 2009) which refused to acknowledge the results of the nationwide convention in August. Vice-President Susan Armstrong explained the about-face, stating, “Concerns were raised that the synod council had made decisions that placed the council as a higher authority than the local congregation. There was also the concern that the synod council had placed itself as a higher authority than the churchwide assembly.”

January 31 – Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church (Afton, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with a 90% majority (410 of 455 present). An additional vote to join LCMC passes with a 91% majority (414 out of 455 present).

January 31 – South Zumbro Lutheran Church (Kasson, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 74-11 vote. Unconfirmed reports suggest the ELCA refuses to acknowledge the vote, and that the congregation has sought legal counsel.

January 31 – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Oregon, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes.

January 31 – Christ Lutheran Church (Otsego, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 160-8 vote.

January 31 – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Monroeville, Pennsylvania) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA and joining the LCMC. It fails to reach 2/3 majority in a 113-111 vote (with 2 abstentions).

January 31 – First English Lutheran Church (Wausau, Wisconsin) holds a vote affirming its affiliation with the ELCA. It passes in a 153-64. In response, Rev. Scott Mann resigns and announces his intention to help disaffected members to start a new congregation, possibly with the LCMC.

January 31 – Thanksgiving Lutheran Church (Bellevue, Nebraska) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 283-32 vote.

January 31 – Pondera Valley Lutheran Church (Conrad, Montana) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes.

January 31 – Golden West Lutheran Church (Conrad, Montana) hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes.

January 31 – Hopeful Lutheran Church (Florence, Kentucky) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes.

January 31 – St. Paul Lutheran (New Braunfels, Texas) hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with an 86.2% majority. An additional vote to join LCMC also passes.

January 31 – Christ Lutheran (Santa Clarita, California) votes to suspend benevolence funding to the ELCA. An additional vote to join LCMC also passes.

January ?? – St. John Lutheran Church (Edgar, Wisconsin) splits. Approximately 120 congregants leave to incorporate Hope Lutheran Church, leaving a weekly attendance of about 30 at St. John Lutheran.

January ?? – Disaffected ELCA members in Easley, South Carolina form Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

January ?? – Peace Lutheran Church (Hazen, North Dakota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes.

January ?? – East Lake Andes Lutheran Church (Lake Andes, South Dakota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with a 74% majority.

January ?? – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Boardman, Oregon) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with in a 29-0 vote.

January ?? – Calvary Lutheran Church (Minong, Wisconsin) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails by ten votes. Approximately 60% of the congregation leaves to incorporate New Hope Lutheran Church

January ?? – Disaffected ELCA members in Eau Claire, Wisconsin begin the formation of a new congregation.

January ?? – Rejoice! Lutheran Renewal Church (Northfield, Minnesota) holds its second vote on leaving the ECLA. It passes.

January ?? – Immanuel Lutheran Church (Waukee, Iowa) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

February 7 – The Omaha World Herald reports that 220 congregations have taken first votes on leaving the ELCA. Of these, sixty-four have failed.

February 7 – St. Luke Lutheran Church (Cottage Grove, Minnesota) will hold its first vote on leaving the ELCA.

February 7 – Wingard Memorial Lutheran Church (Clyo, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 13-0 vote.

February 7 – Christ Lutheran Church (Reese, Michigan) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with an 85.4% majority.

February 7 – Central Lutheran Church (Elk River, Minnesota) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 546-85 vote. It previously voted on January 31 to join the LCMC.

February 8 – Christus Lutheran Church (Clintonville, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 162-28 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC.

February 10 – Shepherd of the Woods Lutheran Church and School (Jacksonville, Florida) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with an 89% majority.

February 14 – Grace Lutheran Church (Oconto Falls, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 138-25 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC.

February 14 – St. Nicodemus Lutheran Church (East Aurora, New York) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 53-1 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC.

February 14 – Zion Lutheran Church (Manawa, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 71-8 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC. Zion’s pastor will continue to serve the congregation for a short time while seeking another call to an ELCA congregation.

February 14 – First Lutheran Church (Ogdensburg, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 32-2 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC. First Lutheran’s pastor will continue to serve the congregation for a short time while seeking another call to an ELCA congregation.

February 14 – Bethel Lutheran Church (Holdrege, Nebraska) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority by 7 votes (136-78). Disillusioned members plan to meet February 18 to discuss what their options now are.

February 18 – Lutheran CORE releases “A Vision and Plan” for the formation of the new denomination North American Lutheran Church (NALC).

February 21 – Faith Lutheran Church (Hutchinson, Minnesota) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 178-23 vote.

February 21 – St. Luke Lutheran Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes with a 96% majority.

February 21 – Christ Lutheran Church (Odessa, Washington) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 67-11 vote (2 abstentions).

February 21 – Joyful Harvest Church (Johnsburg, Illinois) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 77-29 vote.

February 28 – Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (Hermiston, Oregon) hold its third attempt at a first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in 45-1 vote. [Previously, an August vote failed to pass by 7 votes. A November vote failed to pass by 4 or 5 votes. ]

February 28 – Faith Lutheran Church (Lakeland, Florida) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 54-23 vote.

February 28 – Richland Lutheran Church (Richland, Washington) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 236-18 vote. An additional vote to join LCMC passes in a 238-13 vote.

February 28 – Christ our Shepherd Lutheran Church (Peachtree City, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority.

February 28 – The synod council of the Florida-Bahamas Synod rejects the request of St. Peter Lutheran Church (Fort Pierce, Florida) to leave the ELCA. The congregation, which unanimously voted twice to leave the ELCA, was formerly a member of Lutheran Church in America (LCA) before the denomination joined ELCA. Former LCA congregations require permission of their synod in addition to two 2/3 majority votes in order to leave the ELCA. It is believed that this is the first vote to leave the ELCA which has been refused by the denomination.

February ?? – Geneva Lutheran Church (Geneva, Illinois) holds its [first?] vote on leaving the ELCA, which fails. Disaffected members leave to organize New Hope Lutheran Church, which holds their opening worship service March 15.

March 7 – St. Paul Lutheran Church (Sterling, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority by 4 votes.

March 7 – Geneva Lutheran Church (Geneva, Illinois) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails to reach 2/3 majority in a 109-80 vote. The vote follows a November vote to affiliate with the LCMC which passed.

March 7 – Wangen Prairie Lutheran Church (Rural Cannon Falls, Minnesota) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

March 13 – The Chicagoist reports that since the August vote, 62 congregations have officially severed ties with the ELCA while nearly 200 others have passed first votes to leave the denomination.

March 14 – St. Paul Lutheran Church (West Manchester Township, Pennsylvania) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 177-35 vote.

March 21 – St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Stendal, Indiana) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 62-2 vote.

March 21 – Christ the King Lutheran Church (Evans, Georgia) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes.

March 21 – Trinity Lutheran Church (Hixton, Tennessee) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails.

March 21 – St. Timothy Lutheran Church (Charleston, West Virgina) will hold its first vote on leaving the ELCA.

March 21 – St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Gillet, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 90-36 vote. The pastor will continue to serve the congregation for a short time while seeking a call to an ELCA congregation.

March 23 – St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (Big Falls, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 72-7 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC.

March 23 – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (DuPont, Wisconsin) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 28-5 vote. The congregation subsequently joins the LCMC.

March 28 – Christ Lutheran Church (Dallastown, Pennsylvania) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 112-5 vote.

March 28 – East Lake Andes Lutheran Church (Lake Andes, South Dakota) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 50-8 vote. A subsequent motion to join the LCMC also passes.

March 28 – Living Word Lutheran Church (Grapevine, Texas) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It passes in a 261-115 vote.

April 11 – Hope Lutheran Church (Smithfield, Nebraska) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

April 18 – Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (Rockton, Illinois) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

April 18 – Peace Lutheran Church (Palm Bay, Florida) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

April 25 – St. Paul Lutheran Church (Peirora, Illinois) will hold its first vote on leaving the ELCA.

April 25 – La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church (Scottsdale, Arizona) will hold its first vote on leaving the ECLA.

May 9 – Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church (Afton, Minnesota) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

May 16 – Hosanna! Lutheran Church (Lakeville, Minnesota) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

June 6 – Faith Lutheran Church (Lakeland, Florida) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

June 6 – Christ Lutheran Church (Reese, Michigan) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

June 6 – Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (Abington, Pennsylvania) will hold its first vote on leaving the ELCA.

September 12 – Assuming the first vote passes as expected, Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (Abington, Pennsylvania) will hold its second vote on leaving the ELCA.

?? – Bethel Lutheran Church (Springfield, Georgia) holds its second vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes.

?? – Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (Joppa, Maryland) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA, which passes. Trinity is the largest ELCA congregation in the Delaware-Maryland synod.

?? – Trinity Lutheran Church (New London, Connecticut) holds its first vote on leaving the ELCA. It fails in a 77-76 vote. Dissafected members leave to create an LCMC congregation.

***

GJ - ELCA keeps saying - not that many have voted twice to leave.

Blog Hopping

The Barry-Otten-McCain administration did nothing about DP Benke, so the later attempt by Wally Schulz ended in Schulz being canned.

So far, four thousand posts have been published on Ichabod. There are about 8,000 unique readers and 330,000 pages read per year. Bogging is fun and brings me a lot of new information daily. I appreciate the contacts from laity, pastors, and theological students.

I find it convenient to follow a lot of Lutheran activity by using the Lutheran News service, which I link on the left - I should say Far Left. Originally the site had a section for Ichabod. Now it does not. However, it does pick up all the Ichabod posts, plus Norman Teigen's, and various other samplings. Blog reading reminds me of library research in the old days. I would target certain works I really wanted, but I also wandered through sections simply to find new material. I heard Stan Hauerwas explaining the same method to someone.

Now I blog-hop.

I have noticed blogs that linked Ichabod at first and stopped. I do not mind, because Google picks up my posts instantly. If I stop to add some references to a post, I often find that the first site listed on Google is my latest one, from a minute before. Art also gets picked up as quickly.

The only thing that bothers me about the un-linking is the attitude behind it, if I can guess motivation. Some worry about reactions from the Lutheran apostates, and the apostates do punish people. The ELCA Wannabees, Shrinkers, and papalists brag openly about their own associations - see Church and Change, Jesus First, and the Missourians sinuflecting toward Rome.

More importantly, why be so timid? The Word makes us bold. Fear is not the opposite of courage but of faith. The more we trust God's Word, the less fear we have. I do not link sites because I agree with them, but because Lutherans need to be up to date about what is happening.

Paul McCain, MDiv, has an amusing post on the Joint Declaration on Justification. That is where ELCA did its own genuflecting to Rome, providing an amalgamation of justification by faith and justification by works.

However, I do not see how McCain can complain. The UOJ position he defends is exactly the same as ELCA's crypto-Universalism.

UOJ teaches everyone is forgiven without faith.

ELCA teaches that everyone is already forgiven. Both teach that their almost identical position is the truth Gospel. ELCA took doctrinal error, similar to McCain's, and combined it with Rome's error.

McCain, like the famous Senator in Arizona, is good at tagging along after trends, so he is currently on the Roman worship bandwagon, which will certainly carry many more to the papacy and Eastern Orthodoxy. (Cf. McCain pal Fenton - EO.)

ELCA and UOJ are demonstrably wrong, but try to tell that to people who parade around with their Confessions without knowing them, without ever standing up for them when it counts.

Aging WELS Pastor To Explode Ministry Through Cell Groups

Paul Calvin Kelm brought New Ager Leonard Sweet to WELS
via the Church and Chicanery conference.
Discipline? Three more calls for Kelm.

Willow Creek College has sent out a fund-raising letter under the name of Nathan J. Strobel, Campus Pastor.

SP Schroeder urged WLC not to hire another campus pastor and certainly not on the far edge of apostasy, I am told. Does this sound like Bruce Becker and the Perish Services call? Yes it does - because WLC is the mother ship of Church and Change and Kelm is their kamikaze pilot.

Somehow I got a copy of the letter and it is a hoot. WELS/ELS laity - ask your pastor for a copy.

WLC is a church. Did you know that? They baptize people at the worship services, according to Strobel.

Here is some verbatim from Strobel's letter:

"Just last month we welcomed Pastor Paul Kelm to serve as our second campus pastor. Our students - faculty and staff - are hungry for Bible study and spiritual guidance, and Pastor Kelm will help us satisfy that desire.

He will focus on small group Bible study opportunities that either he or students will lead. We've recently begun a contemporary Sunday evening service that has allowed students to be both participants and leaders in worship. Now Pastor Kelm will take that service to yet another level of campus involvement.

Most importantly Pastor Kelm and I will work with students as well with faculty and staff on how to intentionalize their faith - actually put it into action - for service and outreach. And our Christian peer leadership mentoring program on campus will literally begin to explode off campus, into area high schools where our students can mentor high school students...teaching them how to talk about Jesus no matter how or where life finds them."

Does this sound like The CORE bragging? Ski has been claiming the same thing, yet Kelm could not ignite his copied Fuel Bible study program in A-Town. Kelm was announced as the leader, but the program ran out of gas soon after and sputtered to a stop.

The WLC board, top-heavy with Gunn CrossWalk people, hired Kelm in opposition to the Synod President. Now they want you to pay for him.