Courtesy photo
The Rev. Matthew Harrison is president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Published: February 5, 2011 3:00 a.m.
Lutheran leader sees Protestants aligning
The Rev. Matthew Harrison has a vision of what the future of American Protestantism might look like – and it includes a potentially big realignment.
Harrison, who was pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne in the 1990s and early 2000s, was elected last year to head the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, a 6,200-congregation denomination with 2.3 million baptized members. The synod is the second-largest and most traditional among the branches of Lutheranism in North America.
In an interview last month during a visit to the Synod’s Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Harrison said he sees opposition to homosexuality and support of traditional marriage as leading to new ties among dissident members of diverse Protestant groups.
“I certainly see it happening,” he said. “It’s a very interesting moment worldwide.”
In recent years, several U.S. denominations including Lutherans, Episcopalians and Presbyterians have seen splinter groups form in reaction to policies that broadened acceptance of homosexuals.
Now, he says the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s recent move to allow some non-celibate gay clergy is affecting the church’s mission in the developing world, where different branches of the faith have traditionally cooperated.
He called the decision “the worst blunder in the history of Lutheran missions,” saying it makes it harder for the church’s message to be heard.
In Africa it’s because of homosexuality’s connection to the AIDS epidemic, he said. In countries such as Indonesia where Islam is prevalent, he added, Islamic radicals seize on the issue as proof that the Western Christian church is decadent and should be rejected.
Harrison said the issue may present an opportunity for his denomination in some countries. In the past several years, Lutheran groups in Madagascar, where the population is 25 percent Lutheran, have made informal overtures to the Missouri Synod. Lutherans in the country have historically aligned with the ELCA, he said.
Another sign of the realignment, he added, is that his denomination and the Anglican Church in North America have begun formal dialogue seeking common ground.
The Anglican body formed in 2008 in a split from the U.S. Episcopal Church largely over the issue of allowing homosexual bishops and priests. It has ties to Anglican churches in Africa that opposed homosexuality, including Uganda, Nigeria and Rwanda.
Anglicans and the Missouri Synod are talking “to be able to affirm each other in significant ways as fellow Christians, stand together against certain societal and ecclesial trends and cooperate together in works of mercy,” according to the synod’s description of the dialogues. They began in November and will continue this year.
Still another sign of movement is a declaration signed by Harrison in December on marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The declaration was endorsed by leaders of about 20 Protestant Christian groups as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church.
Harrison said for Missouri Synod Lutherans, the issue of homosexuality strikes at the root of the authority of Scripture.
“The difficulty we have runs to the very heart of the Gospel – is there salvation outside of Christ? The Bible says no,” he says, adding that those who claim acceptance of homosexuality are imposing their interpretation of the texts.
Harrison last year also wrote a letter to U.S. lawmakers saying that the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the U.S. military “will sorely inhibit our chaplains’ ability to call all sinners to repentance.” He said the new policy will likely lead to openly homosexual chaplains and added that Missouri Synod members may be counseled not to partake of their services.
“But the challenge for the Missouri Synod on this whole issue is simply not to be the denomination of ‘no.’ ” he said.
“It is my deep desire to refrain from statements against homosexuality, at the same time affirming the biblical stance and that the church has a role in assisting people who struggle with this issue,” Harrison said.
In Fort Wayne, Harrison was known for spearheading a project with neighboring St. Peter Catholic Church that rejuvenated the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood.
Dilapidated homes were cleared from a 10-block area around the churches and replaced with new development, such as the Pontiac branch of the Allen County Public Library and the headquarters of the Urban League.
After leaving Fort Wayne, Harrison served as executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care.
Harrison, who was pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne in the 1990s and early 2000s, was elected last year to head the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, a 6,200-congregation denomination with 2.3 million baptized members. The synod is the second-largest and most traditional among the branches of Lutheranism in North America.
In an interview last month during a visit to the Synod’s Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Harrison said he sees opposition to homosexuality and support of traditional marriage as leading to new ties among dissident members of diverse Protestant groups.
“I certainly see it happening,” he said. “It’s a very interesting moment worldwide.”
In recent years, several U.S. denominations including Lutherans, Episcopalians and Presbyterians have seen splinter groups form in reaction to policies that broadened acceptance of homosexuals.
Now, he says the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s recent move to allow some non-celibate gay clergy is affecting the church’s mission in the developing world, where different branches of the faith have traditionally cooperated.
He called the decision “the worst blunder in the history of Lutheran missions,” saying it makes it harder for the church’s message to be heard.
In Africa it’s because of homosexuality’s connection to the AIDS epidemic, he said. In countries such as Indonesia where Islam is prevalent, he added, Islamic radicals seize on the issue as proof that the Western Christian church is decadent and should be rejected.
Harrison said the issue may present an opportunity for his denomination in some countries. In the past several years, Lutheran groups in Madagascar, where the population is 25 percent Lutheran, have made informal overtures to the Missouri Synod. Lutherans in the country have historically aligned with the ELCA, he said.
Another sign of the realignment, he added, is that his denomination and the Anglican Church in North America have begun formal dialogue seeking common ground.
The Anglican body formed in 2008 in a split from the U.S. Episcopal Church largely over the issue of allowing homosexual bishops and priests. It has ties to Anglican churches in Africa that opposed homosexuality, including Uganda, Nigeria and Rwanda.
Anglicans and the Missouri Synod are talking “to be able to affirm each other in significant ways as fellow Christians, stand together against certain societal and ecclesial trends and cooperate together in works of mercy,” according to the synod’s description of the dialogues. They began in November and will continue this year.
Still another sign of movement is a declaration signed by Harrison in December on marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The declaration was endorsed by leaders of about 20 Protestant Christian groups as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church.
Harrison said for Missouri Synod Lutherans, the issue of homosexuality strikes at the root of the authority of Scripture.
“The difficulty we have runs to the very heart of the Gospel – is there salvation outside of Christ? The Bible says no,” he says, adding that those who claim acceptance of homosexuality are imposing their interpretation of the texts.
Harrison last year also wrote a letter to U.S. lawmakers saying that the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the U.S. military “will sorely inhibit our chaplains’ ability to call all sinners to repentance.” He said the new policy will likely lead to openly homosexual chaplains and added that Missouri Synod members may be counseled not to partake of their services.
“But the challenge for the Missouri Synod on this whole issue is simply not to be the denomination of ‘no.’ ” he said.
“It is my deep desire to refrain from statements against homosexuality, at the same time affirming the biblical stance and that the church has a role in assisting people who struggle with this issue,” Harrison said.
In Fort Wayne, Harrison was known for spearheading a project with neighboring St. Peter Catholic Church that rejuvenated the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood.
Dilapidated homes were cleared from a 10-block area around the churches and replaced with new development, such as the Pontiac branch of the Allen County Public Library and the headquarters of the Urban League.
After leaving Fort Wayne, Harrison served as executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care.
9 comments:
“But the challenge for the Missouri Synod on this whole issue is simply not to be the denomination of ‘no.’ ” he said.
“It is my deep desire to refrain from statements against homosexuality, at the same time affirming the biblical stance and that the church has a role in assisting people who struggle with this issue,” Harrison said.
Conservative? Faithful to Scripture? Faithful to Christ? Lutheran? No.
Harrison was known for spearheading a project with neighboring St. Peter Catholic Church that rejuvenated the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood...and replaced with new development, such as...the headquarters of the Urban League.
http://www.nul.org
The National Urban League is as socialist and antiChristian as Lutheran World Relief - an arm of the murderous United Nations and a favorite of LCMS Presidente Matt Harrison.
The more we look at his statements the bigger the sham his confessionalism seems. This guy is supposed to be an improvement but there are even some Missouri pastors have their doubts.
The denomination of no,eh! Does that mean those of us in LCMS are supposed to find a way to accomodate all of the crap and be like many other apostates? Last I read the Bible was firmly against homosexuality. Those who struggle with being homosexual will come asking for repentance and turn away from the sin. We are not going to get anywhere by being nice about this sin.
A big part of the problem I have with him and I belong to the LCMS is that he is doing what most liberals do. He is endorsing missionary ecumenicism. I don't know about you but I am not interested in promoting Anglicans or anyone else. Everytime Lutherans go to meet the Reforms at the table they have to give up who they are for the errorists.
The Anglican—Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) is an organization which seeks to make ecumenical progress between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. The sponsors are the Anglican Consultative Council and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (formerly the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity).
ARCIC seeks to identify common ground between the two communions. Ecumenical relations have become strained, owing to the ordination of women within the Anglican Communion and, in more recent years, the Anglican communion has internally become increasingly more divisive over issues concerning christology, biblical interpretation, the authority of scripture and holy tradition, the relevance and significance of the resurrection, and issues concerning human sexuality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_Communion
All ya'll LCMS'ers need to start practicing How to Greet your Pope:
1.1
Dress appropriately, regardless of your views on dress codes and personal liberty [or the Antichrist].
2.2
Choose a dark suit [blah]
3.3
Select a dress [blah, blah]
4.4
Addressing the pope by letter, one writes to His Holiness, [blah, blah, blah]
5.5
Use the following salutation: Your Holiness or Most Holy Father [as the (W)ELS teaches, it's how you say it that matters].
6.6
Say "Your Holiness" or "Most Holy Father" when speaking directly to the pontiff, no matter what your religious affiliation.
7.7
Listen to the pope's assistants for instructions on where to stand in the audience room [again, the (W)ELS teaches it's how you stand that indicates authority or in this case the depth of your submissiveness].
8.8
Make a low bow, or go down on one knee, when being presented to the pontiff. Once again, disregard your religious affiliation [in other words, "carry on - as you were"].
[now the good part]
9.9
Take the pope's right hand and kiss his ring if you're a Catholic.
You don't have to be Roman to kiss the ring. Look at ELCA.
Instead of working with other bodies in "externals," how about getting your own house in order, Missouri. I have not heard one word from this "confessional" administration addressing open and quasi-closed Communion in the LCMS. The "worship wars" continue as Missouri happily-clappily descends into becoming Southern Baptist with a touch of Pentecostalism.
I really believe part of the problem is that the laity and clergy equate social conservatism to being confessional. While I certainly agree that we should be pro-life and against gay marriage, being on the correct side of these issues does not mean we are doctrinally correct. The Southern Baptists (oops, sorry Pastor Jackson, that's Babtists) are about as socially conservative as one can get, but their theology is rotten. Sorry to keep repeating myself, but ELCA equals Democrat; LCMS equals Republican. Neither is Lutheran. But hey, there's WELS, as I recently heard one of their members say that they're not like that rotten Missouri. Jeske must not think they're too bad.
I'm firmly convinced now more than ever that WELS is worse than Missouri. At least Missouri has a substantially large confessional faction, whereas WELS has basically nothing (Intrepid Lutherans is the height of our Confessional Movement). WELS paints itself as the most conservative of the synods, but it really is only the most *socially conservative*, as the above commentator suggests.
Yeah. The LCMS is six times better than the WELS (Confessionally) yet six times worse at the same time.
Check out Higher Things on youtube. Compare that to WELS youth group attitudes.
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1100308.htm
LCMS leaders attend ecumenical meeting with pope
"Christ, Our Hope for Unity" was the theme for an April 18 prayer service led by Pope Benedict XVI at St. Joseph Parish, a German Roman Catholic congregation in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, N.Y., with some 350 ecumenical guests in attendance.
Among the 30 Lutherans invited to attend this "ecumenical meeting" with the pope, as it was referred to in the invitation, were Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod President Gerald B. Kieschnick and Dr. Samuel H. Nafzger, one of the LCMS participants in the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue and executive director of the Synod's Commission on Theology and Church Relations. Also attending were local LCMS pastors and officials in New York City.
http://www.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=13386
Kissing the Antichrist's ring is just a formality at this point.
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