ALPB Online
May 22--Our Saviour's, Ackley, Iowa passed its 2nd vote to leave the ELCA 28-8 (82%). They have voted to go NALC. It's a small congregation, formed in 1964 as an ALC congregation. They were my first calll (1987-1994). Their present pastor has also been received into the NALC.
In addition to Our Saviour's, in May three other ELCA congregations in Iowa went NALC (Trinity, Avoca; St. Paul's, Sheldon; and Waterloo Ridge, Dorchester), bringing the NALC in Iowa to 21 congregations. Trinity and St. Paul's were Western Iowa Synod; Waterloo Ridge was Northeast Iowa Synod. There are more congregations in the pipeline. I think we could be at 30 NALC congregations in Iowa by fall. The NALC total is now past 230 (hard for the website to keep up). Over the last few weeks, it's been 9 congregations and 9 pastors per week.
Ken
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GJ - The NALC is the bishops' synod. The older (and more like the ALC) LCMC has around 700 congregations. The two new groups are working together and seem to be similar in their doctrine, which includes women's ordination.
There are several other groups gaining from the exits, including the AALC and the LMS-USA.
Look for more ELCA seminaries to fail, a combination of reduced financial support and failing endowment funds. Those on death row already are: Chicago, Dubuque, Southern, and Berkeley.
Chicago and Dubuque could combine with Trinity in Columbus. Southern could be added to save face.
The two Pennsylvania seminaries, which were to merged in 1962, could combine eventually.
