Before and After - Presiding Bishop Liz Eaton - Mysterious Leave of Absence

Before - Liz was elected in 2013

After - Two photographs were published showing a singular lack of joy in her work.

The ironic caption reminds everyone - why silent about the leave of absence for up to six months?

Four months after Eaton's leave-of-absence began, the Lutheran Forum Ovaline Newsletter asked the question, what is going on? Given the Ovaltines' knowledge of all things ELCA, the author should have known. Officially, ELCA is being silent and the Ovaltines wonder why nothing is being explained. The ELCA Constitution allows for a leave-of-absence and a male pastor has filled her role. Why such a stretch, four months, six months!? That anticipated quite a serious situation. The announcement and temporary replacement came after the leave-of-absence started. That suggests a serious crisis, as the photos suggest.

ELCA released a video with Liz featured and added, "This was taped before the leave of absence began."

As I have suggest before, Eaton started a blaze that is now consuming ELCA. I recall her uppity remarks about the 2009 ELCA vote to go all out for all genders. As a local bishop in Ohio, she was publicly sarcastic about people cringing over that vote. Nothing much was going to happen. But it was more like the signs of a tsunami - quiet at first, no worries, the water is actually receding. But then - run, run, run!

They had the keen idea to recruit a new set of male pastors -

Heterosexual men were not going to rush to spend large amounts of money where they would not feel welcome among the feminine males and the masculine females. Seminary enrollments declined anyway and those institutions have caved in, moved to smaller headquarters, and even sold the property, as the Lutheran School of Theology.

There were a few women bishops at first, but now they dominate ELCA's bishop roster. The male bishops list their wives and children, but the female bishops are silent about their domestic relationships. I might have missed that detail. I hope someone fills me in. 

Guy Erwin became the first acknowledged homosexual ELCA bishop - also an Osage Indian. Just as quickly, he became the president of the United (but divided) Seminary in Philadelphia. The previous seminary president was a woman, which was heartening to many, but she had a serious hetero past, which defenestrated her. Megan was there when Guy was promoted to pastor to bishop in California. Megan is suing ELCA for forcing her to resign as bishop. She was stricken from the role of pastors and is now working at Glide Memorial "Church" - as anti-Christian as it can be, but that is ELCA's natural role now.

My conclusion is - the upheaval in California and Eaton's reaction combined to create an ongoing crisis among various political groups in ELCA. Yanking Rohrer from her position - and the pastoral role - made it that much easier to focus on Eaton. Nobody seems to be "Reconciling in Christ," their strange slogan, given what they promote.

"In 1867, Krauth and his schoolmate Rev. William Passavant founded the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The General Council had seven regional bodies which had withdrawn from the General Synod.

During Krauth's lifetime, the LTSP was at Franklin Square.^[4] In 1889 it moved to Mount Airy.^[4] In 1908 its new library there was dedicated as the Krauth Memorial Library in memory of Krauth.^[4]"

^{Yes, Erwin is now the president of the Philadelphia/Gettysburg Seminary.} 

^{I was interviewed for a job at the Philadelphia Seminary and happily dodged that bullet.}

Schmauk was president of the Philadelphia Seminary and a superb author. Augustana College in Rock Island gave him an honorary degree. I refuse to accept Augustana's mail.

Comment on Reformation and Vimeo - From Pastor Jim Shrader

 

In a surprise visit, a long-time friend stopped by and talked about the Library recently organized and graced with a computer and wifi. He asked about getting a Krauth Conservative Reformation, spotted it, and happily took it home to add to his reading collection. He already had a Schmauk and other gems. He is an layman who knows Lutheran doctrine much better than the Walther-Calvin maggot priests.

"Excellent. Thanks, Greg for getting these out every Sunday (in spite of any Vimeo problems). IMO the printed word and Norma's art makes up for any Vimeo technological problems." 

Pastor Jim Shrader

Vimeo It Not in Gath!

Tis strange how the synodicals fawn over Peter Drucker but have never opened Schmauk's brilliant, Biblical defense of the Gospel.

Krauth on Indulging False Doctrine - A Good Reminder For Mark Schroeder, Liz Eaton, and Matt Harrison

 

Wesley's words were augmented a century later by Charles Porterfield Krauth:

But the practical result of this principle is one on which there is no need of speculating; it works in one unvarying way. When error is admitted into the Church, it will be found that the stages of its progress are always three. It begins by asking toleration. Its friends say to the majority: You need not be afraid of us; we are few and weak; only let us alone; we shall not disturb the faith of others. The Church has her standards of doctrine; of course we shall never interfere with them; we only ask for ourselves to be spared interference with our private opinions.

Indulged in this for a time, error goes on to assert equal rights. Truth and error are two balancing forces. The Church shall do nothing which looks like deciding between them; that would be partiality. It is bigotry to assert any superior right for the truth. We are to agree to differ and any favoring of the truth, because it is truth, is partisanship. What the friends of truth and error hold in common is fundamental. Anything on which they differ is “ipso facto” non-essential. Anybody who makes account of such a thing is a disturber of the peace of the church. Truth and error are two co-ordinate powers, and the great secret of church-statesmanship is to preserve the balance between them.

From this point error soon goes on to its natural end, which is to assert supremacy. Truth started with tolerating; it comes to be merely tolerated and that only for a time. Error claims a preference for its judgments on all disputed points. It puts men into position, not as at first in spite of their departure from the Church’s faith, but in consequence of it. Their recommendation is that they repudiate that faith, and position is given them to teach others to repudiate it, and make them skillful in combating it." (pp. 195-196)

From: “THE CONSERVATIVE REFORMATION AND ITS THEOLOGY as represented in the Augsburg Confession and in the history and literature of the Evangelical Lutheran Church” by Charles P. Krauth, D.D. (1871). [Note date]

3 posted on 10/21/2023, 5:22:23 PM by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)

Review of Krauth's Infant Baptism and Salvation in Calvinism on Amazon

The print copy of Krauth's Infant Baptism and Salvation in Calvinism can be found here on Amazon.

Charles Krauth is a famous name among Lutherans, and he deserves to be read more often. A group of us were discussing Calvinism when I picked up my copy of Infant Baptism and began reading it. This is a great resource to have, especially since so many Lutherans have retreated from the Reformation and found aid and comfort in Calvinistic and Pentecostal institutions. Krauth is generous in his comments about Calvinism having similarities with the Lutheran Confessions. However, his quotations on this topic are devastating to the cause of Zwingli, Calvin, and their disciples. One shocking theme is the casual attitude toward Holy Baptism. The children of the elect do not need baptism, because they are born saved. But the other babies are lost to perdition, even when they are given this sacrament, this visible Word of Gospel Promise.

The free ebook of Krauth's Infant Baptism and Salvation can be found here - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry.

Sayings of Krauth

We may make compromises on preferences, but none on principles; we may surrender our likes, but not our faith.

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All other things are but the casket; truth is the jewel of the Church.

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Error may look plausible on one or two sides, but the more you multiply the points of view, the more obvious become her deformities.

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Whatever may be the judgment pronounced by men upon the Bible is a judgment on themselves.

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Hard doubts are the penalties of hard thought; strong faith is its reward.

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It is not so much the difficulties that make the skeptic, as the skeptic who makes the difficulties.

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There is but one thing on earth worth having and worth fighting for, and that is truth.

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A full love of the truth always makes a man morally brave.

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Neutrality between good and evil always means secret sympathy with the evil; not, indeed, necessarily the concurrence of the judgment with the evil, but something in the moral state of the man in affinity with it.

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The neutral man is controlled by supreme love of self. The question of right is to him nothing.

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Nothing is more untrue, than much that is very sincere.

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In the great battle of life, the secret of doing good, soldierly work, is to get upon a substantial hobby, and ride it with all your might.

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A good man is a Shekinah. God dwells in him.

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Energy without system is a giant without eyes, as system without energy is simply a steam-engine without the steam.

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Music is more natural to man than speech. We all sing sooner than we talk.

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Truth must proscribe, or be proscribed.

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Oral tradition is a most un-Protestant species of evidence. The mouth is a Papist, the pen is a Protestant.

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“He said,” is Romish; “It is written,” is Lutheran.

The Lutheran Librarian - A Flowing Artesian Well of Classic Books

 A Summary of the Christian Faith is one of the most sought books by Lutheran seminarians. Henry Eyster Jacobs' work is a clear explanation of basic Lutheran, Biblical doctrine.

 A flowing artesian well - U.S. Navy photo by Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ken Mazer. One never knows until the well is tapped.

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"The Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry finds, restores and republishes good, readable books from Lutheran authors and those of other sound Christian traditions. All titles are available at little to no cost in proofread and freshly typeset editions. Many free e-books are available at our website LutheranLibrary.org. Please enjoy this book and let others know about this completely volunteer service to God’s people. May the Lord bless you and bring you peace."

Infant Baptism and Salvation in Calvinism
by Charles Krauth

 New Testament Conversions -
by George Gerberding

Joseph Hocking - Sham

Edward Roe - Without a Home

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