Oh! Oh! I just thought up a new Church Growth principle. The Syn Conference has been busy driving faithful Lutherans away from them while training the remainder in Enthusiasm.
ELCA has fallen apart. The cause? It is the typical result of Pietism's love and doctrinal indifference turning into rancid political activism. The beneficiaries should be the Little Sect or the Missouri Synod (ELCA's partner for decades) and the Wisconsin Sect.
One must be geographically blessed to be near an ELS parish, because they barely exist as a percentage of all Lutherans in America.
Half of the Wisconsin Sect members live in that state, with 25% in Minnesota and another 25% in Michigan. All the rest are scattered across the remaining 47 states, like nutmeg in a large tureen of egg nog, specks.
Most of Missouri is within 300 miles of St. Louis.
Doctrinal Proximity
Doctrinally, the Little Three are close to the old LCA. They have open communion and Don't Ask Don't Tell communion. DADT communion means not having a notice in the bulletin about closed communion and not blocking the guy in the turban who comes forward.
As I pointed out before, the old LCA may have stated they had open communion but I never saw it in practice. People communed in their own parish, even when they were LCA.
The LCA and ALC instituted women's ordination after old Franklin C. Fry died. He would not even discuss the topic. His granddaughter was ordained. The Little Three have begun women pastors without the obstruction of voting on it first. SPindoktor Mark Schroeder has already done more for women's ordination than Gurgle ever attempted.
Doctrinal Disagreement
Universalism
ELCA has the most in common with the Little Three in its Gospel Reductionism--Everyone is forgiven and saved--another version of Universal Objective Justification.
In ELCA and the Little Three, forgiveness is ladled out rather sloppily. There is no mercy for anyone who disagrees with Whorely Mother Synod. But, if a synodical buddy is caught in felonies, abuse of members, or good old fashioned Sodomy, grace is abundant and cheap.
That is where ELCA members will catch the scent of UOJ bullies and flee in another direction.
Biblical Indifference
The ELCA radicals do whatever they want with the meaning of the Bible. The Little Three have done the same with the new translations they are promoting. The New NIV is a disgrace, and WELS loves it. Missouri's ESV is definitely second best or perhaps second worst.
The so-called Biblical Lutherans are allergic to anything King James, although they used to promote it as the only one, the one closest to Luther's German Bible. Tyndale worked with Luther and Luther's circle, dying for his efforts. The King James is a modest revision of the Tyndale. WELS combines Biblical indifference with heavy-handedness, willing to excommunicate over a translation while saying, "Let's not be legalistic!"
LCMC and NALC Attract the Syn Conference Refugees
ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson has already started 1000 new missions for the LCMC and the NALC. These 1,000 congregations seem to be among the largest in ELCA. Others are not actually leaving in a legal sense but escaping via their budget and loyalties.
There is no reason why a WELS, Missouri, or ELS member would feel uncomfortable in the doctrine and practice of an LCMC or NALC congregation, from what I can determine.
Both new groups will fuss over ELCA's apostasy for some time, but they do not have the baggage, resentments, and blood-feuds of the Little Three. Moreover, there is an excitement about the Scriptures, doctrine, and the Book of Concord that is mostly lacking in the Little Three.
The Little Three are going to empty out in concert with ELCA, for the same reasons - too much in common, too many bad associations, too much bullying.
