I added the David Barnhardt blog to the blog list on the left (farther down). I may do more of Blog This! in the future, when I put a link up to feature stories.
Pastor Barnhardt and I were early refuseniks who did not go along with the ELCA merger. Barnhardt exposed what Herb Chilstrom was doing in Minnesota, which probably helped Chilstrom become ELCA Bishop.
This is the core of the story. The Minnesota district of the LCA had a program to treat young sex offenders. The entire family was assaulted with x-rated pornography for several days. Chilstrom refused to view the films, but defended the program, part of Lutheran Social Services.
Chilstrom's adopted son committed suicide. Some think that event was behind Herb's gay activism campaign. Long ago and far away, I had lunch with Herb at one of those clergy gatherings for pastors ordained a certain length of time. He was quite pleasant, interested in my dissertation about A. D. Mattson, his professor at Augustana Seminary in Rock Island.
The Minnesota radicals (Chilstrom, Hanson) leveraged the NWC-Jungkuntz potential of ELCA. David Preus and James Crumley--the ALC and LCA presidents at the time of merger--now regret the formation of ELCA. Big egos, big plans - big mistake.
Readers should pay attention to the LCMC and NALC as they form. Both groups have women's ordination established. Missouri and WELS wink at their own examples of women pastors. They will switch rather than fight.
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Kansas Lutherans
Bishop Crumley made the statement to a gathering of over 500 clergy and laity last Saturday, Jan. 9, at a gathering sponsored by Orthodox Lutherans of South Carolina. You can read more about them here.
“I conclude that there is no evidence based on the text of Scripture which permits or mandates the change as stated in the new policy adopted at the assembly(churchwide). The action rather was unconstitutional and violated a part of the Confession of Faith. On that basis, the appropriate question is whether the ELCA is still without question a faithful and confessing church. I conclude that the ELCA has placed itself in a precarious position.”