"In 1987, I was elected the first presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the fourth-largest Protestant denomination in the United States. By now the issue had bubbled up into a national crisis. Along with other denominations, the ELCA was seeking to develop a policy on gay ordination, gay marriage and related questions."
Hilarious - Happy To Post a Correction!
I wish I could do one thing - scan the photo from The Lutheran magazine - "Chiefs Confer." The Lutheran was the Lutheran Church in America periodical, which went back to the time of William Passavant, who started up congregations, social services, and encouraged new synods, such as Augustana. Early mergers did not change the magazine title as they grew together and into one another, until The Living Lutheran spoke for ELCA - and now is dead.
The "Chiefs Confer" photo was posed at the Snowbird Conference, and the picture included the LCA president (Chilstrom), the LCMS president (Bohlmann), and the WELS president (Mischke). I kept insisting that Herman Otten post the photo in Christian News. I had the copy of The Lutheran - and he probably did, too, CN posted it. Holy Hell broke loose in WELS - and District Presidents (managers, not leaders) were sent out to hose down inflamed congregations. I did my best to get the news out.
The only difference in the Big Three (LCA-LCMS-WELS) at that time was ELCA openly promoting the gay agenda. LCMS and WELS were doing the same thing and denying it.
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| These are the idols of the The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic). Sadly, some have died and cannot come back to tell their pastor-students and synod shysters that they are burning in the everlasting fires of unFaith. |
The Big Five Are Faithless
That was a long introduction, and I almost apologize for it. The facts - carefully gathered and reproduced by the wonders of the Internet - should clearly reveal the problem of all five Lutheran shopping centers - they are faithless and the discerning are leaving by droves.
They state - in their own delightful way - that they confess the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, which was written by Melanchthon, edited by a Luther too dangerous to bring to town, and supported by the laity.
That makes them Confessional Lutherans - much to confess but none of it truthful. They deny Justification by Faith, which is clearly taught by the Scriptures, Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz.
As Dr. Lito Cruz says, "If they are confessional, why do they not confess the Lutheran Confessions (Augsburg Confession, Book of Concord)." The entire Bible teaches this, not just Romans, or just the New Testament, but in the First Gospel of Genesis 3:15 and the declaration of Justification by Faith in Genesis 15:5f.
KJV Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Not even the Preus Family can claim numbers greater than the stars in Heaven. This Justification by Faith pronouncement means Abraham's tribe - and - his line which would include King David, the Son of David, and the countless Christian believers who lived and died in the Faith. We can only see about 3,000 stars in the sky with our eyes, but our telescopes can see gazillions. Thus we can only start to count the numbers of those souls received into everlasting life, through faith in Him. "Every soul has a name," as one professor said, and I named three in granite on my only parcel of land - Christina, Bethany, and Erin Joy.
The only access to grace comes from faith in Jesus Christ. The word access is so simple and easy to understand in Greek or English. Access means introduction. Every doctor's desk asks, "Do you have an appointment?" Salesmen have appointments - women too. I made a point of meeting Walmart top executives - the last two Chief Executive Officers, and some billionaire Walton family members. I did not have an appointment but I had access.
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| The Big Five do not rejoice in hope of the glory of God, because they deny faith, which gives them access into His grace. |
