She's Back!

 

ELCA now has women and men parading as same-sex bishops.

Bishop Eaton Reflects on UMC’s Historic Changes and Ecumenical Growth

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on the profound changes emerging from the recently concluded United Methodist Church (UMC) General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. After being postponed since 2020, the conference highlighted the UMC's adoption of significant measures including the lifting of a 40-year ban on the ordination of practicing homosexual clergy, and the expansion of marriage definitions to include same-sex couples. These actions represent a major step toward a more equitable, diverse, and global church structure. 

Additionally, the UMC celebrated full communion proposals with The Episcopal Church and ongoing communion with the Moravian Church. 

Bishop Eaton underscores the ELCA's joy and gratitude for 15 years of full communion with the UMC, celebrating the shared commitment to inclusivity and unity in Christian teaching.

Read @ elca.org

Dear church,

In 1 Corinthians 12:26 the apostle Paul reminds us that "if one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." For 15 years we have accompanied our full-communion siblings in the United Methodist Church (UMC) through joyous and challenging times. We know firsthand the pain of debate, disaffiliation and division that they have experienced. Yet we also know the hope-filled renewal of Christ's church.

Last week the UMC General Conference, postponed since 2020, concluded in Charlotte, N.C. With each day's news we witnessed our partner church emerging strengthened, revitalized and united. Several actions will shape the future of the UMC. These include the adoption of a plan for worldwide regionalization to restructure the UMC as a truly equitable, diverse and global church, which now goes to annual conferences for ratification. Regionalization will allow for unity within the worldwide UMC structure, even as members hold diverse opinions on the following actions:

Lifting a 40-year ban on the ordination of practicing homosexual clergy.

Lifting restrictions on clergy to officiate at, and on congregations to host, weddings between adults of the same gender.

Eliminating from the UMC's Social Principles the assertion that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.

Broadening the definition of marriage to be between either a man and a woman or two consenting adults.

The UMC welcomed over 70 ecumenical guests, who were present when the conference adopted a proposal for full communion with The Episcopal Church (TEC); this now awaits action by the TEC General Convention. Worship included a postponed celebration of full communion with the Moravian Church in America (Northern and Southern provinces), ratified in 2018, and a sermon titled "Christian Unity Matters," preached by the Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches.

These significant actions and the UMC's witness to the ecumenical vocation we share come as we celebrate 15 years of full communion. The ELCA rejoices and gives thanks to God for the opportunity to proclaim together, from this point forward, that Christian teaching is for all people and that the gifts of all are welcome and needed to serve Christ's church.

In unity,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding Woke Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

From the Living (sic) Lutheran - The House Organ for a Dying Transgender ELCA

 

Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a statement on anti-LGBTQIA+ bills that have recently been introduced in the United States. “​As we approach March 31, many people are preparing to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility, an international day to celebrate the contributions of transgender people and raise awareness about the deadly injustices they face,” the statement read, in part.

The statement continued: “As bishop of this church, I am concerned that the rights of transgender and nonbinary Americans have been targeted all over this nation. Nearly 400 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills were introduced across the United States in 2022, most of them targeting trans youth. That is twice the number from 2021 and almost eight times the total from 2020. The language in many of these bills attacks the humanity of trans and nonbinary people, often erasing the dignity that should be afforded to everyone.

“While members of our church hold various convictions regarding gender, the teaching of our church supports legislation and policies to protect every person’s human dignity and civil rights. (Human Sexuality, p. 19) As Christians we believe every human being is created in God’s image, and we must honor and celebrate God’s creation. Our church teaches that we affirm transgender and nonbinary siblings as God’s children, who are loved unconditionally. Our social statement Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action (2019) also declares that this church commits itself to ‘advocate for and support laws, policies, and practices that respect diverse bodies rather than discriminating against, objectifying, or devaluing them’ (p. 60).

Queer Seminarians & Rostered Ministry Leaders in the Lutheran Church

Those quasi-Lutherans who covet Rome are fueling the rage for Catholic Smells and Belles. There is the Antichrist and the Antichrists, the sycophant followers.

“I urge us, as people of faith, to love our neighbors, care for the vulnerable and marginalized, and work for justice and equality. We may have differing opinions on ‘matters related to sexual orientation and gender identity,’ (FSJ, p. 61) but we must always uphold the dignity and humanity of everyone. These disagreements do not allow us to accept actions that dehumanize, discriminate against or objectify any individual or group.”

Read the full statement.

Read more about:

 Religious news & social issues    Faith and spirituality, Justice, LGBTQ, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

ELCA'S First Presiding Bishop - Herb Chilstrom - To Be Buried

 Herb Chilstrom paved the road to Hell with his good intentions.

 Bishop Deborah Hutterer has four years parish experience - why not be a seminary president? Half of the ELCA bishops are women.

The Rev. Dr. Herbert W. Chilstrom, 88, first presiding bishop of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), died Jan. 19, at his home in Green Valley, Arizona. Services of Holy Communion will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at Desert Hills Lutheran Church, 2150 S. Camino del Sol, Green Valley, Arizona. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will bring a greeting, Bishop Deborah Hutterer will preach and Pastor Martin Overson will preside. Reception to follow. Second service will also be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Christ Chapel Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will preside and bring a greeting, Presiding Bishop Emeritus Mark Hanson will preach, Bishop Jon Anderson will bring a greeting and Chaplain Siri Erickson will host. Reception to follow. For each service, clergy and rostered leaders of the ELCA, together with clergy of the ELCA’s ecumenical partners, are invited to robe and process and are asked to RSVP (to jhoward@dhlc.org for Desert Hills and to https://forms.gle/ZB162Zyf99ETnKg5A for Christ Chapel). The vestments color of the day will be green.

The Rev. Dr. Herbert W. Chilstrom was born Oct. 18, 1931, in Litchfield, Minnesota. Chilstrom completed academic degrees at Augsburg University, Augustana Seminary, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Princeton Seminary and New York University, where he earned a doctorate in education degree.

He served Lutheran congregations in Pelican Rapids, Elizabeth and St. Peter. He was professor and dean at Luther College, Teaneck, New Jersey, from 1962 to 1970. In 1976, he was elected bishop of Minnesota Synod of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). At the 1987 merger that created the 5.2 million member ELCA, he was elected first presiding bishop.

Louise Johnson, DD, Lands a Grant To Shorten One's Stay in Wartburg College and Seminary. To Dream the Impossible Dream. This Is My Quest To Follow That Star! No Matter How Hopeless No Matter How Far

 Wartburg posted this pose as her thrilled and excited photo
when they gave Louise Johnson an honorary D.D.

Wartburg Theological Seminary has received a $497,115 grant from The Kern Family Foundation to streamline preparation for pastoral ministry for first career ministerial students in partnership with Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. The grant allows for implementation of a fully integrated Bachelor of Arts/Master of Divinity degree program to provide leadership, theological education and spiritual formation embedded in congregational contexts.

This new program will include 3 years of BA education at Wartburg College with at least one semester interfacing with Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, IA. The final 3 years (which includes a year to complete an internship required by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) will be located in a collaborative congregational context.

Louise N. Johnson, Wartburg Seminary President, explains, “The generosity of the Kern Foundation and the partnership of Wartburg College offer us an extraordinary opportunity to press into our calling to form young faith leaders, who can proclaim words of hope, healing, forgiveness, mercy, grace to a world desperately longing to hear and to know the living God.”

***

GJ - Without foundation grants, Mrs. Ichabod and I finished Augustana in three years and a quarter. I finished seminary, so that both degrees took six years, including a vicarage. Mrs. Ichabod earned a master's degree in German literature, where most of the classes were in German. So she also earned two degrees in six years, plus working at the UniWat library.

Reu has been forgotten. Where did he teach?
Wartburg? Really!

Louise Johnson, DD - “Vocation was a huge piece of what Martin Luther gave the church. His reframing of a sense of vocation was radical at the time, and in its own way, is still radical now,” she said. “It pushes us to think differently about how we spend our time and what God calls us to do and how we understand that. Those basic Reformation principles still sing in our culture today.”

 ELCA Bishop Liz Eaton has a lot more damage planned.
Most of her higher education appointments have been single women, so put a ring on it.

 ELCiC Bishop Susan Johnson

 Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber

Encore.

 Bishop April Larson

 Pastor Anita Hill paved the way for
Mark Hanson's career.

 Pastor Megan Rohrer is
ELCA's first openly transgender pastor.

 Dr. Robin Steinke is thrilled and excited to sell off
Luther Seminary property.

WELS-LCMS-ELS Partner in Ministry: ELCA Presiding Bishop Shares Stage with the Most Radical ELCA Pastors - The Liberal Lutheran Church Today

 Close your eyes to this, like the good SPs do.
If you follow the embedded links, you will read many
blasphemies and obscenities, pansexualism
and bitter hatefulness.

Presiding Bishop Shares Stage with the Most Radical ELCA Pastors - The Liberal Lutheran Church Today:

"Presiding Bishop Shares Stage with the Most Radical ELCA Pastors
9/22/2017 5 Comments

Last week Elizabeth Eaton, the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) took part in Augsburg University’s annual Christensen Symposium. The first half of the symposium was an "Address by Bishop Eaton" and the second half was "#DecolonizeLutheranism Community Panel with Bishop Eaton."

Giving credence to #DecolonizeLutheranism is a disappointing choice by the ELCA but even more ridiculous and shocking is whom Elizabeth Eaton is cavorting with on stage. They are some of the most extreme and radical ELCA leaders around.  "

 "Do not worry - WELS/LCMS Mark Jeske is on the board of
Thrivent, watching out for us, right Liz? Liz? Stop laughing."

'via Blog this'

ALPB Online Forum - ELCA Exiles Speak about Why They Left Holy Mother ELCA

"Brett, I did not damage ELCA enough,
so Liz Eaton stepped in to finish the job."

1. What are some of the other problems that are not related to the 2009 decision?
2. Had the decision in 2009 been different, would NALC exist?

How about these to start. 

1. Lack of commitment to the Great Commission. (google "ELCA evangelism" and try to find a story or article less than 10 years old)
2. Creeping (but picking up speed) Universalism 
3. Advocacy efforts always political left of center even when official documents are right of center (i.e. abortion - so far as I know the ELCA has never advocated for any limits to abortion)
4. Drift from scriptural and confessional authority (OK this is related to the 2009 decision)
5. Blindness to their own failed policies (i.e - their 30 year commitment to the quota system has resulted in them being the whitest denomination in the country). 

---

 Austin, like Paul McCain, has been put in the ALPB penalty box.

Charles Austin - ELCA Pastor  and Apologist Has This Right -

The "Steadfast" guys - though many of them seem to this outsider to be pompous, self-important and super-crabs skilled at stroking their own egos - are, at least recently, attempting to avoid the bitter and nasty language employed on that other site [LutherQuest - sic].

---

 "I won a prize for - It's OK To Pray hats."

Former DP Dave Behnke, who barged in on a pan-religious memorial service at Yankee Stadium, and prayed with various religions without even naming Christ:

In answer to your question, the extremist "LutherQuest posters" are in large part layfolks, some of whom are not in the Missouri Synod.  The nasty stuff from clergy is somewhat diminished, in my opinion.  The examples provided by Don, although dated, indicate to me, however, that any niceness may be a veneer.

I don't know the way supervision is provided in the ELCA.  The change at Steadfast, again in my opinion, comes from effective supervision.  The elimination of the crackpot contingent is never going to be 100%, at any rate.


Dave Benke

 LCMS offers hope for Sodom.
Creeping Universalism? - WELS-ELS-LCMS has it.