Another Lutheran pastor heads to Catholic Church

Layman Online ^ | October 25, 2005

[NYer]

In August, The Layman Online published a story about a warning by Carl E. Braaten, one of the nation's leading Lutheran theologians, to the president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

In the article, "Leading Lutheran scholar: ELCA's liberal drift causing 'brain drain' from denomination," Braaten lamented the exodus of Lutheran scholars and ministers from the mainline Lutheran denomination to the Roman Catholic Church. He expressed his dismay over the direction the ELCA in strong words, including "heresy," "pious piffle," and "empty body." He warned that the denomination was on a "trajectory that leads to rank antinomianism."

Braattan said his departed colleagues were "convinced that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has become just another liberal protestant denomination. Hence, they have decided that they can no longer be a part of that. Especially, they say, they are not willing to raise their children in a church that they believe has lost its moorings in the great tradition of evangelical (small e) and catholic (small c) orthodoxy (small o), which was at the heart of Luther's reformatory teaching and the Lutheran Confessional Writings. They are saying that the Roman Catholic Church is now more hospitable to confessional Lutheran teaching than the church in which they were baptized and confirmed. Can this possibly be true?"

On Oct. 9, the Rev. Tom McMichael of Hope Lutheran Church in Lynden, Wash., cited similar reasons for his resignation from the ELCA to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

"It is no secret that I, and confessional pastors like me, have become increasingly alarmed and dismayed at the direction of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America," McMichael said in a letter that is posted on Pontifications, a Web site. "On issues as fundamental as ethics, sacramental practice, liturgical life, and ecclesial self-understanding, we as the ELCA are moving farther and farther from our biblical and confessional moorings, and from the consensus of the 'one holy catholic and apostolic church' that we confess."

He added, "I am not alone among pastors when I say that sitting through synod assemblies, participating in task forces, and reading the official pronouncements of our leaders has left me with a heavy heart and convinced me that these differences are irreconcilable. Despite my life-long commitment to and thankfulness for the Lutheran expression of the church catholic, I cannot in good conscience remain a public face to this institution. I do not want to leave the impression that my motivations lay simply in dissatisfaction with trends in the ELCA. No faith community this side of the Kingdom has a monopoly on silly and sinful members."

[NYer]

On October 9th, Pastor Tom McMichael resigned his ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, after seventeen years of ordained service. He and his wife will soon enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. Here is the letter he sent to his congregation. Please keep Pastor McMichael, his family, and Hope Lutheran Church in your prayers.

* * *

Dear Friends in Christ:

This past month I was privileged to celebrate my tenth anniversary as pastor of Hope Lutheran Church and the seventeenth anniversary of my ordination to the Holy Ministry. God has richly blessed us in these years of pastoral ministry, and we give thanks for each of you, the people we have come to know and love at Hope. You have been faithful coworkers and witnesses to the living Christ, and it is with joy that I have served as your pastor. I write to inform you that, after much prayer and study, Karin and I have come to believe it is time to close this chapter of ministry. It is with sadness that I now write to inform you of my resignation as pastor of Hope Lutheran, effective November 15, 2005.

You deserve more of an explanation than I can offer in this brief letter. Before I attempt even a cursory explanation, let me share with you a second part to this transition that may surprise some of you. After my resignation from Hope Lutheran, Karin and I will be received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Then, because the Catholic Church makes provision for the occasional ordination of married clergy, I will begin a process of study and formation for the Catholic priesthood. I must say before going farther, that this is in no way a repudiation of my ministry as a Lutheran pastor or the work God has permitted me to be a part of these past seventeen years. I can testify from experience that our Lord Jesus is present and working in the lives of his people at Hope Lutheran and among the many faithful Lutheran pastors and people.

It is no secret that I, and confessional pastors like me, have become increasingly alarmed and dismayed at the direction of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. On issues as fundamental as ethics, sacramental practice, liturgical life, and ecclesial self-understanding we as the ELCA are moving farther and farther from our biblical and confessional moorings, and from the consensus of the “one holy catholic and apostolic church” that we confess. I am not alone among pastors when I say that sitting through synod assemblies, participating in taskforces, and reading the official pronouncements of our leaders has left me with a heavy heart and convinced me that these differences are irreconcilable. Despite my life-long commitment to and thankfulness for the Lutheran expression of the church catholic, I cannot in good conscience remain a public face to this institution. I do not want to leave the impression that my motivations lay simply in dissatisfaction with trends in the ELCA. No faith community this side of the Kingdom has a monopoly on silly and sinful members.

The truth is that the more I have studied and reflected upon my own experience as a Lutheran and my ministry within it, the more I have been convinced that something essential was lost in the tragic events of the 16th century schism. It was not that Martin Luther and the other reformers intended ill in the reforms they proposed (the majority of which, reflecting candidly on the Augsburg Confession, have been adopted by the Catholic Church), it is that somehow essential truths were also lost. Over the years I have found myself increasingly drawn to teachers and resources that share this rich ecclesial understanding and piety. I have, in short, read, studied, and prayed my way into a truly catholic and evangelical theology. The formal reception into full communion is simply the completion of that long and sometimes difficult journey.

Forty-five years ago today I was baptized by Pastor William Foege at the font of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Walla Walla. There at Emmanuel, and at faithful Lutheran congregations like it, I was taught my prayers and the Holy Scriptures, I was confirmed and married and ordained. I have worked in the Lutheran portion of God’s vineyard my entire adult life, and Karin and I have raised our two sons as part of faithful and caring Lutheran congregations (not to mention the fact that I now write regular tuition checks to a great Lutheran university). This is not a decision we make lightly. We cherish the love, support, and grace we have experienced as Lutheran Christians. Just as God called Abraham and Sarah from their home to a new land, so we feel that same call to step forth in faith. We will continue to pray for you and we ask your prayers for us.

I have shared this decision with Bishop Chris Boerger and he will be working along with the Hope Lutheran council to ensure a smooth transition to a new pastor. There are many good and faithful pastors who have many gifts to offer. You, the people of Hope, have many gifts to share and I trust you will receive my successor with the same support and grace you received us. Hope Lutheran has been a faithful witness to God’s grace and love for almost a half century, and I am confident that God will continue to bless you and your ministries in the years to come as well.

Our family will continue to make our home in Lynden for some time. We look forward to continuing the friendships that we have formed these past ten years. Please do not hesitate to talk to us about this decision, to ask questions, even to challenge. My final Sunday at Hope will be All Saints Sunday, November 6th.

Grace and Peace,

Tom McMichael, Pastor
Hope Lutheran Church
Lynden, WA

[TXBSAFH]

I left the elca this year myself. I am in RCIA classes now.

[NYer]

For those familiar with Marcus Grodi's program, The Journey Home , broadcast live, Monday's at 8pm on EWTN, you may have heard him mention his fulltime ministry at the Coming Home Network. As a former minister, Grodi's conversion caught the attention of other ministers who were contemplating the swim across the Tiber. As he states on the web site:

The purpose of The Coming Home Network International (CHNetwork) is to provide fellowship, encouragement and support for pastors and laymen of other traditions (Protestant, Orthodox, etc..) who are somewhere along the journey or have already converted to the Catholic Church. The CHNetwork is committed to assisting and standing beside all inquirers, serving as a friend and an advocate.

The site maintains a fairly active discussion forum with questions on some of the more controversial issues. It's certainly worth a visit. Click on the image below to link over to Grodi's web site.

[NYer]

I left the elca this year myself. I am in RCIA classes now.

Welcome Home!

In case you missed it, check out the link at post #4. Great forum with others on the same journey.

Rest assured of my prayers and those of other freepers, as you may your way through RCIA. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to freepmail me. Pax et Bonum

[Aquinasfan]

The truth is that the more I have studied and reflected upon my own experience as a Lutheran and my ministry within it, the more I have been convinced that something essential was lost in the tragic events of the 16th century schism. It was not that Martin Luther and the other reformers intended ill in the reforms they proposed (the majority of which, reflecting candidly on the Augsburg Confession, have been adopted by the Catholic Church), it is that somehow essential truths were also lost.

True. Thanks for posting this letter.

[badabing98]

I left the ELCA in 2003 and started RCIA that year myself. I was batised in the Roman Catholic Church but never made the rest of my sacrements because my family "fell away" after Vatican II. I suggest you do alot of reading and research outside of RCIA. I found it most helpfull.
I assume you will be recieved into the church next Easter?

[markomalley]

ping for later!

[TXBSAFH]

Thanks

[Cheverus]

After leaving the Catholic organization I used to work for I went to work for a Lutheran one and now find myself in the minority as the only "Papist" at many functions.

And I have to be honest and say that the many Lutherans I've met have been very Christian in their treatment of people (much more than those I met working with the Catholic Church) and faithfilled.

In many ways they've restored my personal faith in faith based social ministry....I wish they could all be Catholics.

Be VERY GRATEFUL when somthing like this happens.

UT UNUM SINT

[Romish_Papist]

Welcome home!

[Cheverus]

Ok,

I have to ask:
I have seen the statistic of 78 for Episcopal Clergy recieved into full Communion (and subsequently ordained) since the inception of the Pastoral Provision.

Are there statistics available anywhere on the web for other denominations...such as Lutheran (I'd also be curious as to how many ELCA and how many LCMS as I have a theory)

[HarleyD]

”On issues as fundamental as ethics, sacramental practice, liturgical life, and ecclesial self-understanding we as the ELCA are moving farther and farther from our biblical and confessional moorings, and from the consensus of the “one holy catholic and apostolic church” that we confess.”

This is rather a bizarre statement. It serves to show this Luthern pastor didn’t quite understand the differences in the Church of Rome and that created by Luthern himself. Grant it the ELCA is moving farther from biblical confessional moorings but heading back to Rome, with all due respect to our Roman Catholic brethren, is like running back into a burning building.

Below is a table outlining these differences.

	Rome	Confessional Protestant
Nature/Grace	Creation “participates in Being,” which is God. Grace perfects nature. Creation per se is in need of grace.	Humans are only analogues to God. Grace renews fallen nature. Creation per se is good and was corrupted only by sin.
Authority	God is the source through the church by her living tradition and Scripture.	God is the source through the Scripture to the church so that the Scripture is read in and with the church but it alone is the norm for life and doctrine.
Hermeneutics	Scripture is old law (Moses) and new law (Christ).	All Scripture contains law (“do”) and gospel (“done”). The Reformed express the law/ gospel dichotomy in the covenants of works (law) and grace (gospel).
Sin	A fall from original grace and the result of the concupiscence natural to creatures. Sin created the need for more grace. The effects of sin do not prevent our cooperation with grace toward final justification.	A free, unnatural act of willful disobedience to God’s law. Sin results in depravity and inability to cooperate with grace.
Salvation	A grace given through the church enabling us to overcoming finitude and consequent sin.	Deliverance from sin, death, and the devil.
Merit	Condign (intrinsically worthy) merit is wrought within sinners by the Spirit and congruent merit is imputed graciously to sinners in view of their best efforts.	The condign merit of Christ’s obedience is imputed to sinners who have no intrinsic merits. There is no congruent merit.
Grace	A gift from the Holy Spirit, by which “he shares his divine life,” that is infused into sinners sanctifying them.	Free, unmerited or demerited divine favor toward sinners.
Justification	The process of being made intrinsically righteous through grace and cooperation with grace, occurring in two stages, initial and final. Initial justification is received at baptism. Final justification recognizes intrinsic righteousness which is the result of grace and cooperation with grace and occurs at the judgment.	A definitive divine declaration of forgiveness of sins and righteousness on the basis of Christ’s righteous obedience and death imputed to sinners. There is no distinction between initial and final justification.
Faith	A measure of sanctity, one of three virtues (the others being hope and love) created within the righteous. With hope and love it is gradually infused into the soul and exists partially in this life as the sinner cooperates with grace.	A grace whereby sinners are granted true knowledge of and trust in Christ the Savior, and are righteous, accepted, and saved by God for Christ’s sake. Faith’s virtue is not intrinsic but rests in Christ and his alien righteousness. It is the only instrument of justification.
Our Good Works	Necessary for justification.	Logically and morally necessary as fruit and evidence of justification, but not as the ground or instrument of justification.
Free Will and Election	Free will is essential to salvation. Humans cannot be righteous without the exercise of free will in cooperation with grace. It is presumptuous to say with certainty that one is elect.	(Lutheran) God foreknows everything, but election applies only to believers. God hardens those who resist the Spirit. (Reformed) God foreknows and predestines everything. In Christ, the elect are chosen for salvation but the reprobate are passed over. The grace of election is irresistible and produces true faith that trusts God’s promises in Christ.
Baptism	Provides initial justification and regeneration. By its act, grace necessarily operates on the sinner.	(Lutheran) The Holy Spirit is so related to baptism that it necessarily works forgiveness of sins, regeneration, and salvation to believers. (Reformed) A sacrament (sign and seal) of inclusion in the covenant of grace whereby God promises salvation to those who believe.
Eucharist	By “transubstantiation” the elements become the body and blood of Christ. The transubstantiated victim is ritually and memorially sacrificed to turn away divine wrath for sin.	(Lutheran) At consecration the body and blood of Christ is in, with, and under the elements. Both believers and unbelievers receive the body and blood of Christ. (Reformed) Christ is bodily at the right hand of the Father but, by the work of the Holy Spirit, truly and really communicates himself to believers through the Supper so that they receive the body and blood of Christ through faith.
Mary	Was redeemed at her sinless (immaculate) conception, was without sin and was assumed bodily, without death, into heaven where she reigns as queen of heaven, a recipient of prayer and adoration, interceding on behalf of believers.	Mary was blessed above all women, bore the God-Man in her womb, but was not conceived immaculately, nor assumed into heaven at death. Christ is our only priest and Mediator.
Saints	Intermediaries whose righteousness is stored in atreasury of merit accessible to sinners through the church and the proper recipients of prayer.	Fellow believers and valuable examples but neither intermediaries nor contributors to a treasury of merit.
Eschatology	At death, the elect enter a state of purification (purgatory) before glorification. Therefore, prayers on their behalf are proper.	At death, believers go to be with their Savior. Glorification is immediate, but they with believers and unbelievers on earth wait for the resurrection and judgment.

Source: R. Scott Clark

http://www.modernreformation.org/Ref-RomeChart1.pdf

http://www.modernreformation.org/Ref-RomeChart2.pdf

[AlaninSA]

Welcome back!

I'm so happy to have you be a member of the Catholic Church!

Now...if you have some pointers for getting ELCA Lutherans to move into the Church...I could use some for converting my father.

[Campion]

Harley,

That table is bizarre, and full of false dichotomies (supposed contradictions between the Catholic and Protestant positions which aren't contradictions at all) and mis-representations of Catholic teaching (in the left-hand column), not to mention that Lutherans would not agree with everything in the right-hand column, either.

Want one example? The claim that Catholics believe that good works are "necessary for justification" is a flat-out lie.

You'd clearly rather believe Protestant polemics against Catholicism than read actual Catholic authors, so I'm not sure why I bother with you. But if you ever decide to be a little more fair-minded, read some Louis Bouyer (Protestant turned Catholic) and Jaroslav Pelikan (Lutheran turned Orthodox).

[Campion]

Mary ... a recipient of prayer and adoration

Another flat-out lie. Why is it that Protestants exempt themselves from "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" when that neighbor is a Catholic?

Your chart is much more of an indictment against Protestantism than against Catholicism, if you ask me.

Since many of the historic churches of the Reformation have embraced the normalization of homosexuality among their many other errors, I think it's safe to say that Rome has no monopoly on burning buildings. The ELCA, in particular, can't make up its mind on whether or not homosexual acts are intrinsically sinful, and thinks abortion is sometimes okay, to the extent that they've actually paid for it in their clergy health-insurance package.

And you call us apostate ... ????????????????????????

[pegleg]

It serves to show this Luthern pastor didn’t quite understand the differences in the Church of Rome and that created by Luthern himself.

All your post serves to show is this Pastor clearly has a better understanding of both Catholicism and Lutheranism than you do.

[jo kus]

This is rather a bizarre statement. It serves to show this Luthern pastor didn’t quite understand the differences in the Church of Rome and that created by Luthern himself. Grant it the ELCA is moving farther from biblical confessional moorings but heading back to Rome, with all due respect to our Roman Catholic brethren, is like running back into a burning building.

Funny you say that. Why do Protestants feel they need to belittle someone who obviously knows Protestant theology (he was a pastor for 17 years...), a person they don't even know, who converts to Catholicism? It is one thing to question "pseudo-Catholics" who have a second-grade education level on Catholic theology and leave, but quite another for someone who has been preaching Lutheranism for nearly 20 years.

Is it the need to reaffirm your own decision that your own version, not the Church's, is true? Is it the need to show the Church as some evil entity that will justify Protestants in their decision to have left God's Church? What makes you so certain that Rome is a "burning building"?! Sounds like you are claiming to be another infallible pope...

Regards

[bboop]

You did? You are in RCIA too? Welcome (from a fellow convert, last year). He is right -- the Lutheran/ Prots left some essential truths. Amazing letter.

[HarleyD]

Want one example? The claim that Catholics believe that good works are "necessary for justification" is a flat-out lie.

I got a bunch of Catholics telling me that right now on another post. Would you please set them straight?

The Catholic website, newadvent, is at disagreement with you. The article on Justification is too long to post. Here is a small excerpt which substantiates the author's claim:

But, not to close the gates of heaven against pagans and those non-Catholics, who without their fault do not know or do not recognize the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, Catholic theologians unanimously hold that the desire to receive these sacraments is implicitly contained in the serious resolve to do all that God has commanded, even if His holy will should not become known in every detail. The Council of Trent decreed that the essence of active justification comprises not only forgiveness of sin, but also "sanctification and renovation of the interior man by means of the voluntary acceptation of sanctifying grace and other supernatural gifts" (Trent, l. c., cap. vii: "Non est sola peccatorum remissio, sed et sanctificatio et renovatio interioris hominis per voluntariam susceptionem gratiae et donorum").

Justification