WordAlone Network responds to ELCA human sexuality proposals

Word Alone ^ | 19 February AD 2009 | Mark Chavez et. al.

[lightman]

WordAlone Network responds to ELCA human sexuality proposals

February 19, 2009 For Immediate Release: WordAlone Network New Brighton, MN 55112 Contact: President, Pr. Jaynan Clark Egland 509 540-0889 Vice president, Pr. Mark Chavez 717 898-0801 Email: wordalone@popp.net

Calling the report and recommendations on human sexuality proposed by a task force of the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States too lengthy and confusing, leaders of the WordAlone Network, the faithful opposition, compared its recommendations to smoke and mirrors.

President of the grassroots network, Pastor Jaynan Clark Egland commented Thursday, “When voters in many states uphold traditional marriage better than church leaders and the mainline denominations as a whole, then you know something is really out of whack.”

The WordAlone Network will work to defeat all the recommendations of the task force, she said.

The task force report says the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America should consider date rape “an egregious violation of friendship,” should discourage “co-habitation arrangements outside of marriage” and should learn to live with its disagreements over homosexual behavior.

As for same-sex relationships and allowing persons in same-sex relationships to serve as ordained or lay ministers in the ELCA, the task force recommends that the delegates at this August’s churchwide assembly in Minneapolis vote on four resolutions in a certain order.

If the assembly defeats one of the resolutions, or questions, the task force says the voting would stop on any remaining question.

The first two ask the assembly to accept “in principle” same-sex, monogamous, lifelong relationships and to allow persons in such relationships to serve as ministers. The third question admits the church does not have consensus on the issues and asks the ELCA to respect members’ differing opinions on same-sex questions, which it says are based on individuals’ consciences.

The fourth question, in fact, asks the denomination to be flexible and allow persons in same-sex relationships to serve as ministers in some congregations, synods and ministries. This opens the door to local option.

“The first three questions are just smoke and mirrors for the last one. If we accept something ‘in principle,’ haven’t we accepted it indeed,” asked Pastor Mark Chavez, vice president of WordAlone.

Clark Egland asked, “Is consensus our new ‘way’ for finding ‘truth’? I thought Jesus was the Way and the Truth. That doesn’t change whether we agree or not.

“Local option is, ironically, the negation of their entire desire to reach consensus. With individual, congregational and synodical option, there is no standard at all, just the celebration of self over against the Christian understanding of community and true freedom.”

[lightman]

WordAlone is closely aligned with Lutheran CORE, whose response I posted yesterday http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2189338/posts

Please pray for these and other faithful remnants in the ELCA!

[lightman]

Lutheran (ELCA) Ping!

May Christ, the Son of the living God, be manifest in you!

[lightman]

Here is a resolution template from WordAlone that can be used in Synod Assemblies. Convince your congregation’s Voting Members or Pastor to bring this to a Conference Assembly or directly to the Synod Assembly:

Super Majority Resolution for Synod Assemblies

WHEREAS, the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted “to direct the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality specifically to address and to make recommendations to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly on changes to any church policies that preclude practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of this church;” and

WHEREAS, the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the ELCA Church Council recommended that “any motion to come before this Churchwide Assembly regarding changes in this church’s current policy and practice for the rostering of ordained ministers, diaconal ministers, associates in ministry, and deaconesses shall require a two-thirds vote by the assembly for adoption;” and

WHEREAS, the ELCA Church Council voted 19-10 to delete this provision and is recommending rules of procedure for the 2009 Churchwide Assembly which would require only a simple majority vote to change ELCA standards to allow pastors and other rostered leaders to be in same-sex sexual relationships; and

WHEREAS, a two-thirds majority vote is usually required for major decisions including the adoption of an ELCA social statement and for amendments to the ELCA constitution and bylaws; and

WHEREAS, a decision to change church teaching and policy to allow pastors and other rostered leaders to be in same-sex sexual relationships holds the potential to be very divisive in ELCA synods and congregations and to cause both membership and financial losses for synods and congregations; and

WHEREAS, the ELCA is seeking ways to make decisions on a consensus basis rather than by close votes; and

WHEREAS, a super majority vote — such as a two-thirds majority — would require an overwhelming majority of Churchwide Assembly voting members to make such a significant change to church teaching and practice;

WHEREAS, the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will adopt its rules for the assembly and could set a two-thirds majority for adoption of any changes to standards for pastors and other rostered leaders; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the ____________________ Synod Assembly memorialize the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to add the following provision to the rules of procedure for the assembly: “Any motion to come before this Churchwide Assembly regarding changes in this church’s current policy and practice for the rostering of ordained ministers, diaconal ministers, associates in ministry, and deaconesses shall require a two-thirds vote by the assembly for adoption.”

CAVEAT: I stand with Benedict XVI, who as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger said “Truth is not determined by majority vote”—whether that vote be 50% + 1 or a supermajority of 2/3 or greater.

[hinckley buzzard]

The "four-step plan" is transparently and grotesquely dishonest. The WA response that "agreement in principle is agreement in deed" is exactly right and exposes the obscene mendacity of the Task Force recommendations.

It is a vile perversion of the Socratic method of reaching for truth one step at a time, only in this case it is reaching for depravity one step at a time.

Even as disillusioned as I am, I did not expect the ELCA to sink to such unethical levels.

[lightman]

Even as disillusioned as I am, I did not expect the ELCA to sink to such unethical levels.

Really?

Even with a revisionist-stacked Task Force and a Church Council which disregards the advice of its attorneys and votes to lower the bar for passage of this travesty to just 50% plus 1?

[lightman]

The background information on the Sexuality Statement and Recommendations is very revealing.

Look at the list of the Synods which"requested" demanded that this pseudo-"study" proceed and compare that with a Red County/Blue County from any Presidential election of this century.

Metro New York, Metro Washington DC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Southeast Michigan.

The blue tail is trying to wag the red dog.

[incredulous joe]

“Clark Egland asked, “Is consensus our new ‘way’ for finding ‘truth’? I thought Jesus was the Way and the Truth. That doesn’t change whether we agree or not.”

BINGO! You have his words, so don’t deviate from them.

Don’t be nice. Don’t try to be fair. Don’t give them an inch.

If you let them have a foothold they will destroy your church! Look at what they have done to other Christian denominations.

[DManA]

Does the church really need guidance about how to treat date rape? An abuse of friendship. So consensual casual sex is just fine?

[DManA]

I think it is significant that there are so many of these outside the church organizations. A health church wouldn’t need them.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I ask this question respectfully . . .

When will it be the right thing for all who claim the name of Christ to leave this apostate and corrupt institution called the ELCA?

[lightman]

When will it be the right thing for all who claim the name of Christ to leave this apostate and corrupt institution called the ELCA?

No sooner than August 22, after the final gavel of the upcoming Churchwide Assembly. Until the closing of that legislative gathering anything could happen; and, in the past, some very significant things have happened in the final moments of the Assembly. Usually these have been for the worse, but not always. "It ain't over 'til it's over..."

[Redleg Duke]

"When will it be the right thing for all who claim the name of Christ to leave this apostate and corrupt institution called the ELCA?"

For me, it was September of 2005. I took my son and we transferred to LCMS.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I understand the desire to remain in a church where one grew up or has attended for many years, but, speaking for myself, I have never considered the Church to be a building, denomination or odd cultural or historic flavor. In fact, the older I get the more I realize how little our petty differences keep us from true fellowship and how strongly we, as sinful humans, desire to make God serve our conception of Him and His Church.

If genuine believers desire membership and service in the Imortal and Invisible Church, we must always be prepared to abandon whatever cultus we have come accustomed to in order to follow the rigorous demands of Christ. Some assume this willingness to abandon 'tradition' and 'authority' leads the wrong way into a kind of leaderless ecumenical mush, but true believers will always accept clear Biblical authority and direct Scriptural teaching of things over the peculiarities of their particular sect.
In turn, Christianity demands that we do all to hold leadership strictly accountable (carefully weighing ourselves, too) to sound Biblical doctrine; but if "church leadership" goes astray (i.e., "living" definitions) and does not repent of the clear sin, Christians should not submit to their heretical or apostate authority - finis.

IMO, this happended decades ago in the ELCA and many of it's equally corrupt antecedents. The gay clergy debate is only the latest attempt to legitimize the corruption, sin and apostasy already in place and in control. God help believers that continue to languish there. Good luck to you, but I wish that you might reconsider what you consider a fellowship - and why.

[BigFinn]

I formally resigned from the rolls of the ELCA last year but have remained at our church, who seem to be in the ranks of the uninformed. They made their views known, in the past to the ELCA, and do not approve of any of the apostate ideas coming from the them. I know where they stand but they have decided to remain in the ELCA until it is ultimately made impossible to do so.

I have been sending all these pings to the appropriate members to inform them about what is going on. In response, NONE OF THEM knew any of this, even those on the church council. (PS they are between pastors and thus the problem.) My fear is that many other congregations are unaware as we (they) are.

Thanks for the updates.

[lightman]

During a “time of transition” (pastoral vacancy) there is often a communication breakdown. Interim pastors might be retired and not the most computer savvy, so they might not be receiving the email notices from Synod offices and Churchwide.

Lutheran CORE and the Society of the Holy Trinity are not widely known, which is very regretable, for both bring a positive vision of what a Christ-centered, Word-respected Church can truly be.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

They have to be just as brain dead as those who voted for Obama. There’s no difference.

[PhilCollins]

I’m a member of an ELCA church, and I’ll email many of the church’s leaders and ask tell them that no Christian church should consider ordaining gays, since that would disobey the Bible. I emailed three CORE leaders and offered to help them. I’m surprised that any Christian pastor would consider supporting ordaining gays.