Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
Posted on 11/06/2010 12:00:56 AM PDT by SmithL
CLEAR LAKE — Two pastors of Clear Lake’s largest church have refused to leave their jobs despite an order from their bishop.
Bishop Steven C. Ullestad of the Northeastern Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said the Rev. Dean Hess and the Rev. Derik C. Yarian were notified of their removal on Oct. 28.
“... You are now to function as a layperson ... your ordained status is in suspension,” said Ullestad in separate letters to the two men.
Both Hess and Church Council President Mark Shepp declined to comment Friday.
Pastors holding dual memberships — in this case, to both the ELCA and Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ — are not allowed by the ELCA.
The Zion church council has set another vote, this one at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14, to decide whether it should leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America for good.
Ullestad said the vote is void and unconstitutional, since an earlier vote on the same issue fell short.
“The council cannot just keep calling for second votes in the hope of finally getting a resolution passed,” Ullestad said in a letter dated Nov. 5.
Zion’s leadership is unhappy with a 2009 national ELCA Assembly decision to allow gay pastors in committed relationships to serve. Local congregations do not, however, have to accept a gay pastor.
In September, the congregation, in a close vote, failed to pass a measure for disassociation. Then, the church council decided to hold a different vote — this time to associate with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. That vote passed.
An accompanying resolution said the church would reject “actions, policies, procedures and teachings of the ELCA.”
Ullestad said the move left Zion with two affiliations, a clear violation of the church constitution.
Church leaders disagreed.
The blog on the church website said the ELCA had no set policy about multi-affiliated congregations — called “schismatic” congregations — and since that was the case, they as pastors could not be removed if such a policy did not exist.
“All of this is an illustration of the ridiculous machinations that are going on with the ELCA,” the blog said.
Ullestad said since the leadership intentionally violated the church constitution, they also put the church at legal risk.
The violations affect the church’s Articles of Incorporation which, in turn, affects its 501c, or non-profit, tax status.
Ullestad said he has sought another meeting with the Zion leadership, but did not receive a response. He said he will be forced to enter disciplinary proceedings, of which there are three levels. The entire process, he said, “can take years.”
After two steps, a third requires that the congregation be removed from the ELCA, he said.
Ullestad said he hopes there is still time for conversation.
“There are many wondering about this situation ... and I would encourage members to go to the (Nov. 14) meeting and speak what they believe. I would encourage them to take this very seriously,” Ullestad said.
Ullestad compared the situation to a “family in crisis.”
“It’s really about whether or not you leave the family or stay with the family and help it through the crisis,” he said. “I’m one who believes you stay and help the family.”
Ullestad said since the leadership intentionally violated the church constitution, they also put the church at legal risk.So much for respecting their bound conscience.The violations affect the church’s Articles of Incorporation which, in turn, affects its 501c, or non-profit, tax status.
Maybe you hadn't read the ELCAspeak codicil appended to the bound-conscience provision: "In the new Egregiously Laodicean Church in America, we will all respect each other's bound consciences . . . unless, of course, your Bible-honoring bound conscience diverges from our world-appeasing bound conscience."
“’The council cannot just keep calling for second votes in the hope of finally getting a resolution passed,’ Ullestad said in a letter dated Nov. 5.”
Why ever not? Liberals world-wide do this all the time.
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
Yet when the GLBT lobby did this every two years at churchwide assemblies for over a decade this was applauded as a faithful crusade for "justice".
affects its 501c, or non-profit, tax status.
One Resurrection for eternal life.
On vote for eternal bondage.
How does that stack up with the "Churchwide Assembly" voting on "Concordat" a couple times then changing the name to "Called to Common Mission" and voting til it passed??!!
Not neccesarily, a lot of ELCA churches get their 501(c)(3) stautus throught the larger church body. A lot of individual churches can’t/won’t/don’t spend the time or money to get their own tax status. So if that’s Clear Lake’s case then it could be threatened.
“”Not neccesarily, a lot of ELCA churches get their 501(c)(3) stautus throught the larger church body. A lot of individual churches can’t/won’t/don’t spend the time or money to get their own tax status. So if that’s Clear Lake’s case then it could be threatened.””
This was my specialty as a CPA. I used to be on retainer with the ELCA(and many other denominations)for tax advisory purposes years ago(for a Pennsylvania Synod), prior to my retirement. Any church has tax exempt status under 501 c(3) automatically and does not have to file a form 1024 application for tax exemption. Just being a church is all they have to do. They don’t have to worry about any umbrella exemption. This is not true for any other type of non profit organization other than churches.
“”Not neccesarily, a lot of ELCA churches get their 501(c)(3) stautus throught the larger church body. A lot of individual churches can’t/won’t/don’t spend the time or money to get their own tax status. So if that’s Clear Lake’s case then it could be threatened.””Couldn't Zion get their 501c status from LCMC, since they are also a member of that body?
I'm happy to report that Minnesota is the first state to reach 50 (counting first and second votes) congregations intent on leaving Babylon.
The following was in this week’s congregation bulletin that is sent weekly to church members:
The pastors responded to this letter observing that the ELCA had taken no official action to declare what was ‘schismatic’ and so Zion could hardly be branded with such a designation. In addition there is no consistent policy in regard to ‘schismatic’ congregations in the ELCA. The synods have different policies that they follow both in regard to congregations and pastors. Thus the Bishop was acting his own individual opinion not a comprehensive ELCA policy.
Through all of this no action has been taken to our knowledge (we have not been informed of any action) in regard to Zion’s status as a congregation in the ELCA, Therefore the pastors declared that they had been duly called to serve Zion and had faithfully done so for many years and intended to continue in that service. They would not resign their calls to Zion. In addition, they would not remove their names from the ELCA clergy roster as long as Zion remained on the ELCA roster sf congregations (Again, there has been no change in Zion’s roster status with the ELCA to our knowledge).
Last week the Bishop sent letters to our pastors informing them that since they did not resign their calls to Zion they were removed from the ELCA clergy roster (i.e. they had been kicked out of the ELCA) because they continued to serve a ‘schismatic’ congregation. This sets up the absurd situation that our pastors have been kicked out of the ELCA for serving a congregation that is still on the ELCA roster of congregations. The absurdity is further compounded by the fact that from the view point of the ELCA, Zion is now without pastors, but no ELCA pastor supposedly could ever take a call here.
Ironically, this means that Zion is a part of the Northeastern Iowa Synod which our Bishop serves, and so he is obligated to also serve Zion. But since he has declared Zion a “schismatic” congregation his continued service to Zion means that his name should be removed from the ELCA clergy roster for precisely the same reasons he removed Pastor Hess and Pastor Yarian.
All of this is an illustration of the ridiculous machinations that are going on within the ELCA, Bishops and national officers are making up policies on the fly to suit their own personal agendas. These policies reflect no official action by the ELCA, and are internally inconsistent. It is one more example of the sad state of the ELCA.
These actions in no way affect the status of our pastors in regard to neither Zion, nor their calls to serve here and before God. Qur pastors will be applying for rostered status with LCMC and will continue the faithful ministry they have carried out here at Zion for many years.
Sounds a LOT like the ominous line in the Eagles song, "Hotel California" which warns:
"You can check out any time you like, but you can NEVER leave!"
Unfortunately, depending on state law (and the local Judge who hears the case...) this could also give ELCA a foothold to sue the congregation for control of the property.
This has happened many (MANY) times in similar conditions to Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and other mainline denominational churches trying to leave.
At least ELCA though, doesn't have an amendment to their denominational constitution which claims an "implied trust" on all congregations' properties...(like the 'piscis do...).
Then again, what else could one expect from a denomination that now regards the Bible as a kind of theological Heloise's Helpful Hints?
But there is no reason we can't bring "the issue" up at Churchwide Assembly after Churchwide Assembly until we get the vote *we* want. Sheesh what utter hypocrisy....
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