Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Christ is in our midst!
Posted on 01/30/2012 7:19:20 PM PST by lightman
ELCA presiding bishop supports Syrian church leaders' call for peace
12-03-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) - In letters to Christian church leaders in Syria, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), offered his support of the churches' collective call for an end to violence and his prayers for the people in the region.
"In these difficult days, I will continue to pray and encourage members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to pray for you and your efforts to sustain the courage and faith of your communities," wrote Hanson. In addition to prayers for the people of Syria, the presiding bishop said he mourns the recent death of a priest there, "who died serving others."
As the violence in Syria continues, Hanson acknowledged in his letters that there are no simple answers to resolve the current situation, and therefore agrees with many Syrian church leaders on the need for dialogue instead of further fighting.
"We who are at 'the ends of the earth' cannot forget the importance of Syria for the growth of our faith or the communities of disciples keeping the faith in the land of Christianity's birth," Hanson wrote. "We affirm, with you, that the Christian communities in Syria are an essential component to the fabric of Syrian culture and history."
At the conclusion of his letter, Hanson said he will pray for the efforts of Syrian church leaders toward renewing and strengthening their relationships with Muslim neighbors, and he asked how the ELCA might assist church leaders and the people of Syria.
"We know that well-meaning actions can sometimes result in unintended negative consequences, thus we seek your guidance. In this critical time, we hope to do all we can to strengthen your callings to be ministers of reconciliation in your land," wrote Hanson.
The letters were hand-delivered to three Christian leaders in Syria Jan. 28 by His Eminence Jean Kawak, archbishop patriarchal office director, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. Bishop Kawak offered to deliver the letters after they were read aloud by an ELCA member attending a World Council of Churches meeting in Beirut.
Hanson wrote to His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Syrian Orthodox Church in All the World; His Beatitude Ignatius IV Hazim, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Greek Orthodox Church; and His Beatitude Gregory III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
The letters were also shared with Christian Syrian leaders in the United States.
- - - About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 4.2 million members in 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.
For information contact: Melissa Ramirez Cooper 773-380-2956 or Melissa.RamirezCooper@ELCA.org http://www.ELCA.org/news Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans Living Lutheran: http://www.livinglutheran.com
But we can, apparently, forget the importance of making a less veiled reference to the Lukan record. (Acts 1:8)
The Eastern Heirarchs do not share such timidity, thanks be to God!
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Christ is in our midst!
O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth
who are in all places and fillest all things:
Treasury of good things and Giver of life:
Come and dwell in us and cleanse us from every stain,
and save our souls, O good One.
From the article:
“The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 4.2 million members in 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region.”
I seem to recall that when the LCA, ALC, and AELC merged to form the ELCA that it numbered well over 5 million. What happened to the other 800,000 to 1,000,000 others?
Maybe it is because ELCA is now a post-Christian denomination.
About 5% of ELCA congregations departed since August of 2009; the total should now read “9,980”—I guess the press office is “rounding up”.
With that screen name you should already know the answer: the departing members and congregations weighed the ELCA in the balances and found it wanting.
False advertising, but considering how far that body has fallen not unexpected. I wonder why they don't tout their real agenda and purpose.
I have not cared about Bishop Hanson says or thinks. Ron Warren was the last good Leader in the ELCA who I knew personally. My former Church was his home church when he was Bishop of the southeastern synod. He was defrocked by them which I consider a badge of honor.
I left for the NALC. So did about 3/8th of my former church.
We left the ELCA 20 years ago for the LCMS. We couldn’t be happier. This am, we get to attend another Bible study by our pastor where he lectures from the Greek. It is thrilling.
We bailed on the ELCA (actually, one of its forerunners) for the orthodox Confessional Lutheranism of the LCMS when we started a family. The ELCA is no place to raise children.
lightman wrote:
“With that screen name you should already know the answer: the departing members and congregations weighed the ELCA in the balances and found it wanting.”
Never said I didn’t know the answer. Just wanted to ask the question for others to answer.
“We who are at ‘the ends of the earth’ cannot forget the importance of Syria for the growth of our faith or the communities of disciples keeping the faith in the land of Christianity’s birth,”
However, they can apparently forget the truth of Christianity faith and go on worshipping their new god of homosexuality. Pray for us...? No thank you ELCA! We Orthodox have the saints and the Theotokos to pray for us!
If Assad is toppled, Christians will die, just as they did in Iraq, and as they have in Egypt.
Read these words.
Learn them.
Commit them to memory, and recall them.
They are fact.
We can pray that the Lord will welcome them into his presence for their martyrdom, which will be due to the influence of stupid, meddling, cowardly politicians.
If a future headline were to read, “ELCA presiding bishop supports Christians’ call for denominational Biblical fidelity,” only then would there be reason to pay any serious heed to the ELCA.
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