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The second-largest Lutheran congregation in Minnesota has decided that it is not going to wait any longer to withdraw from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) over the denomination's August vote to permit gay preachers. In his November newsletter to the members of Hosanna Lutheran Church in Lakeville, the Rev. Bill Bohline said that the church is going to scrap its original plan to wait six to eight months . . .

Same-sex relationships go against Scripture and morality, according to a letter mailed Monday by members of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bessemer City. The congregation recently drafted the letter stating its disdain for a resolution passed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “We are writing to express our disappointment with the recent Churchwide Assembly’s approval of the resolution to allow gay and lesbian pastors,” the letter states. “We also disapprove of the resolution to find ways for congregations to recognize same-gender relationships.” The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted in August to open the...

Some Effingham County Lutherans are leaving their churches in an effort to disassociate with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran denomination in the country. The breakaway group known as Lutherans for Bible Based Beliefs announced new worship services for those who disapprove of the national church's vote in August to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy. Alan B. Zipperer said he helped organize the group to give people who disapproved of the ELCA's decision a place to feel comfortable. "There are so many dissatisfied people at several churches around Effingham County, we...

ELCA synods will not have the option of upholding traditional Christian teaching on marriage and homosexuality in their standards for pastors and other rostered leaders according to a draft of candidacy rules released Oct. 10 by the ELCA churchwide organization. No synod or bishop may make decisions on ministry standards that differ from the new policies of the ELCA churchwide organization as defined by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, the policy draft explains. The ELCA now allows pastors and other rostered leaders to be in committed same-sex relationships. “By the governing documents, all candidacy and call decisions are made on an...

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The western North Dakota bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America says congregations are wrestling with a national church policy that allows gay and lesbian people to serve as pastors or in other church leadership positions. Bishop Mark Narum, who leads 192 congregations that make up the Western North Dakota ELCA Synod, said he met with pastors of those congregations this month. He described it as a "wonderful open conversation." "But there is a whole group in the middle of the church wrestling over, 'What does it mean to be faithful?'" he said. "An important...

ELCA Resource Addresses 'Worship in Times of Public Health Concerns' CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The declaration of a national emergency has raised a number of questions across the United States about safely assembling for school and worship during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Worship and Liturgical Resources answered many of those questions in a resource titled "Worship in Times of Public Health Concerns." U.S. President Barack Obama signed an Oct. 24 proclamation that "the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in the United States constitutes a national emergency." The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services had...

From the comments section: In my other life (the life that pays my salary), I am sinfully proud of my ability to correctly use terms and to grasp semantics. David Swartling, who is my secret hero, has made it impossible for me to ever again use the phrase "simple majority." I now, belatedly, grasp the difference between "vision" and "visions." I'm laughing out loud. Perhaps this distinction could be made into a YouTube video... Sincere thanks for your good work for this church, and a big shalom to you.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Charleston is going by its full name again. Since August, a black cloth had hung over the word "Lutheran" on the church's sign on Corridor G. It was Pastor Richard Mahan's way of protesting the vote by leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to allow gays and lesbians in lifelong, monogamous relationships to serve as clergy. The church removed the cloth a little more than a week ago. In its place, a new symbol hung for about a week: A sign that stated "Reclaiming the Name" in red letters, under...

(In August the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopted proposals to make it possible for Lutherans in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers.) In the wake of the ELCA assembly vote to allow gay and lesbian people to serve in the clergy or other leadership positions, the denomination's Presiding Bishop, the Rev. Mark Hanson, has told his bishops and laity to expect some congregations to leave. Whether ELCA congregations will defect in large numbers to more conservative Lutheran denominations remains to be seen. However,...

Berlin -- A divorced woman once described as "a cross between Mother Teresa and Demi Moore" was Wednesday elected head of Germany's Protestant church, the first woman to hold the post. Margot Kaessmann, 51, received 132 of the 142 votes cast at the church's general assembly in Ulm, southern Germany. She now leads 25 million faithful across the country. "Trusting in God's help, I accept the vote," she said. Kaessmann, who was elected for a six-year term, was the only candidate for the post. The charismatic Kaessmann hit the headlines around the world in 2007 when she became the first...

ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 29, 2009 Some ELCA Congregations Vote to Leave or Redirect Funds, Find It's Not Easy 09-241-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), leaders and members have responded in a variety of ways to changes in the church's ministry polices, a decision made by voting members of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly. Some members agreed with the decision. Some were opposed. Some weren't sure how to react. Since the assembly, some ELCA congregations have taken votes to leave the denomination or redirect funds away from the ELCA. Leaders and members in a few...

Two churches in Little Falls are learning just how polarizing the topic of gay clergy can be among its members. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's decision to allow homosexuals in monogamous relationships to serve as church leaders even resulted in one Little Falls pastor's resignation. The Rev. Nate Bjorge's last day as lead pastor at First Lutheran Church in Little Falls is Friday. On Oct. 11 the church held a congregation-wide vote on whether the church should remain in the ELCA or join Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, another Lutheran body. The church voted to stay in the...

There are plenty of questions being asked in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America following a decision in August to allow pastors to be involved in committed, same-gender relationships. In response to the decision, there will be a series of meetings at churches in the ELCA's southeastern Minnesota synod during the coming weeks, including a three-week series starting Sunday at Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester. Bishop Harold Usgaard recently recorded a videotaped message to prompt discussion about the fundamental questions raised by this issue. The questions include: Who is welcome in ELCA congregations and who is not? Usgaard also wrote...

Sleepy Eye, Minn. - In addition to Halloween, this Saturday is also a special date of historical significance for many Christians. October 31 is celebrated by Lutherans as Reformation Day, for it is the date Martin Luther is believed to have nailed his 95 Theses, or grievances against the Roman Catholic Church, on the door of All SaintsÂ’ Church in Germany. This act marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, which ultimately led to Lutheranism itself. As many Lutherans look back to their Reformation heritage over the weekend, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are doing some...

ELCA Vice President Addresses Dissatisfaction with Assembly Decisions 09-236-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Carlos Peña, vice president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), wrote an Oct. 23 letter to the church's 4.6 million members, asking them to consider actions of the ELCA's 2009 Churchwide Assembly "as a catalyst to further strengthen our church and our relationships with each other." Peña related his experiences of devastation after Hurricane Ike struck his hometown of Galveston, Texas, in September 2008. "One year later, I can see the benefits of this experience," he wrote. "Galveston is coming back stronger than before and welcoming...

ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 25, 2009 ELCA Presiding Bishop Urges Commitment to Strong LWF GENEVA, Switzerland (ELCA) -- In a report highlighting changing contexts of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and its respective member churches, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, LWF president, urged the organization's council to make decisions that reflect commitment to "a sustainable and strong LWF going into the future." Hanson is also presiding bishop of the EvangelicalLutheranChurch in America (ELCA). In a wide-ranging report to the council Oct. 23, Hanson noted that, while the LWF had exercised responsible fiduciary leadership despite the global economy and serious changes...

More than two decades ago, some like-minded Lutherans merged to form the nation’s largest Lutheran body, optimistic that they could create a mighty ministry force. But unity among the 4.7 million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is splintering over a landmark policy change. At its national assembly in August, ELCA members voted to give each church the option of blessing same-sex couples and hiring gay and lesbian clergy in committed relationships. For some of the 176 congregations in South-Central Texas, the change marks a long-awaited and just victory for their gay and lesbian members. But more conservative...

A growing national schism within the country’s largest Lutheran denomination is also being felt locally, with several area churches considering breaking their ties with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). At least one church — Christus Lutheran Church in Clintonville — has already taken the first step in the secession process, following a congregational vote in which 85 percent supported leaving ELCA. A second secession vote must still be staged, after a minimum of three months has elapsed from the first vote, prior to making the move to secede official. The controversy stems from a vote by the ELCA...

Group discusses the ‘rebirth’ of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas -- More exchanges of information are being planned as some Lutheran churches consider breaking away from the national group over differences of opinion, said organizers of a meeting held Thursday night . More than 120 people turned out for the program at Welcome Lutheran Church to discuss the “rebirth” of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas (ELST). “The people brought many questions,” said the Rev. David Klak, pastor of Welcome Lutheran Church and secretary of the ELST’s council. “I hope we were able to answer some of them.” Some...

Tears twinkled in Barbara Schmidt's eyes as she spoke of her church's decision to sever ties with the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America. "I feel like we are now looking at the Bible as gray instead of black, like it is," she said, her voice breaking with emotion. Schmidt, a member of Zion Mission Valley Lutheran Church, was raised in the congregation her family helped establish. She was baptized when she was two weeks old by a minister who rode to her grandparents home on horseback. "I feel like we all have a purpose, and I think we're getting weighted...

For one area church, discussion of dropping an affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has resulted in a determination to leave. In others, it's stayed a discussion, church officials said this week. Both Singsaas Lutheran Church in rural Hendricks and Christ Lutheran Church in Cottonwood held votes over the weekend to determine whether to leave the ELCA. The vote passed at Singsaas, but narrowly failed at Christ Lutheran. Ending ELCA affiliation is a multi-step process. If a congregation passes a motion to leave the ELCA by a two-thirds majority, they must hold a second vote at least 90...

CANNON FALLS -- The first southeastern Minnesota congregation to vote on whether to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America after a recent churchwide decision on gay clergy has decided to stay. The Oct. 11 vote at Wangen Prairie Lutheran Church was close, falling just one vote shy of the two-thirds majority needed to start the months-long process of leaving the ELCA, said the Rev. Joy Gonnerman. The vote followed an August decision at the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly allowing churches to hire a pastor in a monogamous, same-sex relationship. The decision has raised the possibility of some churches leaving the...

Broken Keys by Ian Wolfe — October 21, 2009 And when [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on [the disciples] and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” John 20:23 The church has given to her ordained ministers through the gift of the Holy Spirit the power and authority to exercise the apostolic ministry to bind and loose sin.1 Traditionally Luther’s Small Catechism included a section on the Office of the Keys, although not written by Luther himself.2 I note...

One of the questions, often raised by those in disagreement with an institution or entity that they previously have supported, is whether or not it is appropriate and faithful to use the redirection of financial support away from that institution or entity as a means to influence policy. Having never been much of a political activist, my first encounter with this concept came in my seminary years. In describing the possible ways we would be able to allocate our pension funds as new pastors, we were introduced to what were called “social purpose funds” through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in...

Lutheran churches around the nation are doing some soul searching in response to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s decision to allow the ordination of sexually active gay clergy. And there’s a growing feeling that the end result could be some congregations splitting from the ELCA, whose national assembly in August rejected a requirement that gay and lesbian clergy remain celibate. That vote drew criticism that ELCA has moved away traditional Lutheranism and values and has triggered an uprising of sorts, including the formation of alternatives to ELCA. “The ELCA has already broken fellowship with us, in the traditional understanding...

It was standing room only Monday night at St. Paul's Lutheran Church at a meeting of Lutherans unhappy with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's recent vote to allow gays and lesbians to serve as clergy. Those assembled — about 450, organizers estimated — voted unanimously to approve a resolution to form a Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE) group in North Carolina. CORE is a conservative network of clergy and lay Lutherans who believe the church has fallen into heresy and whose goal is a "reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism." At issue mainly is the ELCA's adoption on Aug. 19...

SALISBURY, NC (WBTV)- More than 500 people packed St. Paul's Lutheran church in Salisbury Monday to discuss issues surrounding gay marriage and gay clergy. Members from Lutheran churches across North Carolina discussed the possibility of moving away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The ELCA voted last month to bless same-sex marriages and allow gay pastors to lead congregations... which left members divided. "We want to provide an avenue for them. For support and encouragement while they work through in their own congregations what they want to do," Pastor Carl haynes says. Clergy members also told us many...

ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 9, 2009 ELCA and ELCJHL Bishops Deepen Conversations among Christians and Muslims WASHINGTON (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, were among 1,000 people who attended the fourth major Muslim-Christian dialogue conference here Oct. 7-8. "It has been both the challenge and the hope for this conference that common words would lead to common deeds," said Hanson. "We have heard stories of places where particular Muslims and Christians are deepening their understanding of...

A pair of area churches could be facing some big decisions in the near future, as they discuss whether to remain a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Christ Lutheran Church in Cottonwood recently published a notice in the church bulletin calling a special congregational meeting later this month, with a ballot vote on whether "to continue the process of discontinuing affiliation with the ELCA." Trygve Trooien, president of Singsaas Lutheran Church in rural Hendricks, said their congregation met Sunday to discuss the issue of church affiliation. "Nothing was decided. We are going to have a vote in...

Many churches hold their denominational conferences during the summer months, and the most significant and closely watched was the church-wide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis in late August. The ELCA is one of the largest Christian religious denominations in the country, with about 10,000 congregations and 4.7 million members. Prior to the conference the main concern expressed by assembly members and throughout the church was the possibility of a split over the appointment of practicing homosexual clergy, perhaps the most divisive subject in 21st Century religious circles. The rift, which crosses denominational lines, has been growing since...

“Jesus would be passing out condoms.” That provocative thought was offered by an ELCA pastor on the floor of the Minneapolis churchwide assembly. Amazingly enough, he was quoting his former synodical bishop. When I heard that, I felt strangely relieved. We have clarity. If that is where the ELCA’s leadership is headed, as for me and my house, we are not going with them. I. In the midst of our sorrow, in the midst of our shock, in the midst of our grief, we are living in a period of historic opportunity for the church in North America. I believe...

ELCA Bishops Told of Possible Changes in Domestic, Global Relationships 09-223-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Since the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the church's global mission personnel have been reaching out to partner Lutheran churches worldwide. While some churches have expressed disagreement with a significant decision of the assembly, only one church to date has said it will change its relationship with the 4.6-million member ELCA. In August the churchwide assembly adopted proposals to change ELCA ministry policies to make it possible for Lutherans in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates...

Many of the North Carolina Synod's 86,000 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America feel betrayed and frustrated due to action taken at the ELCA's recent biennial Churchwide Assembly - specifically, decisions to allow recognition of same-sex unions and allow persons in such relationships to serve as ordained clergy. Clearly these decisions are moves away from the authority and importance that Lutherans have historically and traditionally ascribed to scripture since Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.Many read the news in disbelief; some were unaware the church was considering such extreme action even though millions of dollars...

ELCA Bishops Discuss Drafts of Possible Ministry Policies Revisions 09-222-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reviewed and discussed drafts of possible revisions to ELCA ministry policies during their Oct. 1-6 meeting here. As a result of their discussions, the bishops requested they have another opportunity to review updated revisions, likely to mean that final action on new policy language will not occur before April 2010. The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church, consisting of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, the presiding bishop and secretary. The 2009...

Some area Lutheran congregations are withholding financial support to the national Evangelical Lutheran Church in America while they explore their future in the ELCA. Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newcastle, Wyo., quit sending money to ELCA headquarters in Chicago in September. Earlier this year, the small eastern Wyoming congregation voted to financially support the reform group, Lutheran Coalition for Renewal, which plans to reconfigure Lutheranism in North America because of the ELCA's recent vote to approve of homosexual clergy in committed same-sex relationships. "In some ways we're a little bit ahead of the curve on this," said the Rev....

ELCA Presiding Bishop Comments on Assembly Responses, Finances CHICAGO (ELCA) -- It's a "rocky time" in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) largely because of responses to decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and economic stresses, said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop. Hanson made his comments to the ELCA Conference of Bishops, an advisory body of the church. The conference includes the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, the presiding bishop and secretary. The conference is meeting here Oct. 1-6. Much of Hanson's report focused on the assembly's actions on human sexuality and varied responses to those...

Fargo will be ground zero for the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ annual gathering, and some of those attending may use it as a way to find a new church that reflects their values. Fargo will be ground zero for the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ annual gathering, and some of those attending may use it as a way to find a new church that reflects their values.Of the 600 people registered for the event, which starts Sunday at Atonement Lutheran Church in Fargo, 37 percent are non-members.Atonement Senior Pastor Dale Wolf said nearly all of those visitors...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A coalition of mainline Protestant churches have authored a letter to members of Congress asking them to make certain the health care bills they are considering contain taxpayer funding for abortions. The letter comes from a group of churches that have long advocated the pro-abortion position. Under the umbrella of the Religious Institute, the church denominations and more than 1,100 pastors and church staff from the denominations endorsed the letter. The letter calls abortion a “morally justifiable decision” and opposed any amendments to the House and Senate bills, which current contain massive abortion funding, to strike...

"It would be a blessing to our ongoing cooperative relationships" if decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly allowing non-celibate homosexuals to serve as rostered leaders in that church body "were not implemented," Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod President Gerald B. Kieschnick wrote in an Oct. 1 letter to ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson and the ELCA Conference of Bishops. Kieschnick's letter came on the heels of a Sept. 28-29 meeting of the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation in Baltimore.  Most of the discussion at that meeting of LCMS and ELCA leaders was devoted to the future of shared ministries of the...

A Lutheran congregation in Minneapolis said Wednesday that it voted to leave the denomination because the church's governing body had voted to let gay men and lesbians serve as pastors. Sunday's vote by members of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is the first step in the process a congregation goes through to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA, the largest Lutheran denomination in the country. The church was among three that voted Sunday to leave the ELCA; the others were in Arizona and Virginia. St. Paul Evangelical's senior pastor, the Rev. Roland J. Wells Jr., said the...

St. Paul, Minn. — Members of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis decided to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America after a 96 percent vote by members on Sunday. The decision to leave came after the ELCA Church-wide Assembly vote on Aug. 21 in Minneapolis, that allowed gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy. Before the ECLA's decision, gay clergy were allowed to be ministers only if they were celibate. Some church members object to the new policy, saying it goes against Scripture. The St. Paul's congregation's council set a policy in October 1990 that...

Members of local congregations express widely divergent views at special meeting -- Though the decision was made last month to allow sexually active gays and lesbians to serve as Lutheran ministers, church members in Berks County continued to debate the issue Monday. A crowd of more than 70 people attended a meeting called by Bishop Samuel R. Zeiser at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sinking Spring. A man who said he was with Bethel Lutheran in Bethel Township said members of the congregation are greatly distressed by the decision. "The more liberal the church gets, the more members leave...

At St. John Lutheran Church, Pastor Mark Graham is relieved because his congregation followed him on Sunday, where 70% of members voted to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is their current national association. “Some of the things that the ELCA has adopted do not follow in with my beliefs regarding God and life and family,” said Judy Limroth who voted for the change. The ELCA is the largest Lutheran association in the country. This comes one month after the national church decided to recognize gay marriage and allow homosexuals in a relationships to become part of...

Local conservative Lutherans preparing for change 'Reformers' will consider a future separate from ELCA. By MELISSA NANN BURKE Daily Record/Sunday News Updated: 09/28/2009 07:12:40 AM EDT Conservatives in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted during the weekend to spend a year laying a course that could lead their group to split with the denomination. With 4.7 million members, the ELCA is the country's largest Lutheran denomination, representing more than 70 congregations in York County. Some members have already left the ELCA since the church decided last month to allow gay people in committed relationships to serve in the pulpit....

A megachurch in Glendale, Ariz., unanimously voted Sunday to cut ties with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and will be joining the smaller Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. At a congregational meeting following worship, Community Church of Joy voted 129-0 to terminate its affiliation with ELCA as the church’s vision, values and mission are no longer aligned with the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination, according to the Rev. Walter P. Kallestad, senior pastor of the congregation. "There is such a different direction that the ELCA has chosen, a path they're traveling on, and we really believe that it just...

Lutheran Core Leaders, Members Map Organization's Future 09-212-JB FISHERS, Ind. (ELCA) -- Leaders and members of the Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE) began planning for the organization's future by adopting a constitution, including plans for a "free-standing synod" not directly related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). They also suggested ways for constituents to communicate concerns. With the adoption of its constitution, CORE's name was formally changed from "Coalition for Reform" to "Coalition for Renewal." Biblical teaching, the creeds and the Lutheran Confessions are key values of CORE, according to its constitution. Some 1,200 Lutherans from more than...

Lutheran CORE Attendees Express Variety of Viewpoints 09-213-JB FISHERS, Ind. (ELCA) -- Some 1,200 Lutherans attended the Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE) convocation here Sept. 25-26, united in their concern about the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on human sexuality. But individual responses to the assembly actions varied considerably. The assembly adopted the social statement, "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust," by a two-thirds vote. The statement addresses several topics related to human sexuality from a Lutheran perspective. The assembly also adopted a series of proposals to change ministry policies, including a...

It looks like the ELCA will remain in tact at least through the rest of the year. Today, hundreds of members from the Evangelical Lutheran church in America gathered in Indianapolis. They're part of a Lutheran group called "core” and are upset of a vote last month, which allowed gays and lesbians in committed same-sex relationships to serve as clergy. The group decided within the next year they’d decide whether or not to split from the church.

FISHERS, IND. — Conservative members of the nation's largest Lutheran denomination voted Saturday to spend the next 12 months deciding whether to split from the church after it liberalized its stance on gay clergy. About 1,200 people meeting in suburban Indianapolis approved a constitution for the conservative umbrella group Lutheran CORE and a resolution directing its steering committee to report back in a year on whether to stay within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, form their own denomination or join another. Some members urged the assembly to more quickly sever ties with the 4.7-million member ELCA after the vote...

INDIANAPOLIS -- More than 1,200 Lutherans from throughout the United States and Canada took actions Saturday, Sept. 26, that they hope will lead to a reconfiguration of Lutheranism in North America. The Lutherans were in Indianapolis for a Convocation formally organizing the Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (Lutheran CORE). The event became even more significant when the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted in August to change its teaching to affirm same-sex relationships and to allow pastors to be in those relationships in spite of the Bible's teaching on marriage and homosexual behavior. "I believe it is...