Churches Sound as One Voice (Do Not Initiate a War, They All Say)

Many of America's church leaders are responding to a different question that seems more to the point:

No, say leaders of the United Methodist Church, a denomination whose members include President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

"A preemptive war by the United States against a nation like Iraq goes against the very grain of our understanding of the Gospel, our church's teachings, and our conscience," wrote Sharon Brown Christopher, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops.

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No, say leaders of the Episcopal Church, a denomination whose members include Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Powell.

"We believe a preemptive strike against Iraq, with the overwhelming force such a strike may require to attain an expedient victory, may have many unintended consequences, including unacceptable civilian casualties. Further, in this instance, we do not support a decision to go to war without clear and convincing evidence of the need for us to defend ourselves against an imminent attack," wrote the House of Bishops.

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"We do not find any moral justification for a preemptive strike in the absence of an attack, or real threat of an attack, upon the United States. A military strike of this nature puts the United States in the posture of aggressive warfare, not defense, which is precisely the behavior we, and your administration, deplore in the Iraqi regime," the COGIC Board of Bishops wrote to Bush.

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"Our bishops' conference continues to question the moral legitimacy of any preemptive, unilateral use of military force to overthrow the government of Iraq. To permit preemptive or preventive uses of military force to overthrow threatening or hostile regimes would create deeply troubling moral and legal precedents. Based on the facts that are known, it is difficult to justify resort to war against Iraq, lacking clear and adequate evidence of an imminent attack of a grave nature or Iraq's involvement in the terrorist attacks of September 11," wrote Bishop Wilton Gregory.

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No, say leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Orthodox Church in America, the Christian Church (The Disciples of Christ), the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.

No, say leaders of the National Baptist Convention, the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

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Contact columnist David Waters at 529-2399 or e-mail waters@gomemphis.com. Faith Matters runs on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Charles, Can you tell me why some churches stay in the ELCA even though their own stands directly conflict with them. As I said I attend an ELCA church that is much more conservative than the LCMS church I attended in another part of the country, not only on these issues, but in the service they conduct(by the book!). I just can't understand why they stay in--what holds a church back from moving to another synod? Even though my church differs from ELCA, I still feel conflicted by the fact they are a part of it. I'm asking this because of your unique position as a pastor.

The four largest church bodies that go by the name "Lutheran" in this country are these:

ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
LCMS (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod)
WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church)
ELS (Evangelical Lutheran Synod, aka "Little Norwegian")

On the whole, as a church body, the ELCA is extremely liberal, and the other three are generally conservative. When I say "liberal" and "conservative," I am referring first of all to their theological-confessional position in regard to doctrine and practice (e.g., biblical inspiration and authority, church fellowship, ordination of women, etc.), and secondarily to their stand on social-political issues (e.g., abortion, homosexuality, capital punishment, the use of the military, etc.)

But as you note, there can be many exceptions. There are individual congregations and pastors in the ELCA who are quite conservative, and there are individual congregations and pastors in the three "conservative" synods who are relatively liberal in one area or another. You may have congregations or pastors with a "split personality": They are "conservative" on social-political issues (they're pro-life, e.g.) but are not so confessional/conservative when it comes to churchly practice (they have jettisoned historic Lutheran liturgical practice, they practice open Communion, etc.).

Now you ask about a conservative/confessional congregation in the ELCA and whether or not, or for how long, to "stay in." That is always a tough decision. At the very least, you can register your official protest. This is sometimes called being in statu confessionis, in a state of confession.

I know some good, faithful, confessional Lutheran pastors in the super-extremely liberal Church of Sweden who have done just that--made official protest. But even now they are struggling with how or if they should "stay in." You see, they cannot get their theological candidates ordained if they oppose the ordination of women. And current pastors cannot be considered for bishop if they oppose the ordination of women. So now they are working toward the formation of a "mission province" within the Church of Sweden in which they could get their men ordained.

I don't have an easy answer for you with regard to staying in the ELCA. The ELCA has on the official level, as a church body, forfeited their claim to be Lutheran: They have compromised clear teaching on the doctrine of justification; they have entered into Communion fellowship with those who deny the Real Presence of Christ's Body and Blood in the Sacrament; etc. But you say you are in a still-faithful congregation. So the question then becomes: What will your congregation do?

What often holds congregations and pastors in a church body is what I call "institutional inertia." It's easier to just stay in. It takes a real effort to break free of the "gravitational pull." In a sense, that's good--it keeps one from making a hasty decision. But sometimes there may come a point when you must leave and find a church that is faithful to Scripture and Confessions.

Thanks for your reply. I think the next few years will tell. The pastor who keeps the church as it is is approaching retirment..I am sure of it(he started as pastor of this church in 1978 and had worked previously so the math is tellling). I think where the church goes upon his retirement will be very telling.

We have also decided to not become members of the church for the time being. This decision definitely centers around who the church is tied to(ELCA).

We looked for LCMS close by--we weren't satisfied with the options and ones that were ok were too far of a drive. There was a mission church for LCMS in our area, however it seems to be at a standstill when the pastor left a couple years back. If you have any recommendations or can find anything out about that mission I would be eternally grateful.
Let me know.
thanks for your reply pastor

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