The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has driven away tens of thousands of its members. And why? Because the ELCA wants to be inclusive. It has whitewashed its Lutheran theology and replaced it with its theology of "change."
Since August 2009 homosexual ministers vote, the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ has benefited the most in gained membership. The LCMC, founded in 2001 by former ELCA churches, has gained 205 former ELCA churches to now have 376 congregations. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod have also seen an influx of former ELCA members, but not a congregational gain like the LCMC.
The problems in the ELCA did not begin in 2009, however. The downfall of the ELCA began back in 1987, before the merger of the American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church in America and Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches that would become the ELCA.
In November 1970, the LCA, the most liberal Lutheran denomination, ordained America's first female Lutheran pastor. It later ordained the first black female Lutheran pastor in 1979, first Latina Lutheran pastor in 1979 and first female Asian American Lutheran pastor. The LCA was all about firsts.
The ALC, the more conservative church of the merger, also later ordained women. Prior to this point, however, the ALC and LCMS were discussing a full fellowship in 1962 and invited the LCA into talks, but the LCA declined. In 1969, the ALC and LCMS established altar and pulpit fellowship with each other. This lasted until 1981 when the LCMS terminated the fellowship due to concerns within the ALC and the forthcoming possibility of an ALC-LCA merger.
The ordination of women and theological concerns began a slippery slope that one sect within the ALC left prior to the 1988 ELCA merger. (I am not blaming women, they just happen to be at the beginning of the slope.) The American Association of Lutheran Churches began in 1987 did not like the change to the Lutheran theology, particularly the changes within the LCA. This denomination saw what was happening before the worst was yet to come. (The AALC is now in communion with the LCMS.)
At the merger, for some reason, the ELCA decided to have an episcopal structure instead of a congregational structure as the denominations prior. Instead of having a president, they chose to have a presiding bishop. With this way, the ELCA would have more power over its congregations.
Throughout the 1990s, the young ELCA reached out to denominations outside the Lutheran denomination. This later "watered down" the Lutheran theology in order to allow other denominations into Holy Communion. The denominations that are now in full communion with the ELCA are the Moravian Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church in the United States and the United Methodist Church. According to Lutheran tradition and theology, only Lutherans could partake in Holy communion at a Lutheran church, because each denomination sees the sacrament differently. The ELCA got rid of this position. Lutherans see the Body (bread) and Blood (wine) of Christ as the true Body and Blood of Christ. It is both bread and wine and the body and blood.
On the spectrum of similarities in they way Lutherans understand communion only the Episcopal Church came close, but not close enough. The UCC sees communion as only symbolic and thus was not in the same world as the Lutheran belief.
Some ELCA churches left because of the additions to communion, but the vast majority did not care to notice the change.
Also in the decade, the ELCA changed its view on the Holy Bible and on the Lutheran confessions. Instead of taking it as is, infallible or divinely inspired, they chose to take a critical look at its theology. Through this, it began to pick and choose at what Bible passages were good enough. And said some did not matter.
Because of this change, the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, or LCMC, was formed by former ELCA churches in 2001.
As the 1990s came to a close, the ELCA began exploring the idea on ordaining gays and lesbians. Through much thought, it finally came to a vote in 2009.
At the ELCA Churchwide Assembly on August 21, 2009 in Minneapolis, the ELCA voted to ordain gays and lesbians in committed monogamous relationships to serve as clergy. Almost immediately, this caught the attention of hundreds of thousands of ELCA Lutherans.
Since the ELCA began supporting gays and lesbians as pastors, the LCMC has increased 205 congregations to a total of 376 congregations. The LCMS and WELS has also seen an increase.
Today, the ELCA has began preaching progressive theology. This is the total whitewashing of the Lutheran theology. This is pro-Earth and also promotes socialist causes.
When will the ELCA finally wake up and realize where they are at? They are no longer LUTHERAN!
As of 2010, the ELCA claims it has 4.6 million members at its 10,396 congregations. At the rate the ELCA is on with change, it will no longer be the largest "Lutheran" denomination at 2020.
The LCMS, WELS and LCMC will be moving up the membership ladder as the ELCA plummets.
The LCMS currently has 2.4 million members at its 6,155 congregations. WELS currently has 390,000 members at its 1,290 congregations. The LCMC has about 55,000 members at its 376 congregations.
At the rate the ELCA is on, the LCMS will be number one and the ELCA may not even be in second place in members.
As the ELCA loses members, it will be the gain of the next three largest denominations. The third, the LCMC, being only founded in 2001.
I know the real reason for the ordination of gays and lesbians and allowing full communion with non-Lutheran churches. It is that the ELCA has a pastor shortage. But why all the change in theology? This is forcing many people to leave the ELCA who may have become an ELCA minister. But, realistically, the ELCA would not want these folks becoming an ELCA minister. They may try to turn back the change.
I fear it is already too late for the ELCA to turn back from its mistakes. It would take so much to untangle the change.
SOURCES:
American Lutheran Church history
Lutheran Church in America history
Evangelical Lutheran Church history
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod history
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