Posted by
Billy on Monday, February 08, 2010 12:06:56 PM
Nebraska and Iowa are feeling the fallout from a decision by the nation's
largest Lutheran denomination to allow noncelibate gay clergy and church
leaders, as well as recognition of same-sex couples.
Thanksgiving Lutheran Church in Bellevue voted Jan. 31 to leave the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA. It takes two votes with at
least a two-thirds majority, taken at least 90 days apart, for a congregation to
split from the national church.
The Jan. 31 vote was Thanksgiving's second vote, so it appears to make the
church the first Nebraska congregation to break from the ELCA since a
controversial churchwide assembly in August.
At that assembly, ELCA delegates voted to lift a prohibition against sexually
active gay and lesbian pastors from serving as clergy. The new policy, which has
not yet taken effect, would allow ELCA congregations to hire such individuals as
pastors if they show they are in committed, lifelong relationships.
At least one Nebraska church, Hope Evangelical in rural Smithfield, is known
to have voted once to leave and is pondering the required second vote. And at
least one Iowa congregation, Eagle Grove Evangelical in Eagle Grove, has taken a
first vote but chose not to split from the ELCA.
(Good for these churches that have voted to leave this Lutheran denomination. The truth is God and his word is not welcomed by this denomination at least not anymore.God has left these churches so why shouldn't his followers leave them. Too often people try to change a church when the leadership is not willing to change. Read more of the above story Churches ponder ELCA split.)
