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Lutherans Break Over Gay Pastors


Lutheran Churchx390 (Screengrab) | Advocate.com

Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America opposed to last year’s vote to allow pastors in committed same-sex relationships are meeting this week to form a breakaway denomination.

According to the Associated Press, critics of the decision will meet in Columbus, Ohio, where, “Leaders of 18 former ELCA churches are expected to be among more than 1,000 Lutherans voting Friday to create a brand new Lutheran denomination that they claim will follow the Scriptures more faithfully: the North American Lutheran Church.”

Dissident church leaders acknowledge that they would not be forced to install a gay pastor under the new ELCA rules. Still, they say their departure is a matter of what they would be expected to teach.

The new denomination will reveal its 18 charter churches Friday, which they hope to grow to at least 200 within one year, according to the AP.

The ECLA, with more than 10,000 churches and 4.5 million members, remains the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, and the largest Protestant denomination to allow gay pastors in relationships into its ranks.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Jerry
    Date posted: 8/26/2010 6:10:14 PM
    Hometown: Washington DC

    Comment:

    The best thing about church fractures is that it dilutes their political effectiveness and that's good for democracy. We should consider how to lure the RCC into the same activities. And the Mormons and any branch of the Christian cult with more than a thousand members nationwide.

  • Name: Fred Stanley
    Date posted: 8/26/2010 3:59:00 PM
    Hometown: Palm Springs, CA

    Comment:

    I certainly agree with RonK!! I raised as a Lutheran and I do not remember any of this hatred. I just wonder what Jesus thinks about all of this BS??

  • Name: RonK
    Date posted: 8/26/2010 2:20:48 PM
    Hometown: Clifton, NJ

    Comment:

    “…that they claim will follow the Scriptures more faithfully…” I wonder which scriptures they are talking about; certainly not these: Leviticus 18:22 - "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." …lesbians get a bligh! Ruth 1:14 says "Ruth loved Naomi as Adam loved Eve" without passing any judgment on them. And all over the Book of Samuel, "The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul ... And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments ... and his girdle." 18.1-4, and David and Jonathan "kissed one another, and wept with one another" when they parted for the last time. 20:41 - without recriminations here either.

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 8/26/2010 11:40:22 AM
    Hometown: WF

    Comment:

    Great, take your hate, ignorance, and bigotry; and leave all church money and property. PS- Since the Bible says eating shellfish is an abomination, make sure to stone each other to death after you eat a shrimp.

  • Name: CountryBoy
    Date posted: 8/26/2010 10:31:01 AM
    Hometown: MO

    Comment:

    Don't let the door hit you in the a** on the way out.

  • Name: Jay
    Date posted: 8/26/2010 10:15:47 AM
    Hometown: Santa Monica

    Comment:

    Good riddance.



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