Ask the Pastor

Last month, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the "other"¯ Lutheran denomination in the USA) overwhelmingly passed a resolution to approve ordination and ministry of "non-celibate"¯ homosexuals as pastors. What do you think about that? I was greatly saddened¦. For some years, the ELCA has had an official policy of permitting CELIBATE homosexuals to be ordained and to serve as pastors - men (and women, the ELCA has women pastors) who confessed such as sin and who remained completely celibate - NOT "acting"¯ on this sin - were permitted. While that's more liberal than the LCMS's stance (we don't permit homosexual pastors at all - celibate or not), it was a position some felt was reasonable. But this entirely changes the situation, this is an official embrace and condoning of what the Bible clearly and obviously declares to be sin (in fact, God in His Scripture uses the strongest word possible for such, an abomination!¯). Biblically, this new position is impossible to defend or embrace. It is shocking to me that the ELCA would do so. And it wasn't even close! The motion passed by a 68% support!!! ELCA pastor Richard Mahan of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Charleston, West Virginia stated at the convention, "I can't believe that the church I loved and served for 40 years can condone what God so clearly and undeniably condemns. I suspect many in the ELCA agree, although the vote suggests they are now a small minority. The move was not a surprise, all fully suspected this resolution would pass (although the margin DID surprise many), thus I do not suspect that it will cause any significant "split"¯ or exodus from the ELCA. The ELCA has embraced a number of such surprising resolutions in the past 20 years or so (this is just one more) and none of them has caused much of a stir. But we are deeply concerned for our fellow Lutherans and for the path they are clearly taking.

Below are the comments of our LCMS President, Dr. Jerry Kieschnick, at the ELCA Convention:

Presiding Bishop Hansen, members of the assembly, special guests, and friends in Christ, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Over the years of my life in Ministry, these words from St. Paul, in Second Corinthians Five have become especially meaningful, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting mankind's sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors to Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made Him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God." What a blessing it is to know that our sin is forgiven, removed from us as far as the east is from the west, because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ on Calvary's cross. What a humbling privilege and huge responsibility it is to know that God is making His appeal through people like you, and like me. People with feet of clay. That the world might be reconciled to God through faith in Christ.

I bring these greetings to you on behalf of the two point five million members of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, at a difficult time in the world and in the church. Economic pressures bring great burdens. Strife finds it's way into the LCMS, the ELCA, world wide Lutheranism and the Christian church as a whole. Mankind's inhumanity to Mankind manifests itself in global unrest, and world-wide terrorism. Peace is often elusive, both in the world and in the Church. As sin and Satan continue to rear their ugly heads, in both venues. Lutherans are no strangers to discord and divisiveness. The Lutheran Church was born under such conditions. Yet, we also know the path to Concord, expressed in these rather straight-forward words in the Formula Of Concord, written during a notable time of doctrinal controversy and discord in the Church. Hear these words from the Kolb, Wingard translation, "For these controversies are not merely misunderstandings or semantic arguments, or someone might think that one group had not sufficiently grasped what the other group was trying to say. Or that the tensions were based upon only a few specific words of relatively little consequence. Rather these controversies deal with important and significant matters. And they are of such a nature, that the positions of the erring party, neither could nor should be tolerated in the Church of God. Much less be excused or defended. Therefore, necessity demands explanation of these disputed articles on the basis of God's Word, and reliable writings. So that those with a proper Christian understanding could recognize which position regarding the points under dispute, is in accord with God's word and the Christian Augsburg Confession, in which it's not. And so the Christians of good will, who are concerned about the truth, might protect and guard themselves from the errors and corruptions that have appeared among us." The writers of this formula pledged to themselves and I quote, "To the prophetic and apostolic writings of the old and new testaments, as to the pure, clear, fountain of Israel, which alone is the one true guiding principal, according to which all teachers and teachings are to be judged, and evaluated." Discord can become concord when Christian individuals and Christian Church bodies are faithful to the Holy Scriptures, which reveal the Gospel of God's grace, forgiveness, and Salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus.

The very fact that I represent a denomination known as the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, at an assembly of a denomination known as, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, bears witness to the fact that, sadly, and regrettably, in spite of the Holy Word and Mercy of our God, the confessions affirmed by the constitutions of both our Church bodies, and the faithful example of those who have gone before us. Schisms remain, not only in the Christian church but also in the Lutheran Church. We have doctrinal differences that separate us. That is not secret. I speak these next words in deep humility, with a heavy heart and no desire, whatsoever, to offend. The decision by this assembly to grant non-celibate homosexual ministers the privilege of serving as rostered leaders in the ELCA and the affirmation of same-gender unions as pleasing to God, will undoubtedly cause additional stress and disharmony within the ELCA. It will also negatively affect the relationships between our two church bodies. The current division between our churches, threatens to become a chasm. This grieves my heart, and the hearts of all in the ELCA, the LCMS, and other Christian Church bodies throughout the world. We do not see these decisions as compatible with the Word of God. Or in agreement with the consensus of two thousand years of Christian theological affirmation regarding what Scripture teaches about Human Sexuality. Simply stated, this matter is fundamentally related to significant differences in how we understand the authority of Holy Scripture, and interpretation of God's revealed and infallible word. Only, by the mercy of our almighty God, does hope remain for us poor... miserable... sinners. By his grace, through word and sacraments, the evangelical witness, and authentic message of; sin and grace, law and gospel, must resound to a troubled world so desperately in need of his love in Christ. May God grant each of us, sensitivity, humility, boldness, courage, faithfulness, and forgiveness, as we continue to strive toward God pleasing harmony and concord in what we believe, teach and confess. We have much to accomplish in the mission of our Lord Jesus as entrusted to us. May God have mercy upon us all, and grant us his peace in Christ.