North american lutheran church and homosexuality
Not every denomination bearing the verb “Lutheran” is actually Lutheran. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is the largest church body in North America with Lutheran in its name. As such, many people consider the ELCA a representative example of Lutheran doctrine and teaching. Carry out its teachings bear this out?
History
The ELCA formed in from three Lutheran church bodies: The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. Since the ELCA’s history is one of merger and union, its history precedes
The American Lutheran Church formed in by the merger of three other church bodies, which were the consequence of the merger of yet other Lutheran church bodies in America. The same is factual of the Lutheran Church in America, which formed in The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, however, formed in not by virtue of merger, but by congregations leaving The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as a consequence of theological disagreement and the subsequent political fallout.
In the years since its founding
News
GERMANY &#; A year ago today, Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) in Germany released a pastoral letter entitled “Discovering Marriage and Family as Gifts of God.” Its July 2 publication coincided with German observances of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke )—an appropriate day to consider the blessings of marriage and children.
The letter came in the midst of turmoil in Germany, following the publication of a reference sheet on marriage by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). The EKD paper—entitled “Between Autonomy and Dependence—Strengthening the Family as a Reliable Community”—was widely criticized, both by other Christians and in the German press, for abandoning a traditional biblical understanding of marriage.
Bishop Voigt’s letter, by contrast, was widely praised. Bishop Wolfang Ipolt of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Görlitz was one of those who hailed its publication. “Given the irritation caused within the Catholic Church by the EKD’s guidance on the subject of marriage and family,” he wrote, “the
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
BACKGROUND
Of the three leading Lutheran organizations operating in the United States, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is considered the most welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ members. Formed in with the merger of three smaller Lutheran organizations, the ELCA is based in Chicago and encompasses nearly 10, congregations and more than million members across the country.
Churchwide Assemblies are held every three years, with elected representatives establishing policy and addressing the concerns of the larger church body. As stated on the denomination’s web site, the Churchwide Assembly “provides a time and place for growth and change while remaining rooted in Scripture, tradition, Lutheran confessions and the rich histories of our congregations and communities.”
LGBTQ+ EQUALITY
ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER IDENTITY
In , the Churchwide Assembly passed a resolution stating that, "Gay and lesbian people, as individuals created by God, are welcome to participate fully in the life
What I noticed and what kept coming up in conversation with younger deans was that the Church spent it's first decade in defining itself negatively; ie. as not the ELCA. The thought within the church is that it is time to shift to a focus that affirms what the church is rather than what it is not. The denomination is now at a cross roads in where the parishes are coming from as well. They hold received about all they are going to from ELCA and now see most of their new affiliations coming from the LCMS or independents.
Now I'm no expert on pre s American Lutheran synods but it seems to me that the mergers that resulted in ELCA were unlikely to have long term success. One of the first things any congregation I was visiting wanted to tell me was what synod they were founded in: ALC, LCA, or some other. This serves to highlight that the ch