Faith Lutheran makes bold stand to leave ELCA and join NALC council
By Shelly Webb
October 4, 2011
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When a local church belongs to or identifies with a larger denomination or organization they must support what that larger entity believes and the doctrine it holds to. Unfortunately there are times when a handful of individuals are creating and changing beliefs and doctrines for millions of members worldwide.
In August 2009, the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted to open the ministry of the church to gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers living in committed relationships.
The decision passed by a vote of 559-451 at the highest legislative body of the 4.6 million member denomination. During that same time the assembly also approved a resolution committing the church to finding ways for congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same gender relationships, though the resolution did not use the word marriage.
This action, which was voted on by 1,000 people, changed the policy and doctrine for 4.6 million members and thousands of churches worldwide. This action also caused the local Faith Lutheran Church to reexamine what they stand for as a congregation and whether or not they were comfortable with 1,000 individuals they dont know reflecting or interpreting their beliefs.
This was a big decision, said Robert Groenke, Faith Lutheran pastor. In the ELCA the local congregation has no vote as to what our doctrine or Biblical stance or beliefs are as a denomination. The 1,000 members at the convention decide how to interpret Scripture and what our church as a whole is going to accept and support. However, if a Lutheran church belongs to the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), the local congregation is asked to vote on all issues twice before any doctrine is decided or changed.
The trigger that initiated Faith Lutheran to consider changing their affiliation to the NALC came on the heels of the 2009 sexual position of the ELCA to permit active homosexuals as full-time pastors within the denomination. Groenke believes the more important issue of this debate is not the sexual question, but a Biblical one.
I am more concerned with how the church came to the place where a handful of individuals can make a Biblical statement on behalf of an entire congregation, he shared. When leaders of a denomination make the statement that the Bible is merely a collection of stories and claim the only event in Scripture that can stay unchanged is the crucifixion there is a problem. We at Faith Lutheran believe Scripture should be interpreted as a whole and that it should not be changed.
The local church voted to leave the ELCA and join the NALC by a vote of 85 percent, which made Groenke very proud of the congregation although it was a tough and controversial decision.
It was a difficult decision, he said. We have been with the ELCA since 1987, but Scripture needs to be our guide for all things.
In this day and age the topic of sexual orientation is a very controversial issue, especially in religious institutions, but Groenke is more concerned with the acceptance of sin in general than the type of sin itself.
I asked my congregation, would you be comfortable having a pastor that was stealing money out of the collection plate, he said. The overwhelming response was a resounding NO. Well, any sin is sin whether stealing or a sexual sin, so why would you not want a pastor that steals, but you would accept one that was committing a sexual sin? We have to be grounded in Scripture as a body of believers and that is the real issue.
Groenke believes the congregations action of joining the NALC will also offer local Lutherans that are not in agreement with the direction the ELCA is heading another option as far as choosing a church. He welcomes anyone in the area to attend a service at Faith Lutheran, which are held on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m.
The North American Lutheran Church was constituted at the 2010 Convocation of Lutheran CORE August 26-27, 2010, in Grove City. The NALC has been growing rapidly since then. More than 255 congregations, representing more than 100,000 Lutherans, joined the NALC in its first year.
The NALC embodies the theological center of Lutheranism in North America. It is a church body committed to the authority of the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life. The NALC believes all doctrine should and must be judged by the teaching of Scripture.
For more information you can visit the NALC website available at http://thenalc.org.
