Lutheran Core Convocation: 1st night report #ELCA & #CWA09

Late yesterday, the Core Convocation convened at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fishers, Indiana with an estimated 1200 persons in attendance. Substantive matters were not addressed except for the speeches offered by Core leadership. “Should we stay or should we go?” was the question that hung in the air, but the answer will not likely […]

Lutheran Core Convocation commences #ELCA #CWA09

Lutheran eyes are on Indianapolis this weekend and the Convocation of Lutheran Core, the organized opposition to the recent ELCA convention action approving gay clergy and moving toward marriage equality. Will Core breakaway or choose to remain within the ELCA as the loyal opposition? Perhaps we’ll know more on Monday. In August, the ELCA national […]

A 16th century approach to 21st century problems: #CWA09 & #Goodsoil09

With feet planted squarely in the sixteenth century, octogenarian and retired theologian Carl Braaten has assumed the intellectual mantle as defender of Lutheran orthodoxy. On behalf of Lutheran Core (fellow travelers of the WordAlone network), he penned an open letter to delegates to the recent ELCA 2009 convention; later, he engaged in an ongoing debate […]

Then came a great wind: ELCA Convention #CWA09 & #Goodsoil09

This afternoon, a tornado touched down in the environs of the Convention Center in Minneapolis. Within minutes, I stepped outside to find trees uprooted, chairs, tent, and debris strewn about from the outdoor pub set up at Central Lutheran across the street. Some chairs were found atop the four story convention center. The traffic light […]

Working the Goodsoil: Behind the scenes at the ELCA convention #CWA09 & #Goodsoil09

Goodsoil is an umbrella group of several LGBT advocacy groups including Wingspan Ministries of St Paul-Reformation Church, Lutherans Concerned North America, and The Network for Inclusive Vision. Goodsoil becomes the face – and the voice — of the LGBT community at Churchwide Assemblies with a ministry of presence; we are here. As a first time […]

ELCA Church wide Assembly: pre-convention lobbying #CWA09

On August 17, the ELCA will meet in biennial assembly in Minneapolis. In a previous post, a pre-assembly primer, I mentioned the conservative group, WordAlone, and its opposition to the gay marriage and gay clergy proposals that will be considered by the assembly. WordAlone laments a perceived “theological drift” in the ELCA and […]