A few pastors in the Hutchinson, Minnesota area have long been WordAlone rabble rousers so it wasn’t surprising that their congregations pulled out of the ELCA earlier this summer. At the time, I chipped in with a few comments in response to a letter to the editor in the local Hutchinson newspaper. Mike Crary wrote the original letter critical of the departing pastors and congregations, and yesterday he commented here about the loyal supporters of the ELCA forming a Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community (SAWC) in Hutchinson. Thanks to Saint and Cynic Brant Clements for the saucy pronunciation of “SAWC”.
Mr. Crary asks,
Have you been following what is taking place in Hutchinson regarding the two former ELCA churches leaving the ELCA? By next month, I am confident there will be a new ELCA church in town- River of Hope Lutheran Church. At our first gathering, over 100 folks were in attendance and nearly $4000 was collected in the offering. We are psyched! We are energized with the spirit of Christ! Keep an eye on us.
Another frequent commenter here, Kelly of Progressively Lutheran blog, has also reported on the saucy SAWC in her Wisconsin community. Here are excerpts of several of her comments:
Luckily my own synod was quick to step up and give us support. We were able to find a home fairly quickly, and at our first worship …we already had 50+ members. Not bad for one email announcement and a little word of mouth! … I cannot express how renewing and affirming this final process has been after nearly a year of feeling like the floor was yanked out from underneath us … a SAWC (btw, I used to say Sauk as in county in Wisconsin, but I am fancying the term Saucy because Brant makes me smile!) is a faster stepping stone from going from worship center to independent church … As for being authorized? If you want any grant funding, interim staffing, synodical support you need to be authorized … But it gets us up and running in under a month from Are we gonna do this to a full-blown We’re doing this!!!! In this case, being an authorized anything gives us access to a lot of resources that we would not have otherwise … We are meeting for the time being in the local United Church of Christ’s building. They truly take “full communion partnership” seriously, have opened their doors and hearts to us, and it looks like we have the potential to forge some amazing bonds of partnership for years to come. We’re already contemplating a partnership for a variety of ministries and community outreach.
The ELCA news service offered a lengthy report on the situation in Elk River, Minnesota, where a new congregation was formed after an existing congregation voted itself out of the ELCA.
[T]he members of Elk River are passionate about their mission and ministry. “They’ve gone from no place to bursting at the seams. The depth of their joy, tears of happiness and being the people of God has freed them to gather in community, (engage) in ministry and identify with the ELCA.” Elk River Lutheran “intends to be a full-service ELCA congregation,” said [congregation president] Spyhalski. “Right off the top” members of the community committed 10 percent of Elk River’s budget to support ELCA ministries, said Spyhalski. “We are very brand-loyal.”
In December, I blogged about the experience of St John’s Lutheran of Edgar, Wisconsin where the congregation remained ELCA but a large number of members departed when they failed to attain the requisite number of votes to pull the congregation out of the ELCA. In my December blog post I quoted Pastor Gail Sowell:
[The first Sunday worship after the St John vote] was another surprise: 145 people showed up for worship — the most that had been there since [the assembly]. “We had people come back who had stopped coming at least since the Oct. 18 meeting,” [Pastor Sowell] said. With a shortage of Sunday School teachers, the result of the previous week’s resignations, six people volunteered on the spot to teach, Sowell said. Since that time, “dozens and dozens” of members have stepped forward to volunteer for various roles at St. John. “The next Sunday I saw such warmth in the people that were left. We’ve seen a real consensus of people who really wanted to make this work.” [T]he situation at St. John was “like a death and resurrection experience.” “I have grown so much because of this,” [Pastor Sowell] said. “I have been carried by the prayers of my former congregation. People have called me out of the blue to say, ‘I’m praying for you.'” “I am sure St. John is not only going to survive, it’s going to thrive,” Sowell said.
The common thread in each of these stories is the spirit of hope and renewal that buoys the remnant that chooses to exult in its relationship with the ELCA. I intend to communicate with Secretary Swartling’s office at the ELCA headquarters for further info about SWACs around the country. In the meantime, other SAWC anecdotes are welcome here.
UPDATE:
Here is information from the office of the ELCA Secretary:
SAWC’s are started for a variety of reasons: a small worshiping group needs sanction from the synod, a house church is growing into a bigger ministry, the synod is testing the field for a new congregation, or a larger congregation has changed and lost members but those who remain are committed and wish to continue to worship. Recently we have seen several SAWC’s formed out of existing congregations that have separated from the ELCA. The remaining group forms a SAWC to take time to heal and also to explore their missional potential.
The ELCA has SAWC’s in almost every synod and represent several major ethnic groups. As of today we have approximately 90 SAWC ministries.
I want to make it clear that I did not originate the pronunciation “saucy” for SAWC. I heard someone else use it (I wish I could remember who) and liked it. So, while I cannot take credit for the creation, I wouldn’t mind being known as a popularizer.
The Northern Illinois Synod has formed, to date, five SAWCs. One of them, located in an urban area with several ELCA congregations, has disbanded. Its members have joined other churches. Three continue to meet regularly and consider their future.
The fifth is an interesting situation. The original congregation, having successfully voted twice to leave the ELCA, may now rejoin the ELCA. The SAWC is looking at merging back into the congregation. The pastor who led the congregation out of the ELCA is now leading a small, independent congregation.
Obie, not to be picky or anything, but quoting your comments in the last paragraph of the most recent blog: “for further info about SWACs around the country. In the meantime, other SWAC anecdotes are welcome here,” you did misspell the acronym, making it sound more like “Sealed with a (C)iss or some other “C” word, real or imagined. We do all know what you really meant.
We’re almost two months into reclaiming our identity as a SAWC, and it has been nothing but uplifting and healing. It is so refreshing to put the dysfunction of a fractured congregation aside and get back to worship. Pastor Sue declared at her first meeting with us that we are a House of Prayer, a House of Praise, and a House of Peace. Thus far we have lived up to every expectation. With all of the talk of splintering and disaffiliating with the ELCA, I could have become quite disillusioned and just walked away from organized religion. But this reaffirmation and reorganization as a SAWC has made me transform from an Armchair Lutheran to playing a proactive role in my faith.
We’re up to about 70 members now. We’re a tight knit group. I love our pastor, and my kids love her too.
It is so wonderful enjoying going to church again.
I find it refreshing to read about the new starts within the ELCA “despite” the vote. Although they might number fewer than those leaving, the new starts and SAWCs are nonetheless places where the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are proclaimed. What more can be asked of a church? And for everyone that says the ELCA will die over this vote, that the faithful will make a mad and mass exodus for more faithful bodies, I counter that the strength and vitality of a church is not measured by the number of its members on the rolls or the figure in its checkbook. A church might have 2500 members whose faith doesn’t amount to much while another church with its 25 members could be ministering to its community in a way that the megachurch could never dream of. Our Lord once said, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” The same can be true for a congregation too. It need not number in the thousands in order that it do God’s work.
@Bob Kaltenbaugh
Thanks. Fixed.
@Daniel
“The strength and vitality of a church is not measured by the number of it’s members on the rolls or the figure in it’s checkbook”.
This is very true, but when you go on to judge the “faith” of a church, isn’t that a judgemental? Whose faith are you judging? The church’s ministry, the people who attend, or what exactly? Impact in the community?
I have served as a pastor of a new mission;urban parish, suburban parish, and megachurch. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, but simply saying “faith doesn’t amount to much” when we are all broken vessels and all in need of grace borders on works righteousness.
Lastly, I think all churches need to refocus on the Great Commission. All churches should grown, in any setting. Even inner cities or rural areas. Demographics help, but I have seen powerful things happen in places where the numbers don’t support the results. It usually depends on lay leadership, vision, pastoral leadership, and hard work.
Interesting article that ran in the La Crosse Tribune this week. Our little SAWC is mentioned and our pastor was interviewed.
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_42f0b5c0-ad9f-11df-8956-001cc4c002e0.html
Thanks Kelly. It is interesting to see what is happening is SW WI. The SAWC here just sent letters and emails to all of us who had expressed an interest in an ELCA church. At this point, I am not sure of the status except that it is now Faith Lutheran Church and they are planning to implement Sunday School in the fall.
At the same time, Christus has a boy scout/church camp and recently all the youth from all the area LCMC churches were invited to a get together there.
After setting up a library of Christian books for toddlers when I was a Christus member, I am starting to do the same at the UCC church. I need to take it slow and easy though because I don’t want to step on “old” members toes there. Somehow this is all starting to make sense.
I was glad to read in the Hutchinson Leader that a new ELCA congregation is starting in Hutchinson. I’m happy to read in this post that ELCA members in other towns are doing the same. I thought the decisions of these churches to leave was very hateful and short-sighted, since the ELCA was not forcing any church to hire a gay pastor. I was raised Catholic, but have been drifting away because of my disagreement with the Church, and the Catholic Church’s emphasis on sexuality and abortion issues above all others. Thank’s for this blog!!!! Living in the Hutchinson area, the conservative churches get all the attention and I start to feel lonely and question whether I’m a Christian. It’s nice to see there are others who think more like I do.