Since the formation of the ELCA in 1988, the denomination has been shepherded by three presiding Bishops: Herb Chilstrom, H George Anderson, and currently Mark Hanson. Herb and wife Corrine now reside in retirement in St. Peter, Minnesota. On August 26th, Herb penned an op-ed piece for the newspaper in nearby Mankato—his response to the formation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) as a splinter from the ELCA. Bishop Chilstrom asked three rhetorical questions of those who have departed the ELCA for NALC, Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), or another church body.
First, what is it about sex that pushed you over the edge?
The retired Bishop wonders why some elevate questions of sexual behavior over more momentous issues such as abortion, war and peace, and the death penalty. What is it about the sexual behavior of others that causes such a visceral outcry and schismatic response?
[Other issues seem] far more serious than getting upset about two adults of the same gender who, like most of us straight folks, chose to live peacefully in a life-long relationship — the only such pairing the ELCA has approved. Like their straight neighbors, they live peacefully, go to their jobs every morning, pay their taxes, volunteer for good causes and, in many cases, worship with us. What is it that upsets you about this?
Ah, the straw that broke the camel’s back comes the response. The various dissident groups go to great lengths to suggest that LGBT issues were merely the tipping point that reflects a lengthy ELCA drift away from tradition and traditional Biblical interpretations. To be sure, LCMC was formed nearly a decade ago, and many LCMC congregations departed the ELCA prior to CWA09 (but the LCMC has doubled in size since CWA09).
Here is my take. CWA09 resolutions were not the tipping point but the opportunity seized upon by long time ELCA detractors to scare the the folks in the pews into following their leadership. For much of the hierarchy of WordAlone, CORE, NALC, and even LCMC, their disaffection with the ELCA goes back to the very beginning, and it can all be summed up in one word—CONTROL. This blog has previously critiqued the comments of dissident theologians Nestingen, Braaten, and Benne who in similar ways lamented the egalitarian impulses of the newly formed ELCA thereby diminishing the power of the male elites. Over the years, this coterie repeatedly attempted, unsuccessfully, to achieve leadership status within the ELCA.
But then came CWA09. They saw their chance and they took it. CWA09 handed the dissidents a cultural wedge issue that they could use to drive ELCA congregants and congregations away from the ELCA and into their own organization, under their control. So, Herb, it is not about sex. Nor is it truly about Biblical interpretation. Here the Missouri Synod critique of the new Lutheran church bodies makes sense—if these new organizations truly want to be Biblical traditionalists, why do they allow female clergy? Or divorced clergy? The existence of female and divorced clergy within their ranks puts the lie to the claim that it is all about strict and traditional Biblical interpretation. No, Herb, it is something else. It is all about power and control.
Here is Bishop Chilstrom’s second question:
Second, why are you organizing new churches?
Surely there must be one among them [existing Lutheran bodies] that would welcome you. Why go to all the unnecessary expense of setting up an entirely new structure with officers, boards, committees and institutions?
This might be a good place to interject some basic data about the numerous small and uniformly conservative Lutheran Church bodies that exist in the US in open criticism of the more-progressive ELCA. For comparison, the ELCA has over 10,000 congregations and over 4 million members (statistics for each derived from Wikipedia or the organization’s website)
- Missouri Synod (LCMS) 2.4 million members
- Wisconsin Synod (WELS) 1,300 congregations
- Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) 500 congregations
- Free Lutheran Churches (AFLC) 270 congregations
- Lutheran Brethren 123 Congregations
- North American Lutheran Church (NALC) 18 congregations.
Bishop Chilstrom assumes the reason why LCMC and NALC don’t join one of the other bodies is because LCMC and NALC will continue to ordain women as their legacy from the ELCA. I know the LCMC is attempting to to position itself as the moderate middle of Lutherandom with the more progressive ELCA on the left and the more conservative others on the right. There would also appear to be an organizational difference between LCMC (congregational autonomy) and NALC (a denominational structure). I have previously characterized LCMC as a website and a mailing list. Their organizational paid staff is minimal. No seminaries, no colleges, no candidacy committees, no disaster relief, no missionary support, no … fill in the blank. It is merely an affiliation of like minded congregations that are free to do their own thing with minimal organizational support or control.
There’s that word again. CONTROL. See the answer to number 1, Herb.
Here is Bishop Chilstrom’s final question:
Third, what will you say to your sons and daughters, sisters and brothers and others in your churches when they tell you they are homosexual?
This is the nub of it. We can argue about “gay issues” till we’re blue in the face, but we miss the human element. This not some academic argument; this is about real lives, children of God, baptized brothers and sisters. I asked last week how many church bulletins proclaim “all are welcome”—and really mean it.
“What will you say to your sons and daughters?” Herb asks.
Will you offer empty platitudes (hate the sin but love the sinner)? Will you “pray the gay away?” Will you offer junk science such as reparative therapy that will only deepen their pain? Will you turn your back or offer an embrace?
Retired Pastor Duane from my congregation tells the story of the gay high school boy who came out to him and then asked Duane to accompany him when he came out to his parents.
Mom came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, with a worried look on her face when the pair arrived in the driveway.
“Mom, I’m gay,” the boy said.
“Is that all?” and mom smiled with relief and gave her son a hug.
They were still in the driveway when dad arrived in the pickup with mud flaps and a rifle slung in the rear window. He exited the cab with a mixed expression of anger and concern.
“Dad, I’m gay”, the son said.
Dad’s face drained of all color, and his eyes turned black. He looked at his son, his wife, Pastor Duane, and back at his son. Then, his eyes moistened and his lips quivered.
“I don’t understand,” he said, his voice cracking, “and I probably never will. But, you’re my son, and I love you.” Father and son fell into each other’s arms, shaking and sobbing.
This isn’t about doctrine, or confessionalism, or Biblical interpretation, and it ought not be about control. This is about grace. This is about trust. Let go and let God. Listen to the wisdom of Herb Chilstrom:
I am both sad and relieved that you are leaving. Sad, because this was not what we hoped for when the ELCA was formed some 22 years ago. We believed we could be a church where we held to the essentials and allowed for differences on non-essentials.
But I am also relieved. Now those of us who remain in the ELCA can get on with our primary mission of telling everyone — everyone — “Jesus loves you. You are welcome in this church.”
From what I understand from my 30 something children is that ANY “debate” about homosexuality is totally irrelevant to life as it actually is. There’s no “debate” about such things. It simply is. And, any institution that “debates” its stance regarding GLBT people is to be avoided like the plague. If I may paraphrase such a view, “Any institution that fails to at least meet the moral standard of hiring and promotion of all peoples that is set by McDonald’s or Wall-Mart is simply not worthy of serious consideration in all other aspects of its pronouncements.” Sad, but true and hard to argue with. My only thought is this – please don’t equate every hate filled stupid pronouncement on this issue with what Jesus actually said and did. If you can’t possibly imagine Jesus saying and doing something that would drive a kid to suicide, then trust your gut that you are right. He never did that. And as because of that, the GLBT bashers are not to be taken seriously. Push back from that lot. Shun them. Turn your back and walk away. They do not speak for anyone but themselves. Don’t ever equate such trash talk with the genuine Good News brought by Jesus.
@Obie Holmen
I will accept your assessment of Jon’s response, in which case, from my point of view, he answered Chilstrom in kind.
@Tony Stoutenburg
I don’t think so.
There is a significant qualitative difference between Chilstrom’s criticisms and the rant of Pastor Sorum, and I think these differences characterize the debates in general. If I may generalize, and I understand the weaknesses of generalizations, the pro-ELCA folks criticisms of the anti group are “You are wrong. You allow your biases and fears to color your Biblical interpretation, and thus you get it wrong.” On the other hand, the anti-ELCA criticisms go a significant step further. Not only are we wrong, but our error rises to the level of mortal sin. We reject the Bible, we have abandoned Christ, and we chase after idols.
I agree Obie. Tony was criticizing the Holiness churches in one of his statements yet the LCMC and Lutheran CORE have come up with their own Holiness Code. I grew up with the vengeful God and along the way found the God who loves me. Thanks but no thanks I will take One who loves me as I am. Thank you Jesus.
@Keith,
Funny, your experience with your kids is not universal. There is significant research showing that the “myth” that all those who are thirty or younger accept homosexuality as normative is simply false. Read the book “UnChristian” for a taste of that myth.
If that were the case, the large non-denominational churches in our country with the largest youth groups (while Lutheran and mainlines shrink) would believe something different.
Now, where I do agree is that ALL people, regardless of age, and whether they agree or disagree, can be loving, have respectful disagreements on this and other issues, etc.
When in this country did we go over the cliff and come to sort of conclusion that if “they” don’t believe the way “we” do they are to be shunned? Neither the GLBT person or traditionalist is to be shunned. There is another way.
And the extremists on both sides who shun and shout the loudest are not modeling the love of Jesus.Neither are those who judge other people, gay or straight. We need to reread some scripture here.
@Jeff
My kids are both in their 40’s. My son was elated that CWAO9 went the way it did. But then again he has two close friends who are gay. My daughter, who is the one hurt by the transgendering of her first husband, has left the Lutheran churches and is attending a non denominational evangelical church with her second husband. Her take is that most of the homo-sexuals and trans-sexuals that she knows are too mixed up to take on leadership of a church.
I think we have more important issues to worry about in any church. First of all are we going to survive the latest round of anti-Islamic rhetoric. Will my grandson entering the army, survive if he gets sent to Afganistan or along the Mexican border ?
What are we as a church going to do about the high level of unemployment and about the people who are being foreclosed ?
Here in Clintonville there are two food pantries, a community garden, and a weekly community meal for those who are hungry or just lonely. This is an ecumenical endeavor. Yet it doesn’t address the needs of those who work for minimum wage or 9 dollars an hour who can’t afford health insurance. The world has been turned “upside down” yet we bicker about homosexuals. Lets move on and take care of each other.
@Obie Holmen
Oh, I forgot … the magnanimous progressives are ever so much kinder in their dealings with the traditionalists than we are with our self-righteous, shrill hyperbole.
Come, come now. You sit at your keyboard and pass judgment on congregations where all you know is that there is a division in the congregation and some or most are leaving the ELCA. On the basis of that you claim, over and over again, that pastors are abusing their role. We structure an association that is decentralized and flat, and you sit back and repeatedly claim that it is a congregational or clercal power-grab.
If I may generalize, and I understand the weaknesses of generalizations, those critical of the ELCA say “You are wrong. You allow your human notions of justice and peace color your Biblical interpretation, and thus you get it wrong.” On the other hand, the anti-LCMC/CORE criticisms go a significant step further. Not only are we wrong, but we are psychologically deficient, because everytime we seek to point to the Church’s 500 year claim that Scripture and it alone are the source and norm of our faith and life, we are branded as fearful (your word above) and all sorts of claims are made (on this blog and elsewhere) that we are lacking in experience of any living breathing lgbt folks, we are unloving and un Christ-like.
Well, at least that last criticism is right.
Face it, Obie, there is a log in each of our eyes.
@Tony Stoutenburg
Well Tony, you are on the defensive. I was over at Christus this morning to give the library a couple good Christian fiction books. (I haven’t figured out what to do with the ones I read yet.) I stopped in and visited with the quilters and listened as one lady was talking about sitting in on the pastor’s membership class and found out that the rainbow is in the sky as a sign that God will never flood the world again. This lady is a life time Lutheran who grew up in a LCMS church and school. That she is just now hearing the whole Noah’s Ark story at age 75 is amazing to me. She didn’t need to attend that membership class because she is a long time member of Christus. It made me appreciate the lack of Bible literacy in the congregation. I guess they do need your friend to teach them.
@Tony Stoutenburg
I think you just made my point, Tony, and I think I struck a nerve.
You take your best shot, and the best you can come up with is that we claim that the anti-ELCA folks are “psychologically deficient” (your words–I merely said “fearful”).
But, even if that were true, that is still a significant qualitative difference from the charges levied against those of us who remain faithful members of the ELCA: “We reject the Bible, we have abandoned Christ, and we chase after idols.”
Ultimately, you are correct. The rhetoric is often excessive.
@Obie
Obie, not all who have left or are leaving the ELCA are saying this. Many of us are saying “we don’t agree, it won’t change, so we will leave”. We are not bad mouthing the ELCA. Personally, I speak well of my bishop, he has been gracious, and I believe our church has as well.
My point earlier, which I think Tony picked up on, is that we must STOP on all sides the name calling and finger pointing. Those who remain in the ELCA are not evil or demonic; and very few who have left have said they are. Those of us who have or in the process of leaving are not hateful people who are homophobes; rather we believe the church has erred significantly and have taken action.
I think one can be gracious ,and be progressive or traditional on this issue, or do you think that is not possible?
@Jeff
Of course it is possible, and in many cases that is true.
My discussion here with Tony arises from his quotation of a letter from a Pastor Sorum that was not gracious. I took issue with Sorum’s letter, calling it “A fine example of the self-assured, self-righteous, shrill hyperbole that stills actual discourse”. In response, Tony suggested Bishop Chilstrom’s original letter, the subject of this post, was equally bad. I strongly disagree, and that is where I suggested there is a qualitative difference, blah, blah blah.
@ Jeff – I think you make an excellent point, one that many of us have been trying to make locally for some time. Ultimately, a church must go (literally or figuratively) where it can be most effective at mission. By mission, I don’t mean congregational growth, but the kind of mission we heard about in the gospel text a couple of weeks ago – service with no hope or expectation of any return on that “investment”. As long as either side launches the salvos of name-calling (or worse) at the other, we are spinning our wheels and digging ourselves up to our fenders in sand.
No one has the one right way to do this. There are lots of “right” ways. But I completely agree with Lilly that there is far too much work needing to be done to spend our time bickering. The harvest is still plenty, and laborers are still too few.
I am convinced and positively certain that being homosexual is NOT A CHOICE! Our Bishops speak Jesus’ truth – His Gospel.In the small town where I live, the Pastor was so incensed because his congregation chose not to leave the ELCA that he retired, which has actually benefited the congregation. They had the largest VBS enrollment they’ve had in years, their Sunday School is thriving and they are welcoming new members! Unfortunately, even after this ex-ELCA pastor signed a statement (required) that he would not try to lure members away from this congregation, he is still doing so after almost a year. This man apparently has no ethics.
@Lilly
What a coincidence, Lilly. You and I grew up in the same Lutheran church – but for me it was many years ago. I thank God that you and I and many others found Lutheran Pastors who preach Jesus’ Gospel and His unconditional love for everyone.