A conservative activist in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is taking issue with a letter from a denominational official who asks church members not to withhold financial support to protest a recent vote concerning homosexual clergy.
Last month, the churchwide assembly of the ELCA voted to allow homosexual men and women in committed relationships to serve as clergy. That prompted outrage from conservatives in the denomination — among them, Mark Chavez, who is director of the conservative ELCA group Lutheran CORE.
Chavez responded to the vote by encouraging church members to designate their tithes and offerings. “…[T]here shouldn’t be just general support for the churchwide organization because it’s clear that they’re up to no good,” he told OneNewsNow in August.
That generated a plea from the presiding bishop of the ELCA, Mark Hanson, to send a letter to denominational leaders, warning that the church would face “devastating” consequences if funds were withheld. But Chavez says that is not the case — that, in fact, funds can be designated to support solid ministries in the denomination.
“They would designate in their gifts to their congregations — and congregations should start designating in their gifts that they send to their synods and so forth,” he suggests. “And if the synods won’t work with them to honor those requests, they unfortunately are just going to have to send the money directly to independent Lutheran ministries, or [to] some of the good ministries within the ELCA or their synods.”
Lutheran CORE is convening this weekend in Indianapolis. Chavez says it is a chance for the organization to start the process of forming an “alternative church fellowship” for those in the denomination who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible.
In contrast to the ELCA, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod views homosexual behavior as “intrinsically sinful” and a lifestyle that is contrary to the Word of God.
(Source: OneNewsNow.com)