Reflections on the CWA

Our words for today are “heterodoxy” and “heresy”...anytime either of those words find their way into the first sentence of a statement you know things are about to turn serious. Serious, we indeed are.

Each year following the Churchwide Assembly (the CWA) of the ELCA we take time at our weekly

Bible Study, and again in council to review the events and decisions of the church wide body. This year three votes took center stage, both in their content, and in their reception: the “Sanctuary Church resolution”, “Faith, Sexism, and Justice”, and “A Declaration of Inter-religious Commitment”. At the direction of our council I share some thoughts with you on those three votes.

The first vote, which is often referred to as the “Sanctuary Church” resolution vote called on the ELCA to declare itself a sanctuary for immigrants (which is great), support immigrants (which is great), and support migrant children (even greater). We were assured that this would not be a counter or anti government resolution with no intent to break the law, but to be a pro-immigrant resolution (wonderful). This was immediately followed by the participants leaving to march to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Milwaukee to protest...including our own bishop. Which certainly did not sound non-political. Do we think the same as our Church Wide Assembly and bishop? Many here at 1st Lutheran do not...but we call that heterodoxy. Heterodoxy literally means “different thinking”. Different thinking is OK, as long as it is on issues that do not interfere with our salvation. Christians are free to think differently as long as we do not violate the Biblical and theological underpinnings of the church. You and I are free to think differently than the CWA, although not many people did think differently as the vote for this resolution passed by massive super-majority. Although the politicization of this resolution literally took minutes to occur, the statement on sexual abuse called “Faith, Sexism, and Justice” held a much more subtle but powerful political undertone.

Delegates were posed with an interesting conundrum at the CWA. The document “Faith, Sexism, and Justice” served to establish our opposition to sexual assault and abuse, while supporting women who are being victimized. Indeed no right thinking person could be opposed to such a view. What heartless person would vote against a social statement decrying sexual assault. The issue is that the document makes it clear that it equates genetically female women with men who think of themselves as women. This is what psychologists call sexual dysphoric disorder and our society commonly refers to as “transgenderism”. Although in 2013 the ELCA passed a social statement saying that we should not discriminate against people suffering from sexual dysphoric disorder we certainly have never established a policy to normalize transgenderism...until it was snuck into this document. Now, via the back door language of this document trans people are equated with biologically gendered people. All of this was accomplished without a word of discussion or even a study by the ELCA on whether or not we agree with this. Delegates were given the choice (which is no choice) to vote for normalizing transgenderism, or to vote against a social statement denouncing sexual violence. The insurance that the ELCA provides has confirmed that they will pay for sex change operations for clergy. Again, this is a matter of heterodoxy. Although we may differ on whether or not this is in keeping with God’s plan for humanity, it does not directly violate the Biblical witness as it pertains to salvation. Sadly, again the heterodox nature of this statement was not represented in the voting at the CWA where this passed by a 97% margin. This is to say that of all the hundreds of people there as representatives, less than thirty voted against normalizing transgenderism, highlighting the singular mindset of the ELCA. Shockingly the last of these three issues is the most grievous.

Once more the ELCA has produced a document which seemed almost tailored to lull the reader to sleep with pointless truisms only to sneak a deeply heterodox idea (or indeed, worse than heterodox) in at the end. The “Declaration of Inter-religious Commitment” was laden with all the phrases and wording that no decent person could disagree with. We should not abuse, mistreat, discriminate against, or malign members of other religions. We should work together on humanitarian issues whenever possible. Loving our neighbor is part of our principal mission in this world. All of these sentiments are unquestionably right and true. The issue comes near the end of the document in a section called “Limits on our Knowing” where the document states in no uncertain terms that we cannot discount the validity of other religions since we cannot know that they are wrong. After all, according to the document “God has revealed God’s attitude toward us, overall purpose, and character, but the inner workings of God remain hidden. Hence, we must be careful about claiming to know God’s judgments regarding another religion or the individual human beings who practice it.” In other words, we cannot possibly know if Christianity is the only way to come to God, so we should honor other religions as equals. If you are thinking that the wording in the statement is too vague to imply actual disregard for Christ as our sole source of salvation, read on… As one might think, this clause would indeed cause concern. Long before it came to the floor, Bishop Patricia J. Lull of the Saint Paul Area Synod admitted that there was

concern that these lines are ”inconsistent with the Biblical witness” but her committee decided to pass it on to church-wide anyway. One might think that someone at the CWA might have protested. You would be right. Voting member Zachary Johnson of the ELCA’s Northwestern Minnesota Synod moved that these lines be struck as the scriptures clearly state that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through” him (John 14:6) and therefore we do actually know how salvation comes. Mr. Johnson was told that his statement was an embarrassment to the ELCA and that he should be more mindful and respectful of the non-Christians attending the CWA, furthermore “our God is big enough for our family to include all of these interfaith siblings” (which is to say: non-Christian). His motion to amend was soundly defeated. However, this document denying that salvation comes only through Christ was passed by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly by 97.48%. Let that settle in for a moment.

This is not heterodoxy. This is a denial of Christ’s work on the cross. This is stepping outside of the Christian faith.

This is heresy.

The old theologians had words for when the influence of the Holy Spirit had departed from a body of believers or an individual. They called it ichabod, or anathema, or apostasy. This is not to say that all of the ELCA is completely sunk in apostasy. There are certainly individuals, bishops, perhaps even

synods that are not apostate...but the same seems hardly true of the national body. How we as congregation address this will be the topic of much discussion in the upcoming months. How can we remain in fellowship with a body that has turned its back on Christ? As directed by the church council last year I continue to investigate alternatives like the denomination “Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ”. Their emphasis on congregational autonomy, outreach, and steadfast refusal to engage in any form of political controversy are quite appealing. I ask you to join me in praying as we try to chart a course away from apostasy and toward the gospel.

Sola Fide,

Pastor Rus