Thought for Today

(Note: I posted the first entry in this series two weeks ago. At that point I hadn’t realized that an extended series was needed, and that I’d want to finish writing the entire series before resuming posting. You may wish to go back and reread that initial post.)

In the previous entry we looked at how hierarchical leadership silenced and destroyed one local church. Starting with today’s post, we’ll examine how apostate denominational leaders turned an entire denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a process I was directly exposed to.

How did I even end up in the ELCA? For those reading these entries who are part of the SBC, that is a question that deserves an answer. After all, theologically Lutheranism and SBC are poles apart theologically, in many respects.

In 2002, I was finishing up my master of pastoral studies at Multnomah. My legal blindness had presented many challenges to those studies, but by God’s grace I had done well. During those studies I had been part of a standard evangelical, believer baptism church.

A few professors at Multnomah were urging me to do doctoral work. My initial response was to say, “Thank you,” while thinking, “there is no chance.” God made it clear that doctoral work was precisely what He wanted me to do. But, where? My legal blindness precluded learning Greek and Hebrew. The answer came through what was then The Institute for Worship Studies (IWS). My old degree with a music major coupled with the degree from Multnomah made he a suitable candidate. I applied and was accepted. Then, trouble came.

The pastor of the church I had worked with while at Multnomah made it clear he would not support my doctoral studies, and that I would need to go elsewhere. That presented me with a terrible dilemma. I was about to start doctoral studies without a church where I could do the needed practicums. Churches, understandably, do not let new people walk in and start doing active ministry that is required by a doctoral program. Where could I go?

God’s answer came through my being welcomed at the local ELCA church, a church I was later to find out was one of the few orthodox churches that remained in the denomination. Had I known up front what I was to later find out, I probably would not have landed there. But by God’s providence, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

As the situation progressed, I became good friends with the pastor. As I started to study culture, postmodernism, the Emergent church, and where things seemed to be headed, he started cluing me in about his grave concerns about what was going on within the ELCA, urging me to research certain areas. I’ve continued that research even after my (very necessary) departure. I was very thankful to God that my leaving did not have to happen prior to completing my doctoral studies (it was a real possibility).

In the next entry we will start to explore how hierarchical leadership imposed its will over local ELCA churches.