Comments on: From the ELCA to the NALC

By: gobison

gobison — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:24:26 +0000

What I do not understand is why those who are leaving the ELCA for NALC can’t just walk away as you seem to be doing. We have a group that broke away from the ELCA and formed an NALC church with about 15 members, but they keep harassing the ELCA members to join them. Why can’t they just leave us alone and go in peace?

By: Catholic Phoenix

Catholic Phoenix — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 05:02:32 +0000

[...] I read a blog post over at First Things that was a blast from my past. The author, a Lutheran pastor, recently left the ELCA to become a [...]

By: Joe Palmer

Joe Palmer — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 02:45:04 +0000

I am the council president for Peace Lutheran Church (ELCA / Lutheran CORE) in Edmond, OK so we are in your area. We are currently in the call process for a pastor and have just posted a notice in CORE’s Clergy Connect. We have scheduled our first congregational vote to leave the ELCA on January 30, 2011 after over 18 months of prayer, Bible study and defining our core values and mission statement. The issue is purely the Authority of Scripture, which the ELCA and Bound Conscience has made irrelevent.
God Bless you and all Pastors who have been left behind as our congregation has been.
Also, we found the ELCA Pendion Board is not actually “ELCA” and benefits can continue for our six staff members.

By: Jim Anderson

Jim Anderson — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 02:20:17 +0000

When you leave a denomination like ELCA, how does this affect your pension benefits? Do they honor them? Just curious about some of hidden costs for such a change. God’s Blessings.

By: Kim

Kim — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 05:48:11 +0000

NALC also have a Facebook page, currently with 342 members, at:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=148674858495043

By: Thomas J. Beam

Thomas J. Beam — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:29:09 +0000

Having been recieved as a NALC pastor a few weeks ago, I too still serve my ELCA communities. At present, I remain serving them, though this may change in the near future. My reasons my roster change are written on: http://motorsage.blogspot.com

Therefore. brother Saltzman, please know that you are not in the departing boat alone, and with two of us rowing in unison we may make certain headway straight toward the foot of the cross. Have a Blessed Christmas!

By: Richard M

Richard M — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 03:29:10 +0000

“So why two different standards? Why is the bar set almost impossibly high for same-sex attracted Christians while heterosexual parishioners are given more leeway?”

Perhaps because heterosexual relations, even fornicating ones, are not disordered in the same way as homosexual ones are.

No question that there have been abuses in the annulment process in the Catholic Church; but the underlying principle – that certain marriages may well have never been valid in the first place – is not without validity.

By: Karl

Karl — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:43:35 +0000

To James,

You are mislead if you think the opposition to what is really going on in the Catholic Church is anything less than
furious outrage.

The Catholic Church is ignoring a tremendous scandal and willingly supporting open, unrepentant adultery.

If the Pope had the guts and integrity, he would come here himself. I would personally ask him to resign, right to his face. He is a reprobate for doing nothing to help abandoned spouses. He does not have integrity. He plays
both sides and is a huge disappointment!

By: Ryan Schwarz

Ryan Schwarz — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:23:06 +0000

@Rev. David M. Frye
Yes, the NALC is able to receive pastors not presently called by NALC congregations in all the usual circumstances: retirement, on leave from call, call to special service, etc. The NALC also can receive a pastor onto its clergy roster and then “authorize” that pastor to serve a non-NALC congregation, as will be the case with Pr. Saltzman.

By: James

James — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:07:13 +0000

Russell, thank you for your candid admission. My goal is not to attempt to throw stones.

My point is that most churches (liberal or conservative) have been a great deal more sympathetic to the divorced and remarried than to its gay parishioners, despite the equally clear Scriptural dictates in both areas.

If churches were consistent, they would place the same expectations on its divorced parishioners as its gay ones: lifelong celibacy (although the divorced do have the option of reuniting with their first spouse).

For most churches (liberal or conservative), such an expectation is seen as too drastic, unrealistic and not compassionate. It’s not “ideal” to remarry, perhaps, but it doesn’t necessarily prevent one from entering Heaven.

So why two different standards? Why is the bar set almost impossibly high for same-sex attracted Christians while heterosexual parishioners are given more leeway?

Whatever the reasons, it’s clear to me that the notion of sin has been tweaked to accommodate this more forgiving approach to straight believers.