Still, Saturday’s 538-431 decision was widely viewed as historic and a sign of shifting thinking on homosexuality within the 4.8-million member denomination.
“It’s a huge victory,” said Jeremy Posadas, a voting church member from Decatur, Ga. “The gospel of inclusion has won, and we’re going to keep winning.”
The Rev. Mark Chavez, leader of Lutheran CORE, a group that opposes non-celibate gays serving as pastors, called the vote “tragic.”
“This decision will be an excuse for bishops to disobey ELCA policy,” he said. “This decision does not reflect the will of the people, but of bishops and clergy who disregard God’s word.”
[blockquote]”It’s a huge victory,” said Jeremy Posadas, a voting church member from Decatur, Ga. “The gospel of inclusion has won, and we’re going to keep winning.”[/blockquote]
Just like it’s kept “winning” in TEC. Something of a pyrrhic victory, as I see the stats, though.
Note, again, that there are two different gospels being preached, and they’re not terribly compatible: inclusion and redemption/regeneration.
We should all keep Lutheran CORE in our prayers.
I have signed the Lutheran CORE statement on Scriptural authority, and will be waiting with much expectation to see what the next development is. This vote is a slap to the face of the majority of ELCA Lutherans by an assembly packed with liberal activists.
The main difference that I see in ELCA & TEC, is that ELCA has no external body such as the AC to monitor and attempt to discipline.
As such, they can do pretty much what they wish, subject only to the pressures placed on them by their own internal electorate.
If they wish to drive themselves down the same rat-hole that TEC has discovered, then their activists will do so as long as they are allowed to do so.
It’s just too sad though, that with the evidence of the fracturing of TEC in front of them, the activist homosexualists of ELCA feel that their victory in allowing overt sin to be approved, is better than keeping the church faithful.
I know people on the other side of the ELCA divide and have kept my mouth shut so far. What I can say is that restraint has been practiced for some time.