wfn.org | Lutheran Core Leaders, Members Map Organization's Future

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Title: Lutheran Core Leaders, Members Map Organization's Future
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>September 27, 2009  

Lutheran Core Leaders, Members Map Organization's Future
09-212-JB

FISHERS, Ind. (ELCA) -- Leaders and members of the Lutheran
Coalition for Renewal (CORE) began planning for the organization's future
by adopting a constitution, including plans for a "free-standing synod"
not directly related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA). They also suggested ways for constituents to communicate concerns.

With the adoption of its constitution, CORE's name was formally
changed from "Coalition for Reform" to "Coalition for Renewal."  Biblical
teaching, the creeds and the Lutheran Confessions are key values of CORE,
according to its constitution.

Some 1,200 Lutherans from more than 40 states and three Canadian
provinces attended CORE's convocation here Sept. 25-26 at Holy Spirit
Parish at Geist Catholic Church. Approximately 400 congregations are
affiliated with CORE, said the Rev. Mark Chavez, Landisville, Pa., CORE
steering committee member and vice president, WordAlone Network, New
Brighton, Minn.

Much of the discussions centered on responses to actions of the 2009
ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, which adopted a social statement
on human sexuality and a series of proposals to change ELCA ministry
policies, including a change to make it possible for Lutherans in
lifelong, publicly accountable, monogamous same-gender relationships to
serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal
ministers.

Lutheran CORE opposed some parts of the social statement and the
ministry policy changes.

"What happened is  catastrophe," the Rev. Kenneth Sauer, Columbus,
Ohio, CORE advisory council member and former ELCA synod bishop, said in
a presentation.  The choice of whether congregations stay or leave the
ELCA "can be a faithful one," he said. Any decision to leave the
denomination "should be done with love."

He said there are some ELCA synods and bishops who share CORE's
concerns, and the organization must find ways to support them.

God is reforming the churches of the Reformation in North America,
said Ryan Schwarz, Washington, D.C., CORE steering committee member and
nominee at last month's churchwide assembly for ELCA vice president. He
cited declines in membership in several mainline denominations, including
the ELCA.  Schwarz predicted that in 20 to 30 years, the congregations of
the ELCA will be "more orthodox." "Congregations that preach the Gospel
of Jesus Christ will thrive," he said.

CORE is committed to finding "a viable church body" for ELCA
congregations that choose to leave the denomination.  For those who stay
CORE will help them to "proclaim faithfully" and provide alternative
resources for them, he said.

"We want to be part of the solution with the help of the Holy
Spirit," said the Rev. Paull Spring, State College, Pa., CORE chair and a
former ELCA synod bishop.  CORE will be an intentional, confessional
reforming movement, he said. It will be a "churchly community" and will
form a free-standing synod for all Lutherans.  It plans to provide
resources to strengthen members' faith and congregations, support global
missionaries, develop new congregations and provide theological
education, he said.  It also wants to work with synods and bishops as
they consider candidates for ministry and in the process of calling
pastors to congregations.

Spring said CORE wants to be an umbrella organization for other
reform movements, and provide an "alternative community" for
congregations and reform movements.

CORE does not plan to seek a formal relationship with the ELCA, he
said.

"God is calling us to do something," he said. "The ELCA has fallen
into heresy. It is time for confession and time to resist.  It is a time
for new life."  Those who do not agree with CORE are not enemies, Spring
told the convocation. "They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Be
gracious in your dealings with them," he said.

Challa Varo, Oromo Evangelical Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, read a
statement on behalf some 120 African national congregations in the United
States and Canada.  He said it is "a distressing, shocking and confusing
time" in the ELCA, and said the assembly actions "fundamentally
shattered" global and ecumenical relationships.

The Rev. Eddie Perez, Iglesia Luterana San Pedro, Inc., Miami, spoke
on behalf of some Latino pastors in the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, said
this is "the saddest and darkest time in the history of the ELCA."

"We are glad to see that God is using this time of duress to
manifest the light," he said.

>---

Information about Lutheran CORE is at http://www.lutherancore.org/
on the Web.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
http://www.elca.org/news/blog