A group of Lutherans are so angry over the ELCA’s decision to allow for the inclusion of partnered gay clergy into their ranks under certain limited conditions that they want to form their own denomination.
But these breakaway Lutherans don’t want to join up with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod nor the Wisconsin Synod, because they do not allow for the ordination of women and take the Bible too literally for their tastes. So this would be a not-so-conservative, women-ordaining but gay unfriendly church.
The Washington Post reports:
At a September convention, Lutheran CORE members voted to spend a year considering whether to form a new Lutheran denomination. However, its leaders said Wednesday that a heavy volume of requests for an alternative from disenfranchised congregations and churchgoers prompted them to hasten the process.
John Brooks, spokesman at the ELCA’s Chicago-based headquarters, said Lutheran CORE’s move was not unexpected. He expressed hope that church members would ultimately opt to stay in the denomination as it strives to be “a place for all people despite any differences we might have on any issues.”
Neither Brooks nor Lutheran CORE leaders would guess what kind of numbers a new denomination might attract. Lutheran CORE leaders believe there is deep opposition to the new policy among rank-and-file churchgoers, but said some may not be willing to actually depart the ELCA over it.
Read the rest here.