Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Bachmanns Came to the WELS, No Longer Thirsty

Definitely a for-what-it's-worth, first-draft-of-who-knows-where-I'll-end-up post.

Photo taken during the first year of Dad's ministry in Auburn

Lutheran denomination clarifies view after Bachmann departure. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 7/18/2011)

Background:  My dad served 3 churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA):  Messiah Lutheran in Auburn Washington; First Lutheran in Great Falls, Montana;  and St. Paul's Lutheran in Warren, Pennsylvania.   The ELCA is generally considered the liberal wing of American Lutheranism.  (Dad, by the way, was a lifelong Republican.)  Our conservative brethren worshipped at churches that belonged to the Missouri Synod.  In order to reach the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), you take a hard right at Missouri.

WELS Statement on Scripture is a rambling, defensive (what did the Missouri Synod do to them?), 6-page document.   All you really need to know:   No true unity and no doctrinal clarity can come without acceptance of the Scripture as the inspired and inerrant Word of God. Thus the "Statement on Scripture" remains an important and timeless document for our church.

What's the difference between WELS and other Lutherans?  (From frequently asked doctrinal questions webpage.)
In general, our church body has been unable to reach agreement with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) regarding fellowship, church and ministry, and gender roles. Our areas of difference with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) also include their views on Scripture, biblical interpretation, and homosexuality. [Empahsis added.]

ELCA homepage screenshot.

Missouri Synod homepage screenshot

WELS homespage screenshot.

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