Judge: Grace Lutheran--Eau Claire must Postpone Annual Meeting

Posted: Friday, January 27, 2012

 

By Chuck Rupnow Leader-Telegram staff Leader-Telegram | 1 comment

 

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front_page/article_d8b0ec16-fb5e-55b8-942b-2aee2604f85f.html#user-comment-area

 

Grace Lutheran Church of Eau Claire was ordered Friday by a Polk County judge to postpone its annual meeting, which was scheduled for Sunday.

 

Judge Molly GaleWyrick approved a temporary restraining order by estranged members of the church. The group also requested, in part, that the judge remove church council members and restrain spending and borrowing by church members associated with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.

 

The Rev. Rolf Nestingen, senior pastor at Grace Lutheran Church who attended Friday's hearing, said the judge "granted only one of those things, that is that we not hold our annual meeting. She also said that we operate on last year's budget with the same leadership, and that we not spend any extraordinary amounts of money."

 

Nearly 70 members of Grace Lutheran Church filed a civil suit against the church and its council in November, asking a judge to declare that the longtime Eau Claire church remains solely affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In court documents, the plaintiffs are referred to as Grace Lutheran Church-ELCA, and the defendants as Grace Lutheran Church-LCMC.

 

The Grace Lutheran Church council voted last April to also join the more conservative Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ after a vote to disaffiliate with the ELCA failed to receive the two-thirds supermajority needed.

 

Friday's court hearing was the result of the plaintiffs' asking for a temporary injunction to postpone Grace Lutheran Church's annual meeting.

GaleWyrick ruled she has jurisdiction to rule on a request by the defendant Grace Lutheran Church-LCMC's motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Grace Lutheran Church-ELCA members who now worship at a neighboring church under the title "Amazing Grace."

 

A hearing is scheduled May 31 in Eau Claire on that request.

 

"We had 45 people there (at the hearing) from the congregation, and only one from their side," Nestingen said Friday. "They got a little token win, and we get to move forward the next few months and operate the way we've been operating into the future."

 

Grace will hold a congregational meeting Feb. 5, "for the purposes of disseminating information of the lawsuit and bringing people up to speed on that," Nestingen said.

 

"This coming Sunday, we would have adopted a new budget, elected new officers and conducted other business. In effect, this suspends our ability to do all that," he said. "We'll just operate with the same leadership we had."

 

Nestingen said the lawsuit and turmoil over the congregational split "has strengthened us. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but 45 people were willing to come up there and stand tall for us, and drive one and a half hours each way in bad weather. That says something about the commitment among our members."

 

Nestingen also voiced concerns about judges "telling churches how to operate. It's also a story about violation of church and state, about denying people of the freedoms of assembly, religion and speech."

 

Attorney Drew Ryberg, who represents the plaintiffs, said in a prepared statement Friday that the most important ruling the judge made was that "she has jurisdiction, rejecting First Amendment arguments."

ELCA & African Methodist Episcopal Zion

Building bonds of friendship

 

Leaders from the ELCA and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church pose together as they embark on a new relationship.

ELCA North Carolina Synod.

It began by one neighbor welcoming a new neighbor.
Hood Theological Seminary of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church moved to a campus next to the offices of the ELCA North Carolina Synod in Salisbury.

Friendships were struck between staff members. And five years later, leaders of the ELCA and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church are charting a path for congregations to engage in ministry together.
Some congregations have already begun.

Members of St. John’s Lutheran Church and Soldiers Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, both in Salisbury, hosted a children’s Music and Arts Camp, a Family Music Extravaganza followed by a picnic dinner and joint Thanks-giving services.

Future ideas between the two congregations include pulpit and choir exchanges and collaborative outreach through prison ministry, youth sports programs and more.  “Establishing relationships is pleasing in the eyes of God, where we all come together in praise and fellowship,” says Mark Lewis, a member of St. John’s. “Together, we are focused on outreach ministry in our neighborhood.”
To celebrate the growing relationship and explore ministry opportunities, members of both denominations held a summit in the fall of 2011.

“The summit was a time for coming together in worship, sharing with one another about who we are and being open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we look for tangible ways to cooperate in grassroots ministries,” says Don McCoid, who assists the ELCA presiding bishop in the area of ecumenical and inter-religious relations.

The relationship between both denominations may be the first time in the United States that a historically White church and a historically Black church have agreed to cooperative ministry.
“We have much to learn from our African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church colleagues,” Don says. “We hope that we can learn together, share together, witness together and serve together in many ways and in many places.”

http://www.livinglutheran.com/stories/building-bonds-of-friendship.html

ELCA Board of Pensions Gets New Name, Announces End to Relationship with NALC

Bob Hulteen / January 19, 2012

The Board of Pensions (BoP) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) began doing business as Portico Benefit Services in mid-November 2011. The organization is a separately incorporated ministry of the ELCA, headquartered in Minneapolis.

The trustees of the ELCA Board of Pensions approved the name change at their November meeting and recommended that the ELCA Church Council amend Continuing Resolution 17.20.A11 at its November 11-13 meeting in Chicago. The Church Council unanimously approved the amendment.

“We believe a new name will help people better understand what we do as this church’s provider of health, retirement, disability and survivor benefits, and related services,” said the Rev. Jeffrey Thiemann, president and CEO. “Though our name is changing, our connection to this church remains strong. I look to our future together with enthusiasm.”

Portico Benefit Services President and CEO Jeffrey Thiemann; photo provided by Portico Benefit Services

 

ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson observed that the new name is grounded “in biblical witness” and is reflective of the organization’s commitment to expand and deepen its services.

The word portico evokes the portico of Solomon’s temple, where Jesus taught in John 10:22-28, Hanson pointed out. “It was a place of gathering and entry into God’s sacred presence at the temple.

The transition from Board of Pensions to Portico Benefit Services will occur over the next 12 to 18 months. Thiemann said the new name will appear gradually, allowing the organization to use up, rather than discard, existing benefits materials and take advantage of natural product lifecycles.

Portico Benefit Services provides health, retirement, disability and survivor benefits and related services for 50,000 active and retired ELCA pastors, rostered laypersons, lay employees, and their families.

Change in relationship between Portico and NALC

Unrelated to the name change, but occurring at the same time, Portico Benefit Services announced that the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) executive council had contracted with Hahn Financial Group, Inc., to provide benefits to NALC congregations.

The agreement for the Board of Pensions to be the NALC’s sole benefits provider became invalid when the NALC chose to offer benefits through another provider.

In December 2010, the NALC and the Board of Pensions agreed that NALC congregations could participate in the ELCA Pension and Other Benefits Program if the Board of Pensions was the sole benefits provider to pastors, rostered laypersons, and lay employees of NALC congregations.

The agreement for the Board of Pensions to be the NALC’s sole benefits provider became invalid when the NALC chose to offer benefits through another provider. Thus, NALC congregations were no longer eligible to sponsor any of their employees in the ELCA benefits program as of January 1, 2012. Current ELCA benefits ended for them effective December 31, 2011.

According to Richard O. Johnson, editor of The Lutheran Forum, the decision by NALC leaders to find a new provider was inevitable: “It appears to have been understood by all that the NALC would move toward an alternative plan eventually, in part because many in the NALC have conscientious scruples about the BOP’s coverage of elective abortions.” Thus, NALC leadership negotiated a health benefits plan with the Hahn group.

“The [BOP] governing board, as soon as they found out about the alternative source of benefits, during the November meeting, I believe, announced that we had broken the agreement, and so announced termination of services as of December 31,” explained the Rev. Mark Chavez, general secretary of NALC. “But we were able to get everyone enrolled in a plan by January.”

Thiemann said he regrets the end of the Board of Pensions partnership as the NALC’s sole benefits provider. “We valued the opportunity to serve the NALC,” he said. “Although we had hoped to continue our service to them well into the future, we respect the NALC’s decision to select a different benefits provider.”

http://metrolutheran.org/2012/01/elca-board-of-pensions-gets-new-name-announces-end-to-relationship-with-nalc-congregations/

North American Lutheran Church and Missouri Synod Engage in Dialog

January 24, 2012

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) invited leaders of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) to an initial discussion about the two Lutheran church bodies December 15-16, 2011, in St. Louis. Leaders from the two bodies discussed theological and ecumenical issues facing each church body, as well as potential areas of cooperative work.

The NALC, which organized in August 2010 in Columbus, Ohio, had at that time committed itself in its formal ecumenical statement to meetings with the LCMS. It currently has more than 300 congregations and 100,000 baptized members.

From left, the Rev. John Pless, professor at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana; the Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, president of Lutheran Church—Canada; Bishop John Bradosky of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC); and the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), take part in the dialogue in mid-December in St. Louis. Photo: LCMS Communications/Joe Isenhower Jr.

CTCR’s Vogel stressed, “We are trying to affirm one another in the areas [of shared perspective]. We have things that divide us as well, … but we can be cordial as we allow an organic relationship to develop.”

At the December meeting, the NALC was represented by Bishop John Bradosky; Emeritus Bishop Paull Spring; Dr. James Nestingen, retired seminary professor; the Rev. David Wendel, NALC ministry coordinator; and the Rev. Mark Chavez, NALC general secretary. LCMS President Dr. Matthew C. Harrison; Dr. Albert B. Collver III, director of church relations and assistant to the LCMS President; the Rev. John Pless, director of field education and assistant professor in Pastoral Ministry and Missions at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Dr. Joel D. Lehenbauer, executive director of the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR); and the Rev. Larry M. Vogel, associate executive director of CTCR, were the LCMS representatives. President Robert Bugbee of the Lutheran Church—Canada attended as a formal observer.

“The NALC fervently desires to take the Scriptures and the Lutheran confession seriously,” Harrison said in a statement about the meeting. “These men are creedal Christians who share our own convictions on fundamental issues of life and sexuality. We do have real differences and they will not be easily overcome. But the outcome is the Lord’s.”

“Our dialog transcended all of our hopes and expectations,” added Bradosky. “The level of openness, honesty, and trust evident in our conversations was commensurate with those whose relationship had spanned years. That experience may be based on the fact that our common commitment to biblical authority and theological integrity has spanned many years to our formal meeting.”

Committed to prayer

CTCR’s Vogel stressed, “We are trying to affirm one another in the areas [of shared perspective]. We have things that divide us as well, … but we can be cordial as we allow an organic relationship to develop.” 

The Rev. Mark Chavez agreed that the two bodies share much in common. “With the exception of the ordination of women and [the practice of] closed communion, we have much in common,” he explained to Metro Lutheran. “They reached out to us a few years ago, when the Rev. Kieschnick was still president,” Chavez said, “and we have been supportive of each other, especially in prayer, for years.”
Leaders of the two church bodies will meet again May 7-8, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio. Future meetings will include further discussions about social ministry joint opportunities and matters of agreement and disagreement between the church bodies.

Who is the Real Grace Lutheran?--An ELCA&LCMC Perspective

Subject: Update from Grace Lutheran, Eau Claire
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012

Friends,

Much has been happening of late regarding attacks on Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire by the ELCA’s Northwestern Synod and its bishop and a splinter group of former Grace members who now belong to the ELCA’s Synod Authorized Worship Community (SAWC) Amazing Grace.  Most urgently for your prayers, an injunction has been filed by a former member to prevent Grace from having its regularly scheduled annual meeting this Sunday, to remove the duly elected church council, and to freeze the assets of the congregation.  The hearing for the injunction is set for 3:15 Friday, January 27 before Polk County Circuit Court Judge Molly GaleWyrick in Balsam Lake.  Grace will be represented by its attorney.

This is the latest salvo in a two-pronged attack against Grace Lutheran Church and its council, which is taking place both in the civil courts and in ELCA hierarchy.  The Amazing Grace group, calling itself Grace Lutheran (ELCA) has filed suit against Grace Lutheran (calling it Grace Lutheran LCMC) and its council.  Of course, Grace Lutheran ELCA and Grace Lutheran LCMC are one and the same since the congregation decided to add LCMC affiliation to its ELCA membership two days after 56% of the congregation voted to leave ELCA and join LCMC.  The congregational vote was not enough to continue disaffiliation with ELCA (which requires two 2/3 majority votes), but the council felt the congregation was directing it to add LCMC affiliation, and took the action to affiliate with LCMC on April 5.

ELCA Northwest Synod Bishop Duane Pederson formed a SAWC (Amazing Grace) for Grace Members who were offended by the addition of LCMC, and worshiped just two blocks from Grace Lutheran.  Because several of its former members had publicly declared membership in Amazing Grace, the council of Grace Lutheran followed its constitution and changed the membership status of those people to non-voting associate status.

The suit was filed by the splinter group November 29, urging the court to force Grace to end its affiliation with LCMC.  The injuction filed last week asks for a temporary injuction to postpone Sunday’s annual meeting and also asks to remove members of the church council, and to restrain spending and borrowing by the church.  The Amazing Grace group, representing itself as Grace Lutheran Church, filed a claim the Grace’s insurance company to cover its legal fees.  That claim has been rejected.

In addition to the action in the courts, the ELCA has been taking other steps to change Grace Lutheran’s affiliations and leadership.  After a hastily called adjudication committee of the ELCA (the Monday before Christmas) in which the chair of the committee did not allow Grace’s attorney to complete her testimony, the Synod Council decided, in a letter dated January 16^th that Grace should terminate its affiliation with LCMC, that is should fully restore full voting memberships to all members whose status was downgraded in 2011, that any members wishing to remain affiliated with LCMC be downgraded to associate status, and that ELCA shall be the sole affiliation of Grace.

While the leadership of Grace, including President Anne Carter and Pastors Rolf Nestingen and Dave Irgens are saddened and shocked by these events, they remain upbeat, confident that God’s hand is on the congregation, and hopeful for a positive resolution.  Please keep them and that congregation in your prayers.

Great insight on why a new group for Presbyterians

http://donsweeting.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/wishing-the-eco-well-another-turning-point-in-presbyterian-church-history/

Mass exodus of churches continue to flee PCUSA into 2012

By Jason P. Reagan, The Layman , Posted Thursday, January 26, 2012

After a 2011 that saw many disaffected congregations flee the Presbyterian Church (USA) due to theological conflicts, 2012 may unfold into an ever-widening exodus, as more churches seek dismissal and join other denominations.  Many departing churches have cited the 2011 approval of Amendment 10A and the passage of the new Form of Government (nFOG) as symptoms of a more serious underlying problem in the denomination: variant views of the authority of Scripture.

Amendment 10A deleted the explicit “fidelity/chastity” requirement from the constitutional ordination standard, and now allows the PCUSA to ordain of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as deacons, elders and pastors. The new Form of Government has raised concerns of a more “top-down” PCUSA bureaucracy and a universalistic theology.  The following is a review of PCUSA churches (or former ones) that have either been approved for dismissal, are in the process of leaving or are considering departure.

East Main Presbyterian Church, Grove City, Pa.

Proclaiming that the passage of 10A was “the last straw,” East Main Presbyterian Church of Grove City, Pa., informed Shenango Presbytery in January that the session had unanimously decided to “explore withdrawal from our PCUSA” – a step that initiates the presbytery’s dismissal policy.
The six-step process will include the formation of a dismissal consultation team by the presbytery and would culminate in a congregational vote on the question “Shall the [East Main] Presbyterian Church request dismissal to (the Reformed body of choice)?” -- followed by a later presbytery vote. The dismissal policy makes no mention of how property issues may be resolved.

“We have always found solace in the idea that, as long as our local church and presbytery remain true to the Scriptures, then East Main Presbyterian Church (EMPC) is insulated from the decisions of the denomination and its theological direction. However, General Assembly's adoption of a recent change in ordination standards has, for some, become the last straw,” the session informed the congregation in a recent document.

The 670-member church began the process of deliberation in May 2011, shortly after the passage of Amendment 10A. At that time, the session reaffirmed its “long-standing policy that tithes and offerings will not, unless otherwise directed by those who give them, go to support the institutional structure of the General Assembly of the [PCUSA].”

The session further stated in May that “it is becoming clearer to us that, given the history and ethos of East Main, at some point we will need to decide either to remain in the PCUSA but in some form of explicit protest against policies with which we deeply disagree, or find a denominational home with others with whom we are in more fundamental alignment.”

Shenango, in turn, passed a resolution in June 2011 stating “that the [PCUSA]'s removal of the constitutional standard of fidelity and chastity for its ordained leaders represents a departure from the global church's historic commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Holy Scriptures.” The presbytery resolved to “seek to build and strengthen relationships with others within the PCUSA who are also opposed to the [2011] passage of Amendment 10A.”

Fairview Presbyterian Church, Glenmoore, Pa.

Adding its name to a growing number of disaffected churches in Pennsylvania, the 240-member Fairview Presbyterian Church of Glenmoore, Pa. initiated the discernment process with the Presbytery of Donegal in January.  In December, the church’s session decided to seek discernment with a multi-part plan.  First, the church appointed a four-person team to meet with Donegal representatives to launch the discernment process.

Second, Fairview appointed a separate team to initiate discussions with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), concerning possible membership with the denomination. The EPC has become a popular landing site for many departing churches.
In October 2011, the session informed the congregation that it would conduct town-hall meetings to receive more input from members.

“Staying within the PCUSA is not a viable option,” Pastor Mark Atkinson told congregants in a recent newsletter. “The PCUSA logo that is on our sign out front is not an accurate reflection any longer of what will be found upon entering the doorway of Fairview Presbyterian Church.”
“The erosion of adherence to Biblical authority, the conflicted witness concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ, the lack of conviction concerning the essential tenets of our faith, and the diversion of our energies away from our missional purpose to contend with the endless controversies have produced a ‘tipping point,’” Atkinson added.  According to minutes from a November meeting, Donegal Presbytery’s Council voted to place a moratorium on any new requests for discernment teams until March 1.

First Presbyterian Church of Waukegan (Ill.)

In December, First Presbyterian Church of Waukegan, Ill. (FPCW) agreed by a 90-percent vote to seek membership in the EPC. “While parting with relationships and colleagues is hard, we are excited about the prospect of joining in fellowship with like-minded believers who share our commitments to a high view of Scripture and to Jesus as the world’s only Lord and Savior,” Pastor David Eikenberry said.
“God has been good to us as we begin this process,” he added.

“Our congregation has always upheld the authority of the Old and New Testaments as the only standard for faith and obedience,” a notice on the church’s website states. The church has about 170 members.
The Presbytery of Chicago will meet on Feb. 18 and is expected to appoint a discernment team to discuss the process. Eikenberry said that this was the first time a church in the presbytery had sought such a dismissal. Since the presbytery has no official dismissal policy in place, he said the process is a learning experience for everyone.

Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square (Pa.)

The Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square – a 130-member church in southeast Pennsylvania – voted 45-10 in November to seek dismissal from the Presbytery of Donegal to the EPC.  A discernment team met with the session three times in 2011 and officials at Kennett Square said that the presbytery had been cooperative. The session agreed to pay three year of per-capita and will retain its property.  According to presbytery minutes, the discernment team was scheduled to meet with Kennett Square representatives on Jan. 23.

Knox United Presbyterian Church (Kenmore, N.Y.)

A 226-member church, Knox United Presbyterian Church in western New York was scheduled to vote on the question of dismissal in a recent congregational meeting.  In July, Knox Pastor Mark Haberman wrote a letter to PCUSA General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons stating that the session would “review and reassess [the] church’s relationship with the PCUSA in order to mains this church’s mission and purpose with integrity.”

The letter also states that, in adopting nFOG, the PCUSA had fundamentally changed “both the theology and polity of the denomination in a manner which is contrary to the beliefs and tenets held and followed by this congregation.”  The church earlier released a letter stating: “According to the Bible, marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and woman. Same sex marriage is a perversion of this institution and an offense to God. As Christians we do not condone or ignore sin. We share the love of God and the forgiveness of sins that is available to all, without qualification, through Jesus.”  The church scheduled a congregational meeting on Jan. 22 to decide whether or not to request dismissal from the PCUSA to the EPC. The church is located within the Presbytery of Western New York.

United Presbyterian Church of Manoa (Pa.)

On Jan. 24, the Presbytery of Philadelphia voted to dismiss the United Presbyterian Church of Manoa of Havertown, Pa. to the EPC.   According to church officials, Philadelphia will retain ownership of all real property and buildings while Manoa will keep all non-real property. The church will be allowed to stay in the building under a one-year lease for $21,000. Under the settlement, Manoa – a 255-member church -- must also pay maintenance expenses.  At least one person attending the presbytery meeting pointed at that many other churches that have gone through similar dismissals were allowed to keep their property.  Another observer noted that, although the administrative commission called the agreement a “win-win,” “a careful reading of the report and analysis of what has transpired the past three years can only question what the ‘win’ part is for Manoa … the real point is that presbytery held all the cards from the beginning.”

Shiloh Presbyterian Church (St. Marys, Pa.)

Kiskiminetas Presbytery approved the dismissal of Shiloh Presbyterian Church, a 144-year old congregation in St. Marys, Pa., to the EPC on Dec. 31. The presbytery established an administrative commission in August 2011 after Shiloh – citing disagreements regarding the authority of Scripture --- requested dismissal.  In the final agreement, Shiloh retained its property and agreed to pay Kiskiminetas $36,000 in missions support.  Shiloh Pastor Scott Wiest said the presbytery acted very graciously throughout the process and that there are other churches within Kiskiminetas struggling with similar disagreements over Biblical authority.

Note: All membership statistics are as of 2010 and obtained from PCUSA Research Services.

http://www.presbyterianlayman.org/news.aspx?article=29731