ELCA NEWS SERVICE
November 2, 2009
Lutheran CORE Responds to ELCA Congregational Mission Director
09-246-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Two leaders of the Lutheran Coalition for Renewal
(CORE) said, with a "resounding yes," they are serious about their
endeavors as an organization. They also said they "take no joy in
following a process that will likely lead Lutheran CORE to depart from
the ELCA's (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) institutional life
and ministry."
The comments were in a letter written by the Rev. Kenneth H. Sauer
and the Rev. Paull E. Spring -- both former ELCA synod bishops -- in
response to an Oct. 12 open letter to Lutheran CORE written by the Rev.
Stephen P. Bouman, executive director, ELCA Evangelical Outreach and
Congregational Mission.
In his letter, Bouman asked if Lutheran CORE would to be "serious
about mission." He said mission was not mentioned or was referenced as an
afterthought during CORE's convocation, Sept. 25-26 in Fishers, Ind.
About 1,200 people attended, including Bouman.
Most of CORE's convocation was devoted to responses to sexuality
decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. CORE opposed the
assembly's decisions to change ELCA ministry policies, including a change
to allow Lutherans in lifelong, publicly accountable, monogamous same-
gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy,
deaconesses and diaconal ministers. It also opposed parts of a social
statement on human sexuality adopted by the assembly.
CORE ended its ELCA affiliation as an independent Lutheran
organization immediately after the assembly acted on the sexuality
proposals. CORE later initiated a process to become a "free-standing
synod" in the ELCA and adopted a constitution.
Sauer, chair of CORE's advisory council, and Spring, chair of CORE's
steering committee, wrote, "We share with you a sense of remorse and
sorrow over what has caused Lutheran CORE to take the steps we have taken
regarding our relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. Over the years both of us, as pastors and as bishops, have been
strong advocates for the ministry of the ELCA as one church."
Sauer and Spring wrote that they share a strong commitment to
Christian mission and spoke of that in their presentations at the
convocation. The constitution that CORE adopted "contains numerous and
telling references to mission," they wrote. They pointed out that CORE
made a decision to provide financial and other assistance for certain
ethnic specific and immigrant African congregations.
"We recognize that some remarks at the convocation were pointed and
blunt. Others spoke in an intemperate manner, something which we
ourselves regret. We believe, however, that the vast majority who spoke
during the public discussions were positive and irenic," wrote Sauer and
Spring.
The two CORE leaders characterized the sexuality decisions made by
the 2009 assembly "as part of an ongoing failure, within the churchwide
expression of the ELCA, to listen to the words of Holy Scripture and the
witness of two thousand years of Christian reflection on the Word of God."
Sauer and Spring said, since the assembly's conclusion, Lutheran
CORE has experienced a significant increase in support and participation.
"We are serious about our fidelity to the Word of God and the
Lutheran Confessions. We are serious about strengthening congregational
life and ministry. We are serious about witnessing to others in word and
deed that Jesus Christ is God's Word of salvation and newness of life for
all people. We are serious about the mission to which God is calling us,"
they added.
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The Lutheran CORE response is at http://tinyurl.com/yahlusp on the
Lutheran CORE Web site.
Stephen Bouman's open letter to Lutheran CORE is at
http://www.ELCA.org/faithfulmission/bouman and a news story about his
letter is at http://www.ELCA.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4314 on the ELCA
Web site.
Editors: "Paull" is correct.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
