The Evangelical Lutheran Church In America will most likely not exist after this summer. If not this summer then within the next year the ELCA will go through schism. It will come with incredible strife, turmoil, loss of membership, legacy, and the loss of what many assumed was a permanently ensconced place among America’s largest Mainline Christian denominations.
Thank you for this passionate summary of what's going on. I woke up this morning thinking about the mic drop revelation Bp. Rohrer made about why they went "on the wrong day" to Misión Latina Luterana and said to myself, "To be a fly on that wall..." and then realized there must have been many flies on many ELCA walls given the amount of shit that's going down. I'm not a delegate at SPS Synod this year, but I watched on YouTube. I cried with my friends as they spoke up and talked about being fearful of retaliation. I cringed when those who were speaking in support of Bp. Rohrer "mis-pronouned" them multiple times without even trying to correct themselves. You support them, but can't get those pronouns right? Really?
I am in awe and feel gratitude and sympathy for those brave friends of the Bp. who spoke up for resignation or removal and especially one who, being there, just feet away from Bp. Rohrer, looked at them and spoke of the joy of that epic election and installation last year, spoke of friendship, and told them to resign. And when Rev. Donna Allan spoke I sat and listened to that hard.
I'll watch and listen again today and I'll probably cry and cringe today again as I try to get my work done.
Wow. I'm so sorry to see how much the ELCA has turned its back on the LGBTQIA+ community and communities of color. (As an Episcopalian, I cannot say that my own church has done that well in listening and responding, either.)
What kind of "new" church do you want to be a part of, Lenny?
Do you believe Pr. Nelson’s victims? I don’t see any signs that you do.
>How could any BIPOC person after all we have suffered…
All _you_ have suffered? How could you watch the tears from Pr. Nelson’s victim as she gave her testimony at the assembly, and then decide that somehow _your_ feelings need to be centered?
Do you think that’s okay because you’re Black? Because you’re Queer? It’s not. All the intersecting identities in the world don’t justify ignoring the safety and trauma of victims of clergy abuse.
In this church, it is more important to prevent, or stop, clergy abuse than it is to be anti-racist. The comfort of clergy of color is less important than the safety of their parishioners, staff, and subordinates, even if they’re white, cis, or het.
Thank you for this passionate summary of what's going on. I woke up this morning thinking about the mic drop revelation Bp. Rohrer made about why they went "on the wrong day" to Misión Latina Luterana and said to myself, "To be a fly on that wall..." and then realized there must have been many flies on many ELCA walls given the amount of shit that's going down. I'm not a delegate at SPS Synod this year, but I watched on YouTube. I cried with my friends as they spoke up and talked about being fearful of retaliation. I cringed when those who were speaking in support of Bp. Rohrer "mis-pronouned" them multiple times without even trying to correct themselves. You support them, but can't get those pronouns right? Really?
I am in awe and feel gratitude and sympathy for those brave friends of the Bp. who spoke up for resignation or removal and especially one who, being there, just feet away from Bp. Rohrer, looked at them and spoke of the joy of that epic election and installation last year, spoke of friendship, and told them to resign. And when Rev. Donna Allan spoke I sat and listened to that hard.
I'll watch and listen again today and I'll probably cry and cringe today again as I try to get my work done.
Wow. I'm so sorry to see how much the ELCA has turned its back on the LGBTQIA+ community and communities of color. (As an Episcopalian, I cannot say that my own church has done that well in listening and responding, either.)
What kind of "new" church do you want to be a part of, Lenny?
>I will believe the victims
Do you believe Pr. Nelson’s victims? I don’t see any signs that you do.
>How could any BIPOC person after all we have suffered…
All _you_ have suffered? How could you watch the tears from Pr. Nelson’s victim as she gave her testimony at the assembly, and then decide that somehow _your_ feelings need to be centered?
Do you think that’s okay because you’re Black? Because you’re Queer? It’s not. All the intersecting identities in the world don’t justify ignoring the safety and trauma of victims of clergy abuse.
In this church, it is more important to prevent, or stop, clergy abuse than it is to be anti-racist. The comfort of clergy of color is less important than the safety of their parishioners, staff, and subordinates, even if they’re white, cis, or het.