Conservative Lutherans Prepare Large-Scale 'Coalition for Reform'
Conservatives in the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination may set aside minor doctrinal differences and form a coalition for wide-scale reform within a church they say has lost sound theological understanding.
WASHINGTON – Conservatives in the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination may set aside minor doctrinal differences and form a coalition for large-scale reform within a church they say has lost sound theological understanding.
The Word Alone Network, a grouping of more than 200 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregations and 70 regional chapters, will be meeting with other orthodox fellowships next week to “come to an understanding on working together for the common good.”
“We’re going to see if we’re able to work together to change the denomination and turn it around,” said Jaynan Clark Egland, president of Word Alone.
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The “Coalition for Reform,” as it is unofficially called, will be meeting in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from Nov. 6-8, and will draw representatives from organizations such as Solid Rock Lutherans and Lutherans Reform! – a regional group based in Pennsylvania.
This will not be the first time confessing Lutherans would be working together for a common goal. Solid Rock Lutherans, for example, was specifically created by various groups and individuals who sought to prevent changes to the current standards on sexuality and ordination in the ELCA; the church prohibits the ordination of active homosexuals and forbids the blessing of same-sex marriages.
However, it may mark the first time the groups agree on adopting an official statement of creed and faith.
“This will be a prototype breaching across different groups on the basis of a common confession of the Word Alone Network,” Egland said. "These are the main points of orthodox Lutheran Christian belief.”
In the past century, liberal and moderate leaders have piloted America’s historic mainline denominations, leading everything from mission agencies to theological seminaries. Pockets of conservative believers have always existed within these churches, but it wasn’t until about 30 years ago that official renewal groups began taking form.
Conservative Coup d'état
In some instances, such as the “conservative resurgence” of the Southern Baptist Convention 25 years ago, these confessing Christians succeeded in launching a coup d'état that overthrew liberal leadership in nearly all branches of ministry.
Still, others have not been as successful.
“It’s not possible to generalize all mainline churches,” explained Mark Tooley, a director at the Institute for Religion and Democracy and vocal critic of liberalism. “If you look at the Episcopal Church, for example, conservatives obviously lost and they are now trying to formulate a new communion.”
However, Tooley said there is one thing that can be generalized: “liberalism within mainline churches has been declining in influence and authority for the last 40 years.”
This may be true at least in Tooley’s denomination, the United Methodist Church (UMC). The top court of the UMC – which trails the Southern Baptists as the second largest US-based denomination – just last week handed down a series of verdicts related to homosexuality and the rights of gays and lesbians in the church.
The Council members sided with conservatives in all these cases, including a case involving a Virginia pastor who was forced to take a leave of absence for refusing membership to a homosexual man. The court reinstated the pastor, Ed Johnson, on the basis that pastors do have the right to choose who can be a member of the local church.
Down the Wrong Road?
According to Jim Winkler, the General Secretary of the UMC General Board of Church and Society, this ruling sends the denomination “down the wrong road.”
“We will be on the road down to the take-over of our denomination similar to that of the Southern Baptist Convention 30 years ago,” said Winkler, whose group advocates for the full inclusion of gays and lesbians into the UMC.
Tooley does not believe such a sudden “take-over” will occur in his church. However, he said, “In another 20 years or so, it may be realized.”
Overcoming Internal Differences
As for the ELCA, renewal groups still have some bumps to work out before seeing significant changes. According to Egland, there are still many disagreements among conservatives over the understanding of ecclesiology (the make-up of the church), the role of bishops, and the importance of ecumenical relations.
“These are all differences that existed within Lutheranism for quite some time,” said Egland. “We have our disagreements, but it’s a matter of coming to understand that we actually have more in common with each other than those differences.”
The main commonalities are a high regard for the Bible and a desire to maintain Scriptural authority -- points, they agree, that are currently missing in the ELCA leadership.
“There is a line that connects all the problems the church has,” said Egland. “Once you start going lukewarm and selling out on Jesus, it changes everything.”
Such changes range from “the way you worship” to the “way you understand marriage and homosexuality,” she said. “It even affects the way you make your decisions on a day-to-day basis.”
Ultimately, Egland said, the goal of the proposed “Coalition for Reform” is to change the church from its leadership and bring it “back to its roots.”
“Do I think it’s possible?” she asked. “Yes, I’m hopeful.
“I think if we can just decide to join in what we have in common instead of nipping over our differences, we can get the ELCA back on track to being faithful.”
