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Upset About ELCA 2012 National Youth Gathering

7/26/2012

10 Comments

 
An adult chaperone who went to the 2012 ELCA nation youth gathering sent this letter to her church council after returning from the event that was held last week.  (note that I disagree with the person's assessment of the message given by Rev. Bolz-Weber - read my thoughts here) This letter appeared on the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau (ALPB) forum (see here - post #73 - refreshing page may be need).

Dear Church Council and Pastors,



I want to share my thoughts with you as a parent and chaperone on the recent trip to New Orleans.





First of all, I have to say that I love our kids! I spent a week with wonderful children, full of energy and enthusiasm and hunger for giving of themselves. Out of the whole experience the overwhelming majority of them lifted up the service project as their favorite part of the trip.





On Thursday, we worshiped with our Synod in the morning and then spent the afternoon learning about discipleship and doing a scavenger hunt to find places or items that would represent the 7 faith practices: Prayer, Worship, Evangelism, Study, Giving, Encouraging, and Serving. These were positive experiences where the Bible was lifted up.





Most of the kids' favorite speaker at the dome was Nadia. I agree with them. Her message was theologically very solid. Aside from a slam to the parents who were concerned prior to the youth gathering, she was entertaining and had a great message.





Unfortunately, I have very little more that is positive to say about the gathering. I am alarmed at the direction in which the national church is moving.

a. The Bibles that the kids received have microscopically small font. They are portable but not usable.

b. There was no Biblical foundation for devotions. Zero. No verse to be found. Highs and lows, excerpts from speakers at the dome and prayer were they only aspects of "Final 15".

c. At every level, at the mass events in the dome, there was a reference to homosexuality. Every speaker, every skit. Frequently this was tied to anti-bullying.

d.. There were frequent anti-American references and more than one pro-Occupy Wall Street reference. Other political themes had to do with immigration-reform, anti-war, social justice.

e.. Half of the songs were secular.


f. Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you want to see in the world" was more emphasized than any Bible verse - even the theme verse from Ephesians took 2nd place to Gandhi. Seriously. 4 varieties of the quote were available to purchase as t-shirts.

g. On the service day the video about justice told our kids that justice means "doing what is in your heart that you know is right." Secular Humanism another frequent theme of the gathering.

I found myself dreading the dome experience. What kind of emotional manipulation with horrible theology would we be exposing our kids to tonight? There was a very clear open agenda that the national synod is using to indoctrinate the youth. I just wish it was using a Biblical foundation and not a political and social one.





I don't want my year old to miss out on the fun of a large youth group experience, but my husband and I will not be sending her to the Gathering in Detroit in 2015. Nor will I ever attend another ELCA gathering.

Please let me know if you would like to see any of my notes from the gathering, or if you would like to talk to me and the other adult leaders. I am not the only one that was horrified.

Sincerely,

(name withheld)


10 Comments
Regenna
7/27/2012 01:53:02 pm

I am surprised that parishoners would be shocked at the message coming from the ELCA events. Have they not looked at the church's theological foundation; the history, the statements that come from the leadership? One should know the history of the church they belong to; they should know what they believe and practice, in my opinion. They paradigm of the beliefs is revealed in the actions of the church.

Reply
CARL
8/2/2012 06:10:02 am

THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS OUR CHURCH LEFT ELCA AND JOIN AUGSBURG

Reply
Carth
8/10/2012 12:51:15 pm

I don't think anyone should be surprised that there are still people who are taken by surprise by these events. In the vast majority of congregations in the ELCA, there is very little awareness of what is happening "out there." This is because most pastors, even if they are aware of the situation, either agree with the agenda, will refuse to allow any conversation about it within the congregation for fear of division, or will not take any public stance for fear of being marginalized. These are very valid fears, of course, as many pastors who have taken public stands have ended up paying the price, their lives disrupted, their careers altered or even ended. There are many people in ELCA congregations who really have no idea what is happening and cannot articulate why it is wrong. This is partially because they have lacked adequate catechesis for so long. This ignorance is exactly what ELCA leaders want, as it will allow them to pursue their agenda unimpeded.

Reply
Jeff
9/3/2012 10:39:16 am

I left the ELCA in 2009 over issues like these. I spent years in an ALC/ELCA church and then moved to a large metro area ELCA church. I spent years working with the youth oblivious to what the pastors and leadership were doing until I was on church council.

I found out both our pastors thought Muslims had an equal path to God as Christians. They openly laughed at the fools who tithed. Supported gay marriage. They generally liked to take their own path instead of what the Bible says. I tried to sway others that this was wrong for several years and finally lost hope.

In my opinion the ELCA is lost and those who believe differently than them should just leave.

Reply
Jim link
1/22/2013 05:15:41 am

When I left my wife's church in 1995, essentially a Watchtower type cult, I called the Lutheran minister on the military base I was stationed at to get re-acquainted with the church of my youth. I had not attended services since 1987 in the old ALC and was not up on the ELCA. He was an ELCA minister who was very cordial and told me how my prior synod had folded in with two others to form the ELCA. But then he flat out told me that if I valued the teaching the ALC used to preach in my youth I should NOT join the ELCA but look into the Missouri or Wisconsin synods which take a much more Biblical and not leftist approach. In fact he even said he was quitting the ELCA and joining the Missouri Synod at the end of the season. I eventually looked into what he said and joined the Missouri synod, I'm quite happy. Live by the gospel of Christ, not the world.

Reply
Morris
1/11/2014 06:50:03 am

As an International attendee at the Gathering in New Orleans from the Lutheran Church in Liberia, Republic of Liberia, do view the 2012 Gathering as an event where young people from different religious, cultural, political, etc. affiliations came together to celebrate Jesus Christ. The center figure of our gatherings must be CHRIST. Remember Christ said that he has come to call not on the righteous but sinners to repent. Who are the sinners then? As I pondered over these things , I am of the conviction that Christ's governess does not only cover Christians, but Muslims( and other faiths) as well. I hope that the next Gathering will have in it a total incorporation of Biblical themes that will evangelize not only non Christians but also serve as a guide to us young people.....

Reply
Jon
7/19/2015 02:51:32 am

2015 ELCA conference in Detroit was a very racist meeting. All the speakers spent there time bashing Caucasians. As a native American I found this offensive.

Reply
Sharon link
7/20/2015 02:44:47 am

Jon, I'm sorry that you were offended by speakers, but I feel I must have been at a different gathering. I heard speakers bashing inequality, poverty, intolerance, apathy, ignorance, prejudice, racism, violence, injustice--and all of the ways in which social constructs perpetuate those things. To me, being reminded that most of us at the Gathering are "privileged" is uncomfortable but also a good thing; most of us do not suffer from the hopelessness and helplessness that so often paralyzes victims of injustice.

The vast majority of the Gathering youth know that they individually made a positive difference in the life of individual Detroiters that they now see as friends--and I don't think they'll ever forget that. I wish that we adults could wave a magic wand and somehow make it easier for all of us to hold on to Detroit's energy and compassion and cheerfulness. It will be tough once the kids get back home to sports, band, studies, karate, riding lessons, jobs, unchurched friends, . . . .

Reply
Patrick
6/30/2016 07:35:53 am

I also attended the 2015 Detroit Gathering, and while I didn't notice the white-bashing Jon noted, I felt that what the original letter above said was also absolutely also true of the 2015 Gathering. Little to no Biblical reference, no sound theology, strong (at this point) assumption that same-sex and other sex issues, such as transgenderism, etc were to be fully accepted AND CELEBRATED (where did the "we are a people in disagreement" go?). Secular music and secular humanist theology was rampant. The BIG exception, and I must point this out, was the evening house band. That group was lead by the Spirit and it showed in stark contrast to the rest of the time. The ELCA knows how to inspire their kids to DOING Christian service (our time cleaning up Detroit streets was a great witness and should be a part of youth events - kudos for that), but there is not a single thing the ELCA is doing with this event to focus kids on Christ and lifting up the name of Jesus. 2015 was a "social activism" gathering.

Reply
Chris Clay
7/27/2017 08:41:06 am

Hey Patrick -- although I might not totally agree with some of your comments, I truly appreciate your honest and candor. I also would like to say thanks for your compliment about the House Band. I was director of the House Band in 2015 and one of the things I prayed about for several months as I chose band members, chose music, and prepared for the event is that we (the House Band) would be able to create a sense of TRUE worship -- led by the Spirit and engaging for attendees to a higher level of WORSHIP, PRAISE and lifting the name of . JESUS! We honestly felt we hit our mark. Unfortunately, I wasn't asked to continue in the role of director for 2018 in Houston.


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