I do not know what interest many have concerning the fragmentation of the daughter churches of the Reformation (or, as I sometimes call it, the Schism of the West) but there is the potential for much good to take place this week in Columbus, Ohio.

Conservative Lutherans article - Christian post

From the article:

""It was not our choice to leave the ELCA, but the ELCA has chosen to reject 'the faith once delivered to the saints,' so now we are acting to maintain our position within the consensus of the Church catholic," remarked Ryan Schwarz, chair of Lutheran CORE's Vision and Planning Working Group."

Pray that I--who will be attending--and the 1000+ others also attending will be remain rooted in Christ and directed by the Holy Spirit.

Dear Pastor Thomas,

You have been a source of love and comfort to others here and I appreciate your presence.

I pray that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will grant strength for those attending the conference to have the courage to maintain the traditional conservative Christianity they have been following since the Reformation.

I pray that you will be strong too, and that the Holy Spirit will guide you in all things. Amen.

In Christ,
Alice

Pastor Thomas: Praying for you and the others attending this conference that they will be led by the Holy Spirit. In the Name of Jesus Christ and for His Glory.

Prayers for a spiritually rewarding conference, Pastor Thomas.

I pray all has gone well.
May the Holy Spirit guide you into level ground.

You are all so kind in your responses.

The highlight of the week was the closing worship service at which the first Bishop of the new North American Lutheran Church was "Installed"--the quote marks because we sang "Veni, Creator" as he knelt, followed by prayer and the laying of hands, among those laying hands a Tanzanian Bishop who is in the apostolic succession. So this was more than a mere Installation but less than episcopal consecration.

That same Bishop, The Rev. Benson Bangonza, Karagwe Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, preached from 1 Timothy 4. When he expounded on the word "rebuke" he thundered, "If you will not rebuke, then YOU SHALL BE REBUKED!".

It was like sitting at the 7th Ecumenical Council as it decreed "let him who will not say, 'anathema' to heresy be himself an anathema!".

Pastor Thomas,

Perhaps you would be so kind as to open a thread in Town Hall and expound on the 'new North American Lutheran Church'? I suspect that many here would like to hear the why, the when, the what, the how, and the where.

Many years,

Neil

Neill,

I will--tomorrow.

Now I must rest and recoup from non-stop meetings and lectures over the past five days and six hours on the road today.

In the meantime, browse the North American Lutheran Church web site www.thenalc.org