North American Lutheran Church
North American Lutheran Church is a Lutheran Church body that was constituted during Lutheran CORE's August 2010 Convocation. The NALC is being offered as an alternative for members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) due to disagreements that culminated with the ELCA's 2009 Churchwide Assembly's approval of resolutions committing the ELCA "to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church."[1] "Rostered leaders" are pastors and lay ministers certified to serve in the ELCA.
Doctrine on Ordained Clergy
Lutheran CORE has stated that "the NALC and Lutheran CORE will recognize both women and men in the office of ordained clergy," marking a significant distinction from other conservative Lutheran church bodies, such as the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.[2]
Further, Lutheran CORE acknowledges "the diversity of opinion that exists" in ordaining women as professional leadership in the church [3]. The ELCA names this call to agree to disagree as one church "bound conscience." While the ELCA used this same principle to allow those congregations choosing to call clergy in "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships", the Lutheran CORE has repeatedly and consistently rejected the idea of bound conscience, stating "If the ELCA is to continue as one church, it must have one Office of Ministry, one roster of pastors, and one set of expectations for pastors and other rostered leaders throughout the ELCA." [4] For some in the ELCA, this contradiction has been cited as a flaw in Lutheran CORE's theological rationale for providing a destination for congregations choosing to leave the ELCA.
The North American Lutheran Church intends to use the same documents pertaining to clergy ordination as the ELCA used before ministry rostering changes were made [5].
External links
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- ^ Brief Summary of Actions, Eleventh Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 17-23, 2009, Minneapolis, Minn.[1]
- ^ A Vision & Plan for The North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran CORE [2]
- ^ A Vision & Plan for The North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran CORE [3]
- ^ Lutheran CORE leaders urge rejection of ELCA task force recommendations [4]
- ^ A Vision & Plan for The North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran CORE [5]