Saturday, June 9, 2018

So we know who rules the roost. . .


http://lordoflovegalena.org/images/Reconciling_in_Christ.jpgIf you have read it here before, you already know the merged Lutheran School of Theology at Phillie and Gettysburg (called United Lutheran Seminary) has gone through its ups and downs of late.  Mostly down.  They hired a Presbyterian woman as their first President and it turned out that being Presbyterian was not an impediment to being President of a Lutheran Seminary but having once been associated with a group that tried to counsel people out of being gay was.  She was let go amid a storm of controversy (again, not over her being Presbyterian).  The school is currently on life-support as they seek a donor heart.


Now the worst of possible news has come. 
Our ULS community was informed on Tuesday by ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation has suspended our Reconciling in Christ (RIC) designation. RIC status identifies an organization as being accepting of and encouraging the full participation of the LGBTQ community. This is deeply disappointing to the board and me, and I am sure to many others in our community. It is important to note that as ReconcilingWorks took its actions, ULS already had been taking steps to underscore its commitment to the LBGTQ community. Let me be clear: ULS seeks to respect and value the LGBTQ members of our community and stands with them as they discern their calling. Our Gettysburg and Philadelphia campuses strive to be inclusive settings for people of all backgrounds and cultures to learn and worship Jesus Christ. But, now more than ever, it is important that we back these words with our deeds. To that end, I will be working with the Diversity Task Force in the coming weeks to put in place a plan to work in earnest on restoring our RIC designation as we deal with many inclusion issues in our community. I’ve had multiple conversations with their executive director of ReconcilingWorks this week, and I will continue to update you throughout this process. A link to the letter we received, from Reconciling Works, can be found here. I recognize that this news will be painful to hear for many in our community. Please know that there are counselors available on both campuses if you need someone to help process this information.
Uh oh.  You do not have be doctrinally pure but you must be pure bred true blue GLBTQ friendly in the ELCA.  Counselors are available to deal with the shock not of profs or an institutional leader who disagrees with Lutheran doctrine but, oh my gosh, for the horror of losing the RIC designation to show that you are friendly with the whole GLBTQ community and committed to the full program of sexual and gender diversity.  I can hardly contain myself.

Apparently 17 students have committed to ULS -- 5 enrolled, 7 committed, and 5 admitted.  It just might seem that there are more problems at ULS than a RIC designation.

5 comments:

Ted Badje said...

I don’t know how many dumpster fires in articles you have to show for people to realize the ELCA has monumental problems.

Anonymous said...

“just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.”

What part of Jude 7 don’t they understand?

Pray fervently for the “community” and the ELCA that the scales fall from their eyes and for repentance and renewal of spirit vocalized by King David in Psalm 51.

Chris said...

One word: Schadenfreude.

Perhaps it is mean-spirited and against the 8th commandment but I do rejoice when these clearly heterodox and heretical places are in fighting for whom has the pleasure of piloting the plane into the mountain.

Carl Vehse said...

The priority of discussing the perversion status of XXXA spiritual whorehouses is not much different than the priority of discussing the perversion status of crack whorehouses.

Anonymous said...

It is obvious to everyone the United Lutheran Seminary is akin
to the Titanic. It is slowly sinking as they rearrange the deck
chairs. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Prospective students will not be attracted to this fiasco.