Synod says ‘no’ to ordination of women
General Synod has again said ‘no’ to the ordination of women in the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA).
This evening, Friday 5 October, LCA Bishop John Henderson declared the result of the secret ballot. Of the delegates registered at Convention, 161 voted against the resolution to ordain both men and women; 240 supported it. The Constitution of the LCA requires a two-thirds majority of registered delegates to bring about a change in matters of a theological or confessional nature.
The vote followed a number of sessions of presentations and debate among the delegates, supported by prayer. More than delegates spoke to the proposal.
General Synod has voted on the ordination of women three times before (2000, 2006 and 2015). Each time the proposal to ordain women was lost.
Hear an interview from a pastor in the Lutheran Church in Australia being interviewed by the Rev. Todd Wilken on Issues, Etc.
10 comments:
Good Morning Pastor Peters,
Thanks for the good news. I was wondering if the vote total was moving away from women's ordination as compared to the last three votes? Is the situation better, worse, or just unchanged? If anyone else knows, then shoot out a post! Thanks.
Wyoming
Unfortunately, pro-pastrix John Henderson was reelected as LCA bishop, so the LCA effort to have pastrixes will not go away.
The LCA leaders want to continue to vote on this issue until it passes. When will there be another vote? I hope the confessional LCA pastors will remain vigilant. Maybe some of them need to study at an LCMS seminary?
Does the LCA as a church body want to become the Australian version of the American ELCA and share in its problems? I hope that the LCA people are paying attention. Perhaps in a few more years, the "no" vote will be more than 161?
Issues Etc. discusses the recent vote in the LCA:
http://issuesetc.org/2018/10/05/2783-the-lutheran-church-of-australias-vote-to-forbid-the-ordination-of-women-pr-stephen-van-der-hoek-10-5-18/
The news is good, a few more votes against than last time, but the reality is that this will keep coming up until it is passed, that the majority are, in actuality, in favor of the ordination of women -- though not enough to pass with the required plurality. It is clear that most leaders of the LCA want it to pass and there will be engineering over the course the coming months and years to establish a climate to make it happen. What should happen, but what will never happen, is that the leadership says to the rest of the LCA it has been brought up time after time and failed to reach muster, therefore, we will no longer attempt to overrule the will and Word of God and the faithful practice over history. We have heard loudly and clearly so this will not be brought up again.
One problem the LCA Lutherans face is trying to get a real Lutheran elected as head bishop. A qualified candidate who publicly states that he opposes the ordination of women on Scriptural grounds, or prefers that the LCA leave the pro-pastrix LWF, will find it difficult to be elected with the current pro-pastrix (< 2/3) majority.
And does one really want to try to elect a "stealth Lutheran"?
The bad news is that the Australians changed their rules to require only a majority vote on an issue like this next time, not a 2/3 majority.
What was the Agenda reference for deciding on a doctrinal issue by only simple majority?
According to the LCA's Book of Reports (p. 196) there was a proposed motion (Agenda 2.4.13) that resolutions to change the Constitution, as well as resolutions on a matter of doctrine, would still require 2/3 majority, but now it would be of those voting, not those registered to vote.
When the ordination of women is reduced to a matter of popular vote the battle is already lost. Without the Church and the unchanging voice of the Holy Spirit in the Church, all things are permissible - except, of course, the unchanging truth.
The day after a Lutheran remnant defeated the LCA's fourth heterodox effort to ordain pastorettes, the LCA released a spin-doctoring news item, "‘The LCA is hurting’." Here are some excerpts:
"The first item of business for the LCA’s General Convention of Synod this morning was to take time out to reflect on and share responses to the result of yesterday’s vote on the ordination of women and men."
"‘What I’ve been hearing is a profound sense of grief, sadness and loss. There is a sense of loss of identity, mission and purpose and a sense of missed opportunities’, Bishop [David] Altus said."
"‘There was also some sense of frustration with the voting system. The vote was defined as a “no” to ordination, when most delegates voted “yes”. How do we sit in that uncomfortable space?'"
"NSW Bishop James Haak then proposed a motion, which Synod passed almost unanimously and without debate: ‘that Synod acknowledges the deep hurt and harm to individuals and groups that has been occasioned over the past years in the course of the debate regarding ordination; repents of the hurt, and seeks forgiveness and reconciliation with one another’."
Pathetic....
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