Evangelical Lutheran Church In America

ELCA, Catholic bishops urge Dayton, legislators to protect poor in budget battle

By Andy Birkey | 03.15.11 | 11:02 am

Catholic and Lutheran leadership in Minnesota sent an open letter to Gov. Mark Dayton and state elected officials on Monday urging them to preserve access to basic needs for the state’s poor. Both Dayton and Republican leadership have proposed cuts to projected funding for social services to fix a $5 billion budget hole, with Dayton proposing a mix of cuts and new revenue and Republicans proposing cuts alone.

Obama appoints Pawlenty’s pastor to faith council

By Andy Birkey | 02.07.11 | 8:17 am

President Obama named a dozen faith leaders to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships on Friday, and two of them hail from Minnesota. Leith Anderson of the National Association of Evangelicals, who is also Tim Pawlenty’s pastor, was appointed by Obama, as was fellow Minnesota Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The council, formerly known under President Bush as the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, has had a healthy number of Minnesotans under Obama.

Church wants off Lutheran splinter group’s list, group says no

By Andy Birkey | 12.10.09 | 5:17 pm

A Minnesota pastor says his church is incorrectly listed on the website of a conservative splinter group that’s breaking away from the Evangelical Church of America (ELCA) over the church’s recent votes on homosexuality, but that group is refusing to rectify the error.

Church increases donations to ELCA over gay clergy decision

By Andy Birkey | 11.30.09 | 12:40 pm

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis is bucking a trend among Minnesota’s Lutheran congregations — it decided to increase “benevolence” payments to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America because of an August vote to allow the rostering of gay…

Fifteen Minnesota churches leaving ELCA over gay pastor vote

By Andy Birkey | 11.23.09 | 12:56 pm

More than a dozen Lutheran congregations in Minnesota have vowed to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) after a vote in Minneapolis this summer to allow gay and lesbian pastors in committed relationships to serve as…

Minnesota pastor quits over ELCA decision to allow gay clergy

By Andy Birkey | 11.02.09 | 3:00 pm

The Rev. Nate Bjorge quit his position with the First Lutheran Church in Little Falls last week after the church voted to remain a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The ELCA, the nation’s…

Minnesota faith leaders stand up for marriage equality

By Andy Birkey | 10.09.09 | 2:55 pm

Faith leaders from several faith traditions gathered at the Capitol in St. Paul on Thursday afternoon to speak out in support of marriage rights for gays and lesbians in Minnesota.

ELCA eliminates ban on openly gay and lesbian clergy

By Andy Birkey | 08.21.09 | 10:22 pm

After hours of debate at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted Friday evening to lift its ban on openly gay and lesbian clergy in committed relationships. Advocates on both sides made passionate pleas, with proponents saying the future of the church depends on a more progressive stance on homosexuality and opponents saying the decision could split the church.

Minneapolis pastor: Tornado was a warning to Lutherans on gay inclusion

By Andy Birkey | 08.20.09 | 11:39 am

It was only a matter of time before the religious right would chime in to announce that a tornado that hit parts of Minneapolis on Wednesday was a warning from God that the Lutherans should not relax doctrine related to…

A day of close calls: ELCA braves a tornado and a tough vote on LGBT issues

By Andy Birkey | 08.20.09 | 7:51 am

Two close calls marked the third day of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on Wednesday. The nearly 2,000 people assembled at the Minneapolis Convention Center took cover as a tornado nipped the building and damaged the steeple of a Lutheran church across the street. A short time later, the 1,014 voting members passed a social statement relaxing church doctrine on homosexuality with a dramatic vote that was exactly a two-thirds majority.