Of the 170 congregations in the Southwest Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), 28 of them (16%) have left the denomination due to the actions of the churchwide assembly in 2009 to roster homosexuals in committed relationships.
North Carolina Synod is second. They've lost 35 out of 236 congregations (15%). Montana has lost 19 of 146 (13%) and takes third.
The average for the whole ELCA is 5%. Rocky Mountain seems a representative sample. Our synod has seen 8 of 173 congregations withdraw (5%). Several--New Jersey, Caribbean, Metro Washington, New England, Slovak Zion--lost no congregations.
About 600 congregations have either left, or are in the process. Considering all the predictions of disaster, wringing of hands, sanctimonious speeches, poxes leveled at virtually every house, portents of gloom, and all the other hoo-hah, a 5% loss seems rather mild.
How do the numbers compare to those who left due to women's ordination? Are Lutherans more or less fearful of homosexuals than women?
Posted by: Robin | April 22, 2011 at 08:57 AM
That's a good question. Each measure passed churchwide with similar numbers. I don't think we had many churches leave over it though.
Posted by: John Petty | April 25, 2011 at 11:41 AM