From San Joaquin-
Some national church denominations have changed their standards in recent years – stirring debate among congregations about whether to stay or find a new path.
In the central San Joaquin Valley, some congregations have chosen to leave their denominations because, they say, it doesn't represent their traditional values. The goodbyes have worked out for the churches, but they have been difficult.
The trend has reached three major denominations – the U.S. Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA) and most recently the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Immanuel Lutheran Church in Easton is the latest church to disassociate with the ELCA, citing differences in doctrine. The Easton church follows similar pullouts by other small Lutheran churches in Kingsburg, Madera, Auberry and Tulare.
"All across the country, people get to a point where they are deciding what is most important to them – and they are going out and doing it," says the Rev. Gary Gould, a visiting pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, which is without a full-time pastor. Gould retired as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Madera, which voted three months ago to leave the ELCA over differences in hiring Gould's replacement.
Read more:
http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/08/05/2490283/valley-churches-move-on-after.html#ixzz1UL89U100
No comments:
Post a Comment