ELCA document available for the asking

You'll find this comment in its entirety here. I wanted to make a few observations.

Anonymous said ...
Actually, that is not true. At the first vote, 66% percent in Fountain Hills voted to LEAVE, there could not be 80% who wanted to stay... I used to be a member there, have since joined La Casa.

There are always two sides to any story. The pro-ELCA forced a vote which they knew would fail because they paid for people to come back and vote with airplane tickets who were away at college and in other states who hadn't been in worship for years. There is only one pastor there, not two. You have bad information.

The split occurred because after the vote failed, a second vote was taken to affiliate with LCMC and the pro-ELCA folks left.

This is the legacy of the 2009 ELCA actions. It is the parishes and local pastors and members who suffer-if there is bad leadership, it is with the leaders of the ELCA who pushed this for the past 15 years when 60% of the members of the ELCA were saying no, don't do it. 600 people voted for 4 million, now down to about 3.2 million.

Sad.

Thank you for your opinion on this issue.  I do not have knowledge of the procedure or vote that the Fountain Hills church followed, so I cannot comment on this.  I think it is time for me to say something again:

The ELCA ruling does not force individual churches to follow this decision.  It is left up to the local church to hire whomever they want.  Bishop Talmage said as much, as has ELCA national.  However, when a congregation decides to leave ELCA, it makes a statement to the community.  This simply cannot be dismissed.

I have received from ELCA, Marcus Kunz to be precise, a presentation that national makes available to speakers who discuss this decision from the ELCA viewpoint.  If anyone wishes a copy, please contact me via email and I will see that you receive one.  Many.oneof@yahoo.com is my email address. 

Thank you again for your post.  Please remember to be present at the congregational meeting and vote your conscience on NOVEMBER 7.  Yours in service to Christ, Tom.