I beg to differ... RE: Hanson Challenger

[pilgrimpriest]

Dear Pr. Saltzman:

As a former Lutheran pastor who "swam the Bosphorus" into the priesthood of Orthodox Church 10 years ago, I want to take issue with your characterization of Pastor Jaynan Clark Egland as not having sufficient appeal to "evangelical catholics."  Quite frankly, if I were still in the ELCA such a potential Presiding Bishop who would "call for repentance for this slipping, sliding denomination and its wayward public witness" might well have inspired me to burn all my chasubles and take up the cause of a truly evangelical witness with my "pietistic Midwestern" brethren!

Given the present climate in the ELCA, one wonders why evangelical catholics still embrace Called to Common Mission as a necessary condition of support?  It offers nothing to draw the ELCA closer to Rome and Constantinople, and only piles the present Episcopal malaise onto the Lutheran one with the sham promise of an "historic episcopate" no one outside of Canterbury takes seriously.  What is it Prof. Bob Bertram used to say, "Gospel plus is gospel minus"?  A truly "apostolic" succession of "teaching and fellowship" (Acts 2:42) already exists in the ordination rite of the ELCA and provides a "satis est" position (via AC VII) in any ecumenical dialogue: one that while not embraced would certainly be respected by the Orthodox Church as a point for further meaningful conversation.

So I say let lightning strike, the creeks rise and the Hand of God intervene--you go Pastor Egland! Godspeed!

Christ is risen!
Fr. Robert McMeekin

[Vern]

Jaynan Clark England is the only one that I know that could read a Doctor Suess book to a congregation and have you still thinking about it two years later.

Vernon R Jorgensen

[buechler]

Jaynan Clark England is the only one that I know that could read a Doctor Suess book to a congregation and have you still thinking about it two years later.

Vernon R Jorgensen

What is interesting about Pastor Jaynan is that she has been more right about what is going on in the ELCA, what is going to happen, and what needs doing than most any other prognosticator still in the ELCA.

Peace in the Lord!
Rob Buechler

[Charles_Austin]

Pastor Buechler writes (about his former church body):
What is interesting about Pastor Jaynan is that she has been more right about what is going on in the ELCA, what is going to happen, and what needs doing than most any other prognosticator still in the ELCA.

I note:
That is an odd statement; for we have no way of knowing whether anyone is "right" about what is going to happen, and we won't know that until something happens.
One may think she is "right" about what "needs doing," but one cannot say that she, or anyone else, is "right" about what is going to happen.