Here are the articles I wrote to the congregation after the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and the conflict that ensued:
- 2009-9-1 Word from the Pastor
- 2009-10-1 Crisis and Opportunity
- 2019-11-1 More Communication
- 2009-11-30 Saving Grace
2009 Writings: Addressing Conflict
2009-9-1 Word from the Pastor
September 1, 2009 Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit of love! My family and I returned last week from a week and a half of vacation – for most of which we were camping near the shore of Lake Superior, at Gooseberry Falls …
2009-10-1 Crisis and Opportunity
October 1, 2009 Dear Members and Friends of Grace, One definition of crisis is danger plus opportunity. After three years of solid growth in membership and mission, I believe that Grace is at a crisis point, a crossroads – which direction we go is up to all of us together. The danger is that we …
2009-11-1 More Communication
November 1, 2009 (with extensive sections from Wade Dutton and Tim Wengert, which I include here for the sake of a complete picture of our church’s communication in the midst of the crisis). Dear members and friends of Grace, I am writing you from a new perspective. Last month, I wrote about our church being …
2009-11-30 Saving Grace
Saving Grace: A Letter on the Issues Our Church Faces November 30, 2009 Dear Members of Grace Lutheran Church, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, through the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit. As we remember the day, almost four years ago, when we received …