Hope’s Direction

Sunday, May 1, 9:00 AM – Second vote to leave the ELCA

At the end of October 2010, Pastor Joel wrote a letter to the congregation stating that he believes Hope Lutheran Church should leave the ELCA. The Church Council believes now is the right time to bring this issue before the congregation. This page will serve as a hub for information pertaining to this process.

Resources

Most resources are links to files in PDF format. If you cannot open the files, download Adobe Reader and try again. Paper copies are also available in the Narthex.

• Letters and Articles from Hope
  • May 1 Vote Explanation (added 4/24/11)
    
  • Ten NALC & LCMC Questions (added 4/20/11)
  • April Heralds of Hope Newsletter – Contains a lot of information regarding Hope’s Direction.
  • “Advent Seriousness and Hope’s Direction” – Pastor Joel’s article in the December 2010 Heralds of Hope newsletter
  • Letter from Hope Lutheran Church Council
  • Letter From Pastor Joel
• Process Issues
  • Common Questions about leaving the ELCA
    
  • Congregational Constitution Sections Referring to Church Affiliation and Property Matters
• LCMC and NALC
  • North American Lutheran Church Brochure (NALC)
  • Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ Brochure (LCMC)
  • Comparison Chart between LCMC and NALC
  • Comparison Chart between LCMC and ELCA
  • LCMC Website
  • NALC Website

Important Dates

• First Vote Results, January 9, 2011 – A specially called congregational meeting was held on January 9. The Resolution to Leave the ELCA passed by an 88% majority.
• May 1, 9:00 AM – Special Congregation Meeting with Votes. We will vote for a second time to leave the ELCA. Additionally, we will vote on which Lutheran body to join should the second vote to leave the ELCA pass.
  
• Past Meetings
  • Meetings about leaving the ELCA:
    • November 14, 2010 – First question and discussion session.
    • November 28, 2010 – Second question and discussion session.
    • January 2, 2011 – Third question and discussion session.
    • April 3, 2011 – Consultation with Bishop Kanouse. Bishop Kanouse led a forum at 9:00 AM regarding our first vote to leave the ELCA. This was a required consultation required by our constitution that must take place before we take a second vote.
  • Forums regarding new Lutheran bodies to join:
    • January 23, 2011 – Learn about Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).
    • January 30, 2011 – Learn about the North American Lutheran Church (NALC).
    • February 6, 2011 – Special forum and luncheon with Pastor Henry Schulte.
    • February 13, 2011 – Processing and discussion session about the previous three weeks.
    • April 17, 2011 – Final Forum prior to second vote.