North American Lutheran Church (NALC)?

[Sword of the Lord]

Hello my Lutheran brothers and sisters in Christ

I was formerly a member of the LCMS, but over the last 6 months or so I stopped attending my church and ceased to call myself a Lutheran, as I began to investigate and consider Catholicism and Orthodoxy. My wife and kids, however, stayed with the LCMS.

Now I'm considering coming back to Lutheranism. Not only that, but I recently started a new job in a new town, and my family and I plan on moving there before long. This town has just one LCMS church and it's very small; maybe 15-20 were at service the couple of times we've been there, and all but a handful were very elderly. My wife and kids didn't like it; too small, too old, too bland; the pastor was dull and the way they take communion there is quite a bit different than the way my old LCMS church does it. The only other Lutheran churches in the town at ELCA, with the exception of one large, beautiful NALC church. The church itself is gorgeous. Next door is their preschool building which is equally impressive. The church has a lot of land in the back where they have a playground for the kids. It's got so much more to offer than the one LCMS church, but I know nothing about the NALC and whether or not they're truly Lutheran and not the liberal mess that the ELCA is.

Can you fine folks educate me on the NALC and let me know if it's a good alternative to a conservative LCMS family?

 

[Shane R]

NALC was formed in 2010 from ELCA churches which were not willing to get on board with the homosexual agenda and wished to still retain the Lutheran confessions as some sort of norm for doctrine. They have a clergy sharing agreement with ACNA.

They have retained the ordination of women. They also have a more episcopal polity than LCMS. These are some of the major differences from LCMS you may notice.

 

[Tangible]

I suspect you'll find them to be significantly less socially and theologically conservative than the LCMS.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

Hmmm, looks like we'll be traveling out of town for service, then.

 

[Luther073082]

Yeah NALC is basically pre-2010 ELCA.

Don't worry about traveling out of town. Wife and I drive 45 min for our church. Partially because of it's Thursday service which works better with wife's work schedule, but partially because we both like it more then other LCMS churches we've been to.

 

[Mediaeval]

We are somewhat new members of a seemingly growing, healthy NALC congregation and there is much to like. We have a male pastor who is pro-life and missions-minded. The atmosphere is refreshingly catholic as opposed to sectarian (I speak as a former WELS congregant). There is no requirement to sign the church constitution. Three services per Sunday, two liturgical, one contemporary. Lutheran but not offensively so. Perhaps liberal conservative or conservative liberal would describe the denomination generally, but the individual members of my church seem more on the conservative side. For example, at our monthly men's breakfast we are watching David Barton's series on the Founding Fathers.

 

[Albion]

Michael, I've watched the NALC a bit and I'm sure you can trust it, so long as what ShanetheTheologian told you about NALC is OK with you. It's not something created out of nothing or in order to follow some strange doctrines, but it's the result of a split in the ELCA. Its hundreds of congregations were formerly part of ELCA and simply withdrew in order to form this new body for the reasons already mentioned. It probably will be somewhat more ceremonial than the LCMS, confessional but less strict, with women pastors (but not necessarily in your locale), and a lot less interested in politics than the ELCA has become.

Hello my Lutheran brothers and sisters in Christ

I was formerly a member of the LCMS, but over the last 6 months or so I stopped attending my church and ceased to call myself a Lutheran, as I began to investigate and consider Catholicism and Orthodoxy. My wife and kids, however, stayed with the LCMS.

Now I'm considering coming back to Lutheranism. Not only that, but I recently started a new job in a new town, and my family and I plan on moving there before long. This town has just one LCMS church and it's very small; maybe 15-20 were at service the couple of times we've been there, and all but a handful were very elderly. My wife and kids didn't like it; too small, too old, too bland; the pastor was dull and the way they take communion there is quite a bit different than the way my old LCMS church does it. The only other Lutheran churches in the town at ELCA, with the exception of one large, beautiful NALC church. The church itself is gorgeous. Next door is their preschool building which is equally impressive. The church has a lot of land in the back where they have a playground for the kids. It's got so much more to offer than the one LCMS church, but I know nothing about the NALC and whether or not they're truly Lutheran and not the liberal mess that the ELCA is.

Can you fine folks educate me on the NALC and let me know if it's a good alternative to a conservative LCMS family?

 

[Luther073082]

We are somewhat new members of a seemingly growing, healthy NALC congregation and there is much to like. We have a male pastor who is pro-life and missions-minded. The atmosphere is refreshingly catholic as opposed to sectarian (I speak as a former WELS congregant). There is no requirement to sign the church constitution. Three services per Sunday, two liturgical, one contemporary. Lutheran but not offensively so. Perhaps liberal conservative or conservative liberal would describe the denomination generally, but the individual members of my church seem more on the conservative side. For example, at our monthly men's breakfast we are watching David Barton's series on the Founding Fathers.

What do the Founding Fathers have to do with Jesus Christ?

Many of them where not for all practical purposes Christians. So they could hardly be looked up to as examples of faith. Their faith was in their invented deist God.

 

[MDIVGRAD]

Michael, I've watched the NALC a bit and I'm sure you can trust it, so long as what ShanetheTheologian told you about NALC is OK with you. It's not something created out of nothing or in order to follow some strange doctrines, but it's the result of a split in the ELCA. Its hundreds of congregations were formerly part of ELCA and simply withdrew in order to form this new body for the reasons already mentioned. It probably will be somewhat more ceremonial than the LCMS, confessional but less strict, with women pastors (but not necessarily in your locale), and a lot less interested in politics than the ELCA has become.

Actually there are a few women pastors, but they were Grandfathered in when the Synod was formed. They have decided from what I have heard from a friend of min (who is a Pastor in the NALC) that there will not be any further ordination of women in their synod. Not to say they won't change that down the road, but that is their policy as of right now.

 

[MDIVGRAD]

Hello my Lutheran brothers and sisters in Christ

I was formerly a member of the LCMS, but over the last 6 months or so I stopped attending my church and ceased to call myself a Lutheran, as I began to investigate and consider Catholicism and Orthodoxy. My wife and kids, however, stayed with the LCMS.

Now I'm considering coming back to Lutheranism. Not only that, but I recently started a new job in a new town, and my family and I plan on moving there before long. This town has just one LCMS church and it's very small; maybe 15-20 were at service the couple of times we've been there, and all but a handful were very elderly. My wife and kids didn't like it; too small, too old, too bland; the pastor was dull and the way they take communion there is quite a bit different than the way my old LCMS church does it. The only other Lutheran churches in the town at ELCA, with the exception of one large, beautiful NALC church. The church itself is gorgeous. Next door is their preschool building which is equally impressive. The church has a lot of land in the back where they have a playground for the kids. It's got so much more to offer than the one LCMS church, but I know nothing about the NALC and whether or not they're truly Lutheran and not the liberal mess that the ELCA is.

Can you fine folks educate me on the NALC and let me know if it's a good alternative to a conservative LCMS family?

As I am LCMS (and in the ministry) I don't think the NALC is a better alternative. That you place the onus of responsibility for your worship on whether the Pastor is dynamic enough tells me that the word of God, no matter how it is delivered, is not good enough for you. You seem to want God wrapped up in a pretty package and he has to sound good too. Start instead to look to what is worship and what the word of God is about. I realize the LCMS is not perfect. We have many faults and sins with which we must deal with on the horizon, but if our confession of Christ is true, all the other trappings are just pretty paper covering the box.

Scott Strohkirch

 

[Sword of the Lord]

As I am LCMS (and in the ministry) I don't think the NALC is a better alternative. That you place the onus of responsibility for your worship on whether the Pastor is dynamic enough tells me that the word of God, no matter how it is delivered, is not good enough for you. You seem to want God wrapped up in a pretty package and he has to sound good too. Start instead to look to what is worship and what the word of God is about. I realize the LCMS is not perfect. We have many faults and sins with which we must deal with on the horizon, but if our confession of Christ is true, all the other trappings are just pretty paper covering the box.

Scott Strohkirch

Yep, busted, you got me.

That or I want a church family my family connects with. We don't feel at home in that small, elderly church. Say whatever you want. I really don't care.

 

[Moses Medina]

Hello Mike to Michael, I can relate to what you are saying about connecting and feeling at home. I grew up in Pentecostal churches where it was all about connecting. However the moment we didn't feel that anymore my mother would pick us up and move to another church but that's beside the point.

The point I am trying to get at is I know what this feels like especially when coming back into Christianity and trying to get my wife to go to church before she had converted is something I went through. It is indeed the word of God though and it's pure message that should stand above all else, it wasn't the music, the feelings behind it, the people (90% are elderly) but the word itself. The holy spirit did his work and she is a confirmed Lutheran now.

Blessings on you and yours and best wishes on your journey.

 

[Luther073082]

Actually there are a few women pastors, but they were Grandfathered in when the Synod was formed. They have decided from what I have heard from a friend of min (who is a Pastor in the NALC) that there will not be any further ordination of women in their synod. Not to say they won't change that down the road, but that is their policy as of right now.

The NALC isn't ordaining anymore women? That is sort of surprising to me.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

The NALC isn't ordaining anymore women? That is sort of surprising to me.

Pleasantly and encouragingly so.

 

[jacobritenour]

Some background on me. Raised Catholic. Left that when I was in the military. Married a Baptist woman and compromised with her by going to Presbyterian PCA for many years. Recently in the last two years, I find that I identify more as a Lutheran and have been attending.

I've recently moved to the Colorado Springs area and as such have been visiting with the different Lutheran churches here. This past Sunday I did attend a worship service at St. Luke's. My takeaways were that they were very heavy into the Liturgy and Lord's Supper. They have kneelers there and all that took Communion did so kneeling. I'm a very casual person and I typically wear jeans everywhere but I was heartened to attend and be a part of it this.

From my reading about the North American Lutheran Church, they are simply ELCA before the 2010 split on allowing openly gay Pastors. I have an issue with unrepentant active homosexual serving as a spiritual leader. Please know that my heart does go out to them. I have lived sinfully and very unrepentant about it in the past -- so I am no more a saint than anyone else who has repented.

My only issue at this point with NALC is that I am mixed on allowing women to serve as pastors. I am not quite sure what I believe either way here. It is no sin at all to be a woman obviously but there is some scripture that goes against it. I would love to hear what anyone here has to say for or against this. If this needs to be put into a different thread, please do so.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you all!

 

[Albion]

Some background on me. Raised Catholic. Left that when I was in the military. Married a Baptist woman and compromised with her by going to Presbyterian PCA for many years. Recently in the last two years, I find that I identify more as a Lutheran and have been attending.

I've recently moved to the Colorado Springs area and as such have been visiting with the different Lutheran churches here. This past Sunday I did attend a worship service at St. Luke's. My takeaways were that they were very heavy into the Liturgy and Lord's Supper. They have kneelers there and all that took Communion did so kneeling. I'm a very casual person and I typically wear jeans everywhere but I was heartened to attend and be a part of it this.

From my reading about the North American Lutheran Church, they are simply ELCA before the 2010 split on allowing openly gay Pastors. I have an issue with unrepentant active homosexual serving as a spiritual leader. Please know that my heart does go out to them. I have lived sinfully and very unrepentant about it in the past -- so I am no more a saint than anyone else who has repented.

My only issue at this point with NALC is that I am mixed on allowing women to serve as pastors. I am not quite sure what I believe either way here. It is no sin at all to be a woman obviously but there is some scripture that goes against it. I would love to hear what anyone here has to say for or against this. If this needs to be put into a different thread, please do so.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you all!

This is one of the most extensively discussed topics on CF and there have been several recent threads dealing with it. If you were to scan through past titles, looking for obvious names, such as "Women pastors" I am sure you'd find a wealth of information we've already put online pro and con.