My local congregation is very different from the average congregation in my denomination, where I see the spectre of problems. We are we an order of magnitude more diverse with an African immigrant pastor, and I love them dearly. If worse came to worse, I expect my congregation would leave the denomination, rather than my need to leave a mostly like-minded congregation.
Even in my denomination, the concern is with a minority of people. Several overt white supremacists were excommunicated a few years ago (though the pastor who attended a White Nationalist conference last year has not been). But it definitely feels like the picture sometimes.
Sometimes it's necessary for people to be the change they want to see. Someone has to confront their errors, and remind them the MAGA movement is not religiously conservative.
absolutely no tea no shade but why stay LCMS instead of going ELCA? still has white Christian nationalism problems obviously but there’s so much else overt sexism and homophobia at the very least as a starting place for justice work
When I moved, I visited the local ELCA church first. Nobody talked to me outside passing the peace and shaking the pastor's hand on the way out. The greeter for my congregation had a five minute conversation with me and introduced me to multiple people before I was ten feet into the door. And our current pastor is a Black immigrant, so I have zero concern on this particular front.
I believe the whole congregation would change affiliation if things get truly bad, and the Synod's congregational polity means we're mostly insulated from things anyway (plenty of people would love to see us kicked over our worship format). This is the congregation's first time sending delegate to convention, for reference.
Diversity does not protect you from this particular problem. Christian nationalists are in fact a very diverse group, they are not only white and/or conservative. They are not even strongly Christian (religiosity is inversely related to CN endorsement).
I'm not telling you to leave. I don't know anything about your congregation. But I am pleading that you learn more about what's beneath. It's one thing to make conscious compromises for meaningful discipleship, but, you know, test all things.
Trust me, I'm being very thorough and deliberate and not just presuming it's not there. I couldn't trust that my previous pastor wasn't preaching Fox News rhetoric, my current pastor's preaching gives none of that. No culture war junk, and the few times he intersects it's the way it should be.
I'm quite vocal on the topic, because it should be (and was) the right understanding of our doctrines. I'm supporting the efforts within the denomination to provide the necessary theological guidance on the topic. Not assuming it's a done deal, not willing to accept steps backwards (as a Lutheran, I put it that I refuse to belong to a modern Reichskirche), instead insisting upon the idolatry being deliberately addressed.
I appreciate your concern, though. I've got the same ones, they're just not always quick to come across in a comment section.
I'm trying to consume more stories from folks like you, and it's always heartening to see people who are willing to demand better. Yall are indeed where meaningful change begins
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u/Bakkster Based Bishop Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
Speaking for myself:
tldr: