Why Leave the Missouri Synod?

What is a good reason to leave the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod? Is there a Biblical reason to leave? Why do so many pastors and laymen remain in the Synod as they acknowledge its blatant errors?

[juliam]

Honestly, if I were not a Christian and a lifelong member of the LCMS (which I know isn't perfect, as no church is) and I listened to this, I would throw up my hands and say that Christianity sounds way too complicated - I want no part of that. I wonder what Christ thinks. Where did Christ ever say that a person must have a "perfect" intellectual understanding of multiple points of doctrine to belong to God? I think humans love to complicate everything.

[gustavorvalderrama]

Oh men, this is horrible, we all lutherans should repent because we fight over every difference, we should be ashame, so ashame, we dont want unity, we want to have the reason and the best opinion, we dont act christ-like, we act as a rationalized church acting as a organization and not as the church of Christ.

[ibjohanson]

My LCMS church has this in the front of the bulletin: "All Christians who come confessing their sins to God, believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior, desiring to live a new life in Christ and recognizing Jesus' bodily presence in this sacrament, are encouraged and welcomed to our Communion Table". We have fulfilled our obligation to ensure that the Lord's Supper is not taken "in an unworthy manner". Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup." That being said, I never knew of anyone turned away from the Lord's table.

[milesjohnson]

I know this is important discussion. But I must say that I get nervous when I hear clergy beginning to sound so much like lawyers. Somehow the healing message of Christ gets lost and the Bible goes from a book of hope to a Criminal Code.

[ChadTurner-wq]

Luther didnt leave the Catholic church. He attempted to reform it, until He was booted from...
A hand full of errant pastors and a few bad apples in synod polity isnt cause to run away. If it were there would be no unified synods, only stand alone individual congregations that would split regularly.

[ggbrady]

Considering your mentions of fellowship and communion, I want to toss you a devil's advocate argument: I'm LCMS who went back an fourth between PCA and LCMS. One thing I remember of PCA is that, though they do not practice what we would call closed communion, they instead read the passage of 1 corinthians, that warns people not to partake of communion in an unworthy manner. From my perspective it was a way to instead of leaving the guilt of sin on the pastor for communing one who is not in true fellowship, but rather throwing the guilt on one who may be communing out of fellowship by way of disclaimer.

I don't say this to advocate for the PCA but rather considering the issue of communing one who claims to be of fellowship but is not, could this not be a good method while still incorporating confirmation? After all, how many have been confirmed on the "outside", but are not truly in fellowship on the "inside"? Just curious to hear your thoughts on this matter.

[toddberner]

I think there IS going to be a split a small scale... i have found our district seems to be very tight on things, whether or not they worship traditionally or contemporary in style, BUT i do agree there are districts out there that preach more traditionally, but are lax in communion practices, etc. There was one LCMS congregation in our district that years back that joined the ELCA ( NOT sure if the pastor did as well).
So, If that causes the LCMS to shrink, it doesn't bother me. What WILL bother me is if they are MORE worried about losing numbers, THEN the writing will be on the wall, and wouldn't surprise me then if the AALC would call off A/P fellowship with the LCMS, which would indicate a HUGE concern. At that point, I would hope that our congregation (and pastor) would want to remain in a tight confessional body such as The AALC or even the ELDoNA.

[Greymannn]

Most “Christian” churches don’t have the backbone to stand up and declare false teaching as such and many others teach man’s laws instead of opening scripture and reading it. If a man wrote a commentary 300 years ago it gets placed right next to the Bible and in some ways it gets lifter higher. Todays “Christianity” resembles the first century Judaism.

[ThinkingBiblically]

What does this have to do with Jesus Christ?

[Procopius]

I am Baptist, thinking about switching to LCMS. Can someone tell me, quickly, what exactly the issue is?

[ruthgoebel]

I believe in all things the Missouri Synod adheres to, yet left ELCA some years ago. Would that ELCA 'stain' exclude me from Divine Service?

[SFTartist]

I grew up LCMS, schools, etc. Was physically abused by teacher/principal at school, multiple other legalistic baloney, treating my mother very ugly after she divorced an adulterous, narcissist husband. All the super intellectual bullsheet is not necessary and repulsive.
Sooo glad I left over 50 yrs ago. Way too many people do not understand we can have a personal relationship with Jesus, be filled with Holy Spirit, guided by the Holy Spirit..
Don't need church rulings, by-laws ideology, rules, intellectualized crap.
All I hear here is "blah blah blah blah blah"

[christianlinneman]

Here is the thing, my LCMS church is in small town Missouri and is as conservative as it gets, we have had great pastors and have never really had drama. Even though the LCMS isn’t perfect it is still better than all other church bodies in their confessions. Sure, there might be some problems but let’s address them rather than leaving. My brother is in an LCMS seminary right now and I can tell you that he 100% doesn’t believe in open communion, and would probably agree with your criticisms. If your church gets big enough I’m sure there will be similar issues in which case you’ll have to leave that one too.

[patsirianni]

Just like I left the holy Roman Catholic Church of perversion. And then the Episcopal church of everything goes. If the LCMC starts non scripture and many ways to heaven i will leave them too

[mlmueller]

I was in the TAALC and studied at ALTS under Dr. Schoubye when ALTS was located in St. Paul. Presiding Pastor Hays was the most unChristian and cruel person I have ever met in a church. He was manipulative and deceitful, and lied openly at a convention concerning the Seminary. He took over the Sem. and tried to be both Sem President and Presiding Pastor, but was denied. Most of us Sem students left TAALC and ended up in the LCMS, for good reason. Yes, LCMS has its issues, but NOTHING like TAALC. TAALC was heterodox from the beginning with its so-called three legged stool. Has that changed? Can't say, but not a very firm foundation.

[toddvoss]

Totally fair and honest. Join the Roman Catholic Church.

[exvan]

I left pop-eva for LCMS. was EXTREMELY careful. Watched numerous sermons. Chose the church with best scriptural sermons, liturgy, following the lectionary.

Pastor retired. Young Turk came in, denounces crony capitalism and other unrelated nonsense. Brings in another LCMS Young Turk who claims "Jesus would vote for women's rights", says "Make Jesus famous again" and so on. It's like a Calvary Chapel Bizarro world.

Guest pastor reads a mantra from gnostic masterpiece "The Secret", quotes Max Lucado and Ravi Zacharias, etc.

I'm at an impasse. No ELDONA or AALC anywhere close. Tough times.

[drb]

There’s no ELDONA perish around me. I only have LCMS and NALC. What do I do?

[gbantock]

Here in Québec, the only missionary efforts to reach out to non-Lutherans, to convert and to become Lutherans, is the Missouri Synod (whether Solvak LCMS or the Lutheran Church Canada, in communion with the LCMS in the U.S.). The WELS, which is perhaps more of a mess than the LCMS, made some effort in the Ottawa-Gatineau area on the Québec side of the border, but, not reaping any fruits from its Church Grown Movement approach, gave up the effort. I live in the Canadian province of Québec, but there is not yet a mission anywhere in the Abitibi region of Québec where I reside. There is no Lutheran presence anywhere for hundreds upon hundreds of miles around. The L.C.C. parish of Ascension Church in Montréal is trying to evangelise French- and English-speaking Québec, but that reach is far short of the Abitibi. I live here, thus, with no Lutheran parish or mission stop available. I have to say that if the L.C.C. were to extend to the Aibitibi, it would be sorely tempting to join it, just to have some sort of Lutheran alternative available to me, despite my utter rejection of and contempt for Missouri/L.C.C. doctrine of Universal Objective Justification (U.O.J. or simply O.J.). I am not faced with that quandary at present, but what are stranded Lutherans such as myself to do?

[sammy]

I see no other place to go! Closed communion is something I support! I don’t see a lot of false doctrine! Are you going to the ELCA! Good luck with that! All LCMS Lutherans should enjoy communion with each other!