What is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)?

The ELCA is the largest American Lutheran Church body. This video tells more about who they are and what they believe.

0:00 History of the ELCA
0:45 Confessions
3:10 Relation to Conservative Lutherans
3:33 Relation to Mainline Denominations
4:47 Historicity of the Bible
7:37 Trinity
8:14 Resurrection
10:08 Sacraments
10:28 Baptism
11:57 Confirmation/Affirmation of Baptism
12:29 Communion/Eucharist
14:10 Scripture/Canon/Apocrypha
14:48 Evolution
16:27 Salvation
19:17 Calvinism
16:47 Charismatic Movement
20:33 Eschatology/Millennium
21:31 Christian Zionism
22:18 LGBT Issues
27:42 Divorce and Remarriage
29:33 Sexuality
33:10 Abortion
35:39 Worship Style
37:06 Alcohol
37:53 Tithing
38:34 Israel
38:57 Polity
39:44 Church Offices
40:17 Apostolic Succession
41:14 Role of Women
41:34 Membership Trends/Statistics

[carlcrisp]

If Christ wasn't resurrected, then everything else is pretty much moot.

[sarco]

As a long-time member of an ELCA congregation, my impression is that most of the older members hold to historic Lutheran theology, but the seminary professors and younger leaders seem to be trying to distance themselves from Lutheran orthodoxy and would prefer that the denomination become just another generic mainline progressive church that has gotten rid of its "Lutheran baggage."

[kevinpowers]

"A Palestinian Feminist Reading of the Book of Jonah". What a title

[jsharp]

I can never understand those who say they believe in an all-powerful God but balk at miracles like the virgin birth or the resurrection. They say only ignorant Bronze Age peasants could believe that virgins can conceive or that dead people can return to life. But that' just it. No one in the Bronze Age believed they could, either. Thats the whole point. That's why they called it a miracle!

[wessbess]

They might as well be in communion with the Unitarian Universalist Church

[Sebman]

Now there’s a group of young ELCA members called SOLA, they back orthodox Lutheran teachings and I think they seem worth taking a look at.

[rammstein]

Can any group that says the resurrection of Christ might not be literal be considered Christian?

[tintinismybelgian]

Who else remembers the (E)LCA kids' videos of "Davey and Goliath"? Clay-mation was the bomb.

[ashlavanadis]

Seems that to the ELCA, God’s Word is merely a suggestion.

[dumdum]

That pastor lady uses *good feelings* as a measure of what is good. Oh dear, feeling good is not necessarily a good thing. I think pastors should study philosophy as a requirement.

[kbobdonahue]

I've been a member of the ELCA for over 20 years and I feel that I belong here and my faith in Christ is strong.

[Caleb_son_of_God]

I’m going to be starting my seminary studies in January and going to become a pastor in the LCMS, and it’s funny in that first paragraph she actually made the case as to why they need to drop the Lutheran from their name.

[BirdDogey]

Many of us who are Confessional would be happy to see the ELCA drop the L part.

[emsdiy]

🎉🔥THANK YOU SO FOR THIS CHANNEL YOU INFORM PEOPLE THINGS THEY NEED TO KNOW THANK YOU !

[T-]

Very thorough presentation of a complex and evolving subject.

[joshbluhm]

My mother, brother and myself went to a WELS church at the time, my mom's boyfriend (who years later became my stepdad) went to an ELCA church at the time. I remember before service they asked if he could take communion with them but they said preferably not after he said where's he's a member of. I was puzzled by this because why would a Lutheran church deny another Lutheran communion? Now that I've researched what sets the ELCA apart from the WELS and LCMS, all I can say is...I get it.

[sistermadrigalmorning]

The ELCA is in full communion with the Episcopal Church too.

[anglicangeorgia]

Please do:
1 - Old Catholics (Union of Utrecht and others).
2 - GAFCON and independent Anglicans.
3 - Mormons (LDS church and the Community of Christ).
4 - Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites.
5 - Russian sects (Molokans, Doukhobors, Old Believers, Subbotniks).
6 - The Christian Community (Anthroposophy oriented church).
7 - Quakers.

[gobbleguk]

That Nadia interview was really harsh to get through lol

[OttoCharles]

ELCA is not a confessional Lutheran Church. They are just Episcopal with a different twist.