A new Lutheran denomination church began services today, and it was formed right here in Central Ohio.
During the annual Convocation of the Lutheran Coalition of Renewal, the attendees voted overwhelmingly to form the North American Lutheran Church.
The group of 1,100 members met earlier at the Grove City Church of the Nazarene.
They broke away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America because of the decision to allow gay pastors.
One-hundred-ninety-nine congregations started the separation back in August.
“The gay pastor issue was the tipping point for many Lutherans, but it followed serious concerns about the ELCA's movement away from holy scriptures as the final authority for church beliefs,” said Paull Spring, of State College, Pa., the new denomination's first bishop.
“The ELCA has lost more than half a million members over the past 20 years, a decline faced by many mainline congregations struggling to keep congregants. But that decline is balanced by individual congregations that flourish, many of which hold the same views as the North American Lutheran Church,” said Mark Chavez of Landisville, Pa., director of Lutheran CORE.
“The ELCA regrets the decision of some congregations to leave for the new denomination,” said ELCA spokesman John Brooks.
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