Two ELCA congregations – Roseville Lutheran (Roseville, MN) and First Lutheran (Freeport, IL) were recently honored for giving a combined total of $830,000 to the ELCA for mission.
Did they increase the Global Mission budget by $830,000? Nope.
Because the ELCA operates on a unified budget, it’s not possible to increase money for mission. If you give $100 earmarked for mission, the ELCA merely adds $27 to the DGM budget, its designated per cent.
Thus giving to “mission,” in the ELCA is a bait-and-switch scam because all dollars, regardless of how they’re earmarked, end up supporting all ELCA agendas and causes.
Who’s fooling whom?