{"id":5531,"date":"2020-05-15T13:52:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T20:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/?p=5531"},"modified":"2020-05-30T11:18:38","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T18:18:38","slug":"the-order-of-deacon-stepping-stone-to-being-ordained-a-pastor-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/?p=5531","title":{"rendered":"The Order of Deacon: Stepping stone to being ordained a pastor &#8211; 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"text-align:center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Deacons-Stepping-stone-2-1.pdf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Please click here for a pdf version of this document<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Episcopal Church: \u201cYou will serve as a deacon for at least 6 months before being ordained a priest.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn1\">[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ELCA: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u201cYou will serve as a deacon for at least 6 months before being ordained a pastor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is this true? Not yet, but soon.<a href=\"#_edn2\">[2]<\/a> ELCA deacons are \u201cgood,\u201d but they are <strong>not good enough. <\/strong>They are <strong>clergy<\/strong>, as the ELCA-Episcopal unity agreement <em>Called to Common Mission <\/em>(<em>CCM<\/em>) requires. They are <strong>ordained<\/strong>, as CCM requires. But they are still <strong>not good enough!<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Living Lutheran<\/em> recently featured a number of deacons\u2014Margaret Schmitt Ajer, Nancy Gabel, Sue Rothmeyer, David Larrabee, Deb Haynes, Kate Lawler-Wunch, Emily Myallis.<a href=\"#_edn3\">[3]<\/a> They are uplifted as those who are doing \u201cprophetic diakonia,\u201d including \u201crisk-taking and innovative service on the frontiers of the church\u2019s outreach giving particular attention to the suffering places in God\u2019s world.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn4\">[4]<\/a> Yet, no matter how important their service, these ordained deacons are <strong>not good enough!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The ELCA must have transitional deacons, <\/strong>that is, a candidate preparing to be ordained a pastor, must first be <strong>ordained a deacon<\/strong> and serve as deacon for 6 months or so. The ELCA must do ministry like the Episcopal Church does \u2013 the Catholic way. It is implicit in <em>CCM <\/em>\u00b616. <strong>Transitional deacons are required.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5534\" width=\"436\" height=\"436\"><figcaption> <em>Living Lutheran<\/em>, March 2020, p. 15.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"125\" height=\"152\" src=\"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5535\"\/><figcaption>Michael Cooper-White<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael Cooper-White, the author of the article on deacons in <em>Living Lutheran <\/em>(March 2020), is the former President of Gettysburg Seminary, now director for Lutheran formation at Union Seminary, New York City. &nbsp;He is not na\u00efve or gullible. As you can see by his picture, he is friendly-looking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But he is not being honest about the past, present, and future of ELCA deacons. He is not honest about why the ELCA ordained deacons, why certain changes had to happen, what additional changes are coming, and why. A few examples from Michael Cooper-White\u2019s article (in black below) in <em>Living Lutheran, <\/em>March 2020 (commentary in red):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201cIn 1995 the ELCA created a new lay category \u2018diaconal ministers\u2019 while retaining its roster for deaconesses and associates in ministry.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn5\">[5]<\/a> <span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">No, it was 1993. Moreover, the Assembly opposed <strong>ordained<\/strong> diaconal ministers. It defeated a motion to <strong>ordain<\/strong> diaconal ministers by a vote of <strong>631-341<\/strong>. Subsequently the Assembly voted to accept \u201c<strong>laydiaconal ministers<\/strong>\u201d by a vote of <strong>790-192<\/strong><\/span><strong>.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201cBut a few years ago the church launched a round of discussions about rostered leadership that culminated in the 2016 Churchwide Assembly to combine the lay rosters into the current roster of Ministers of Word and Service and to establish the title of deacon.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn6\">[6]<\/a> <span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">This is a red herring. The \u201cround of discussions\u201d was a sham because the outcome was predetermined by <em>CCM <\/em>in 1999: The ELCA had to have<strong> deacons<\/strong> in order to achieve \u201cfully realized\u201d full communion (<em>CCM<\/em> \u00b614; \u00b616). The ELCA had to do it.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201cA 2019 Churchwide Assembly vote determined that the entrance for deacons will be ordination.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn7\">[7]<\/a> <span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Again, a red herring. The outcome was predetermined by <em>CCM<\/em>. The ELCA had to <strong>ordain <\/strong>deacons. It is part of the <em>CCM <\/em>contract. The ELCA had to do it.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201cThe ELCA has two groups of rostered leaders.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn8\">[8]<\/a> <span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">More dishonesty. The ELCA has <strong>three<\/strong> groups of clergy: Bishops, pastors, and deacons. Bishops and pastors are not equal. Bishops have a separate and higher office. They are <strong>consecrated<\/strong> by the laying on of hands into this office. This rite is required; it gives bishops power which pastors lack. Bishops <strong>\u201cexercise solely this church\u2019s power to ordain\u201d (S8.12c).<\/strong> Thus the ELCA has three distinct groups, three ranks, of clergy: Bishops, pastors, and deacons.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201c\u2019Helping people understand her calling has been a challenge,\u2019 [Deacon Nancy] Gable said\u2026.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn9\">[9]<\/a> \u201cLike other deacons, Emily [Myallis] has encountered some confusion about her calling.\u201d<a href=\"#_edn10\">[10]<\/a> <span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Confusion about her calling? No wonder. More confusion is coming. Just wait until Michael Cooper-White, Bishop Michael Rinehart, and others announce (in 2022?) that the ELCA has decided that candidates preparing to be ordained as pastors must <strong>first be ordained as<\/strong> <strong>deacons and serve as deacons for about 6 months.<\/strong> The ELCA, like the Episcopal Church, will then have permanent deacons and transitional deacons. No matter how ELCA leaders sell it, the real reason is because of <em>CCM <\/em>(adopted in 1999). <em>CCM<\/em> is like a mortgage with a balloon payment, and transitional deacons are part of the balloon payment. <strong>They are the deacons who really count.<\/strong><\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Bishops for life \u2013 this, too, is required by <em>CCM. <\/em>&nbsp;It\u2019s coming, but because of the basic dishonesty of ELCA leaders, the real reason \u2013 <em>CCM <\/em>\u2013 will not be openly discussed.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>End Notes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref1\">[1]<\/a> &nbsp; The Canons of the Episcopal Church, III.8.6.a, and 7.1 \u201c<strong>III.8.<\/strong> <strong>Of the Ordination of Priests<\/strong>. <strong>Sec 6.<\/strong> <strong>Ordination to the Diaconate for those called to the Priesthood<\/strong> (a) \u201cA Candidate must first be ordained Deacon before being ordained Priest; <strong>Sec. 7 Ordination to the Priesthood<\/strong> (a) A person may be ordained Priest: (1) after at least six months since ordination as a Deacon under this Canon and eighteen months from the time of acceptance of nomination by the Nominee as provided in III.8.2(b).\u201d Bolding in original texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref2\">[2]<\/a> &nbsp; The defects in Lutheran ministry must be fixed before the Episcopal Church declares full communion is \u201cfully realized\u201d: \u201cFor the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the characteristics of the goal of full communion\u2014defined in its 1991 policy statement, \u2018Ecumenism: The Vision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America\u2019\u2014will be realized at this time [2001]. <strong>For the Episcopal Church, full communion,<\/strong> <strong>although begun at the same time, will not be fully realized until both churches determine that in the context of a common life and mission there is a shared ministry of bishops in the historic episcopate<\/strong>\u201d (<em>CCM <\/em>\u00b614). Bolding added here and below for emphasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref3\">[3]<\/a> &nbsp; Michael Cooper-White, \u201cThey bring good news. Understanding the ELCA\u2019s rostered ministers,\u201d <em>The Living Lutheran<\/em>, March 2020, pp.14-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref4\">[4]<\/a> &nbsp; ELCA Constitution \u00b67.61.02.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref5\">[5]<\/a> &nbsp; <em>Living Lutheran,<\/em> 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref6\">[6]<\/a><em>&nbsp;&nbsp; Living Lutheran<\/em>, 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref7\">[7]<\/a> &nbsp; <em>Living Lutheran<\/em>, 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref8\">[8]<\/a> &nbsp; <em>Living Lutheran<\/em>, 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref9\">[9]<\/a> &nbsp; <em>Living Lutheran<\/em>, 19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref10\">[10]<\/a> <em>Living Lutheran<\/em>, 17.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<table style=\"width:100%\">\n<tr>\n<td>Episcopal Church: <\/td>\n<td>\u201cYou will serve as a deacon for at least 6 months before being ordained a priest.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>The ELCA: <\/td>\n<td>\u201cYou will serve as a deacon for at least 6 months before being ordained a pastor.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><break><\/p>\n<p>\nIs this true? Not yet, but it will be soon. Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/?p=5531\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lutherannews","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5531"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5590,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5531\/revisions\/5590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crossalone.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}