AP

ALLOWING WOMEN’S ORDINATION CAUSES PAIN, DIVISION AND RESIGNATIONS

At their General Convention of Synod held in early October 2024, the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) voted (by a margin of 71%) to allow the ordination of women as well as men. This followed the presentation of a framework for the “Way Forward”, which critics described as a framework for ‘refashioning Scripture’ and that the proposed framework was based on a certain ‘ideology and opinions, rather than the authority of the Bible’. Following the decision, many have turned to the Confessional Lutheran Forum (CLForum)  to express their pain and their disappointment in what they describe as a betrayal of what the LCA has always stood for and believed. As a result some pastors have already resigned from the LCA, and in an address to the LCA Synod, the President of the Lutheran Church of Canada (LCC), one of the invited overseas guests to the Synod, stated: “…we in the LCC will have no other option than to recognize that your action (in allowing the ordination of women) has severed the bond of fellowship between us…”

Far from creating unity, the decision has created a great rift. In response to the issue of women’s ordination, Lutheran Mission – Australia has been formed, which states as its mission, the following, that it: “seeks to support, encourage and strengthen Confessional Lutherans around Australia. We are excited to join you in reaching out with the unadulterated gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and see Him build His church as we uphold the Holy Scriptures as the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God and proclaim the whole counsel of God for the salvation of many. We are planning to establish congregations wherever possible and welcome enquiries from existing congregations to join us…..” [Compiled by Guido Kettniss, from various reports and relevant documents.]

HELP FOR PARENTS WITH CHILDREN ENTRAPPED BY GENDER CONFUSION

USA – A non-denominational church in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., is embarking on a new effort called “Wonderfully Made”, aimed at helping parents of gender-confused children who often abruptly find themselves entrapped in the unimaginable. The ministry’s name is inspired by Psalm 139:13-14, which reads: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. The goal of the effort is to help Christian families who might feel shame and aren’t sure where to turn, if their children end up waylaid by gender ideology.  “Is your child struggling with their identity?” a description of the ministry reads. “We invite you to join other parents as we walk side-by-side in support, prayer, truth, and grace to help our children flourish in the way Gos intended.”

Dr. Susan Ashton-Lazaroae, a medical doctor from Northern Virginia and a member of the church, explained that children who are experiencing gender confusion need  help to enable them to conform their mind to their body. She expressed the hope that gender ideology will one day be defeated, and that by supporting parents through the programme ‘Wonderfully Made’, they will be empowered to speak out against allowing their children to ‘become science experiments’. [Source: The Christian Post]

GOD WORKING THROUGH THE PRAYERS OF ‘PRO-LIFERS’.

Pro-Life organizations in the USA and world-wide, recently held their 40 Days for Life prayer vigils outside abortion clinics ans hospitals, and they praise God for the way He used these prayers. Naturally there were those ‘pro-choicers’ who did everything to ignore the vigils; some got angry, while still others turned on sprinklers or blared loud music to get  the prayers to go away. But many amazing testimonials have come in over the last few weeks, on what has taken place at abortion centres due to the prayer warriors being present. For example, a Planned Parenthood** employee – still wearing her work clothes left the abortion facility, rolled down her window, and announced: “I just quit”. She was provided with information  about a website which a former employee of Planned Parenthood set up to assist abortion workers leaving the abortion industry.

CHRISTIANS TARGETED IN UNRELENTING ATTACKS

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel (the semi-arid region from Senegal to Eastern Sudan), the people here are predominantly Muslim Fulani, with those adhering to radical Islamist ideology, being responsible for the killing of Christians in Nigeria. It is their desire to forcefully take over the Christians’ lands and impose Islam upon the State.

In recent weeks, Fulani herdsmen killed four Christians in two separate states of Nigeria. A local resident in a message to the Morning Star News said: “Apart from the four Christians killed during the attacks, many other Christians were injured, and were being treated at a Primary Health Care Centre.” He added: “Your prayers are needed, please.” Other residents told the Morning Star News that the situation was dire. “Everyone here is on the run, as we have all been displaced”, while another told the Morning Star News, “The sad thing is that the Nigerian government has not deemed it necessary to take steps towards ending these attacks on our communities. Fulani herdsmen have taken over our ancestral lands.  For how long are we expected to endure these killing epidemics? We are therefore calling on the Nigerian government to quickly intervene in order to end these unprovoked attacks on us.”

Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023 – according to ‘Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List report. More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300. [Source: Charisma News]

– compiled by Guido Kettniss