Nine hundred people registered then, and 500 have signed up so far this year. No one wants to offend anyone, but this new mandate is the straw that broke the camel's back. News of developments was posted on the church Web site and covered in newsletters. The issue was actually voted on once before, in 1997, but did not pass. Egertson says the slightly belated clamor is due to overworked pastors who can barely keep up.
Pastors get interested after a decision is made.
My perception is, something got railroaded through without us knowing. Implementing interdenominational changes is never as easy as it looks on paper. If the Episcopalians can convince us to join them. There are about 5 million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and about 2 million Episcopalians. Neither group is growing.