They are attorneys, Capitol Hill insiders, ministers, mobilizers and scholars. They file briefs in pivotal Supreme Court cases, advocate for and against legislation, testify in Congress and unite with others across faiths to ensure that every American has, and will always have, the right to follow his or her spiritual beliefs. Founded in 1936, they bring our uniquely Baptist perspective of “soul freedom” to protecting religious liberty for all and defending the separation of church and state. BJC is the only faith-based group working on the national level with this singular focus.
Their positions cannot be easily categorized as on the political “right” or “left.” Instead, the stand we take is the one that, they believe, best supports religious freedom.
On December 22 — just three days before Christmas — Regis Jesuit High School outside Denver fired two faculty members for allowing a student to publish a pro-choice essay in the school newspaper. The teachers, Maria Lynch and Nicole Aduini, were blindsided. Only six days before their termination, the school’s principal had actually thanked them in writing for their work in publishing the issue, which the school has since retracted. Silencing students and firing teachers is neither “pro-life” nor a Christian response to disagreement. As Lynch told the National Catholic Reporter, “Our students have tough questions, need to have the freedom to express them, and deserve open and frank discussions.” 1
Sealed: An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace
Sealed: An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace by Katie Langston – Available from Amazon.com
Katie Langston is an unlikely convert to Christianity. She grew up in a devout, conservative Mormon family in Utah, served a proselytizing mission to Bulgaria when she was 21, married for “time and all eternity” in the Mormon temple when she was 23. From the outside, she had a typical Mormon life. Inside, she was coming apart at the seams. From childhood, she battled “The Questions”—obsessive-compulsive disorder, though she didn’t have a diagnosis for it until much later—and lived inside a complex maze of anxiety and fear. This was compounded by Mormonism’s emphasis on “worthiness,” a designation of acceptability in Mormon practice, that brought her to the edge of despair as a young mother.
Katie Langston
Then, almost by accident, she had an encounter with the grace of Jesus Christ—and her world changed. In candid but not sensationalized ways, Langston explores little-understood Mormon practices and teachings while grappling with universal human questions such as the nature of faith, the complexity of family, the process of healing, and what it means to truly belong. This book is intended to be a bridge-builder, a way to help non-Mormons understand Mormonism and Mormons orthodox Christianity through the power of personal narrative. Most of all, it is a testimony of Jesus Christ, in the hopes that those who read it—Mormon, Christian, or neither—will catch a glimpse of the spectacular, life-changing grace of God.
References:
Religion News, Jana Riess, April 27, 2021 – From Mormon missionary to Lutheran pastor – Langston ‘tried millions of ways’ to make Mormonism work, but she eventually found peace in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) and began to pursue a path toward ordination. Her parents and husband, who are still Latter-day Saints, were supportive, but ‘they were heartbroken.’
Grand Canyon Synod – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Ordination and Installation of Katie Langston at New Promise Lutheran in St. George
“In a pivotal moment for the U.S. Catholic Church, Pope Francis just said, “I have never denied Communion to anyone.”
The pope appears to be taking direct aim at top U.S. bishops, whose Committee on Doctrine is in the process of writing a new document on the Eucharist — a document rooted in the partisan desires of right-wing bishops who want to deny Communion to Joe Biden and other pro-choice lawmakers.” 2
As part of our Growing Generosity Appeal, we present this video on growing future ministries in the Grand Canyon Synod, planting seeds for Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona ($70,000) and Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada ($30,000). Learn more at gcsynod.org/generosity/fervent-voices.
