When Wolves Preach And The Sheep Applaud: The Tragic Apostasy Of The ELCA

There was a time when heresy had to knock to get inside the church. Now, it holds the microphone at Evangelical Lutheran Churches across the country. 

It seems there is a story making headlines every other week coming out of this denomination as their pastors and leaders continue to reject the clear teaching of scripture and replace it woke, leftist and progressive theology.

The story that's making headlines this week is more than just a controversy--it's a warning siren echoing through every sanctuary that still bears the name of Christ. And it's not about one rogue preacher. It's about the wolves in sheep's clothing that now preach without resistance, and the tragically "dumb sheep" who sit quietly in the pews, either too timid or too deceived to call it out.

They've been led to believe that tolerance is love, that Scripture is outdated, and that Jesus was simply a good man who occasionally got things wrong. And so, week after week, they sit under the voices of false shepherds, believing they might reform these wolves--or worse, because they no longer recognize the voice of the true Shepherd.

This is what happens when false teaching is tolerated. When Scripture is treated as symbolic suggestion rather than inspired truth. When emotional comfort replaces eternal conviction.

At Advent Lutheran Church (ECLA) in Madison, Wisconsin, Rev. Nick Utphall recently took the pulpit to explain why Jesus needed to be corrected. Yes, you read that right.

Preaching on Luke 10--where Jesus gently corrects Martha for being "worried and upset about many things"--Utphall suggests Jesus was wrong to elevate Mary's choice to sit and learn. He accuses both Luke and Christ of trying to suppress Martha's role, even calling the story "an attempt to diminish women's roles." He then makes the audacious claim:

"Jesus needed to have his world view... expanded... Jesus needed to learn his lesson and stand corrected."

What Rev. Utphall did is not merely misinterpret Scripture. He attacked the very authority of Christ. And his congregation? They listened, nodded, and likely walked out believing that Jesus should have sat in silence while Martha worked. That's what happens when a wolf is allowed to teach. That's what happens when sheep forget how to recognize the Shepherd's voice.

As if that weren't enough, another viral sermon this week featured a female pastor--affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)--who outright dismissed the Great Commission. With a smile and self-congratulatory confidence, she said:

"There are people who are perfectly happy in other faiths who don't need converting to ours... and people with no faith at all who are just fine."

Let that irony sink in: someone who openly rejects the idea of evangelism is still proudly serving in a denomination that calls itself Evangelical. It's like a firefighter arguing against putting out fires--while wearing the uniform.

This isn't just theological confusion. This is spiritual rebellion--open defiance against the very heart of the Gospel. This is a rejection of Christ's own words:

"Go and make disciples of all nations..."

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

How can someone claim to follow Jesus while denying the necessity of salvation through Him?

The answer: They don't. They're not following Christ. They're following the culture.

And yet these pastors remain in good standing with their denominations. People continue to attend, although thankfully declining. And their heresies are shared online like they're the next great revelation.

Why do congregations sit through this? Why do people stay under the authority of pastors who clearly reject the authority of Christ?

Some stay because they've been indoctrinated with woke, leftist theology masquerading as compassion. Others stay because they think they can reform the wolves. But most stay because they no longer know the truth. They've been fed cotton-candy sermons and soft-peddled gospels for so long that they wouldn't recognize a real one if it hit them in the heart.

This is exactly what 2 Timothy 4 warned us about:

"For the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine... but will gather teachers to suit their own desires."

That time is here. And many sheep, in their desire to avoid offense, are being led quietly to slaughter.

Let's be clear: a church without the Gospel is not a church. A pastor who corrects Jesus is not a pastor. These are not messengers of God--they are mouthpieces of the spirit of the age.

And that spirit has a goal: to silence the truth, shame the truth-tellers, and offer a false sense of peace to the perishing.

But there's still hope. There's still time. This moment can awaken the true Church--not to panic, but to boldness. To call out the deception not to shame, but to warn. Because eternity is not a metaphor. Hell is not a myth. And Jesus is not one of many ways. He is the only Way.

So let us return to the Word. Let us raise our voices not in fear, but in truth. Let us preach the Gospel even when the world mocks it. And let us never confuse niceness with faithfulness.

The wolves are preaching. The sheep are listening. It's time for the watchmen to speak.

"Preach the word... correct, rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine..."

--2 Timothy 4:2-3

That time has come. And we cannot afford to be silent.