Outspoken Theologian Ousted from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Dell Schomburg / RNS
Matthew Becker. Photo via Matthew Becker / RNS

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod recently carried out what various members consider the equivalent of a modern-day heresy conviction.

The case pitted two-term denomination President Matthew Harrison — who is known for his bushy mustache and conservative views — against Matthew Becker, an outspoken pastor and professor of theology.

Becker teaches at Valparaiso University, an independent Lutheran institution in Valparaiso, Ind., about an hour’s drive from Chicago.

Becker had raised questions about the denomination’s stance against the ordination of women, as well as its teaching of creationism, or the literal reading of the story of creation in the book of Genesis.

Becker’s insistence on talking about such issues has led certain members of the church to file charges against him, triggering several investigations.

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