SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Following a congregational vote held at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, the results concluded that First Lutheran Church will not terminate its affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls said the vote failed by seven votes. Seven more votes were needed to reach the two-thirds majority that would have been needed to disaffiliate with the ELCA.
There were 661 total votes, with 441 needed to disaffiliate. The total votes were:
- Yes to disaffiliate: 434
- No to disaffiliate: 227
The church held its first vote on September 28, where 360 out of the 530 ballots voted to terminate the church’s affiliation with the ELCA and 170 ballots voted to stay with the ELCA. The ECLA is one of the largest Christian protestant denominations in the U.S. with over 8,500 congregations…