Aug 5, 2026 · 54 min · 11 segments
In this episode of the Didymus Podcast, the Rev Schlies sit down with Rev Dr Matthew Durance to talk about his journey from the ELCA into the LCMS. What are the differences between these two…
Matthew DurranceGuestJesse SchleeHost
Joseph SchleeHostI wanted to go back to ask a follow-up about the, you know, you mentioned that when you were at Luther Seminary, you kind of got the counsel of, "Oh, you should be the remnant.
You should try to make things better," which you said to me, I think you just said it earlier, but you had told me prior to that, that it was, you were kind of like, that was not good advice, and it didn't pan out well.
And I, I was kind of gonna ask maybe if you could reflect on that in general, of why it was bad advice, because I think, you know, for people in general, too, we hear that a lot at the parishioner lev- parishioner level
... where they're like, "Well, I'm gonna stay in this church body even though I know it's got lots of problems, 'cause I'll kind of do the same thing.
Um, well, the, you always have to have defenders of the faith, right? You always have to have, uh, men who are, are speaking the truth of God's word wherever they, they may be.
And so I, I, I do in a way commend those, those men, uh, who are pastors in the ELCA that are fighting the good fight.
But, you know, just like Jesus says the same thing regarding marriage and celibacy, that not everybody is, is called to this, you know, not everybody is called to be this martyr for the faith, right? Um, when we're talking about even, like, a call, and when you're deliberating a call, you have to consider things like your family, your, your wife, your kids, your, your current situation, right, your health.
And, and so, yeah, there may be guys out there that they've got the acumen for it.
They, they can do that, and they've got the health and vigor, and, you know, even maybe they don't have a wife and kids that they need to worry about as, you know, being provider for them.
ofAnd I don't wanna sound like a doomer, I guess, but I'm, I, I will anyway, despite my better judgment, that the ELCA seems to be on the track.
The, the, the, the great delusion of Satan is over very clearly the leadership.
And so for the sake of maybe your conscience, uh, or your confession before the world, um, it's, it, it would be better to say, "I am going to stand in fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ who confess the truth of God's word, stand on the scriptures, stand on the Lutheran Confessions." And that's, that's where I found myself.
I wanted to go back to ask a follow-up about the, you know, you mentioned that when you were at Luther Seminary, you kind of got the counsel of, "Oh, you should be the remnant.
You should try to make things better," which you said to me, I think you just said it earlier, but you had told me prior to that, that it was, you were kind of like, that was not good advice, and it didn't pan out well.
And I, I was kind of gonna ask maybe if you could reflect on that in general, of why it was bad advice, because I think, you know, for people in general, too, we hear that a lot at the parishioner lev- parishioner level
... where they're like, "Well, I'm gonna stay in this church body even though I know it's got lots of problems, 'cause I'll kind of do the same thing.
Um, well, the, you always have to have defenders of the faith, right? You always have to have, uh, men who are, are speaking the truth of God's word wherever they, they may be.
And so I, I, I do in a way commend those, those men, uh, who are pastors in the ELCA that are fighting the good fight.
But, you know, just like Jesus says the same thing regarding marriage and celibacy, that not everybody is, is called to this, you know, not everybody is called to be this martyr for the faith, right? Um, when we're talking about even, like, a call, and when you're deliberating a call, you have to consider things like your family, your, your wife, your kids, your, your current situation, right, your health.
And, and so, yeah, there may be guys out there that they've got the acumen for it.
They, they can do that, and they've got the health and vigor, and, you know, even maybe they don't have a wife and kids that they need to worry about as, you know, being provider for them.
ofAnd I don't wanna sound like a doomer, I guess, but I'm, I, I will anyway, despite my better judgment, that the ELCA seems to be on the track.
The, the, the, the great delusion of Satan is over very clearly the leadership.
And so for the sake of maybe your conscience, uh, or your confession before the world, um, it's, it, it would be better to say, "I am going to stand in fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ who confess the truth of God's word, stand on the scriptures, stand on the Lutheran Confessions." And that's, that's where I found myself.
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