River of Grace Lutheran Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Pastor (verify current — church small, warm community)

Founded Est. 1990s

Denomination Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Service Times Sundays — check website for current times

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website rognova.com

Pastor Credentials ELCA-ordained pastor

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Homepage does not explicitly state Trinitarian confession; ELCA retains creedal christology in liturgy but homepage is thin.

Caution

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

ELCA rejects historic inerrancy; institutionally progressive hermeneutic.

WARNING!

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

No men's ministry visible; ELCA culture generally does not emphasize biblical masculine discipleship.

WARNING!

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Lutheran sola fide retained in doctrine; verify local preaching.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

ELCA denomination ordains women and LGBTQ+ clergy; 'All are welcome... no exceptions, no exclusions' language consistent with affirming culture.

ELCA ordains women and LGBTQ+ clergy at the denominational level — local practice varies

Disqualifier

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

ELCA congregational polity under apostate denominational oversight.

WARNING!

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Homepage describes worship as 'relevant'; content not verified.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Mission framed around making God's love known; not verified as gospel-central vs social-gospel.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

'Room for everyone... no exceptions, no exclusions' — consistent with ELCA affirming stance.

Disqualifier

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

ELCA — institutionally apostate per rubric black-tier definition.

Disqualifier

Assessment

River of Grace Lutheran Church is affiliated with the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), the largest but most theologically liberal Lutheran denomination in North America. In 2009 the ELCA voted to ordain practicing homosexuals and allow blessing of same-sex unions — a clear departure from biblical sexuality (Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6). The ELCA also rejects biblical inerrancy and has absorbed progressive social justice theology. Individual congregations may have faithful pastors who preach soundly despite the denomination, but the institutional framework provides no protection and active opposition to biblical sexuality. For a man wanting a doctrinally sound church with biblical authority and complementarian gender theology, an ELCA church is not recommended without careful individual investigation. Consider Missouri Synod or Wisconsin Synod Lutheran alternatives in the area.

#elca#lutheran#manassas#mainline#theological-drift#nova

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

[2026-05-19] MOOP rubric: ELCA — affirming since 2009. Already rated black.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Archived snapshot web.archive.org/web/20260313232708/https://rognova.com/
↳ Snapshot of rognova.com (live link)

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.