Evangelical Lutherans urged to accept gay clergy
Pastor Dale Morgan
Evangelical Lutherans urged to accept gay clergy*
By Rachel Zoll, Associated Press
A national assembly of Evangelical Lutherans urged its bishops Saturday
to refrain from defrocking gay and lesbian ministers who violate a
celibacy rule, but did not endorse measures that would have permitted
ordaining gays churchwide.
Still, advocates for full inclusion of gays were encouraged, calling the
resolution a powerful statement in support of clergy with same-gender
partners. The conservative group Lutheran CORE, however, said bishops
will now feel more secure in ignoring denomination policy.
The 538-431 vote came on the final day of a week-long meeting in Chicago
— and after emotional debate over how the denomination should interpret
what the Bible says about homosexuality.
Like other so-called mainline Protestant groups, the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America has been struggling for decades to reconcile
differences on the issue. An ELCA task force is near the end of an
eight-year study on human sexuality, which is expected to culminate in
the 2009 release of a social statement that will heavily influence
church policy.
The assembly voted to refer proposals on ordaining gays and blessing
same-sex couples to the task force so the panel can make policy
recommendations part of its report.
The current clergy standards require ministers to "abstain from
homosexual sexual relationships." Earlier this year, Bradley Schmeling,
an ELCA pastor in Atlanta, was removed from the clergy roster after he
told his bishop that he was in a relationship with a man. However, even
before Saturday's vote, liberal-leaning bishops had refused to enforce
the rule.
In the adopted resolution, the assembly "urges and encourages" bishops
to either refrain from or "demonstrate restraint in disciplining"
ministers who are in a "mutual, chaste and faithful committed
same-gender relationship."
"This is huge," said Phil Soucy of Lutherans Concerned/North America,
which lobbies on behalf of gays and lesbians. "More than half of the
people in the Churchwide Assembly have said don't punish anyone for what
is a simple violation of the policy, where the offense is simply that
they have a partner."
At the Chicago gathering, dozens of gay and lesbian ministers and
congregants defiantly proclaimed their sexuality. They distributed a
prayer booklet that included first-person essays on the pain of being
forced to choose between ministry and a lifelong partner. Theological
liberals believe that the overarching message of Scripture is full
acceptance for all people.
But Jaynan Clark Egland, president of the conservative WordAlone
Network, said the resolution "leaves the ELCA with inconsistent patterns
of discipline and standards."
Conservatives believe the Bible bars gay relationships. "To refrain from
discipline in the home is bad parenting, but we're about to do so in
Christ's Church," Egland said.
Lutheran CORE scheduled a September meeting to plan its next step. But
the Rev. Mark Chavez of WordAlone says conservatives aren't planning a
split from the denomination.
Membership in the 4.8 million-member ELCA, like other mainline churches,
has declined over the last two decades; only 30% of Evangelical
Lutherans attend worship weekly.
The 2.5 million-member Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, based in St.
Louis, believes the Bible is literally true and does not ordain gays.