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Lutherans say no to gay clergy in committed relationships

ELCA News Service

The 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) rejected a proposal that would have allowed the church, under special circumstances, to ordain gay and lesbian candidates for ministry who are involved in lifelong, committed same-sex relationships.

In a related action, the assembly affirmed pastoral care for all people, including people who are gay or lesbian, and continued to encourage the church to welcome gay and lesbian people into its life.

While the assembly did not create formal rites for blessing couples in same-sex relationships, by a vote of 670-323 it entrusted pastoral care to individual pastors and congregations.

ELCA church leaders said the actions affirmed the ELCA’s current standards for ministry and reaffirmed the pastoral guidance of a 1993 pastoral letter issued by the ELCA Conference of Bishops.

The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met in Orlando, Fla. Aug. 8-14. About 2,300 people participated, including 1,018 ELCA voting members. Voting members devoted virtually all day Aug. 12 to three recommendations related to its studies on sexuality.

As the assembly deliberation began, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, said that the church has “done this work well. We’ve listened to each other. We’ve learned from each other. We’ve prayed for and with each other. And I believe we’ve journeyed together faithfully” in the ELCA’s three-year study of the questions related to homosexuality.

Ultimately, the assembly failed to adopt a policy recommendation that would allow the church to ordain, consecrate and commission candidates for ministry who are in lifelong, committed same-sex relationships.  The vote fell well short — 490-503 — of the two-thirds required to make the change.

Current ELCA policy expects ministers to refrain from sexual relations outside marriage, which it defines as “a lifelong covenant of faithfulness between a man and a woman.”

At a news conference after the voting, Hanson said that he knew going into the debate that “however the vote turned out some would be disappointed” but he also stated that he “hopes that those disappointed in the votes would not sever their relationship with the church or step back” from their involvement.  I hope that “everyone hears it clearly — all week as we have discussed publicly and clearly — that gay and lesbian persons are welcome in this church.” 

Hanson said that he was pleased by the “respectful tone” of both the voting members and the visitors, referring to a silent protest that took place during the debate. In the early afternoon, some 100 persons wearing rainbow scarves around their necks walked slowly to the front of the podium, spread across the convention area, facing the voting members. Hanson requested the group return to the visitor section, but the group remained in place until the end of the Aug. 12 afternoon session. Once it was understood that the protesters were going to remain, Hanson invited the assembly to continue business.

More information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at www.elca.org/assembly/05.