ELCA Synod Votes Against Allowing Non-Celibate Gay Clergy

Christian Post ^ | 6/5/2009 | Lillian Kwon

[SeekAndFind]

One of the Evangelical Lutheran Church's regional synods voted on Saturday to uphold the denomination's policy banning non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy.

The South Dakota Synod voted 362-233 during its annual assembly against changing the ELCA's current ordination policy and social statements on sexuality.

The vote is a recommendation to the denomination's highest governing body which will consider proposals on homosexuality at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August.

Earlier this year, the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality released a long-awaited report acknowledging that there is neither a consensus nor an emerging one in the denomination on homosexuality while at the same time recommending that individual congregations be allowed to choose whether to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to be ordained.

Currently, the ELCA allows the ordination of gays and lesbians if they remain celibate.

The task force agreed that the denomination cannot responsibly consider any changes to its policies unless it is able and willing in some way to recognize lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships but it recommended that the ELCA commit itself to finding ways to recognize such relationships.

Voting members of the South Dakota Synod debated over the task force's recommendations on Saturday. Those supporting the changes argued that adopting them would be a way of treating others with love while members against the changes argued that Scripture has for over 2,000 years been against non-celibate same-sex relationships, as reported by Keloland Television.

Overall, the synod stood against liberalizing their sexuality statements and ministry policies.

Since the release of the task force's documents on sexuality, Lutheran pastors, theologians and teachers have come out either in support of or in opposition to the recommended changes.

A majority of the faculty at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago released a statement backing the documents.

"The crucial question before the church is not whether the current recommendation on ministry policies challenges long-standing scriptural interpretations and ecclesiastical practices," the statement said, according to the ELCA News Service. "It obviously does."

"Rather, the ultimate question is whether the recommendation on ministry policies proclaims Christ … and his message of grace more faithfully than older interpretations and practices," it said. "We, the faculty of LSTC, are convinced that it does and, therefore, support the approval of the recommendation."

A conservative group of scholars and church leaders say otherwise.

In an open letter addressed to voting members of the upcoming churchwide assembly, the conservative group cautioned against changing the teaching of the church on sexuality especially "without clear biblical and theological support."

[SeekAndFind]

I guess this means CELIBATE Gay Clergy are allowed. is this Biblical ?

[HighlyOpinionated]

I guess this means CELIBATE Gay Clergy are allowed. is this Biblical ?

Semantics. It's like saying "heterosexual married clergy who abstain from sex with women other than their wife are allowed."

I'm single. I tell people I'm a celibate heterosexual woman. It wouldn't matter what I called myself because I'm celibate. It's no one's business and who the heck cares anyway?

I would ASSUME by the wording that what this means is that single clergy have classed themselves as 'gay' and celibate when they could just say they're heterosexual and celibate and who would know as long as they remain celibate.

And if they keep their mouths shut about their gender preferences and remain celibate, who the heck really cares? The OPERATIVE words here are "remain celibate."

[Unam Sanctam]

it recommended that the ELCA commit itself to finding ways to recognize such relationships

It's easy -- just toss out any commitment to Christian teaching on sexual morality and marriage. Many liberal denominations have already done this.

[Melchior]

What’s the story here? Have the Lutherans been infiltrated by Episcopalians?

[SoConPubbie]

non-celibate same-sex relationships

This I will never understand.

Jesus made it very clear that sin was not the actual physical action but the motivation behind the actions. For example:

Matthew 5:27-28

27  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Either Christ can save from ALL sin, even the sin of Homosexuality(And this has to include even the desire of the sin), or this whole thing we call Christianity is a farce.

Jesus said:

2 Corinthians 5:17

17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

[Charles Henrickson]

Ping.

[lightman]

Lutheran (ELCA) Ping!

Veni, Sanctae Spiritus!

Be sure also to read:

Delight, Design and Destiny: Toward a Doxological Ethics of Sexuality

Statement by Three Dissenting Members of the ELCA Task Force on Human Sexuality

It’s Not About Homosexuality--Not Really

I think I want a Divorce

“Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust”: A Critique by Carl E. Braaten

When There Are No Biblical or Theological Grounds to Change, Don’t

WordAlone Network responds to ELCA human sexuality proposals

Lutheran CORE leaders urge rejection of ELCA task force recommendations

Pastoral Guidance Concerning Same-Sex Unions

[Jim Noble]

I guess this means CELIBATE Gay Clergy are allowed. is this Biblical ?

Sure is.

[PhilCollins]

That synod vote didn’t go far enough. They should have passed a resolution that states that the ELCA should never ordain gays or hold gay weddings or commitment ceremonies.

[lightman]

The WordAlone summary of this Synod's actions:

Overwhelmingly approved a memorial calling for a two-thirds super majority vote to change ministry policies. Approved a memorial asking for rejection of proposed social statement and affirmation of current ELCA teaching documents on sexuality 362-238 with 14 abstentions. Approved a memorial asking for rejection of recommendations on ministry policy and affirmation of current ELCA policy 364-233-23. Approved a resolution asking the synod's voting members to be mindful of the actions of the SD Synod this year and in previous years and how their actions at the Churchwide Assembly may affect the congregations of the synod "as they make prayerful and faithful decisions on the matters to be considered by the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly." Defeated 270-259-14 a resolution affirming marriage "as a lifelong covenant of faithfulness between a man and a woman" and asking the Churchwide Assembly to do the same.

[Redleg Duke]

On one hand, it is distressing that the homos got that many votes, on the other hand, the ELCA liberal leadership will just say that they really don’t want those squareheads from South Dakota in their nuanced synod anyway!

[right way right]

Our help does indeed come from the LORD.

I may leave my Church if the resolutions go the wrong way this summer.

Actually my Church may leave the ELCA.

Due to recent internal problems in a nearby LMS Lutheran Church we have had an influx LMS people.

That could swing things the right direction.

I get so tired of the Liberal verses Conservative labels with these issues.

These issues should be referred to as Biblical or non-Biblical.

I am already specifying that none of my tithe go to the ELCA for what its worth.

I will speculate that the last resolution on affirming Marriage did not pass because of the amount of divorced Pastors there are in the ELCA.

[Honorary Serb]

Having read the summaries of synod votes from WordAlone, I can see that the total disintegration of the ELCA is almost upon us.

Since “voting members” do not have to follow the recommendations of their congregations, pastors, bishops, or synods—or anyone else, for that matter—the voting may get wild and woolly indeed. I’m sure that the “gay” lobby will be all over them in August, and has already started mailing, e-mailing, texting, and phoning them to death.

Despite (or because of) all that activity, the final result will almost certainly be disintegration of the ELCA.

[Elsiejay]

I believe the ELCA several years ago approved pulpit and altar fellowship with the Episcopalians.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

While I was in the ELCA, I actually got the church to stop paying benevolence to the ELCA. What got me was reading the Bishop's lobby statements....for instance "I represent five million Lutherans and we demand the military drop the don't ask don't tell policy". Whether we paid to National or not, he counted me as one of his supporters when he would lobby on gay rights, abortion, global warming, wealth redistribution, immigration etc...

Don't associate yourself with an end times church

[lightman]

I believe the ELCA several years ago approved pulpit and altar fellowship with the Episcopalians.

Correct; a document titled "Called to Common Mission" (CCM) was approved by the ELCA in 1999 and by TEC in 2000. It went into effect on January 1, 2001.

In some Synods it is commonplace for Episcopal Priests to serve as Interim clergy for Lutheran congregations in transition.

[kalee]

My mother spent a year in IL and the priest at her Episcopal church was Lutheran.

[DeweyCA]

The ELCA has, by and large, gone the way of liberalism for a few decades now. The percent of born-again pastors is quite small. I pity the non-Christian laity who are members and don’t even realize that they are no hearing the gospel. So many are being deceived by their unbelieving pastors.