Posted on 08/12/2005 3:12:06 PM PDT by SmithL
ORLANDO, FLA. -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Churchwide Assembly today morning overwhelmingly approved watered-down language addressing the endorsement of same-sex unions but rejected accepting non-celibate gays and lesbians from being ordained. The moves came amid a minor commotion by gay and lesbian activists.
Before the apparent softening of the language on same-sex unions, the proposal had said that the ELCA "would entrust pastors and congregations to discern ways to provide faithful pastoral care to same-sex couples." The adopted amendment struck "same-sex couples" and replaced those words with "all to whom they minister."
The revised proposal passed on a 607-323 vote and does not explicitly give a green light to blessing ceremonies.
The bishops for the Twin Cities, Peter Rogness (St. Paul) and Craig Johnson (Minneapolis) spoke strongly in favor of the proposal before it was amended.
Late this afternoon, delegates soundly rejected approval of practicing gays and lesbians for ordination in the church. The vote was 503 against and 490 in favor. A two-thirds majority was needed for passage.
Shortly after the delegates began debating the ordination proposal, the assembly was thrown into chaos for about half-hour as about 100 gay and lesbian advocates marched to the front of the ballroom and stood in front of the podium defying the assembly's rules.
They repeatedly ignored the requests of presiding Bishop Mark Hanson that they return to a visitors' area. After several procedural moves failed, debate resumed with protesters in front of the hall.
Laura Montgomery Rutt, a spokeswoman for the activists, said the action was meant "to prove that all people who are gay -- lesbian, bisexual, transgender -- are part of this church."
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
PING!
This a shaky interpretation. There was an additional amendment stating explicitly that "pastoral care" does NOT include homosexual marriage, which was defeated. What we really have here, in practice, then, will be a "local option" in which pastors will do whatever they please with homosexual marriages. The end result will be to degrade whatever legitimacy the central church has left, as it has essentially punted on the issue.
We can expect further disintegration as individual ELCA pastors perform these "marriages" as if they were sanctioned and blessed--and as traditional, scriptural Lutherans disassociate themselves in disgust.
This is the way the church will end...not with a bang but a whimper.
Hanson opened this morning's solemn, edgy session in a packed resort ballroom, telling his flock, "We have done this work well. We have listened to each other, learned from each other and prayed with each other."
Referring to the intense scrutiny that has been trained on the ELCA and other Protestant denominations that have become ensnared in the culture war over homosexuality, Hanson added: "Seemingly, the whole world is paying attention to religious communities who are engaged in discussions about sexuality."
The Rev. Paul Harris of Eagan's Easter Lutheran Church obliquely referred to lingering fears that the bruising debate over sexuality could splinter the church, causing members and congregations to leave the ELCA.
"Many will find themselves conscience-bound by their understanding of the Holy Spirit to leave this community," he said. "We would do well to wish these people well and bless them even though they are not able to be part of this church."
Regardless what the assembly delegates decide, the ELCA still has a long slog ahead of it on the issue of sexuality.
It has yet to develop a formal social statement on homosexuality, a document it has produced on several other issues such as abortion and the death penalty.
That statement is to be unveiled at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis.
I think this qualifies...as Laura Ingraham states it..the "Lie of the Day"
"We have done this work well. We have listened to each other, learned from each other and prayed with each other."
No one is listening to the other, no one wants to learn from the other and only one side is actually praying to the true God...and its not with each other...the one side is praying that the other side is convicted on their sin.
I sure hope there is an exodus of believers from the ELCA. There is no hope unless the leadership is changed. Thats the only way to insure the Word of God is once again spoken in Truth. What a disgrace to think of all the immature Christians out there trusting the pastors to speak truth and are simply being led down that wide path.
ELCA has been ordaining homosexuals for decades. They even stated that fact in The Lutheran magazine, when Ed Trexler was the editor. I would date his editorial about 1988 or so.
Bishop Hanson has been doing the heavy lifting for the homosexual lobby for a long time, when he was still a local bishop in Minnesota. The two Twin City bishops were gung ho for the homosexual activism at this convention.
The convention did not fool anyone, I'm sure. The Lavender Mafia will continue to grow in influence as people flee to other venues. The gay lobby won a few this time and lost nothing. Bishops wanted to avoid a vote so they could do what they wanted, without restrictions. The social statement will be out - or outted - in three years. ELCA will be a husk, even more than it is now. Regular giving is flat or even declining as costs go up.
You got it. The ratio in ELCA is probably close to what you say, but the lay delegates and pastoral delegates are hand-picked to advocate the worst positions.
ELCA is known as liberal but even when the Democrats had more registrations than the GOP, the LCA was more Republican than Democrat. The leaders have ignored all this and done things their way.
Once quotas were created for ELCA, it was over. These votes are just the fruit of their labors for the last 20 years.
Seminex, which became part of ELCA by merging into LSTC, was the official seminary of the Metropolitan Community (all gay) Church. One of their seminary professors was arrested for soliciting a male police officer in a park in St. Louis.
It can only get worse.
Hey, I'll take a private ping!
; )
Not very heartening. A razor-thin (50.7 percent) majority was against ordaining gays, and blessing gays is now effectively the predicted 'local option' for pastors (leaving a congregation and its council to battle a leftist pastor in a conservative congregation). As long as Hanson's running the show, there'll be no return to orthodoxy.
I'm left wondering, what ended up being this CWA's recommendation for wording of the social statement for CWA 2007? Or will that be Sexuality Task Force II's job?
So sad...your fellow Lutherans feel your frustration and welcome you to join us in worship. Please feel free to visit a WELS (Wisconsin Synod) in your area. You will find the word of God the focus of the worship, not current social agenda's. God Bless and I wish all of you well in looking for a new church if you so choose. By the way, WELS had it's convention as well, the big topic was so uncontroversial how we can work to give more of our (individual parishoners) to finance more missionary pastors to spread the word of God to all people...here's the link to our website...I think you'll see the difference almost immediately...
http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?
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