Posted on 03/30/2009 11:33:59 AM PDT by lightman
ELCA Recommendation on Ministry Policies
Background:
The Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies was requested by the 2007 Churchwide Assembly, which asked that the Task Force for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality "address and make recommendations on changes to any polices that preclude practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of this church" [CA07.06.27]. The document was released by the task force in February 2009 along with the proposed social statement, "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust," which was requested by the 2001 Churchwide Assembly. This document is available on www.elca.org.
Church Council Action, March 29, 2009: To transmit the following actions to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly:
1) RESOLVED, that the ELCA commit itself to finding ways to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same gender relationships.
2) RESOLVED, that the ELCA commit itself to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church.
3) RESOLVED, that in the implementation of these resolutions, the ELCA commit itself to bear one another's burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all.
4) WHEREAS, guided by the Holy Spirit, this church raises up, calls, supports, and maintains rosters of ordained ministers, associates in ministry, deaconesses, and diaconal ministers for public ministry in service of the mission of Christ and seeks faithfully to discern in each situation what will best serve that mission; and
WHEREAS, this church maintains these four rosters according to policies and procedures that are developed and applied according to the specifications of chapters 7 and 20 of its Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions; and
WHEREAS, this church has a polity, processes, and procedures that trust designated individuals and bodies to use churchwide standards to make decisions about fitness for rostered ministry in general and for call to a specific ELCA ministry; and
WHEREAS, some members, congregations, candidacy committees, and synods of the ELCA have discerned gifts and skills for rostered ministry in some people who are or contemplate being in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships and have indicated their conviction that rostering and calling such people would serve the mission and ministry of this church; and
WHEREAS, other members, congregations, candidacy committees, and synods of the ELCA acknowledge those gifts and skills for ministry, but believe that this church must maintain an expectation of celibacy for any gay or lesbian person, whether or not that person is in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, and thus believe that this church cannot call or roster people in such relationships; and
WHEREAS, the Church of Christ sometimes has been surprised by the actions of the Spirit, as is reported in the book of Acts when the inclusion of Gentiles was affirmed; and
WHEREAS, public accountability of rostered leaders in the ELCA is essential to nurturing the trust that is necessary for effective ministry; and
WHEREAS, although there is no generally recognized civil or ecclesial status that corresponds to heterosexual marriage for publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships, this assembly has committed itself to find ways to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships; and
WHEREAS, present ELCA policies prohibit the rostered service of any and all people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships, but this assembly has committed itself to find a way for people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America call upon its members to commit themselves to respect the bound consciences of those with whom they disagree regarding decisions on the call and rostering of individuals in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships, in this church and with churches ecumenically and globally; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this church, because of its commitment to respect the bound consciences of all, declare its intent to allow structured flexibility in decision-making regarding the approving or disapproving in candidacy and the extending or not extending of a call to rostered service of a person who is otherwise qualified and who is living or contemplates living in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America make provision in its policies to eliminate the prohibition of rostered service by members who are in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the appropriate churchwide unit(s) be directed to develop, in consultation with the Conference of Bishops, and the Church Council be directed to approve, appropriate guidelines for a process by which congregations and synods could hold people publicly accountable in their relationships who are in or contemplate being in lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships and who seek to be on the rosters of this church; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Committee on Appeals be directed to develop, in consultation with the Conference of Bishops, and the Church Council be directed to approve, appropriate amendments to "Definition and Guidelines for Discipline" and the Vocation and Education program unit be directed to draft, in consultation with the Conference of Bishops, and the Church Council be directed to approve, appropriate amendments to the Vision and Expectations documents and the Candidacy Manual to accomplish the intent of this resolution; and be it further
RESOLVED, that additional policies be developed, as necessary, so that those whom this church holds responsible for making decisions about fitness for rostered ministry in general and for call to a particular specific ELCA ministry may discern, and have guidance in discerning, the fitness for ministry of a member living in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same gender relationship; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that this church continue to trust its established processes and those to whom it has given the responsibility to discern who should and should not be rostered or called to public ministry in this church.
Loath as I am to taking anything from the website of the homosexualist LCNA, they did manage to scoop the ELCA press office in crowing about this abysmal news.
What this means is that the official recommendation of the ELCA Church Council to the Churchwide Assembly that will meet August 17-23 in Minneapolis is to adopt the radical agenda set forth in the recommendations of the Task Force on Sexuality.
One of those recommendations is that supporters of the Sixth Commandment shut up and respect the "bound consciences" of those who have no regard for God's Word.
Keep a Good Lent!
Be sure also to read:
“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
Statement by Three Dissenting Members of the ELCA Task Force on Human Sexuality
In plain English: develop a liturgical rite of "gay marriage" and a provision for recording such abominations on the parish register.
Ping.
Kyrie Eleison.
Christe Eleison.
Kyrie Elesion.
The mainline denominations have truly dropped their flashlight. The Gospel seems now to be held only by the small, non-denominational groups and some home churches. Looks like the winter is here or the end...
About a year ago, my dad (a retired ELCA pastor who joined a Missouri Synod church) told me that the ELCA task force on sexuality recommended that the ECLA never ordain gays and never perform same-sex weddings. Yesterday, the same committee made the opposite recommendation. This week, they choose to disobey the Bible.
There are layers and layers of reasoning behind all of God’s commandants. We see in this situation how much destruction can be wrought by a tiny tiny minority of people obsessed with sexual impurity. He isn’t trying to spoil our fun. He sees what happens to whole communities when we give ourselves to this kind of perversion.
Just as in all the mainline Protestant denominations, the ELCA abandoned the Scriptures long ago. These denominations are governed by cultural relativism. The liberal secular agenda is their bible. The very same arguments that the LCA and ELCA used to defend women in the Holy Ministry, their liberal leaders are using to promote homosexuality.
The resolution is a study in obfuscation. I can shorten it and make it more understandable to all.
WHEREAS: We wanna ...
THEREFORE: We’re gonna.
The elca passed over the event horizon on its way to oblivion many years ago. The most merciful course of action is to provide accelerant to speed it on its way.
The tragedy of it is that I now don't even like to visit my home church for any reason. I do because of other family members there and for special events but it bothers me greatly.
My very Godly grandparents helped build that church and now this. I am so glad they are gone and do not have to see this.
When I was a kid, I used to think of idolatry as bowing before a pagan statute or some other god made with wood or stone and therefore a very rare sin in the west. Of course idolatry is the most prevalent sin of all. Making gods of our own imagination to fit our decadent lifestyles.
Very interesting observation.
The ELCA seems bound and determined to commit suicide. Any changes won’t cause any splits or defections in our local ultraliberal area. However, in Red States and “mixed” states or regions like Pennsylvania and Ohio, it will be a different story.
This all means that it is high time for Lutherans to learn that the Orthodox Church is their original and true home. I for one am ready to welcome all who come, as inquirers or catechumens.
Prior to every Churchwide Assembly, the Church Council recommends to the assembly proposed Rules of Organization and Procedure that, in addition to Robert’s Rules of Order, govern the ways that the assembly conducts its legislative business. The Churchwide Assembly at its first plenary session votes on its own rules.
Bylaw 12.12.01. of the Constitution, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America specifies that a proposed social statement requires for adoption a two-thirds vote of those voting members present and voting at an assembly. At its November 2008 meeting, the Church Council did not recommend any rules that would affect the necessary margin of votes for other documents originating from a social statement task force.
In response to synodical resolutions, at its March 2009 meeting the Church Council considered whether to amend the rules that had been adopted previously. After extensive discussion, the Church Council voted against doing so. The vote was 10–21 with two abstentions, Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson and Secretary David D. Swartling.
Therefore, unless the Churchwide Assembly amends the proposed Rules of Organization and Procedure at its first plenary session, any implementing resolutions for the social statement or ministry policy actions will require a majority vote for passage, as specified in Robert’s Rules of Order.
50% plus one vote of an assembly made up of 2/3 laity is all that will be required to bring gay clergy to an ECLA congregation near you.
Not true my friend.
I'm not sure what the definition of "mainline" is any more. Traditionally named mainline denominations are shrinking by the extreme--at the same rate they adopt such extreme, unbiblical and ungodly provisions. (The Episcopal Church for example loses an estimated 1,000 members a week)
However, with the exception of the Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and most lately, Episcopalians (Anglicans) all have rival denominations which hold to biblical standards on sexuality--and, more foundationally, biblical authority in general.
Lutherans have the LCMS, Presbyterians have the PCA and the EPC (and several other smaller groups), and Episcopalians have the various "Anglican" named groups under the unbrella organization of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
Magisterial Protestantism is growing--and not all disintegrating into disconnected so called (as all Christians have an interpretive grid) "non-denominational" groups and home groups.
Are these new rival denominations smaller and poorer than their apostate mainline elders? Yes--but hey, so were the 12 in AD 33.
Worldwide too, due to the efforts of missionaries for over 200 years now, the developing world magisterial Protestants are as orthodox as our great-grandparents...and are typically as horrified by such nonsense as what ELCA is into now, as any independent evangelical is in the USA.
Christians should do their best to be unified and accountable to our Lord through holy scripture, and not all shattered into the ultimate splinter-denomination--an independent "non-denominational" church or home group.
Several of the names mentioned still reject the well-established reformed positions that aided in the groundswell of escapees from Catholicism. And, a straightforward read of the Bible will support that “denominations” are really an invention of man. We were all called Christians, once. Who really needs appelations?
But, the heresy that Jesus’ urging to “love” means that we must embrace the sin of homosexuality, ecumenism (Islam is as truthful as the Gospel, etc.), and other such recent deviations of the big boxes leads me to conclude that the independant congregations will be the Church of the near future. No question they are at risk of making similar errors, but if the men are biblically based, they can teach the Gospel and error is not systemic from the get go.
And, I would add categorically...it is not the membership into a group, a denomination, a club, or a congregation that provides that unifying belonging you refer to. It has always been and always will be the binding of us together in the fellowship of the Spirit by the Spirit that makes us unified. Thus, you and I are brothers (if we are both believers, not by virtue of the names, addresses, cards, or whatever. We are unified by clinging to the same Lord. Then we have the obligation to teach the truth. You may correct me and I you.
There is something that has been bothering me. I researched all the demoninations that were a member of the National Council of Churches, and it seemed that many Orthodox churches are members of the NCC. Eastern Christians especially have suffered at the hands of the Islamists and communists, so I find it puzzling that Orthodox church organizations belong to the pro-Islamist, pro-communist NCC.
This is, as you said, an abomination, and they want to force it on people. I suppose next they will start worshipping the golden calf and demand everyone do the same.
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