Posted on 10/27/2009 12:17:07 PM PDT by SmithL
Sleepy Eye, Minn. -
In addition to Halloween, this Saturday is also a special date of historical significance for many Christians. October 31 is celebrated by Lutherans as Reformation Day, for it is the date Martin Luther is believed to have nailed his 95 Theses, or grievances against the Roman Catholic Church, on the door of All Saints’ Church in Germany. This act marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, which ultimately led to Lutheranism itself.
As many Lutherans look back to their Reformation heritage over the weekend, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are doing some reforming of their own these days. With over 4.7 million members, the ELCA passed a resolution in August that took a more open stance on the issue of homosexuality in the church.
The last few months since this vote have been filled with headlines about churches who are considering leaving the fellowship because of this decision. Thus far, the ELCA has counted six churches that have officially chosen to remove themselves from the denomination.
However, many believe that this initial split is just the beginning. “There are meetings happening all over the place as to what churches will do,” Pastor Jerry Wirtley of First English Lutheran Church of Victoria, Tex., told the Victoria Advocate. “It is something that is being discussed.”
The resolution passed by the church-wide assembly was a broad statement on human sexuality that dealt heavily with the issue of homosexuality. The piece of this resolution that has received the most attention since August has to do with the calling of gay and lesbian pastors.
The statement resolves that the church will “allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.” It later states that the ELCA will seek to find ways for these members “to serve as rostered leaders of the church.” This resolution was passed by a slim majority of 68 percent of the 1,000 delegates at the convention.
Despite the attention that has been given to this issue in the media, the Rev. Keith Ainsley of Trinity Lutheran Church said this vote has been a long time coming. He explained that the passing of a resolution like this isn’t something the church takes lightly. The sexuality statement was first brought up in the mid-1990s, but faced some ruckus in the media, so it was put to rest for several years.
Six years ago, church leaders decided to approach this topic again as they felt the need to take a firm stance on homosexuality. Several churches had already affirmed openly homosexual pastors who were in lifelong relationships, and while this technically went against denominational rules at the time, bishops were hesitant to bar these congregations from fellowship.
“Seminarians sign a statement which says if they are single, they will remain celibate, and if they are married, they will not commit adultery,” Ainsley explained. Thus, in a state like Minnesota that does not allow any sort of same-sex marriage, this issue had gotten quite complicated to regulate.
“When the majority of the members of a congregation are gay, a gay pastor is not an issue to them,” said Ainsley. “This may be a burning issue in rural Minnesota, but it’s not an issue in downtown Minneapolis.”
At Trinity, Ainsley explained that members of his church fall on both sides of this issue. Most important to Ainsley, he emphasized that this resolution is by no means a mandate. “There has been lots of scuttlebutt that we now have to call a homosexual pastor,” he said. “No we don’t.”
Ainsley explained that unlike some churches, the ELCA has a very bottom-up leadership style. “Trinity makes the decisions for the clergy we have here,” he said. However, this is still an issue the Sleepy Eye church takes seriously. “Trinity understands our autonomy, but also has a commitment with the wider church.”
Ainsley explained that homosexuality is a very complicated issue involving orientation, genetics and biblical interpretation. He emphasized that the core of his message on sexuality will not change. “I am not endorsing any behavior that is anything less than total commitment between two individuals,” he said.
Thus far, the ELCA has counted six churches that have officially chosen to remove themselves from the denomination.Those six sure seem to get around.
And Rome stands solid as ever.......
What? There was no other way he could have phrased this?
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Oddly, the LutherRose emblem which had accompanied these pings has disappeared from the server www.lbk.cc/luther-rose.gif on the Monday after Reformation Sunday. Different image, different server as of today. And multiple backups!
And the "ELCA" became a liberal protestant sect the day they published the feminist-language, anti-Trinitarian "Evangelical Lutheran Worship", and called it "the liturgy of the 'church'. " That's quite a bit before August 19, 2009.
Beg to differ because even though Augsburg-Fortress is trying desperately to "mandate" the use of ELW through dropping LBW-related materials from its inventory, the ELCA has not required its use. LBW and the 1958 Service Book and Hymnal remain "authorized worship resources".
On the other hand, the Social Teaching Statement has been mandated--as well as the "Report and Recommendations". And for the record, the ONLY "bound conscience" that is to be respected is the conscience of a congregation unwilling to call a *PAMLR'd gay or lesbian
(*Publicly accountable, monogamus, lifelong relationship).
I am an ex-elca member. Helped lead my church out several years ago.
I believe that the largest number of elca members who leave the elca over the next few years will leave as individuals, families and groups — not necessarily as congregations.
Some churches have already taken a vote and fallen short of the 2/3’s required to leave. Rather than come back for vote after vote after interminable vote, as the elca “power elite” did with both CCM and the homosexual issue, people like me will just go elsewhere.
The one certainty is that liberal churches are declining in attendance.
Where is there 1 Lutheran Church where a majority of members are queer?
How that investigation of American nuns going?
I’ve been to Ebeneezer Lutheran Church (ELCA), in Chicago, and I heard that 80% of the members are gay. The pastors encourage the members to march in gay pride parades.
very well actually, rome has laid down the law as it has always from the time of Christ, that is why we dont see threads on free republic about true roman catholic dioceses doing this sort of crap.
and consequently, the lack of a central devine authority, leads to numerous threads on free republic about various and sundry protestant churches breaking up, reforming, going their own way, voting done by men against biblical principles, etc...
The law as laid down by Rome has NOT been constant since Jesus’s day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
