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In an open letter to those withdrawing from the ELCA, Bishop Herbert Chilstrom, first bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), asked three questions: 1. What is it about sex that pushed you over the edge? 2. Why are you organizing new churches? 3. What will you say to your sons and daughters, sisters and brothers and others in your churches when they tell you they are homosexual? Even though Bishop Chilstrom’s questions are uncharacteristically sarcastic in tone and obviously intended to ridicule those who do not agree with him, I will attempt to answer his questions with...

Former ELCA Presiding Bishop Endorses Task Force Documents 09-095-MRC CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom, the first presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), endorsed two documents from the Task Force on ELCA Studies on Sexuality. Chilstrom served two terms starting from the church's inception in 1987 to 1995. On Feb. 19 the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality released "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust," a proposed social statement for the church. It also released that day a report and recommendation for a process to consider changes to ministry policies that could make it...

I had also been asked to speak in support of Recommendation Three. I was in line to speak when there was a call for a vote and debate ended. Had I had the opportunity to speak, this is what I was prepared to say: Bishop Hanson: At the 1992 meeting of the synod bishops that I referred to earlier, I also said that in my judgment our ELCA should not ordain persons in same-gender relationships. I felt that as a church we simply had not done enough study of the biblical and other materials related to homosexuality. After I retired...