|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LUTHERANS
IN US TO ORDAIN GAY CLERGY |
| |
New York: America's largest
Lutheran body inched closer to ordaining actively gay
clergy with a recommendation on February 19, 2009 that
the 4.7-million-member church vote on the matter at its
convention this summer.
A 15-member task force of theologians, academics,
bishops and laity with the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) released in a 17-page statement
Thursday afternoon a proposal for delegates to vote on
at the ELCA's next convention, during August 17 to 23,
2009 in Minneapolis. To pass, the proposal needs the
support of a simple majority of the delegates
representing the ELCA's 65 synods.
According to the proposal, each geographical synod would
be allowed to decide whether to “call people in publicly
accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender
relationships” to the ministry. Only celibate gay clergy
can now serve in any ELCA churches.
Although stressing repeatedly that the ELCA must vote
decisively on the matter at its biennial meeting, the
task force said a homosexual candidate in a “publicly
accountable” relationship may sometimes be the
‘best-suited’ person for a certain church.
The recommendation was accompanied by a 33-page treatise
defining human sexuality as a “gift and trust,” along
with a series of proposed resolutions for a liturgical
rite for divorce, for partners of gay clergy to be
included in denominational pension plans, and for
sex-education programs in public and private Lutheran
schools.
Local Lutheran bishops had mixed reactions. “I think the
church should move toward inclusion, diversity and the
maximum amount of flexibility,” said Bishop Richard H.
Graham of the 40,000-member Metropolitan Washington
Synod. “The question is how fast and to what expense.”
He has one celibate homosexual serving in one of his 130
churches, he added, plus “several people in our
candidacy process who are in various stages of coming
out publicly.”
Bishop H. Gerald Knoche of the 94,000-member
Delaware-Maryland Synod called the series of proposals
“a detriment to our church.” He said, “What they are
proposing here is that different synods and churches can
handle the problem according to their conscience. That
will make it difficult to have clergy mobility in the
national church. There will be different standards in
different places.” He added, “my conscience says
homo-sexuality is sinful and we shouldn't be holding it
up as a lifestyle.”
While the “recommendations” statement stressed
repeatedly that some Lutherans are under “bound
conscience” to oppose gay clergy, it called its existing
policy mandating that homosexuals stay celibate
“undesirable and unrealistic.” The task force said the
denomination has studied and debated the matter for
seven years and that it already allowed celibate
homosexuals in leadership posts.
|
|
|
This page
is updated on March 15, 2009 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY
10 YEARS CELEBRATION
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
