ELCA Annual Assembly Votes to Allow Pastors in Gay Relationships
Reuters and MSNBC are reporting the following news from the Lutheran Church:
Clergy members who are in homosexual relationships will be able to serve as pastors, the largest U.S. Lutheran body said Saturday.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in “faithful committed same-gender relationships.”
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in “faithful committed same-gender relationships.”
posted by S and C at 8:51 PM
3 Comments:
Stephen, a small clarification regarding the Reuters/MSNBC story. The resolution urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors in same-gender committed relationships does not mean that every bishop will choose to do so.
Under current ELCA church policy, gays and lesbians may be ordained, but they are expected to remain celibate. Some bishops have exercised disciplinary actions against pastors who are now in committed same-gender relationships; others have not.
The issue of whether gays and lesbians who are in committed same-sex relationships may be ordained has been deferred to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, at which time an eight-year denominational study of human sexuality will have been completed, and the church is expected to issue a social statement at that time.
I would say that this is a "resolution" that encourages bishops to use restraint in discipling of Gays/Lesbians presently in committed relationships. But as we all know resolutions in and of themselves have no binding effect, although they do send a strong message for the support of Gays and Lebians in committed relationships. I think that they should be rejoicing.
John+
Hi Gail and John,
Thank you both for your comments.
---SLC
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