Deliberations on Homosexuality Begin at US Evangelical Lutheran Assembly

Official deliberations on three controversial recommendations on homosexuality began Wednesday at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, Fla.

The 1,018 voting members of the assembly heard presentations from the sexuality task force that drafted the recommendations after nearly four years of study, and were placed on a track to discuss and potentially vote upon the proposed laws by Friday.

The sexuality recommendations attracted a flurry of attention since they were first released by the task force in January this year. The issue is the largest controversy the church faced in decades, and has deepened the schism between conservative and liberal factions in the ELCA.

With the unity of the Church on the line, members of the task force cautiously explained their desires to keep the Church together despite differences.

James M. Childs, director of the ELCA Studies on Sexuality said the task force received inspiration from St. Paul’s encouragement to “bear one another’s burdens.” He said “task force members did that, taking on the pains, hopes and fears” of those engaged in the dialogue. Ultimately, he said the task force strove to “draw people in rather than isolate” those in disagreement.

Child’s team has been heavily criticised for doing just that – working to maintain unity without coming to a conclusion on sexuality. The Task Force’s three recommendations, which were formally read to the assembly of voting members urges the ELCA to “find ways to live together faithfully in the midst of disagreements.

The second recommends o policy on the blessing of same sex relationships, but refers to the pastoral guidance of the 1993 statement of the Conference of Bishops calling for continued dialogue with and support for those in ministry with gay and lesbian persons.

The third recommendation would keep the Church's current standards regarding sexual conduct for rostered leaders as set forth in "Vision and Expectations" and "Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline," but create a process for the sake of outreach, ministry and the commitment to continuing dialogue. This may permit exceptions to the expectations regarding sexual conduct for gay or lesbian candidates and rostered leaders in life-long, committed and faithful same-sex relationships who otherwise are determined to be in compliance" with the conduct the church expects of its ministers.

Conservatives say the recommendations would undermine current ELCA policy against self-affirming homosexual ministers. Liberals complain the recommendations would treat homosexual ministers as “second class.”

Such debates over the wording of the recommendations will likely ensue today and tomorrow, and voting members will be allowed to call for amendments to the resolutions before they are presented for the final vote.

Under the rules governing the action upon these recommendations, which were determined by the assembly itself in a lengthy opening plenary session, the first two recommendations as proposed require a simple majority vote, and the third, involving constitutional changes, would require a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, according to ELCA news.

Meanwhile, the Rev. Margaret G. Payne, bishop of the ELCA New England Synod and chair of the sexuality studies task force, told voting members that she has learned to let down her sword through the process of talking with various people. Payne, who this year steps down from her post, said she used to have an opinion that she used “like a sword,” cutting down others with different views.

However, she said, "When I began my work, I sheathed my sword." Along the way, she continued, "I took my sword out to take a look at it, and I discovered much to my surprise that the sword had turned into a plow."

Payne urged voting members to do the same.






Pauline J. Chang
Christian Today Correspondent