ELCA Leaders Meet with Homosexual Rights Leaders

INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Five leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met with four leaders of organizations that seek church policy changes that would allow gay and lesbian people who are in committed relationships to serve in the ordained ministry. The group also discussed plans for related issues to be discussed at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly here and possible plans for public protests outside the Indiana Convention Center.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center. There are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: Sharing Faith in a New Century."
The meeting resulted from a request from the Lutheran Alliance of Full Participation and Soulforce, which asked for a meeting with ELCA leaders to discuss concerns about ELCA ordination policy. The Lutheran Alliance includes several groups, such as Wingspan Ministry, Lutherans Concerned/North America; Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries; the Extraordinary Candidacy Project; and The Network for Inclusive Vision. These groups and Soulforce seek equal opportunities for gay and lesbian people in churches, including service in the ordained ministry.
ELCA policy currently requires people who are homosexual in their self-understanding to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.
"I am delighted you would have this meeting with us," said Mel White, Laguna Beach, Calif., co-chair of Soulforce, Inc. White began by telling the group that there are many "smoking guns" that can be traced to church policies from those who murder or commit violent acts against homosexuals. "These policies attack us at our very core," he said.
Jeff Johnson serves as pastor of an ELCA congregation in Berkeley, Calif., though he is not on the official clergy roster of the ELCA because he is not in compliance with ELCA ordination policy. The ELCA's ordained-ministry policy discriminates, he said. Johnson said he attended the meeting because he wanted to help the church "figure out a way out of this."
The Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, executive director of the ELCA Division for Ministry, reviewed with the group the ordination policies of the church, their history and how to seek change through the church's legislative process. Wagner emphasized that the church must engage issues related to gay and lesbian people, and members must have honest and full discussions. Such discussions have not yet occurred throughout the church, he said.
"I will argue for great care in this church," he said. " I think we're making real progress, not just marking time." Wagner also said that if there is to be change, the ELCA's "processes" must act.
The church has delayed decisions on changing ordination policy through "the strategy of study," Johnson said. Wagner disagreed that studies of issues are intended to delay possible change. For example, he said, recent studies on ministry in the ELCA "helped the church find its mind on the issues."
"The ELCA has not done an integrated, cohesive study (of the issues)," he said, adding that studies are "how we do business in the ELCA."
During Aug. 11-12, the interest groups' representatives said they plan to train people for a public civil disobedience action Aug. 13 outside the Indiana Convention Center. However, the group will not demonstrate if the ELCA Churchwide assembly can show through its actions that it will take seriously proposals to lift the church's prohibition on gay and lesbian clergy who are in committed relationships. The protestors will not disrupt the assembly, White said.
On Aug. 12, the groups intend to honor "heroes and sheroes" of the movement to lift bans on homosexual clergy, he said.
Present in the Aug. 9 meeting from the ELCA were Joanne Chadwick, executive director of the ELCA Commission for Women; the Rev. Richard Magnus, executive director, ELCA Division for Outreach; the Rev. Charles S. Miller, executive director, ELCA Division for Church in Society; the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director, ELCA Department for Communication; and Wagner.
Representing the Lutheran Alliance or Soulforce were the Rev. Daphne Burt, Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago; Mari Irvin, St. Francis Lutheran Church, San Francisco; Karen Weldin, director of operations, Soulforce; and White. -- -- --
Information about assembly actions is at http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site. Recorded updates during the assembly are available by calling (773) 380-2477.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html