ELCA Council Approves Time Line, Funds for Sexuality Studies

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a series of related actions, the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved a six-year time line for studies on sexuality and approved $1.15 million to fund the six-year project. The studies, which will examine several topics related to homosexuality and human sexuality, were mandated by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and are to be completed in 2007.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide assemblies. The council met here April 5-7. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 11-17, 2003, in Milwaukee.
The council's action calls for a focus on the study of homosexuality from 2002 to 2005. The Rev. James A. Childs, ELCA sexuality studies director, and a 13-member task force will guide the study. They will examine topics such as the possibility of ordaining gay and lesbian people who are in committed relationships and blessings of same-gender relationships. The 2001 assembly asked that a final report and any recommendations resulting from the study be presented to the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
The 2001 assembly also called for a draft of a social statement on human sexuality. The council said discussion of human sexuality is to proceed "in tandem" with the homosexuality study, with 2006 to 2007 to be the time period in which the church will focus on developing the draft of the social statement. Childs and the task force are to guide that effort.
In a separate action, the council agreed to allocate an additional $900,000 for the entire project in addition to $250,000 in start-up funds it allocated in November 2001. The funds will be used for task force meetings, writers, hearings, focus groups, printing and distribution of resources, and staff.
The $1.15 million budget is "not tentative but is seen as a realistic budget" for the complete project, said the Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, in response to questions from council members. Wagner is executive director of the ELCA Division for Ministry, which shares overall leadership for the sexuality studies with the ELCA Division for Church in Society.
Council members agreed that communication related to the project is essential. They accepted a proposal for a wide-ranging communication plan "dedicated to providing a free flow of information and communication throughout the ELCA," according to the action.
The council encouraged "all members to participate in this process in a spirit of mutual respect and a commitment to concord throughout the life of this church," it said.
The task force will hold its first meeting May 3-5 in Chicago, Childs said in a report to the council. "I look forward to the collegiality of that group," he said. "It is a diverse group, which is united in a common readiness to serve the church."
A Web site -- http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney -- is among many communication methods that will be used to interact with the church, Childs said. Members are invited to report on local activities related to the studies, he said.
"We will bring into the discussions all of the expertise of the church that we can, and we will be as open as we can," he said. "There will be no closed meetings, and there will be open communication."
In his report to the council, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, identified discussing sexuality as one of four current challenges before the church. However, he said sexuality issues must not be dominant and should be kept in context with the other significant challenges he identified: defining mission, developing leaders, and expanding ecumenical and global partnerships.

For information contact:
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