CHICAGO (ELCA) - While the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) made no changes to its standards for its
professional leaders during the 2007 Churchwide Assembly, it
encouraged restraint in disciplining people and congregations
that call ministers in mutual, chaste and faithful, committed,
same-gender relationships, and called for restraint in
disciplining professional leaders.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is met here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall.
About 2,000 people participated, including 1,069 ELCA voting
members. The theme for the biennial assembly was "Living in God's
Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
By a vote of 538 to 431, the assembly encouraged the ELCA's
synods, bishops and presiding bishop to "refrain from or
demonstrate restraint in disciplining" people and congregations
who call qualified leaders on the professional rosters of the
ELCA "who are in a mutual, chaste and faithful, committed, same-
gender relationship." The assembly also stated that the same
restraint should apply to the professional leaders who are on the
official rosters and are in committed same-gender relationships.
The proposal was adopted by the assembly as a substitute for a
recommendation of the Memorials Committee.
Initial debate centered on referring recommendations on
standards for rostered leaders to the Task Force on Studies of
Sexuality, which is developing a social statement on human
sexuality for consideration by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.
The substitute proposal was made by the Rev. Paul R.
Landahl, bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod. He said,
"We pray that somebody here today will listen to what we are
trying to say and give us some breathing space to do what God is
calling us to do."
"We need to refrain from harming good leaders," said Eric M.
Peterson, ELCA South-Central Synod of Wisconsin. "Stop the
bleeding of our church, and focus on mission and ministry."
Arthur Murphy, ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, was
opposed to the action. "We're trying to get in the back door what
we did not do through the front door. I urge us not to make
haphazard, piecemeal policy but create a comprehensive solution
at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly and pass it one way or another."
At a news conference following the decision, the Rev. Mark
S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said the key words from the
adopted action were that the Churchwide Assembly "prays, urges,
and encourages" refraining or demonstrating restraint in
discipline. "These are words of counsel. They are not words that
change the standards of the church. They reflect the mind of this
assembly as it seeks to give counsel to the leaders of the
church."
In a separate decisions, the assembly referred memorials to
the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality regarding requests
to make changes in ELCA clergy standards. The assembly added an
amendment to the referral, directing the task force to
"specifically address and make recommendations to the 2009
Churchwide Assembly on changes to any policies that preclude
practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of the church."
The assembly also referred other related memorials on sexuality
to the task force.
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Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be
found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
