ELCA Assembly Begins Discussing Proposed Social Statement

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – Speakers opposing the social statement on human sexuality facing the Evangelical Church in America said they believed that endorsing the document would abandon the church’s reliance on the Bible and separate the Lutheran denomination from the majority of Christendom. But those favoring the document to be voted on later this week insisted that a greater acceptance of gays and lesbians in the church and its ministry is consistent with the command to care for one’s neighbor and to build trusting relationships.
Comments made by the voting members of the churchwide assembly opened a one-hour discussion Aug. 18 on the proposed social statement on human sexuality to be considered later this week.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,045 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is “God’s work. Our hands.”
Initial discussion of the social statement reflected the strong differences of opinion that all agree complicate the discussion in the church over the past decade.
Dr. Robert Benne, of the ELCA Virginia Synod said the whole project should be abandoned. “Call off the voting on the social statement on sexuality which will dramatically change our teaching on sexuality, from having teachings to having no teachings at all,” said Benne, the first of nearly 30 speakers to approach the microphones when the assembly met as a “committee of the whole” to discuss, but not formally amend the 10,000 word statement.
Benne was one of several opponents contending that accepting gays and lesbians lacks biblical support. “This is God’s law and we cannot change it,” said Roy Gibbs of the Northwestern Ohio Synod. “Everyone of us here today knows what is right and what is wrong. Our father has written it on our hearts and on our minds.”
A core disagreement is whether the proposed statement connects its proposals to the Bible. Several speakers contend that the Bible never speaks positively of gay and lesbian relationships. But the Rev. Jay McDivitt, Rocky Mountain synod, said “It is an incredibly scriptural and confessional document,” and “provides broad scriptural and confessional work.”
Proponents of the statement say the clearly negative views of homosexuality do not deal with the kind of faithful, committed same sex relationships addressed in the proposed social statement.
And referring to the statement’s concern for the exploitation of sexuality in society, McDivitt said the document “calls us to confront a demonic culture that destroys people and exploits the use of sexuality.”
Y.T. Chiu described himself as a “former homophobe” who, encouraged by his pastor to look at the ELCA documents, changed his mind about the issue. “Change is good; being a rebel is not bad,” said Chiu, Northeastern Ohio Synod.
The Rev. Craig Werting of the South Dakota Synod urged voting members of the assembly not to be swayed by the “many stories on both side of this issue that present emotional appeals.”
Anyone who listens cannot help but be moved,” he said, “but emotions themselves do not make an argument. Instead of following the emotion of the day, sometimes we must put feelings aside and do what scripture tells us to do.”
Formal consideration of the social statement continues on Aug. 19.
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Information about the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.elca.org/assembly/ on the Web.

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