Lutherans Express Concerns about Sexuality Issues

October 31, 2002

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lutherans opposed to blessings of same- sex relationships and to ordaining gay and lesbian people in committed relationships say they don't think the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) hears their voices. They gathered here Oct. 24-26 to make their voices heard through a statement about their beliefs.

Attendees at the Conference on Christian Sexuality sponsored by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau polished an 81-line "Pastoral Statement of Conviction and Concern" outlining their position and expressing reservations about continued involvement with the ELCA should the church approve at its 2005 Churchwide Assembly same-sex blessing ceremonies and ordinations of gay and lesbian people in committed relationships. The assembly serves as the ELCA's decision-making body and includes voting representatives from each of the church's 65 synods.

Presently ELCA policy requires ordained ministers to refrain from homosexual sexual relationships. There is no official policy on blessings of same-sex relationships, though the ELCA Conference of Bishops has advised the church that it does not approve of such ceremonies.

"We earnestly desire to remain actively engaged in the life and mission of our church, but we observe that the ELCA is becoming schismatic and sectarian," the statement read.

Drafters of the statement said that changes in the church's stance on people who are gay and lesbian would distort the biblical record, appeal to questionable scientific theories, suppress inconvenient data and rely on individual experience rather than Scripture.

"The conversations on this issue thus far have largely focused on personal experience and the sharing of anecdotes rather than on the teaching of Holy Scripture and the theological and confessional witness of the church," the statement said.

Nine speakers at the conference addressed a range of issues but most shared a common theme: Lutheran lay people have heard only one point of view on the subject, the point of view which would support changing church policy. The Rev. Merton Strommen, a research psychologist, author of "The Church and Homosexuality: Searching for a Middle Ground" and founder of Search Institute in Minneapolis, blamed six societal institutions for limiting information to a single point of view.

National mental health organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association make it difficult for researchers to publish findings that suggest individuals can change their sexual orientation, he said and academic institutions refuse to publish papers suggesting that homosexuality isn't healthy. The media fail to present stories about the dark side of homosexuality, courts permit legal threats against organizations accused of discriminating against gays, and public schools have adopted curricula that present homosexuality as normal.

The ELCA Division for Outreach is the sixth source of one-sided information, according to Strommen, who said he believes its papers and other resources are biased in favor of accepting homosexuality.

The Rev. James A. Nestingen, professor of church history at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon, associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, addressed biblical issues surrounding the matter. Gagnon reviewed various texts, concluding that neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament offers an instance where same-sex relationships could be viewed in a positive light.

"It is impossible to argue that there's any instance where Paul would approve of a same- sex relationship," he said. "It's impossible to argue that something can be contrary to nature and still not be sinful."

Nestingen said the ecumenical consensus of the church for 2,000 years has been restraint in homosexual practice. He said, however, that the combination of American emphasis on the individual over the community with a growing preference for values over facts has been a corrosive mix for society and has led to the current deliberations on the acceptability of homosexuality.

Nestingen suggested that the gospel and the Lutheran view of vocation, particularly marriage, should serve as resources in conversations about homosexuality.

"In marriage we become the faces of God to one another, not faceless parts coupling and uncoupling like so many boxcars," he said.

The Rev. Thomas A. Skrenes, bishop of the ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod, Marquette, Mich., blamed the situation on the low value Lutherans place on Scripture, pointing to the lack of biblical literacy he has seen in visiting congregations in his synod. However, Skrenes said he has struggled with questions of right and wrong in the discussion of homosexuality.

"What if I'm wrong, and the homosexual issue is the human rights issue of our time? Is my hubris the sin here and not homosexual activity?" he asked, though he said he has yet to be convinced that his understanding of Scripture is wrong.

"If I can be convinced by the Word of God that I am wrong, then so be it," he said.

Skrenes suggested that groups advocating a change in church policy are well-funded and well-entrenched within the ELCA.

"They do not represent a majority of the church, but they may represent the majority of the decision-makers," he said, cautioning participants that they likely will be compared to Lutheran racists who opposed the civil rights movement 50 years ago.

Other speakers were:

• Robert Benne, director of the Center for Religion and Society at Roanoke College, Salem, Va., who previewed his revised chapter on marriage and family life for the second edition of "Ordinary Saints." Benne said his point of view on marriage differs sharply from the "debased" views emerging from popular culture.

• The Rev. Amy Schifrin, pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud, Minn., who examined the symbolism rituals carry. She compared the same-sex relationship blessings to ritualizing death.

• The Rev. Russell E. Saltzman, editor of Forum Letter and pastor of Ruskin Heights Lutheran Church, Kansas City, Mo., who suggested that the church should change its policy on clergy divorce before it could effectively address homosexual unions. Saltzman, who is divorced, would like to see divorced clergy allowed to remain on the roster only on a case-by-case basis.

• The Rev. Jay Scott Newman, pastor of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Greenville, S.C., who provided an ecumenical view of the ELCA discussions on homosexuality.

• The Rev. Phillip Max Johnson, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Jersey City, N.J., who, during a summary discussion, called for sanctuary for pastors who oppose same-sex blessing ceremonies and ordination of people who are gay or lesbian.

Saltzman, the conference organizer, said 273 Lutherans registered for the conference. Most were clergy who came from every state except Hawaii, as well as from Canada. Participants were urged to gather signatures of support for the statement from individuals and congregations, with signatures due at Saltzman's church by Feb. 15.

Saltzman said copies of the statement will be available at http://www.rhlc.org and at http://www.alpb.org on the Web.

ELCA News Service

Melodee Hall Blobaum is a freelance writer who lives in the Kansas City area.