August 11, 2005

WINNIPEG, Canada/GENEVA – At its Tenth Biennial Convention, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) rejected a proposal to allow its pastors to perform blessings for same-sex relationships.

ELCIC delegates attending the July 21-24 governing body meeting voted against the measure in a resolution that fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to pass. Of 408 ballots cast, 183 (45 per cent) were in favor and 220 (54 percent) were opposed. There were five abstentions.

Delegates were voting on a recommendation from the ELCIC National Church Council to permit blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions. The resolution would have allowed a "local option" for blessings for same-sex couples in committed relationships.

The National Church Council forwarded the resolution to the ELCIC convention after nearly a year's study and debate. It was viewed as a compromise between allowing same-sex marriages and not permitting any rite for same-sex couples at all.

Coincidentally, the debate occurred during the same week as a federal law permitting same-sex marriage officially came into effect. Canada is the fourth country in the world to allow civil marriages for same-sex couples following the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. However, the Canadian law does not require churches to perform same-sex marriages, leaving that to their own discretion.

The same-sex issue dominated the four-day convention, with many predicting a close vote. Supporters argued that the only way to make gays and lesbians feel fully included in the ELCIC was to adopt the resolution. Opponents warned that passing it could split the church and lead to an exodus of congregations.

National Bishop Schultz Cautions Debate Will Recur

At a press conference following the debate, ELCIC National Bishop Raymond Schultz said he predicted the same-sex issue would come up again at future conventions. "The vote was almost a 50-50 split, which means that half of our church is not satisfied with the outcome. I can't imagine this going on for very long without people in the church starting another initiative."

Schultz pointed out that the changing political landscape for same-sex marriage meant the church would have to deal with the matter whether it wanted to or not. "The fact that we now have federal legislation for same-sex marriage means that the church has to determine what marriage means inside the church as opposed to state marriage," he said.

Officially, the ELCIC does not condone same-sex blessings, as a result of a 2003 letter from bishops stating that the church does not perform rites for same-sex couples.

The ELCIC also takes guidance from a 1970 statement by the former Lutheran Church of America on sex, marriage and the family, which refers to homosexuality as a departure from the norm. However, the National Church Council in its resolution called sections of that statement inadequate "in light of developing theological, pastoral and sociological scholarship." It called for the ELCIC to suspend application of those references.

The ELCIC is Canada's largest Lutheran church, with approximately 182,000 members in 624 congregations throughout five regional synods. It joined the Lutheran World Federation in 1986.

Also during the convention, Bishop Schultz was returned to a second consecutive four-year term as ELCIC national bishop.

Lutheran World Information
By Winnipeg-based LWI correspondent Ron Friesen, who attended the ELCIC Biennial Convention.