August 13, 2005

ORLANDO, Fla. – The 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) affirmed pastoral care for all people including people who are gay or lesbian, and continued to encourage the church to welcome gay and lesbian people into its life. In a related action, the assembly rejected a proposal that would have allowed the church, under special circumstances, to ordain gay and lesbian candidates for ministry who are involved in lifelong, committed same-sex relationships.

While the assembly did not create formal rites for blessing couples in same-sex relationships, it entrusted pastoral care to individual pastors and congregations. ELCA church leaders said that the actions affirmed the ELCA's current standards for ministry and reaffirmed the pastoral guidance of a 1993 pastoral letter issued by the ELCA Conference of Bishops.

The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here August 8-14 at the World Center Marriott and Convention Center. About 2,300 people are participating, including 1,018 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever."

Voting members devoted virtually all day Aug. 12 to three recommendations related to its Studies on Sexuality. The ELCA assembly actions highlighted pastoral guidance from its Conference of Bishops and restated its trust in its pastoral leaders. The church resolved to "welcome gay and lesbian persons into its life (as stated in Churchwide Assembly resolutions from 1991, 1995, and 1999), and trust pastors and congregations to discern ways to provide faithful pastoral care to all to whom they minister." The Rev. Carol Hendrix, bishop of the ELCA Lower Susquehanna Synod, initiated an amendment to replace "same-sex couples" with "all to whom they minister" making the guidance match the bishops' pastoral message.

As the assembly deliberation began, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, said that the church has "done this work well. We've listened to each other. We've learned from each other. We've prayed for and with each other. And I believe we've journeyed together faithfully" in the ELCA's three-year study of the questions related to homosexuality.

The debate regarding blessing same-sex relationships focused on many voting members' discomfort with perceived ambiguity regarding pastoral discretion in ministry with same-sex couples. A number of attempts to amend the resolution to more clearly define whether same-sex blessings were allowed failed. Robert Benne, voting member, ELCA Virginia Synod, was one of those attempting to clarify the resolution. He said the "ambiguity of [recommendation] number two is what many in the ELCA find troubling." On the other hand, the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod, told voting members that many of their children come to live within the parishes of his synod. He asked for help in creating the "pastoral space to serve the children that we take – so that can we be the church together and create space for that to happen."

Members of the assembly often disagreed in the debate on the use of the Bible. Many voting members urged the assembly to adhere to the Scriptures as the rule and norm for the life and faith. But a number also agreed with the Rev. Ralph Klein, resource theologian from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, who reminded the assembly that what the scripture meant in it original context and what it means for today is not always the same thing.

Ultimately, the assembly failed to adopt a policy recommendation that would allow the church to ordain, consecrate and commission candidates for ministry who are in life-long, committed same-sex relationships. The vote fell well short – 490-503 – of the two-thirds required to make the change.

Current ELCA policy expects ministers to refrain from sexual relations outside marriage, which it defines as "a lifelong covenant of faithfulness between a man and a woman."

At a news conference after the voting, Hanson said that he knew going into the debate that "however the vote turned out some would be disappointed" but he also stated that he "hopes that those disappointed in the votes would not sever their relationship with the church or step back" from their involvement. I hope that "everyone hears it clearly – all week as we have discussed publicly and clearly – that gay and lesbian persons are welcome in this church."

The Rev. Roy Riley, bishop of the New Jersey Synod and chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, said "what impressed me about today was how right the [sexuality studies] task force was." He said that they "heard out in the church a significant minority that wanted flexibility and space to go in another direction."

Hanson said that he was pleased by the "respectful tone" of both the voting members and the visitors, referring to a silent protest that took place during the debate. In the early afternoon, some 100 persons wearing rainbow scarves around their necks walked slowly to the front of the podium, spread across the convention area, facing the voting members. Hanson requested the group return to the visitor section, but the group remained in place until the end of the Aug. 12 afternoon session. Once it was understood that the protesters were going to remain, Hanson invited the assembly to continue business.

The Rev. Sue Ericsson, voting member, ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, told the bishop, "I am in awe of your ability to lead us through this – if you can do it, we can do it."

Following the assembly actions today, the Rev. Jodi Wangsness, voting member and a campus pastor from the ELCA Nebraska Synod, said "I'm hearing an improvement. I think [the statement] understands that this is a church that is in dialogue. We've been faithful to the conversation with one another."

Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at http://www.elca.org/assembly/05/ on the Web.

ELCA News Service