Lutherans Reject
Easing Gay Clergy Rules
By AP from the
NYTimes on the Web, August 13, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Gays and
lesbians lashed out after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America rejected a
proposal that would have allowed them to serve as clergy in certain cases,
saying they felt rejected by their own denomination.
The proposal was voted down Friday by delegates attending an ELCA national
meeting. It would have affirmed the church ban on ordaining sexually
active gays and lesbians but allowed exceptions for candidates in long-term
relationships.
Goodsoil, a coalition of Lutheran groups advocating for full inclusion of gays,
accused the church of ''sacrificing (gays) on the altar of a false and ephemeral
sense of unity.''
The Rev. G. Scott Cady of the New England Synod said rejecting gays who feel a
call to ministry was tantamount to questioning the will of God.
''We have vacant pulpits and altars in congregations all over this country, We
have people crying out for pastoral care,'' he said. ''The Holy Spirit has
said, 'All right, here they are. Here they are.' Are we going to now
say, 'Thanks Holy Spirit, but we prefer something else.'?''
Delegates voted against the measure 503-490. The proposal needed a
two-thirds majority to pass.
New Jersey Synod Bishop Roy Riley, president of the ELCA's Council of Bishops,
said the delegates accurately reflected the mood of the 4.9 million-member
denomination.
''This church is not ready to make major changes in its ordination practices,''
he said. ''That was the crux, really.''
The gay ordination proposal and two others taken up at the meeting were based on
years of work by a denominational task force on sexuality. Delegates
overwhelmingly approved another of the panel's proposals, affirming church unity
despite deep differences over homosexuality.
A final proposal on blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples was changed before
it was approved and its impact remained unclear.
The measure upheld a 1993 Council of Bishops statement which bans such blessings
and expresses ''trust'' in pastors ministering to gays and lesbians.
Despite the prohibitions in the statement, it is generally acknowledged that
some Lutheran pastors have been presiding at these ceremonies without
repercussions for years.
As debate on gay ordination began Friday, about 100 gay advocates wearing
rainbow sashes walked silently to the front of the hall and stood in front of
the stage where Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson was overseeing the meeting.
They stood quietly and did not move for nearly two hours, dispersing only when
the session ended.
During the debate, several delegates who believe the Bible condemns gay sex
compared homosexuality to alcoholism or drug addiction -- something that they
should help fellow Christians overcome.
Louis Hesse of the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod said those arguing for gay
ordination had not made a convincing theological or scientific argument on why
they were right.
''The case has not been made. I've heard a lot of talk about the Gospel
here today and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm in the right church,'' Hesse said.
''A Gospel of full acceptance, accepting everyone the way they are, what does
that say about sinfulness?''
Disagreement over what the Bible says about homosexuality has torn at Protestant
denominations for years. The Episcopal Church consecrated its first openly
gay bishop two years ago, and Anglicans worldwide are now struggling to remain
unified -- something conservative Lutherans noted in handouts to voters Friday.
Last month, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada voted against allowing
pastors to decide whether to bless same-sex couples. The other major U.S.
Lutheran body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is staunchly conservative on
gay issues.
The ELCA task force still has a major project ahead: It is scheduled to
develop a statement on human sexuality that will be presented to denomination's
the 2009 meeting.
|
