Lutherans approve studies on gay ordination, unions From ELCA News Service reports Tuesday, August 14, 2001 INDIANAPOLIS – The Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 2001 Churchwide Assembly has called for a study on homosexual issues, including the ordination of active gays and blessing homosexual unions. Neither currently is allowed in the 5.1-million-member denomination. The study is to be presented to the 2005 Churchwide Assembly, the highest legislative authority for the denomination. Homosexual activists and their allies opposed the four-year plan. They wanted changes made immediately. Members of Soulforce, a gay rights advocacy group, stood in a silent line in the back of the assembly hall during the morning discussions August 13. Fifty members were arrested across the street from the convention center for civil disobedience (impeding pedestrian traffic) after the morning plenary. The voting delegates, meeting in Indianapolis on August 8-14, also requested the Church Council, the Conference of Bishops and the Division for Ministry to create a specific plan and timeline leading toward a decision concerning the rostering of homosexual persons in committed relationships. Voting members amended the original proposal by calling for "a specific plan and timeline leading to a decision concerning the rostering of homosexual persons" who are in committed relationships. They also said the specific plan and timeline to be developed is not limited to changes in the ordained clergy standards document, changes in the church's discipline guidelines, amendments to the ELCA Constitution and Bylaws and changes in all other related governing documents. The resolution said that if changes in ordination policies are required to be acted upon by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, "such actions shall be placed before the 2005 Churchwide Assembly for adoption or ratification." The 2005 timeline conformed the resolution to the assembly's action Aug. 13, in which it directed that the church implement a study on homosexuality. In that action, the assembly said a final report on the homosexuality study is to be presented at the 2005 Churchwide Assembly "complete with action steps for full implementation." The motions directs that periodic reports will come to the ELCA Church Council and to synod assemblies in 2002, 2003 and 2004, with a final report to come to the 2005 Churchwide Assembly. "This will end 30 years of discussion on the matter," said Craig Schwartau of the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod. "And then we can vote on it and take action at that time." Some scattered applause followed his remark. "We have been waiting for a decision for a long time," said the Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, bishop of the Northern Illinois Synod, "This action calls for a study document, conversations and hearings across the whole church that includes both questions of blessing of relationships and ordination, revenue for funding the study, and the process has a reasonable timeline that allows conversation and recognizes the urgency of the matter." The Rev. Ronald H. Rude of the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod, asked, "Does the Gospel override the Bible? We need our scholars to tell us what the Bible says and what the Bible does not say." "This is a good, clear request from the church for some in-depth study of what we believe about homosexuality and how that belief is formed by theological, scriptural, scientific and practical material on homosexuality," said the Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, director of the ELCA Division for Ministry. During debate, voting members discussed the implications of having a churchwide study on homosexuality and a process for an ordination decision in place at the same time. Others were concerned that a request for a change in ordination policy would pre-empt the homosexuality study. Also on Aug. 13, the assembly referred to the ELCA Church Council a motion to create a Commission for Gay and Lesbian Persons. The Church Council's response is to be reported to the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The idea of forming a commission was referred after voting members raised budget and constitutional concerns. On August 9, the Churchwide Assembly conducted two 45-minute forums on "Homosexuality in the Church." In one exchange, the Rev. Janet M. Corpus addressed the questions that had been raised in both hearings as to whether gay and lesbian people were actually part of the discussion. She then asked, "Are there gay and lesbian people listening? What percentage of staff and Conference of Bishops are gay and lesbian? Could you give that information?" The Rev. Joseph Wagner, director of the ELCA Division for Ministry, responded, "No. I don't know that information. I can tell you we have had openly gay and lesbian people speak at our board and make presentations." Susan Thompson, executive director for maturing congregations in the ELCA Division for Outreach, said, "One of the things I've learned is there is a debate about outing other people; about the value of outing other people. Perhaps that's not appropriate to do here." Some participants talked about frustration with years of conversation in the church and little action. They told of attempts to have conversations in synods and congregations stifled; of the pain they felt of being obliged to deny ordination to seminary-prepared ministers because of the standards of the church. People shared concerns about blessing same-sex unions, about AIDS and about dividing the church. Several people spoke of sharing stories of family members who are gay or lesbian. Rosanna Abanonu of the Saint Paul Area Synod, said, "The church is made up of believers in Christ and none of us here saw Christ, but we believe and we base our belief from the Bible. Is there anything in the Bible that can help us who have negative feelings about homosexuals? The church should base all her decisions from the Bible, not from science or from medicine or from society. There is no way we can do it, and someone will not be happy." Beth Margraf of the Northwestern Ohio Synod, said, "For the 81-year-old woman in my church who had two sons who were gay and are both dead, she says, It's nice that the church is talking about this, but it's too little, too late for her. There's a sense of urgency." The Rev. Daniel D. Baker of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, said "I think about the word 'blessing', and talking about relationships and the man shall cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh. I see silence in Scripture about homosexual relationships. I struggle about homosexuality. I believe the Bible is clear: God wants to protect us from hurt and abuse, from the diseases that go with that promiscuity and our hearts breaking, as well. I encourage us to continue to examine what God wants us to do." Bishop Stephen Bouman of the Metro New York Synod said: "Those that we baptize are never apart from us. We are afraid of the world and we don't have to be. The people who participated in this process were from Iowa and Minnesota and we want to be together as the church. There are so many things that split us apart. The child at the door might be yours and might be mine."

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