Gays and lesbians in life-long, committed relationships could become pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America ( ELCA ) under a proposed exception to church policy drafted April 11, the Chicago Tribune reported. The proposal, by the Church Council, followed a three-day meeting in Chicago.
The church will consider the proposal, which emerged from a church task force on sexuality studies, at its Aug. 8-14 national meeting in Orlando. The assembly is the chief legislative authority of the ELCA and its nearly 5.1 million members. ELCA policy forbids ordination of gay pastors who are not celibate, although some such ordinations have taken place without punishment.
The church expects single, heterosexual Lutheran pastors to abstain from sex until marriage. However, gay ministers are required to be celibate for life or face disciplinary action.
Under the proposed change, released at the conclusion of a meeting at ELCA headquarters, the bishop of a council could seek an exception to that rule for a gay clergy candidate. The proposal also states the candidate must provide 'evidence of intent to live in a lifelong, committed and faithful same-sex relationship.'
After a three-year study, the 14-member Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality issued its report and recommendations in January. Gay-rights supporters expressed disappointment with the recommendations, which called for no major changes to church rules that ban gay clergy and same-sex unions.
The first of three recommendations called for the church to 'live together faithfully in the midst of disagreements.' The second recommended the church continue to oppose the blessing of gay and lesbian relationships, following guidance from a 1993 statement by ELCA bishops. That resolution also stated that the church remains open to pastors wanting to provide pastoral care for gay and lesbian Lutherans.
Both of those recommendations were approved at the weekend meeting.
However, the issue of ordaining gay pastors proved to be more divisive. The task force recommended that bishops be permitted to refrain from disciplining gay or lesbian clergy as church policy requires. After three days of constant debate, the Church Council decided to craft the exception policy instead.
In an e-mailed statement to Windy City Times, Rev. Craig Mueller of Holy Trinity in Chicago communicated that ' [ t ] he proposal is a small movement forward, and though it is not at all where we would like our denomination to be in terms of justice and [ inclusion ] , it is probably the best we can hope for in light of the very conservative bent of our country and most denominations at this time.'
The document, 'Recommendations from the ELCA Church Council to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly on Sexuality Studies,' is available at www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/pdf/050411churchcouncil.pdf.