Lutherans to allow pastors in gay relationships

[Anton Bruckner]

Lutherans to allow pastors in gay relationships

Sat Aug 11, 2:00 PM ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Homosexual Lutheran clergy who are in sexual relationships will be able to serve as pastors, the largest U.S. Lutheran body said on Saturday.
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in "faithful committed same-gender relationships."

The resolution passed by a vote of 538-431.

"The Church ... has just said 'Do not do punishments'," said Phil Soucy, spokesman for Lutherans Concerned, a gay-lesbian rights group within the church. "That is huge."

The ELCA, which has 4.8 million members, had previously allowed gays to serve as pastors so long as they abstained from sexual relations.

The conference also instructed a committee that is developing a social statement on sexuality to further investigate the issue. The committee is scheduled to release its report in 2009.

Since the ELCA was founded in 1988, the group has ordered three pastors in gay relationships to be removed from their ministries. The most recent case was decided in July when the ELCA's committee on appeals voted to remove an openly gay pastor from St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta.

The gay clergy issue has become a flashpoint in other faiths, including the Anglican Church.

 

[Scott Shahan]

Lutherans to allow pastors in gay relationships

Sat Aug 11, 2:00 PM ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Homosexual Lutheran clergy who are in sexual relationships will be able to serve as pastors, the largest U.S. Lutheran body said on Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in "faithful committed same-gender relationships."

The resolution passed by a vote of 538-431.

"The Church ... has just said 'Do not do punishments'," said Phil Soucy, spokesman for Lutherans Concerned, a gay-lesbian rights group within the church. "That is huge."

The ELCA, which has 4.8 million members, had previously allowed gays to serve as pastors so long as they abstained from sexual relations.

The conference also instructed a committee that is developing a social statement on sexuality to further investigate the issue. The committee is scheduled to release its report in 2009.

Since the ELCA was founded in 1988, the group has ordered three pastors in gay relationships to be removed from their ministries. The most recent case was decided in July when the ELCA's committee on appeals voted to remove an openly gay pastor from St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta.

The gay clergy issue has become a flashpoint in other faiths, including the Anglican Church.

I knew this was coming, it was just a matter of time. Where did you see this article??

 

[Anton Bruckner]

its on yahoo.

 

[etexas]

Someone do a "smiley" of Luther rolling in his grave.......please.

 

[Scott Shahan]

Someone do a "smiley" of Luther rolling in his grave.......please.

In ELCA colleges they argue that Luther didn't speak out against homosexuality. They have their "own" arguments to make Luther to be on "their" side of the issue. The ELCA doe not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and therefore anything goes, especially when the culture dictates to them what is to be acceptable. This is a huge decision and the fact that there are 5 million people that are in that denomination, this is one of the biggest denominations in this country. In the city that I live in the ELCA is the biggest church here.

 

[etexas]

Someone do a "smiley" of Luther rolling in his grave.......please.

In ELCA colleges they argue that Luther didn't speak out against homosexuality. They have their "own" arguments to make Luther to be on "their" side of the issue. The ELCA doe not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and therefore anything goes, especially when the culture dictates to them what is to be acceptable. This is a huge decision and the fact that there are 5 million people that are in that denomination, this is one of the biggest denominations in this country. In the city that I live in the ELCA is the biggest church here.

Sad, somehow I really doubt there were a lot of "out of the closet" homosexuals running around poor old Luther's community..........he did preach a LOT on relationships and marriage......and they were ALWAYS about a man and a woman!

 

[beej6]

Does anyone know if ELCA churches are planning to leave over this issue, as has happened in the PC USA? I take it they would go to the Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Synod, or the AALC (American Association of Lutheran Churches).

 

[Staphlobob]

Does anyone know if ELCA churches are planning to leave over this issue, as has happened in the PC USA? I take it they would go to the Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Synod, or the AALC (American Association of Lutheran Churches).

Well, Redeemer Christian Congregation left the elca back in April. We saw the writing on the wall. But we didn't join any other Lutheran body.

As for other congregations, you might want to check with organizations like Word Alone.

The fact is, the ELCA is as apostate as TEC. We can pray for their conversion and support those who leave. Other than that, treat the denominations as AIDS-tainted syringes.

 

[Ivan]

In ELCA colleges they argue that Luther didn't speak out against homosexuality. They have their "own" arguments to make Luther to be on "their" side of the issue.

Please excuse my rudeness, but they are idiots.

 

[elnwood]

I've always wondered why churches stay in their denominations when biblical inerrancy/infallibility/sufficiency is denied and the exclusivity of the gospel is denied, but oh, when they start ordaining homosexuals, now it's time to leave!

This really sends a bad message to the unbelieving world, that what drives Christianity is being anti-gay, and not faithfulness to the Word of God.

 

[MamaArcher]

I've always wondered why churches stay in their denominations when biblical inerrancy/infallibility/sufficiency is denied and the exclusivity of the gospel is denied, but oh, when they start ordaining homosexuals, now it's time to leave!

This really sends a bad message to the unbelieving world, that what drives Christianity is being anti-gay, and not faithfulness to the Word of God.

This is such a true statement!!!!

 

[BobVigneault]

This really sends a bad message to the unbelieving world, that what drives Christianity is being anti-gay, and not faithfulness to the Word of God.

Please tell me friend how there is an either/or relationship represented in your assertion. Doesn't faithfulness to the Word demand a stand against homosexuality?

 

[BobVigneault]

Ok Don, I've reread your post. I believe you are saying that many churches are willing to overlook all the other sins but homosexuality seems to be the line in the sand, the straw that breaks the camel's back. Is that what you mean? So you're not saying that the problem is that they are taking an anti-homosexuality stand it's that they didn't take a stand against other sins, right?

 

[KMK]

I think that is what Don is saying and I agree. It is a pet peeve of mine how Christians call out sodomites at the same time they are submitting to women pastors, looking at p0rnography on the computer, and mastered by any number of mind-altering substances. As Don pointed out, it is all about the nature of God's Word. I gladly stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who holds that the Bible is inerrant, sufficient, and authoritative. If my brother comes to a different understanding of some of the more difficult doctrines, that's no problem for me because I know he stands on the Word of God.

BTW, this issue also caused a split in the American Baptist Churches last year. At least the seperatists were honest about their split. They were very careful to say that the split is caused by the view held by ABC that there is nothing wrong with fellowshipping with churches that do not hold to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture as is evidenced by those churches with ordained sodomite leaders. In other words,, the gay issue is the symptom, not the cause. But as Don pointed out, where were these convictions before when churches were ordaining women? I would say that the Bible's teaching of male headship is every bit as clear as its teaching on fornication!

 

[elnwood]

Ok Don, I've reread your post. I believe you are saying that many churches are willing to overlook all the other sins but homosexuality seems to be the line in the sand, the straw that breaks the camel's back. Is that what you mean? So you're not saying that the problem is that they are taking an anti-homosexuality stand it's that they didn't take a stand against other sins, right?

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Jesus wept.

 

[elnwood]

In particular, in this era, denominations are splitting on issues like ordination of women or ordination of homosexuals, whereas in a previous generation, it was biblical faithfulness that would split denominations (i.e. the OPC in the 1930s). The latter is a split because of biblical conservatism; the former is, at least in appearance, social conservatism.

After the Eugene Robinson ordination, Episcopalian churches started leaving, and said they left because of the lack of biblical faithfulness. While that may be true, when homosexual ordination is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and not, say, the existence anti-Christian bishops like John Shelby Spong, the message it sends is that, for better or for worse, churches are leaving because they don't like gays.

 

[KMK]

In particular, in this era, denominations are splitting on issues like ordination of women or ordination of homosexuals, whereas in a previous generation, it was biblical faithfulness that would split denominations (i.e. the OPC in the 1930s). The latter is a split because of biblical conservatism; the former is, at least in appearance, social conservatism.

After the Eugene Robinson ordination, Episcopalian churches started leaving, and said they left because of the lack of biblical faithfulness. While that may be true, when homosexual ordination is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and not, say, the existence anti-Christian bishops like John Shelby Spong, the message it sends is that, for better or for worse, churches are leaving because they don't like gays.

You know a lot about Episcopalian history for a Guitar-pickin', contemporary worship singin' Baptist.

 

[Scott Shahan]

When I talk with those guys (elca) they say, "Scott", You need to interpret the Scripture as a "whole" and the "whole" of Scripture is one word "love". God is a God of Love, Compassion, Mercy, Forgiveness. we need to accept people for who they are, and where they are. Why do you just focus on one sin, (homosexuality), doesn't the reformed church have ministers in the pulpit that practice the sin of obesity? The ELCA mind set is one of relativism. Truth is subjective and not objective. To accept truth as being objective is to make oneself an extremist. The ELCA god is not a God of Holiness and Righteousness, their god is not a God of Wrath and judgment.

 

[elnwood]

In particular, in this era, denominations are splitting on issues like ordination of women or ordination of homosexuals, whereas in a previous generation, it was biblical faithfulness that would split denominations (i.e. the OPC in the 1930s). The latter is a split because of biblical conservatism; the former is, at least in appearance, social conservatism.

After the Eugene Robinson ordination, Episcopalian churches started leaving, and said they left because of the lack of biblical faithfulness. While that may be true, when homosexual ordination is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and not, say, the existence anti-Christian bishops like John Shelby Spong, the message it sends is that, for better or for worse, churches are leaving because they don't like gays.

You know a lot about Episcopalian history for a Guitar-pickin', contemporary worship singin' Baptist.

Don't get me started on Apostolic Succession ...

 

[Scott Shahan]

What one Elca prof said to me once was that when I read the scriipture if it "points" or "leads" me to Jesus then it is "true" for me. but not everyone who reads the bible is lead to Jesus, and since they aren't then it isn't true for them. Truth is therefore subjective.