After 40 Years: I'm A Lutheran No More
Lutherans Recommend Tolerance on Gay Policy
A task force of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recommended yesterday that it retain its policy against blessing same-sex unions and ordaining gays, but suggested that sanctions could be avoided for pastors and congregations that chose to do so.
The sixth-largest Christian denomination, with five million members in the United States and Caribbean, the Lutheran Church is attempting to resolve what the task force called a "deep, pervasive" disagreement about the role and treatment of gay men and lesbians.
The task force, comprising 14 clergy members and lay people who worked for three years on these issues, recommended that the church consider not enforcing sanctions against those who acted outside the policy. Those who defy church policies now face a range of disciplinary actions. The approach would allow those who agree and disagree with the policy to stay within the church, the group said.
"I think this is about letting people be responsible to human conscience, rather than a capricious decision to let people do what they want to do," said the Rev. Margaret G. Payne, bishop of the church's New England Synod and the chairwoman of the task force.
The recommendations are expected to draw comment from churches and regional synods. The church's national assembly will address any changes to the policy on homosexuality at its meeting in Orlando, Fla., in August.
Some clergy members said that by giving local churches and synods wiggle room, the task force had found a way to preserve the unity of the church.
"The task force didn't want legislation: that would have created a win-lose situation," said the Rev. Dr. Philip D. W. Krey, president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. "They wanted to legitimize both sides of the issue. This allows each side to be conscientious objectors, allows them to legitimately disagree and act on it and not be disciplined for it."
But Word Alone, a biblically orthodox Lutheran group, sharply criticized the recommendations as an attempt to hoodwink parishioners into believing that policies remained unchanging despite the fact that sanctions may not be enforced.
Lutherans Concerned, a group that seeks greater acceptance of gays in the church, contended that the recommendations did not go far enough to dispel the punitive atmosphere around issues of homosexuality.
"We were dismayed and deeply saddened by the recommendations because we felt they perpetuate a system of selective discrimination of gays and lesbians in the Lutheran church," said Emily Eastwood, the group's executive director.
The Lutheran Church's efforts to negotiate a compromise come at a time when other mainline Protestant denominations have been roiled by disputes over the acceptance of gay clergy members. Recently, the United Methodist Church defrocked a minister in Pennsylvania who had admitted to being in a long-term lesbian relationship. She is appealing the decision.
The Episcopal Church USA is also wrestling with the issue of homosexuality. The Episcopal bishops met in Salt Lake City on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss how to respond to what is known as the Windsor Report. It was produced last fall by an international committee of church leaders trying to reconcile the conflict over homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is the American affiliate.
The rift deepened in 2003 when the Episcopal Church ordained an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire, and several church provinces in Africa, Asia and Latin America threatened to break ties with the Americans.
The Windsor Report called on the Episcopal Church to declare a "moratorium" on ordaining bishops living in gay relationships and to halt public "rites of blessing" for same-sex unions. The American bishops said yesterday that they did not have enough time in Utah to reach agreement on those recommendations. However, as the Windsor Report called for, they issued a statement expressing their "sincere regret for the pain, the hurt, and the damage caused to our Anglican bonds by certain actions of our church."
The presiding bishop, Frank Griswold, said from Salt Lake City, "We perhaps have not been the most sensitive partners in terms of taking with full seriousness the integrity of other provinces and their struggles."
NEELA BANERJEE
Published: January 14, 2005
Laurie Goodstein contributed reporting for this article.
A task force of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recommended yesterday that it retain its policy against blessing same-sex unions and ordaining gays, but suggested that sanctions could be avoided for pastors and congregations that chose to do so.
The sixth-largest Christian denomination, with five million members in the United States and Caribbean, the Lutheran Church is attempting to resolve what the task force called a "deep, pervasive" disagreement about the role and treatment of gay men and lesbians.
The task force, comprising 14 clergy members and lay people who worked for three years on these issues, recommended that the church consider not enforcing sanctions against those who acted outside the policy. Those who defy church policies now face a range of disciplinary actions. The approach would allow those who agree and disagree with the policy to stay within the church, the group said.
"I think this is about letting people be responsible to human conscience, rather than a capricious decision to let people do what they want to do," said the Rev. Margaret G. Payne, bishop of the church's New England Synod and the chairwoman of the task force.
The recommendations are expected to draw comment from churches and regional synods. The church's national assembly will address any changes to the policy on homosexuality at its meeting in Orlando, Fla., in August.
Some clergy members said that by giving local churches and synods wiggle room, the task force had found a way to preserve the unity of the church.
"The task force didn't want legislation: that would have created a win-lose situation," said the Rev. Dr. Philip D. W. Krey, president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. "They wanted to legitimize both sides of the issue. This allows each side to be conscientious objectors, allows them to legitimately disagree and act on it and not be disciplined for it."
But Word Alone, a biblically orthodox Lutheran group, sharply criticized the recommendations as an attempt to hoodwink parishioners into believing that policies remained unchanging despite the fact that sanctions may not be enforced.
Lutherans Concerned, a group that seeks greater acceptance of gays in the church, contended that the recommendations did not go far enough to dispel the punitive atmosphere around issues of homosexuality.
"We were dismayed and deeply saddened by the recommendations because we felt they perpetuate a system of selective discrimination of gays and lesbians in the Lutheran church," said Emily Eastwood, the group's executive director.
The Lutheran Church's efforts to negotiate a compromise come at a time when other mainline Protestant denominations have been roiled by disputes over the acceptance of gay clergy members. Recently, the United Methodist Church defrocked a minister in Pennsylvania who had admitted to being in a long-term lesbian relationship. She is appealing the decision.
The Episcopal Church USA is also wrestling with the issue of homosexuality. The Episcopal bishops met in Salt Lake City on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss how to respond to what is known as the Windsor Report. It was produced last fall by an international committee of church leaders trying to reconcile the conflict over homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is the American affiliate.
The rift deepened in 2003 when the Episcopal Church ordained an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire, and several church provinces in Africa, Asia and Latin America threatened to break ties with the Americans.
The Windsor Report called on the Episcopal Church to declare a "moratorium" on ordaining bishops living in gay relationships and to halt public "rites of blessing" for same-sex unions. The American bishops said yesterday that they did not have enough time in Utah to reach agreement on those recommendations. However, as the Windsor Report called for, they issued a statement expressing their "sincere regret for the pain, the hurt, and the damage caused to our Anglican bonds by certain actions of our church."
The presiding bishop, Frank Griswold, said from Salt Lake City, "We perhaps have not been the most sensitive partners in terms of taking with full seriousness the integrity of other provinces and their struggles."
NEELA BANERJEE
Published: January 14, 2005
Laurie Goodstein contributed reporting for this article.
posted by R7 | 1/14/2005 09:37:00 PM
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