Lutherans Pass First Hurdle Toward Partnered LGBT Clergy
August 19, 2009 by Tania Torres, GLAAD's Religion, Faith & Values
Lutherans leapt the first hurdle at their biennial policy setting meeting after extensive debate on allowing ministers be in committed same-gender relationships.
Conservatives lobbied hard as they made a motion to raise the percentage required to pass the measures but failed by a large margin. The national meeting for the entire Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) is held every two years—this year in Minneapolis, Minn., August 17-23.
Photo Courtesy of ELCA.org
GLAAD staff is on-site as Lutheran LGBT advocates are making the most of media opportunities to expand the impact of their work. The ELCA will vote on a proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality and a Recommendation on Ministry Policies. The policy statement lays the groundwork for all policies on human sexuality.
The Recommendation on Ministry Policies proposes to remove the ban on openly gay clergy by allowing congregations who wish to do so to have a minister who is in a committed, same-gender relationship, while not requiring any congregation to do so.
The ELCA is the second largest mainline Protestant church in the U.S. with 4.6 million members. This year, an increasing number clergy, laity and family members are going on record about the important ministries shared by people who are LGBT who have faced discrimination up to now.
[...] critical points, delegates chose the next step toward full inclusion.They rejected attempts by conservatives to change the voting rules on the opening night; they passed the Policy Statement on Human [...]