From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


ELCA Council Declines Study of Ordaining Gay, Lesbian Lutherans


From News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>
Date 10 Apr 2000 09:12:53

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 10, 2000

ELCA COUNCIL DECLINES STUDY OF ORDAINING GAY, LESBIAN LUTHERANS
00-088-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) decided "to decline to initiate a study on the
ordination of non-celibate gay and lesbian persons."  The suggestion for
such a study came to the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly as "information."
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide
assemblies.  The council met April 8-9 in Chicago.  Assemblies are held
every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14, 2001, in Indianapolis.
     In November 1999 the council asked the ELCA Department for
Research and Evaluation to prepare a "Draft Proposal on the Feasibility
of a Possible Study on the Ordination of Non-Celibate Gay and Lesbian
Persons in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."  The council
received that report at this April meeting and modified its
recommendations.
     The Church Council voted "to continue thoughtful, deliberate, and
prayerful conversations throughout the ELCA about human sexuality,
including homosexuality, and the inclusion of gay and lesbian persons in
our common life and mission, and to encourage the participation of
congregations, synods, seminaries, and churchwide units in this
process."
     It also asked various divisions and commissions, as well as the
ELCA Conference of Bishops, to report annually to the council and
churchwide assemblies through 2003 "on the nature and extent of their
activities and conversations regarding these issues."
     Calling for continued conversation and annual reports were
portions of two recommendations from the draft proposal, said Sally
Young, council member, Waterloo, Iowa, after she made the motion for the
council's program and services committee.  She said the church was not
"ready" to tackle the volatile issues related to such a study.
     The conversation of the 1999 Churchwide Assembly was one of
"concern and respect," she said.  "We want to hold on to that; keep that
going."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html


Browse month . . . Browse month (sort by Source) . . . Advanced Search & Browse . . . WFN Home