wfn.org | ELCA Leaders Meet with Homosexual Rights Leaders

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 10, 2001

ELCA LEADERS MEET WITH HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS LEADERS
01-CWA26-JB

     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Five leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) met with four leaders of organizations that
seek church policy changes that would allow gay and lesbian people who
are in committed relationships to serve in the ordained ministry.  The
group also discussed plans for related issues to be discussed at the
ELCA Churchwide Assembly here and possible plans for public protests
outside the Indiana Convention Center.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief  legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.  There
are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting
members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     The meeting resulted from a request from the Lutheran Alliance of
Full Participation and Soulforce, which asked for a meeting with ELCA
leaders to discuss concerns about ELCA ordination policy.  The Lutheran
Alliance includes several groups, such as Wingspan Ministry, Lutherans
Concerned/North America; Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries; the
Extraordinary Candidacy Project; and The Network for Inclusive Vision.
These groups and Soulforce seek equal opportunities for gay and lesbian
people in churches, including service in the ordained ministry.
     ELCA policy currently requires people who are homosexual in their
self-understanding to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.
     "I am delighted you would have this meeting with us," said Mel
White, Laguna Beach, Calif., co-chair of Soulforce, Inc.  White began by
telling the group that there are many "smoking guns" that can be traced
to church policies from those who murder or commit violent acts against
homosexuals.  "These policies attack us at our very core," he said.
     Jeff Johnson serves as pastor of an ELCA congregation in Berkeley,
Calif., though he is not on the official clergy roster of the ELCA
because he is not in compliance with ELCA ordination policy. The ELCA's
ordained-ministry policy discriminates, he said.  Johnson said he
attended the meeting because he wanted to help the church "figure out a
way out of this."
     The Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, executive director of the ELCA Division
for Ministry, reviewed with the group the ordination policies of the
church, their history and how to seek change through the church's
legislative process.   Wagner emphasized that the church must engage
issues related to gay and lesbian people, and members must have honest
and full discussions.  Such discussions have not yet occurred throughout
the church, he said.
     "I will argue for great care in this church," he said. " I think
we're making real progress, not just marking time."  Wagner also said
that if there is to be change, the ELCA's "processes" must act.
     The church has delayed decisions on changing ordination policy
through "the strategy of study," Johnson said.   Wagner disagreed that
studies of issues are intended to delay possible change.  For example,
he said, recent studies on ministry in the ELCA "helped the church find
its mind on the issues."
     "The ELCA has not done an integrated, cohesive study (of the
issues)," he said, adding that studies are "how we do business in the
ELCA."
     During Aug. 11-12, the interest groups' representatives said they
plan to train people for a public civil disobedience action Aug. 13
outside the Indiana Convention Center.  However, the group will not
demonstrate if the ELCA Churchwide assembly can show through its actions
that it will take seriously proposals to lift the church's prohibition
on gay and lesbian clergy who are in committed relationships. The
protestors will not disrupt the assembly, White said.
     On Aug. 12, the groups intend to honor "heroes and sheroes" of the
movement to lift bans on homosexual clergy, he said.
     Present in the Aug. 9 meeting from the ELCA were Joanne Chadwick,
executive director of the ELCA Commission for Women; the Rev. Richard
Magnus, executive director, ELCA Division for Outreach; the Rev. Charles
S. Miller, executive director, ELCA Division for Church in Society; the
Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director, ELCA Department for Communication; and
Wagner.
     Representing the Lutheran Alliance or Soulforce were the Rev.
Daphne Burt, Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago; Mari Irvin, St.
Francis Lutheran Church, San Francisco; Karen Weldin, director of
operations, Soulforce; and White.
-- -- --
     Information about assembly actions is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site.  Recorded
updates during the assembly are available by calling (773) 380-2477.

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