Title: Draft of Proposed ELCA Social Statement on Sexuality Available March 13 ELCA NEWS SERVICE
February 4, 2008
Draft of Proposed ELCA Social Statement on Sexuality Available March 13 08-008-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The draft of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) proposed social statement on human sexuality will be available March 13. The Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality met here Jan. 25-26 to complete its work on the draft and give final instructions to its writing team.
The task force received a final report on responses for "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor: Lutherans Talk about Human Sexuality" -- part three of the "Journey Together Faithfully" study materials for members of the ELCA -- and the group spent eight sessions reviewing draft material of the social statement in closed, off-the-record sessions.
"When social statements are in the actual process of being written, things are very fluid," said the Rev. Peter Strommen, bishop, ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Duluth, and task force chair. "This is our last meeting before the draft is released. The task force continues to work very hard, securing participation from the entire group," he said.
Members of the church can expect a draft document that is theological and examines human sexuality from a "deep Lutheran perspective," said Strommen. He said the task force hopes the social statement will serve to benefit the church's discussion on the topic of human sexuality.
"A social statement needs to build a theological foundation that engages the social context. On something as broad and complex as human sexuality, specific topics cannot be addressed comprehensively. The social statement's implementing resolutions will lift up the areas that need greater attention from this church," said Strommen.
"One way of picturing the social statement is a bridge. We seek to fashion a theological bridge that can handle the heavy traffic of human sexuality issues of our times and (to) do so without losing our evangelical focus," said Strommen.
The draft of the proposed social statement on human sexuality will be posted at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfuljourney and sent to clergy and other professional leaders of the ELCA. Between March and November, a series of hearings on the draft document will be held across the church. Members of the task force will participate in the hearings and gather feedback on the draft until Nov. 1.
A proposed social statement on human sexuality is due in early 2009. The final proposed statement will be given to the ELCA Church Council with a request to place the document on the agenda of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly for action. The assembly will be held Aug. 7-13, 2009, in Minneapolis. - - -
Information about the ELCA Studies on Sexuality is at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfuljourney on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog