Justice & Equality?

Is there anything more than justice and equality for unrepentant sinners behind the drive for change in ELCA ordination policies? The following is a report from yesterday’s Minneapolis Star Tribune on the latest meeting of the ELCA’s church council, the majority of which is content to change its “visions and expectations” for clergy on the basis of a mere majority vote of churchwide assembly attendees this August. As Mike Williams notes on the ILT facebook page, this might not really be all that much of a change, since current policy is not really enforced in practice anyway. It is becoming difficult to see how the ELCA is saying anything more than “anything goes” (e.g. check out Her Church, an ELCA congregation in San Francisco).

So when is enough going to be enough for the proverbial frog in the boiling kettle? What are churches going to do come August? What are the faithful Christians in apathetic congregations going to do? What can people from other denominations, like LCMC and LCMS, do to care for those who are being “left behind”?

It is interesting that the article begins with a military image, but certainly not inappropriate. As the apostle Paul writes, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-18)

The first battle lines for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) latest proposal on gay ministers were drawn Tuesday when the Church Council rejected a motion to require a two-thirds vote on the question.
The council — essentially the ELCA’s board of directors — voted 21 to 10 with two abstentions to put the “Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies” to a simple majority vote at its convention in Minneapolis Aug. 17-23. The recommendation would allow gay clergy in the ELCA, but leave it up to individual synods and congregations whether to appoint gay ministers.
The matter is far from settled, however. The issue can be revived for a vote by the full assembly on the first day of the convention, something that people on both sides of the issue expect.
“Sad to say, we saw this coming,” said the Rev. W. Stevens Shipman, pastor of United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lock Haven, Pa., and secretary of Lutheran CORE, a group that opposes the change.
“We think a decision of this importance needs to be approved by two-thirds of the membership, and we will try to get the synods that agree with that to address the issue with the assembly,” he said.
St. Paul-based Lutherans Concerned/North America, which supports the change, applauded the council’s decision with muted enthusiasm, noting that “there is more to be done.”
“The council recommendation takes a major step for justice and equality,” said Emily Eastwood, executive director. “But this is an interim step. Next comes synod assemblies where synods can weigh in. And then the churchwide assembly, its deliberations and final action. So we are cautious and have much work to do.”
‘Extensive discussion’ ahead
Monday’s vote was the second time the council has taken that position, said the Rev. Rebecca Larson, of the ELCA’s central office in Chicago. “This vote just reaffirms what they’d already decided,” she said.
The two-thirds proposal came from 18 of the ELCA’s 65 synods. The suggested change in the rules for rostering — officially recognizing — gay clergy, along with an accompanying policy statement, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” now will be submitted to the individual synods for discussion.
The Rev. Peter Strommen, chairman of the task force that drew up the proposal and pastor at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake, said he expects “extensive church-wide discussion” leading up to the convention.
The two abstentions were by Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and the board Secretary David Swartling. In doing so, they cited their key roles in the leadership of the upcoming assembly in Minneapolis.
Under the ELCA’s current policies, gays can be ministers only if they promise to be celibate. The proposal to be put before the assembly would remove that restriction.
Presbyterians are also voting
The Presbyterian church is also moving to reconsider its celibacy clause in a vote being conducted one presbytery at a time, a process that won’t be over until May.
But approval requires yes votes from 87 of the country’s 173 presbyteries. At the last count, the issue was losing 69-42.
The ELCA’s gay-ordination debate overshadowed some tough economic decisions made by the council that resulted in layoffs, pay cuts and program cutbacks. Among the hardest hit was the World Hunger Appeal fund, which lost nearly 10 percent of its $20 million annual budget.
In addition, 25 ELCA jobs were cut, the ELCA will halt its weekly radio program, “Grace Matters,” and salaries for all unit executives and senior staff were cut 3 percent.

(via The Star Tribune)