Supportive Lutheran Proposal Advances

Timothy Kincaid

April 4th, 2009

In February, a task force of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) – the fifth largest denomination in the United States – presented a four part plan to address the question of non-celibate gay pastors:

1. Determine whether to recognize monogamous same-sex unions

2. Determine whether to permit ministers in same-sex unions to serve in churches that invite them

3. Determine that each view agree to respect those who disagree with them

4. Change the policy of the church to reflect the above determinations

Now this plan has been furthered in the process (post-gazette)

A key board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has voted to place before August’s Churchwide Assembly the possibility of local option to call partnered gay pastors.

The Church Council voted at a four-day weekend meeting to forward a proposed social policy statement on human sexuality and a related set of recommendations on ministry to the assembly in Minneapolis.

The Church Council serves as the Board of Directors of the organization. They review the proposals of other boards and task forces and before they are presented to the Churchwide Assembly for ratification. The Assembly will be held August 17-23 in Minneapolis.

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