ELCA Fear: Admitting Gay Clergy Would ‘Dissolve’ Church Unity

Posted on: August 20, 2009

Lutherans referred to Anglicans more than once Thursday morning as they discussed whether to admit openly gay and lesbian persons into rostered ministry.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church entered into full communion when both churches approved “Called to Common Mission.” ELCA’s Churchwide Assembly approved the agreement in 1999 and General Convention approved it in 2000.

“I live and serve in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, and I feel like I've seen this movie before,” said Pastor Ryan Mills of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod. He said changing ELCA’s policy on rostered clergy will alienate the ELCA from Roman Catholics and will scandalize the church’s ethnic ministries.

“Pastoral practice needs latitude, but the truth can never be compromised,” he added.

Allison Guttu of the Metropolitan New York Synod challenged comparisons of the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran World Federation. She said Anglicans are united by a historic connection to the Church of England but Lutherans are united by their belief that God’s word alone, and the sacrament of baptism alone, are a sufficient basis of Christian unity. Word and sacrament have held Lutherans together for 500 years, she said, despite their differences about slaveholding, women's ordination or ethnic heritage, and they will continue to hold Lutherans together amid differences on sexuality.

Pastor Joel Benson of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod cited the Archbishop of Canterbury’s reflections on General Convention. He paraphrased the archbishop's reflections as establishing a category of “second-class Christians” for those churches that bless same-sex couples or ordain openly gay clergy.

David Olsen of the St. Paul Area Synod said the ELCA is in unity with the Lutheran World Federation, but “that unity is about to be dissolved” if the assembly approves the new ordination standards.

If the Holy Spirit is prompting the assembly to change its standards for ordaining clergy, asked Roy Gibbs of the Northwestern Ohio Synod, why is the Holy Spirit not inspiring Methodist, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic leaders to do likewise?

“Does the Spirit speak differently to different churches?” he asked.

This article comes from The Living Church Foundation
http://www.livingchurch.org/

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