← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · wild_bill
Thread ID: 16325 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2005-01-16
2005-01-16 02:44 | User Profile
Gays win in Lutheran church policy debate [url]http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050114-092056-4766r.htm[/url]
Chicago, IL, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A task force of the largest U.S. Lutheran denomination wants it to stop enforcing the church's official ban on ordaining homosexuals.
The 14-member panel of the 4.9-million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America urged the denomination not to censure churches that violate church policy by ordaining homosexuals, the Washington Times reported Friday.
By some counts, there are at least 14 openly homosexual seminarians or clergy working in ELCA churches.
The panel also urged congregations that do ordain homosexuals to avoid doing so "with the presumption of being prophetic."
Its recommendations will be voted on in August when ELCA leaders gather in Orlando, Fla.
The action resembles that of once-growing Protestant denominations to embrace homosexuality.
The Episcopal Church, for example, consecrated a practicing homosexual as bishop and allows same-sex ceremonies, and the Presbyterian Church USA is deferring a final decision on such issues until 2006. Those two churches have lost more than 1.5 million members combined in recent decades.
The ELCA has lost 300,000 members since 1999.