Lutherans to Vote on Sexually Active Gay Clergy

[Shana A]

Lutherans to Vote on Sexually Active Gay Clergy
   
By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 18, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/17/AR2009081703016.html?hpid=sec-religion 🔗

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, one of the largest Christian denominations in the country, will decide this week whether to allow gay people in relationships to serve as clergy.

Currently, sexually active gay people are not permitted to serve in the clergy, but celibate gay people are. By Friday, church delegates meeting in Minneapolis are expected to vote on a proposal that would permit congregations to let gay men and lesbians in committed, monogamous relationships serve as clergy.

[Shana]

The vote is in!!!

MINNEAPOLIS – The nation's largest Lutheran denomination took openly gay clergy more fully into its fold Friday, as leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to lift a ban that prohibited sexually active gays and lesbians from serving as ministers.

Under the new policy, individual ELCA congregations will be allowed to hire homosexuals in committed relationships as clergy. Until now, gays and lesbians had to remain celibate to serve as clergy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090822/ap_on_re/us_lutherans_gays 🔗

[Alyssa M.]

I would like to point out that ELCA represents five million Christians in America.

The Episcopal Church represents another two million; it doesn't explicitly condone ordination of gay clergy (in order not to further piss off the more conservative provinces of the Anglican Communion), but it happens anyway (see Robinson, Gene).

That's seven million Christians in denominations that are at least fairly progressive toward queer issues. It's not all Baptists white with foam.

[Miniar]

Good news...

[Suzy]

I would like to point out that ELCA represents five million Christians in America.

The Episcopal Church represents another two million; it doesn't explicitly condone ordination of gay clergy (in order not to further piss off the more conservative provinces of the Anglican Communion), but it happens anyway (see Robinson, Gene).

That's seven million Christians in denominations that are at least fairly progressive toward queer issues. It's not all Baptists white with foam.

Very good point.  Let's not forget the UCC, who has been progressive for quite some time, with 1.1 million members in the United States.  Also, next up will very likely be the United Methodists, who claim 8 million across the United States and Canada.  They will be followed quite closely by the Presbyterians, who have 2.1 million members in the United States.

Kristi

[tekla]

As opposed by the Catholics with 66 million, the Southern Baptists at 16 million, and the Mormons at 5 million.  Which is a whole lot of opposition there people.

Interesting decision however.  But withing the historical context of the priesthood, this is interesting.