Friday, February 20, 2009

ELCA Lutherans Consider Blessing Gay Agenda

A task force of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recommended Thursday that its leaders make changes to allow gay and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy.

-- From "Lutheran task force recommends changing gay-clergy policy" by Manya Brachear and Margaret Ramirez, Chicago Tribune reporters 2/19/09

If approved, the measures would change current church policy that allows ordination of gay clergy, but requires them to be celibate. In the report, the task force proposed a four-step process that outlines a possible path for change, starting with recognition of same-sex relationships.

"It is only within the last decades that this church has begun to understand in new ways the need of same-gender oriented individuals to seek relationships of lifelong companionship and commitment," the statement said.

The 4.7 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is based in Chicago, is the nation's largest Lutheran denomination. The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod are separate denominations that accept a literal interpretation of the Bible and do not ordain gays.

The recommendation will be voted on at the Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis in August.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Attention frogs: The water surrounding you in the pot is near boiling; have you noticed?