ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 7, 2004 ELCA Task Force Turns To Recommendations On Sexuality Issues 04-187-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) task force for the studies of sexuality met here Oct. 1-3 and began funneling all that it learned since May 2002 into a report and recommendations to the ELCA 2005 Churchwide Assembly. The recommendations will be on whether or not the church should bless same-gender relationships and whether or not it should allow people in such relationships to serve the church as professional lay and ordained ministers. "This is the meeting at which we really began to come to terms with the fact that we need to move closer and closer to the final stage of writing the recommendations," said the Rev. Margaret G. Payne, chair of the 14-member task force and bishop of the ELCA New England Synod, Worcester, Mass. The task force has been engaged in conversation, study and listening to people from a variety of disciplines, including theologians and biblical scholars, Payne said. It has also been reviewing responses to the two churchwide studies the task force developed -- "Journey Together Faithfully" parts one and two, she said. "At this meeting we were in a process of bringing together all of that information and engaging in discussion, which will move us to a time, we hope in December, when we will actually finish the work on writing the recommendations," Payne said. "At this point we don't have any kind of a final answer at all," she said. "We experience within the task force the same thing that the church experiences, which is an ongoing sharing of opinions on the subject and differences of opinions. We listen to one another and respect one another's opinions," Payne said. The difference is that the task force must develop recommendations, she said. "It's hard work, but it's good work with a good group," Payne said. "Each person in the task force feels deeply responsible to do this job well for the church," she said. "We are most appreciative of all the people who are praying for us in this work and supporting us." In a closed session, allowing only limited reporting, the task force discussed a spectrum of possible recommendations and the possible outcomes of their implementation. Members talked about the hope that the wording of their report and recommendations could divert the churchwide assembly from having to make a possibly church-dividing decision. The ELCA is organized into 65 synods, each headed by a bishop. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church, consisting of the church's synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. The Conference of Bishops met here Sept. 30-Oct. 4 and met with task force members Oct. 1 in small-group and plenary discussions. "We had an excellent exchange with the bishops," Payne said. Task force members "got to know some of the bishops and some of the realities with which they are dealing in their synods. That was new information for some of the task force members and very helpful information," she said. The bishops asked questions, stated concerns and made suggestions to the task force, Payne said. "That, in itself, was a good thing to hear just as we've moved into beginning consideration of particular and specific directions," she said. Many of the bishops spoke of "the price of a yes/no vote" on blessing same-gender relationships or allowing people in such relationships to serve the church as lay and ordained ministers. They discussed with task force members the effects such a vote may have on relationships within their congregations and synods, with neighboring Christian churches and with other Lutheran churches around the world. The ELCA's chief legislative body is the churchwide assembly, which meets every other year; the next assembly will be Aug. 8-14, 2005, in Orlando, Fla. The 2001 assembly mandated the study in preparation for decisions the 2005 assembly is to make. In addition, the task force is to develop a proposed social statement on human sexuality for the assembly to consider in 2007. Current ELCA policy expects ministers to refrain from all sexual relations outside marriage. The church has no official policy on blessing same-gender relationships. In 1993 the ELCA Conference of Bishops stated it does not approve of such ceremonies. The task force gave its director, the Rev. James M. Childs Jr., the assignment of drafting a report and possible recommendations. He is to share his work with a writing team from the task force, which will prepare some possible recommendations for the full task force to consider. The task force will meet by conference call in November and in person here Dec. 10-12 to finalize its report and recommendations. The task force plans to share its report and recommendations confidentially with ELCA lay and ordained ministers through e- mail on Jan. 12. It plans to release the report and recommendations publicly on Jan. 13, with a news conference here at the Lutheran Center. The report and recommendations will be topics for the ELCA Conference of Bishops meeting March 3-8 and the boards of the ELCA Division for Church in Society and Division for Ministry meeting March 10-12. At its April 8-11 meeting the ELCA Church Council will consider placing the report and recommendations on the agenda of the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. ELCA synods usually meet in assembly each spring. Most synod assemblies are expected to discuss the report and recommendations in April, May or June. -- -- -- Information about the Studies on Sexuality is at http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/ on the ELCA Web site. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news