ELCA NEWS SERVICE August 18, 2009 ELCA Assembly Defeats Super-Majority Requirement 09-CWA-O3-MS MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the biennial assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America turned back a motion that would have required a two-thirds majority for changes in policies relating to the rostering of clergy, associates in ministry, diaconal ministers and deaconesses. The vote, with 57 percent in opposition, came late in the evening of the first day of the gathering. A vote to allow people living in committed same-gender relationships to be on the professional rosters of the ELCA is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21. The action leaves in place a recommendation that a simple majority vote be sufficient for the proposed policy changes. By vote of 979-24 the assembly adopted the order of business as recommended. More details on the opening plenary session of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly to follow. -- Information about the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.