ELCA NEWS SERVICE

December 9, 2004

California ELCA Synod Hopes For Reconciliation In Congregation's Removal
04-232-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In the wake of a decision to remove Central City
Lutheran Mission (CCLM), San Bernardino, Calif., from the congregational
roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the bishop of
the ELCA Pacifica Synod said he hopes someday to "find some
reconciliation" between the synod and the mission.
     On Oct. 29 the ELCA Pacifica Synod Council removed the CCLM
ministry -- officially called a "forming congregation" -- from the ELCA's
congregational roster and ended its call to the Rev. David Kalke as CCLM's
pastor/developer.  The council acted because CCLM called the Rev. Jennifer
Mason as associate pastor and installed her April 18.  Mason is not on the
official ELCA clergy roster, and the congregation's decision to call and
install her without synod approval "is out of compliance with the
constitutions, provisions and policies" of the church, according to the
synod council resolution.
     The decision was affirmed when the council met Dec. 4. CCLM is still
recognized as a social ministry organization in the ELCA, and the
council's decision does not affect that status.  Kalke remains on the
clergy roster of the church and may remain as chief executive officer of
the CCLM social ministry organization, according to the synod council
action.
     The Rev. Murray D. Finck, bishop of the ELCA Pacifica Synod, Yorba
Linda, Calif, told the ELCA News Service he finds "no victory" in the
synod council's ultimate decision to remove CCLM from the congregational
roster.  The decision followed seven months of meetings and deliberations,
including conversations with the CCLM directors concerning their decision
to call and install Mason.
     "There's a lot of sadness in our synod, but there's been a lot of
support," Finck said.  "Many congregations, pastors and people in our
synod have indicated they stand behind the council's difficult decision."
     Finck explained that Mason -- who is a lesbian living in a committed
relationship, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper -- was
installed as associate pastor by the congregation without synod approval.
Mason is not on the ELCA clergy roster and is not eligible for call into a
pastoral position in the church, Finck said.  At Finck's request, members
of the CCLM board met with synod leaders before Mason was installed to
discuss the situation.
     "We asked them to reconsider," Finck said.  "We asked them not to
install her.  We asked that they let us converse with them and then work
to resolve this."  The board declined to change its position; the synod
council action said the board declined to change its position on three
occasions leading up to Oct. 29.
     Finck convened the synod's Consultation Committee to review the
situation and report to the synod council.  They worked for 10 weeks and
brought their recommendations to the synod's leadership in August, he
said.  The council held an all-day special meeting Oct. 29 and took its
action, he said.  CCLM's board subsequently adopted two resolutions asking
the council to rescind its Oct. 29 action removing the ministry from the
congregational roster and ending its call to Kalke.  At a meeting Dec. 4,
the council declined CCLM's requests, though it did approve Kalke's
request to remain on the clergy roster and be placed on leave from call.
     CCLM can reapply for congregational status, Finck said, adding that
it "must abide by how our church has said it will work together."
     Finck emphasized that the central issue for the synod's leaders was
compliance and consistency with the constitution and policies of the
church, and to be consistent with other situations the synod had faced
recently.  It was not Mason's sexual orientation, he said.
     "What we have said to the [CCLM] board is that [Mason's orientation]
may be the central issue for you, but it is not the central issue for us,"
Finck said.
     Finck added that the Pacifica Synod is a "Reconciling in Christ
(RIC)" synod, and it had developed a multi-year plan to discuss and study
sexuality issues throughout the synod and to prepare members for decisions
on sexuality expected to be made at the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in
Orlando.  RIC is a program of Lutherans Concerned/North America which
recognizes Lutheran congregations that welcome people who are gay or
lesbian.
     The 2005 Churchwide Assembly is expected to make decisions on whether
or not the church should develop a policy for the blessing of same-gender
relationships and whether or not it should allow people who are gay or
lesbian and living in committed relationships to serve as ordained and lay
ministers.  Currently the ELCA has no policy on the blessing of
same-gender relationships -- though the church's bishops have advised the
church that they do not approve of such ceremonies -- and it does not
allow people to serve as ministers who engage in sexual relationships
outside of marriage.  The ELCA defines "marriage as a lifelong covenant of
faithfulness between a man and a woman" in its message "Sexuality: Some
Common Convictions," adopted in 1996 by the ELCA Church Council.

CCLM 'Surprised' by Synod Council Action
     "We were surprised by the Oct. 29 decision," said Kalke in an
interview with the ELCA News Service.  "We never thought our
congregational ID number would be removed, and I didn't think my call
would be revoked.  We didn't expect that kind of harsh decision."
     The ELCA's Constitution does not require a bishop or synod council to
take disciplinary action for failure to adhere to policies of the church,
Kalke said.  "It says the bishop 'may' take action, and this harsh action
we can only believe was punitive."
     A CCLM news release said the synod council action was "completely out
of line" with what other ELCA synods have done in similar situations.  In
some cases, bishops have written to congregations admonishing or censuring
them for violating the governing documents of the church and have
prevented them for participating in certain synod activities.
     However, one ELCA official told the ELCA News Service that is not the
only response from synods when congregations have violated official church
policy.
     "By action of synod councils, certain congregations in various synods
have been removed from the roster of the ELCA for calling persons as
pastors who are not on the roster of ordained ministers, or who have
resigned or been removed from the [clergy] roster," said the Rev. Lowell
G. Almen, ELCA secretary.
     "While local circumstances may differ, the Central City Lutheran
Mission decision of the Pacifica Synod Council is not unique," he said.
     CCLM was formed in 1996 when five congregations in the San Bernardino
area banded together to start a mission to serve people living in one of
the city's most impoverished areas. Kalke described CCLM as a mission that
combines Word and Sacrament ministry with human services.  CCLM offers
services in education, health and housing.  It serves people with HIV/AIDS
and homeless people, offers worship in Spanish and English, and it
provides worship that appeals to a "hip hop" generation, Kalke said.  He
said CCLM has enjoyed support from many of the synod's congregations,
including financial and material gifts.  The synod and several ELCA
churchwide units, including the ELCA Division for Outreach, have provided
financial support to CCLM.
     Asked why the ministry would violate church policy to call Mason in
the midst of such an active community ministry, Kalke said: "We called her
because we needed an associate pastor.  We needed a person who was
culturally competent."  CCLM asked the synod to provide candidates for the
call, but it did not offer anyone, Kalke said, so CCLM hired Mason first
as a staff person before it called and installed her as an associate
pastor.
     "We didn't expect a catastrophe," Kalke said of the synod action in
response.  "We expected a ripple."
     Finck said the synod did offer to CCLM two candidates for
consideration, but, because neither candidate apparently met CCLM's
expectations, both possibilities were turned down.
     Mason served for 10 years as an officially recognized Lutheran pastor
and missionary in Chile, the Times said.  She resigned in 2001 when the
church learned of her long-term relationship with another woman, the
newspaper said.
     Among the board and staff of CCLM there is an overwhelming feeling of
"sadness," Kalke said.  "We will move forward," Kalke said, and the
ministry will continue to offer services and pastoral leadership.  It will
continue to be recognized as a social ministry organization, "a
relationship with the ELCA we value very much," he said.  CCLM is also a
member of Lutheran Services in America, a national organization that
serves local social ministry organizations.
     Finck emphasized that the leadership of the synod resolved in its
Oct. 29 action that "the Pacifica Synod Council and the bishop will pray
for and seek ways to rebuild the relationship between CCLM and the synod,
and extend invitations for further dialogue and understanding, healing and
reconciliation."
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     The Pacifica Synod maintains a site at http://www.pacificasynod.org
on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news