ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 13, 2005

ELCA Task Force Issues Recommendations On Homosexuality
05-005-FI

	CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A task force of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) is recommending that the church continue to
provide pastoral answers to two key questions on homosexuality.  In
August the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is to decide 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.
	"Rather than attempting to resolve our differences through
legislative action, we have sought to place matters in the realm of
pastoral care and to encourage continued engagement as we minister to
one another," the 14-member task force of the ELCA Studies on Sexuality
said in the report it released Jan.13.
	"It is important to recognize that a pastoral approach regarding
these issues prevailed even though various task force members would have
preferred other options," it said.
	"Though our recommendations do not establish new policy or
change existing policy, they do appeal for respect for one another's
bound consciences as a matter of pastoral concern," the task force
said.
	The report had six parts.  The first part listed three
recommendations the task force had for the churchwide assembly -- that
the ELCA:
	+ concentrate on finding ways to live together faithfully in the
midst of disagreements.
	+ continue to respect the pastoral guidance of the 1993
statement of the Conference of Bishops regarding the blessing of
homosexual relationships.
	+ continue under the standards regarding sexual conduct for
rostered leaders as set forth in "Vision and Expectations" and
"Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline," but that, as a pastoral
response to the deep divisions in the ELCA, this church may choose to
refrain from disciplining those who in good conscience, and for the sake
of outreach, ministry and the commitment to continuing dialogue, call or
approve partnered gay or lesbian candidates whom they believe to be
otherwise in compliance with "Vision and Expectations" and to refrain
from disciplining those rostered people so approved and called.
	Current ELCA policy expects ministers to refrain from all sexual
relations outside marriage, which it defines as "a lifelong covenant of
faithfulness between a man and a woman."  The church has no official
policy on blessing same-gender relationships.
	The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body composed of the
ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary.  In 1993 it
said it recognized a "basis neither in Scripture nor tradition for the
establishment of an official ceremony by this church for the blessing of
a homosexual relationship."  It said it did "not approve such a ceremony
as an official action of this church's ministry," but it added that it
would "continue dialogue with those pastors and congregations who are in
ministry with gay and lesbian persons, and affirm their desire to
explore the best ways to provide pastoral care for all to whom they
minister."
	"Rostered" leaders of the ELCA are lay and ordained ministers of
the church.  Lay ministers are associates in ministry, deaconesses and
diaconal ministers.  "Vision and Expectations" is a document outlining
the ELCA's standards for those who serve as rostered leaders.
	A section of "Vision and Expectations" that deals with "sexual
conduct" said, "Ordained and commissioned ministers who are homosexual
in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual
sexual relationships."
	In the task force report, a preface preceded each
recommendation, and commentary followed.
	In the commentary on the first recommendation the task force
said it found no consensus in the church on the questions regarding
homosexuality and that, if the assembly accepts the first
recommendation, it will signal that the church is willing "to continue
mutually respectful dialogue on the issues of human sexuality while
seeking to remain engaged in mission together as the ELCA."
	Commentary on the second recommendation said "the desire to
provide the best pastoral care may motivate some pastors and
congregations to surround same-sex couples in committed, long-term
relationships with prayerful support.  Surrounding persons or households
with prayerful support does not necessarily mean public approval of
homosexual sexual intimacy.
	"Such an exercise of pastoral care should be understood as a
matter quite distinct from and in no way equivalent to marriage."  The
task force went on to "beseech the church to commit itself to respect
one another's consciences in this matter."
	The third recommendation's commentary pointed out that ELCA
congregations are "not forced to accept" any minister.  The church
strives to match the gifts of a minister with the needs of a particular
community of faith, it said, and those doing that work should be trusted
to do it with respect for the consciences of those favoring and those
opposing the church's policies.
	The second part of the report presented the task force's
rationale behind its recommendations.
	"Our goal was to seek to understand our differences and to find
a way for us to be the body of Christ.  Our first recommendation
challenges the ELCA to recognize our differences without either glossing
over them or letting them divide us," the report said.
	"The task force members came to recognize that the
biblical-theological case for wholesale change in this church's current
standards has not been made to the satisfaction of the majority of
participants in the study," it said.  "While the responses to the study
show a majority in favor of present practices and standards, there is,
however, neither a consensus -- a general agreement -- nor any emerging
consensus on these practices and standards."
	The report's third part showed the recommendations of two
dissenting positions voiced by some task force members.  One would
affirm the church's current policies and practices, asking that
discipline "be undertaken with all humility" and that those who act
contrary to church policies "endure the discipline of the church for the
sake of peace."  The other dissenting position would remove reference to
homosexuality from "Vision and Expectations."
	The fourth part of the report gave a general overview of the
process the task force followed to arrive at its report and
recommendations.
	Part five of the report listed some summary comments and
"additional concerns" gleaned from more than 28,000 responses to the
task force's study materials, "Journey Together Faithfully."  Part six
was a "full statistical summary" of those responses.
	Since its first meeting in May 2002, the task force developed
two studies, "Journey Together Faithfully" parts one and two.  Task
force members were involved in hearings across the church and received
speakers on a variety of related topics.
	ELCA leaders received a confidential preview of the report and
recommendations by e-mail on Jan. 12.  A question-and-answer document
accompanied the preview, to help the church's leaders interpret the
report and recommendations for their congregations and communities.

Next Steps for Task Force Report and Recommendations
	The ELCA's 10,657 congregations may study the report and
recommendations and respond directly to synod councils and assemblies.
The ELCA Conference of Bishops is expected to discuss the report and
recommendations when it meets March 3-8 in Dallas.
	The boards of the ELCA Division for Church and Society and the
ELCA Division for Ministry will meet here March 10-13.  They are
expected to review the task force report and recommendations and forward
them to the Church Council with any additional comments from the
boards.
	The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves
as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide
assemblies.
	The council will meet here April 8-11.  It is to receive the
task force report and recommendations with any additional board comments
and to transmit the report and recommendations to the 2005 Churchwide
Assembly.  The council will prepare a resolution for the assembly action
on the recommendations.
	April through June the ELCA's 65 synods meet separately in synod
assemblies.  They may discuss the report and recommendations and address
the 2005 Churchwide Assembly through resolutions called "memorials."
The churchwide assembly will receive the report and recommendations, and
it will consider the council's resolution, synod memorials and other
related resolutions from voting members of the assembly.
	The ELCA's chief legislative body is the churchwide assembly,
which meets every other year; the next assembly will be Aug. 8-14 in
Orlando, Fla.  The 2001 assembly mandated the study in preparation for
decisions the 2005 assembly is to make.
-- -- --
	The task force report can be found at
http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/ on the ELCA Web site.  The 1993
Statement of the ELCA Conference of Bishops on blessing of homosexual
relationships is at http://www.elca.org/sr/bishopsblessings.html and
"Vision and Expectations -- Ordained Ministers in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America" is at
http://www.elca.org/candidacy/vision_ordained.html on the Web.