ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 24, 2009  

Teaching Theologians Affirm ELCA Task Force Documents
09-096-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A statement supporting a recommendation put
forth by the Task Force for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) Studies on Sexuality is gaining support from more than 100
teaching theologians of the church and other Christian theologians
teaching at ELCA institutions.
     Professors from ELCA seminaries, colleges and universities,
retired bishops, a retired seminary president and ELCA theologians
teaching at other institutions are signing on daily.
     On Feb. 19 the task force released a report and recommendation
for a process to consider changes to ministry policies that could
make it possible for Lutherans in committed same-gender
relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, deaconesses,
diaconal ministers and ordained ministers.
     The task force also released that day a proposed social
statement for the church -- "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust."
     The 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly -- the highest legislative
authority of the church -- will consider both documents Aug. 17-23
in Minneapolis.
     The Rev. Barbara R. Rossing and the Rev. Ralph W. Klein
co-authored the statement, "Appropriate Next Steps for the ELCA."
Rossing is professor of New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology
at Chicago (LSTC), and a member of the council and executive
committee of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).  Klein is a
visiting professor at Yale University, New Haven, Conn., and
retired professor of Old Testament at LSTC.  LSTC is one of
eight ELCA seminaries. The LWF is a global communion of churches
representing 68.5 million Lutherans.
     "We want to underscore that the majority of teaching
theologians support the work of the task force," said Rossing in
an interview.  "I believe God is calling our church to structured
flexibility."
     "We disagree with those who claim that theologians must
oppose the recommendation on biblical, confessional and
ecclesiological grounds," Rossing said.  "The claim that there
is uniformity among member churches of the Lutheran World
Federation is simply not true. That rationale should not be used
to oppose the recommendation."
     The dissenting opinion in the report and comments from
others are "not representative of what many scholars who teach
at colleges, universities and seminaries believe," Klein said
in an interview.
     "We believe that the recommendation is what the gospel is
calling us to do today.  The recommendation enables the ELCA
to move forward without causing division in the church. This is
very important to us.  We respect those who differ, and we know
that there are many gay and lesbian people who desire to serve
in rostered ministry who will bring great blessings to this
church," Klein said.
     The task force recommendation is comprised of four steps
to be considered consecutively by the ELCA churchwide assembly
this summer.  In their statement, the theologians responded
affirmatively to each step.
     The teaching theologians stated that they affirm the
authority of the Scriptures, but "the seven biblical texts
that are frequently cited on the issue of homosexuality are
not directly pertinent to the 21st century discussion because
some of them condemn specifically homosexual rape, deal with
questions of 'clean and unclean' that are not normative in
the Christian community, do not take into account issues like
'sexual orientation,' and presuppose that all would agree with
a particular interpretation of what 'nature' teaches."
     The task force proposes that both heterosexual and
homosexual people are expected to express sexual intimacy
within publicly accountable, lifelong and monogamous
relationships, the theologians' statement said. "This has long
been the expectation for heterosexual couples, and therefore
is an appropriate expectation for homosexual couples."
     The theologians' statement said that Scandinavian and
German Lutherans have already taken similar actions to those
being proposed now in the ELCA. The teaching theologians also
pledged to "honor and respect" those who for reasons of
theology and conscience oppose these changes.
     "We recognize that the unity of the church is based on one
Lord, one faith, and one baptism, and that within this unity,
faithful members may disagree on individual items of faith
and life," the statement said.
- - -
     The theologians' statement is available at
http://OT-studies.com on the Internet.

     The task force's "Report and Recommendation on Ministry
Policies" and "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust" are available
at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfuljourney on the ELCA Web site.

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John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
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