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.
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     Information about the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at
http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.