leave here this news because I think that gives much to discuss.
August 21, 2009
The General Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA for its acronym in English) opened his ministry to gay and lesbian people living in stable relationships
09-CWA-34-CA
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) - The General Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted on today open the ordained ministry of the church by and gay and lesbian pastors and other professionals living in a committed relationship.
This action was reached in a vote of 559 positive and 451 negative in the context of higher instance of this ecclesiastical body more than 4.6 million members in this denomination. Previously, the Assembly also passed a resolution that commits the church to find ways for congregations who choose to "recognize, support and sustain the same-gender relationships that are publicly borne, and monogamous for life", despite this resolution does not have to use the word "marriage."
These actions change the policy of the church, which previously allowed people gay or lesbian orientation to enter the ordained ministry provided them and they remain celibate.
During the Assembly, which began on August 17, most of the 1,000 delegates with voting rights had a debate on the issue of human sexuality. On Wednesday adopted the social statement on the subject as an educational tool and a guide to policy on human sexuality that designation.
The ELCA General Assembly is meeting in Minneapolis Convention Center between 17 and 23 August. Involving about 2000 people including 1045 voting members of the ELCA. The biennial Assembly theme is "God's work in our hands"
Prior to discussion on the thorny issue of marriages between persons of the same gender in the ordained ministry, the Assembly passed by a vote of 771 to 230 a resolution committing the church to respect differences of opinions on this issue and honor the "ties of conscience" of those who disagree.
During the hours of discussion, led by ELCA Presiding Bishop Rev. Mark S. Hanson, delegates were several moments of reflection to pray as a united assembly, sometimes in small groups around tables in which the voting members of the assembly, discussed and expressed their vote.
The discussions showed that the issue of sexuality should be a matter of profound debate across the church. A resolution that would have reaffirmed the current policy of the church was supported by 344 votes, but was defeated by the negative vote of 670 delegates entitled to express themselves.
Pastor Richard Mahan of the Virginia Synod of West Virginia and western Maryland was among the speakers who opposed the draft because they are contrary to biblical teaching: "I can not understand how the church I've known for 40 years can support what God has condemned. "Mahan said," This means that from now on scripture says homosexuality and marriage between same sex are acceptable to God "
But other and other said the wider acceptance of people of gay and lesbian counseling in the church was consistent with the Bible. Bishop Gary Wollersheim of the Synod of the ELCA Northern Illinois said: "This is a justice issue, an issue of hospitality is what Jesus would have wanted us and we do. "Wollersheim said he has been heavily influenced by the dialogue with youth leaders in youth meetings conducted in Synod, a regional unit of the ELCA.
Some speakers argued that the action taken here is to alienate members of the ELCA and cause a decline in membership. But Allison Gutter of Metropolitan New York Synod of the ELCA said: "I have seen congregations flourishing as they were engaged in this issue, I have seen congregations that grew to recognize the gifts of gay and lesbian pastors."
During the discussion of resolutions on the implementation of the proposal, Bishop Kurt Kusserow of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA Church requested that make a clear provision in their policies to recognize convictions of members who believed that the church can not add to its list of pastor to people living in the same gender relations in public, lifelong and monogamous. A resolution that the name considered as a proposal to ease somewhat in the current structures and practices that enable and Lutherans living in committed same-sex relationships to be adopted for professional service in the church. This resolution was passed by 667 to 307.
(Castilian translation: Pastor Lisandro Orlov. Buenos Aires. Argentina)
