A 14-member panel has said that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) should not alter religious law to bless same-sex unions or ordain gay or lesbian clergy who have partners, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The committee also urged ELCA to not punish those that do so.
The proposals, issued Jan. 13, made several recommendations. Chief among them is that the church should maintain its policy against gay and lesbian relationships for clergy and lay ministers; however, the church ‘may choose to refrain from disciplining’ clergy with same-sex partners. (The church allows celibate gay and lesbian ministers.) The committee also urged the church to continue respecting the bishops’ statement against same-sex unions.
Rev. Craig Mueller, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, told Windy City Times that the panel’s statement ‘only makes the most minute step forward’ and that gays and lesbians are ‘very disappointed’; still, the minister added, ‘there’s hope in it.’ However, Mueller—who came out to his congregation on Jan. 16—also added that the recommendations are in step with the zeitgeist: ‘the statement represents the meek, middle-ground position that reflects where the country is.’ When asked about his parishioners’ reaction, Mueller’s response was that ‘ [p] eople weren’t surprised; this is a very progressive congregation.’
The panel, which released a study that took over three years to compile, issued the recommendations in advance of the church’s assembly in August. It is then that a permanent change could be made.
— Andrew Davis