Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Gay-clergy policy divides Lutherans

Evangelical Lutheran congregations across the Valley are grappling with whether to accept new privileges for homosexual pastors that may become official policy soon for the national church.

More than 1,000 representatives from churches nationwide will vote on an array of social and theological issues starting today at the biennial assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which counts 4.7 million members.

Among the proposals is allowing gay and lesbian church leaders to openly have same-sex relationships.

At present, homosexual ministers within the assembly are officially expected to remain celibate.

In recent years, however, the ELCA has urged churches to punish such romantic relationships more leniently while the national association worked to form the current proposed policy on same-gender couples.

The debate over gays and lesbians in ministry has divided Lutherans for years, perhaps more than any other subject since women gained the right to become pastors in 1970.

"This particular topic has an emotional charge to it," said Bishop Stephen Talmage, in charge of ELCA congregations in Arizona and Nevada. "There's a lot of anxiety around it."

Community Church of Joy, a megachurch in north Glendale, announced this summer it would cut ties with the national association in advance of the assembly's vote.

Senior Pastor Walt Kallestad said social activism has distracted the ELCA from the mission of spreading God's gospel.

Parishioners voted to join a more traditional sect that is gradually accumulating breakaway churches called Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.

"The ELCA has chosen to focus millions of dollars and really hijack what we believe is the call of the body of Christ," said Kallestad, whose church at 21000 N. 75th Ave. sees about 2,500 people each Sunday.

"They think we are biased or that we do not like or love gay and lesbian individuals. That is not true. . . . Where we differ dramatically is that Scripture is very, very clear that it (homosexual conduct) is a sin."

Although congregations may be divided, Talmage argues that churches have a duty to confront current quandaries such as gay rights.

"You can't separate the social issues from the spiritual issues," the bishop said. "We have a responsibility to be active, engaged citizens."

Some Valley churches, like Scottsdale-based La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, are taking a wait-and-see approach.

"We're weighing all of the options," Senior Pastor Andrew Garman said. "We are not in favor of it passing, and we haven't decided what we will do if it does.

"We're just praying real hard that it doesn't pass."

Equality Arizona, a Phoenix-based gay activism and education group, has been reaching out to churches across the state, holding film discussions about issues of faith and homosexuality.

Although the group has not been lobbying Lutherans on the proposal, Executive Director Barbara McCullough-Jones believes gays and lesbians should be treated equally in religious life.

"The Catholic Church is very clear: Priests don't marry, nuns don't marry. But in some other congregations (such as in ELCA churches), the heterosexual ministers are allowed to marry and have families and live a full life," she said.

"The rules are different based on sexual orientation, and that is fundamentally the discrimination our organization seeks to eliminate."

The national debate has caused little stir for some churches.

Under the proposal, gay clergy would be held to the same standards for maintaining committed, faithful relationships as straight ministers.

Churches would be allowed to opt out of the national decision under a conscience clause, maintaining local control over the issue, a sharp change from previous attempts to expand rights for gay Evangelical Lutheran ministers.

In 2007, two-thirds of ELCA assembly voters rejected a measure that would have ended gay-clergy celibacy at all churches. In contrast, two-thirds of pastors in Arizona and Nevada agreed this summer to support the new proposal with the addition of local control, Talmage said.

"It's possible some people are able to see the ultimate impact on (their) local church" may be minimal, he said.

"Some people have said, 'We're tired of continually battling this. Let's focus on our mission.' "

Some young people at Community of Grace Lutheran Church in Peoria say they differ with many of their elders on gay-clergy issues.

"If someone believes enough in their faith to be ordained, who am I to stop them?" asked Laura Wright, 26. "My dad totally disagrees with me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

SIC: TAZ