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The Lutherans did it! Last Friday the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), the largest (5 million+ members), most liberal of the three main Lutheran church bodies, and the largest Protestant denomination in America, voted in General Assembly to approve the ordination of gay and lesbian pastors, and to allow churches to formalize vows between same sex partners. Prior to this, they had only approved celibate gay and lesbian pastors and had not approved the blessing of same sex unions. The measure passed by approximately a 2/3 majority. It was a clear decision, but not one without resistance.
Lutherans, largely known in America through Garrison Keilor's Prairie Home Companion have never been known for moving swiftly when it came to changes. But, once moved, they are definitive and committed. When, way back in the 1970's, they approved the ordination of women, they approved it for the whole country -- no exceptions. The same is true here. That doesn't mean that every church has to consider a gay or lesbian candidate for an opening, but it means that they are not prohibited in any way from doing so.
And it means that some clergy can stop the "don't ask, don't tell" lives they had been forced to lead to keep their vocation, and that others can finally come out, knowing that they cannot be discarded from the ministry because of their sexuality. Gay and lesbian seminarians can start relaxing about what they may encounter when they graduate. Yes, there is surely still prejudice. BUT there is now openness and institutional affirmation that did not exist before.
In the mid 1970's I preached a sermon at the ordination of a gay friend. I knew he was gay. His bishop suspected he was gay, but averted his attention. His congregation thought maybe. And he was a fine Lutheran pastor. He worked in an inner city parish that lots of people didn't want because it was in a rough area. He ran a soup kitchen, started a youth program for neighborhood kids, visited the sick and infirm and generally cared for the spiritual well-being of his folks and folks around the church. People knew they could go to "his" church and find help.
Then he met his life partner.
And they wanted to live together.
They couldn't.
My friend had to leave his church, discard his ordination and get a job elsewhere so that he could live with the love of his life. He was heartsick, as was his congregation. And a lot of people with deep needs did not get cared for because my friend was forced out.
I attended seminary with a woman who was exploring her sexuality for the first time. She was devoted to the vocation of pastor, and had endured much criticism and resistance just for being a woman who wanted to be a Lutheran minister. We would talk about how to deal with the stress of that, the hurt of that. Then she confided in me that in addition to that, she was a lesbian. She had wrestled with her sexual identity, and the truth had won out. She faced the choice of shutting down her sexual side, deceiving her congregation and family -- or leaving seminary.
She left seminary; and her skills and talents an compassion left with her.
So how did it feel to sit in my house some 30 years later and hear that my denomination had opened the doors at last?
It felt great.
I cried. First I cried tears of joy for all those who can live their truth in this church now, but then tears of a more bittersweet nature for all those lesbian and gay Lutherans who just wanted to serve and lead earlier than they were welcomed.
But I am sure that my two old colleagues -- wherever they may be -- shared with me a prayer of Thanksgiving.
Bishop Hanson, leader of the denomination, knows that the church does have members and churches and bishops who do not agree with this position. The Episcopal church handled the issue somewhat differently, and still lost a number of congregations.
Time will tell if the same is true for the ELCA. There will be fallout. Change always means some fallout. But the extent is yet to be seen.
However, Bishop Hanson's hope is that ongoing dialogue can continue, and his statement about that can be found here. Here is an excerpt.
"I am committed to the ELCA continuing to be a church body where people
