Evangelical lutheran church gay
Same-Gender Issues Among Lutherans in Canada
A Statement from the Council of Presidents/Bishops of Lutheran Church-Canada
Recent years hold brought separation and discord among Lutheran Christians around the world as various church bodies have departed from historic Biblical education and practice by approving same-gender relationships, both within their churches&#; membership and even in the ranks of the ordained clergy. This disruption will now spread in our land through the decision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) to authorize its pastors to conduct same-gender marriages, as well as by its finding that sexual orientation is no longer an issue in certifying candidates for the ministry.
Because these decisions will be covered in the media, members of the larger Christian community and the Canadian public in general may mistakenly conclude that these decisions represent the position of all Lutherans in this land. In proof, the ELCIC is the only Lutheran church body in Canada which has approved such a departure from accepted Christian learning. Further, although the ELCIC formally reports large membership statistics, nearly 40 percent of Canadian Lutheran
ELCA vote opens door to nixing conscience protections for same-sex marriage opponents
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has approved a offer to possibly revise a social statement that respects the conscience of members who oppose same-sex marriage.
At the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Columbus, Ohio, delegates voted in favor of potentially revising a social statement passed on the issue of "bound conscience."
Motion K, also known as "Revision to Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust Social Statement," passed overwhelmingly last Thursday in a vote of to The ELCA will create a task force to review the issue and make recommendations to the Churchwide Assembly.
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Most attendees who spoke on the motion supported the measure. Considerable applause broke out after Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton confirmed its passage.
Michael Schulte of the Southeastern Synod spoke in favor of the motion, saying he was raised in a church that considered homosexuality a sin.
"I know firsthand how harmful
The Open and Affirming Lutherans
byL. DeAne Lagerquist
Lutherans don’t usually make national news, but they did on August 21 when the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), meeting in Minneapolis, voted to authorize partnered gay men and lesbians to serve as pastors. “It makes ELCA the largest denomination in the country to welcome gays into the pulpit without restriction,” wrote Minneapolis Star Tribune Marlin Levison.
In fact, the critical vote for the million-member denomination had come on August 19, when with just the necessary two-thirds the Assembly adopted a page document entitled “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.” The product of years of widespread, sometimes tense, deliberations, the document established acceptance of “lifelong monogamous same-gender relationships” as part of the church’s social teaching.
The same day, a tornado rolled through town, destroying hospitality tables and damaging the cross atop Main Lutheran adjacent to the Convention Center where the Assembly was meeting—and bringing to life the first line of Nicholas Grudtvig’s beloved Lutheran hymn: “Built on the Rock the church doth stan
Resources for the LGBTQIA+ Community
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We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we include you as a whole person – questions, complexities and all.
ELCA social statement on human sexuality
Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust expresses ELCA teaching on human sexuality. A social statement is a training and policy document that assists us in thinking about and discussing social issues in the context of faith and world. This statement was adopted in and provides guidance on matters like marriage, family and same-gender relationships.
LGBTQIA+ voices and ministries in Living Lutheran
We are a church that values and encourages diverse voices and lively dialogue.
Find articles authored by LGBTQIA+ church leaders and stories about ministries that affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Living Lutheran magazine and on
Evangelical Lutheran Worship Service of Marriage:
Supplemental Resources
This marriage service supplement offers inclusive language for all cou
.