Task force recommends pastoral response, not policy change

Lutheran, The, Feb 2005 by Miller, David L

On Jan. 13, the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality released its "Report and Recommendations." The five-part document recommends no changes in policies related to the blessing of same-sex unions or on the church's policy prohibiting people in such unions from serving on the church's ministry rosters (see www.elca.org/faithfuljour ney/tfreport for the full report).

But the recommendations seek to create space for "partnered" gay and lesbian ministers to serve in some situations. To the extent that the recommendations don't involve policy changes, they could be adopted by a simple majority of the Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, Fla., Aug. 8-14 (see January, page 44).

The assembly will receive the task force's report and recommendations and act on ELCA Church Council resolutions concerning its content. Synod councils can send recommendations to the Church Council before its April meeting. Synod assemblies will have the opportunity to respond to the report and the council's recommendations through memorials to the Churchwide Assembly (see page 50).

The task force's document fulfills actions taken by the 2001 Churchwide Assembly, which called for a report and recommendations on the question of blessing same-sex unions and including people in such unions on ELCA ministry rosters.

The report makes three separate recommendations, which follow a letter of pastoral counsel that establishes a theme evident throughout the document. It cites the group's experience of deeper community as it explored the enduring and passionate differences among its members during the study.

The letter urges church members, in faithfulness to Christ, to "refrain from activities that contribute to divisiveness and commit themselves to persistent and respectful listening and unceasing prayer."

Picking up this theme, the first recommendation calls the ELCA to find ways to live together as the church amid disagreements: "The God-given mission and communion we share is at least as important as the issues about which faithful conscience-bound Lutherans [are] decisively at odds."

In commentary, the task force says it would be unhelpful to engage in a vote at the Churchwide Assembly that will produce winners and losers among faithful Christians. The report indicates that the group heard this message from many voices across the church. Since the ELCA has "no consensus" on the questions involved in the study, the report urges "mutually respectful dialogue on the issues."

The 'blessing' question

Prefacing the second recommendation, the report recognizes that the ELCA has "no legislated policy" on "the matter of blessing same-sex couples who have entered into long-term monogamous covenants of love and care."

Given the lack of an existing or emerging consensus in the ELCA, the task force doesn't recommend establishing such a policy. Instead, it affirms the ELCA Conference of Bishops' 1993 statement on blessings.

The conference stated: "We ... recognize that there is basis neither in Scripture nor tradition for the establishment of an official ceremony ... for the blessing of a homosexual relationship." It also expressed trust in pastors and congregations, affirming "their desire to explore the best ways to provide pastoral care" with gays and lesbians.

Echoing this pastoral approach, the task force report says "pastors and congregations can and should be trusted ... to exercise the wisdom of discretion in their ministry to samesex couples and their ... families."

Pastoral-care concerns may move pastors and congregations to "surround same-sex couples ... with prayerful support," according to the report, adding that such support "does not necessarily mean public approval for homosexual sexual intimacy." Such pastoral care should be exercised in ways understood "as a matter quite distinct from and in no way equivalent to marriage," the report says.

The ELCA holds that "marriage is a lifelong commitment of faithfulness between a man and a woman," the report says, quoting Sexuality: Some Common Convictions, a message on sexuality adopted by the ELCA Church Council in November 1996.

In commentary, the report says many who responded to the ELCA sexuality studies sought a simple answer to the question: Is same-sex sexual activity always a sin? The report says this question is near the heart of the church's division over blessings, but it doesn't answer the question "because Christians who are faithful to God's [w]ord give different answers."

Some say the Bible is clear in its condemnation of same-sex activity. Others hold that Bible verses condemning same-sex relations "do not apply to a love relationship between two consenting adults in a committed relationship," according to the report, which encourages continued "prayerful study of Scripture."

The report calls for respect and sensitivity to those who hold that such pastoral support of same-sex couples is inherently wrong, as well as to those who think it's appropriate pastoral care.

Ordination and rostering

Most deeply divisive and painful for the task force was the question of ordaining and rostering pastors and other church ministers who are in committed same-sex relationships. Although some members preferred other options, the report says "a strong majority" of the 14-member task force approved a recommendation that proposes no changes in the standards governing the conduct of pastors and rostered lay ministers.