Chicago Sun-Times
July 25, 2007
The Lutheran pastor soon to be bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod wants his denomination to lift a celibacy requirement for gay and lesbian clergy.
"That's where I think the church is going," Bishop-elect Wayne Miller of Aurora, IL said. "That's where I think it needs to go."
He's hoping the change will come next month in Chicago, where the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is conducting its churchwide assembly. Nearly a third of the denomination's 65 synods are asking for a policy shift in clergy standards.
Eventually, gay and lesbian clergy in monogamous, same-sex relationships could be allowed to serve.
John Roberts of Chicago also hopes it could lead to the reinstatement of gay clergy removed from ministry. He says he was ousted as pastor of a Michigan church in the 1990s after he confided to his bishop that he was gay.
2007-07-25 10:57:45 · 5 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
There is a requirement for all clergy (gay or straight) to remain celibate before marriage. Gay marriage under the legal system is illegal. However, it is legal for the Church to bless a couple, even if they arn't married according to the goverment. I feel they should, instead of lifting the celibacy ban, lift the ban on blessing same-sex couples. If they are blessed by the church, they will be married in God's eyes and in the church's eyes. Then they can wait until it is legal to marry and get a legal marriage too.
2007-07-25 12:04:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
The Lutheran has come to be nothing more than a politically correct cult with nothing more than humanistic secular values. Lutheran Church, an oxymoron equal to the height of moronic hypocrisy, gay pride.
2007-07-25 18:20:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Keep in mind that ELCA is not representative of everyone that calls themselves Lutheran. There are other Lutheran churches such as LCMS and WELS which are more conservative (i.e. sola scriptura).
2007-07-25 20:16:24 · answer #3 · answered by R. F. 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There will be a big schism or split in the ELCA
2007-07-25 18:02:17 · answer #4 · answered by James O 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they will be just like the Catholic priests then.
2007-07-25 18:03:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋