Lutherans Discuss Human Sexuality in Final Study
The third and final study on human sexuality is currently underway in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, bringing the denomination closer to forming its social statement on the sexuality.
Part of a series under the banner of "Journey Together Faithfully," the third study will engage the 4.85 million-member church in a participatory process that will help shape ELCA's official statement on human sexuality. The study, entitled "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor," was released Monday.
The three-part series comes out of a mandate by the 2001 Churchwide Assembly which called the church to study homosexuality, particularly in the issue of blessing same-sex unions and the ordination, consecration and commission of people in same-sex unions, and to develop a social statement on sexuality.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
A proposal last year by the ELCA task force had recommended establishing exceptions to the ministerial standards in cases where gay ministers were in "loving relationships." The request was declined. Current ordination standards in the denomination do not allow active homosexuals.
On the basis of the responses received from congregations, the new social statement will provide the church's clear stance on the issue of homosexuality. It will also be a "reclaiming" of sexuality from the culture, as ELCA Presiding Bishop the Rev. Mark S. Hanson had stated.
The studies are not comprehensive, but it addresses homosexuality, bisexuality, teenage pregnancy, human sexuality in society and social institutions, among other topics.
Matters specific to homosexuality will not be a prominent theme in the third study. The controversial issue of homosexuality was the focus in the second study, which drew a drastically higher number of responses than the first.
Nevertheless, the third study will cover human sexuality topics that are relevant to all congregants, including heterosexuals and homosexuals.
The final study will be conducted until Nov. 1, 2007 and the first draft of a social statement is due early 2008.
