The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s 11th Churchwide Assembly continued debating human sexuality on Friday morning, and approved allowing congregations to bless same-sex couples by a vote of 771-230.
 
After a long week of hearings and debates, some voting members of the ELCA assembly cried as they spoke, or choked back tears. Even a resolution that called on ELCA members to “bear one another’s burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all” became a point of contention.
 
Pastor Steven Frock of the Western Iowa Synod cited Jesus’ warning that those who cause little ones to sin face a sharp judgment in eternity.
 
“Are you willing, and can you so casually, place your mortal souls at risk?” he asked. “If you have any doubts at all, I ask you not to step off this precipice.”
 
The assembly then considered a resolution that permits congregations to “recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships.”
 
Sarah Gross of the Oregon Synod said that voting against the resolution would send a message that not all people are welcome in the ELCA. But Pastor Ryan Mills of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod said, “This assembly, as a child of the scriptures, does not have the right to vote on these resolutions.”
 
Pastor Mills disputed an earlier claim that the authors of New Testament letters knew nothing of monogamous same-sex couples. “The Greeks knew plenty about these types of relationships, but Paul said no anyway,” he contended.
 
“This resolution is simply about allowing some in our church to follow their conscience,” rather than imposing a conscience on everyone, said Allison Guttu of the Metropolitan New York Synod.
 
The assembly approved the resolution on a vote of 619-402.
 
The assembly began debating a third resolution, which would permit “people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church,” before it broke for a worship service and lunch.
 
Pastor Erik Samuelson of the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod switched sides and asked the assembly to vote against this resolution. Through tears, he mentioned how he has become aware of the pain of conservative Lutherans during the assembly. Pastor Terri Stagner-Collier of the Southeastern Synod wept as she described the emotional toll the assembly already has taken on her sister, her brother and her father. She pleaded with the assembly to reject the resolution.
 
And Matthew Riak, an African living in the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, asked the assembly to vote against the resolution in deference to African Lutherans.
 
“You care so much for your brothers and sisters that you have forgotten us,” he said.
 
The assembly will resume its debate on rostered clergy this afternoon.
 
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