ELCA Convention: Lutherans strive to avoid split on gay issue

Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America arrive in Minneapolis today to tackle the most-divisive subject in 21st century religion -- the appointment of gay clergy.

What 1,045 voting members decide by the end of the week could determine the future of the 4.8 million member ELCA, which includes more than 830,000 Minnesotans.

At issue is a proposal to repeal the ban on gay and lesbian ministers from leading churches unless they promise to be celibate.

A task force spent months working out a compromise that would allow the installation of gay pastors but leave that decision up to individual congregations and synods. People on both sides say the looming vote is too close to call.

With the Episcopalians headed toward a likely split over the appointing of gay bishops, ELCA leaders are well aware of the risks. Bishop Mark Hanson, the Twin Cities native who leads the ELCA, said that no matter how the vote comes out, he's intent on keeping the losers from rebellion.

"It is my commitment and my conviction that we will not succumb to this polarizing question that often divides communities," he said.

Despite the divisiveness of the issue, the assembly promises to uphold the ELCA's reputation for nonconfrontational confrontation.

"We're Lutherans; we're insistent but polite," said Phil Soucy, spokesman for Goodsoil, a coalition of groups supporting ordination of gay ministers, including the St. Paul-based Lutherans Concerned.

The Rev. Mark Chavez, spokesman for Lutheran CORE, which opposes gay ordination, will be working to defeat the proposal but promised that arguing will not turn into yelling. "Anyone who has seen coverage of any of our earlier assemblies knows that's not our style," he said.

Organizers are planning daily services in hopes of keeping emotions in check.

"Every day at 11:30 [a.m.] we're going to stop and have a prayer service," Hanson said. "People will sit down without knowing whether the person next to them is voting pro or con, whether they agree or disagree with them. I am very confident that we can have this conversation without it becoming mean-spirited or divisive."

Even as the Lutherans check into their hotels, the Episcopalians appear to be taking another step toward division.

Marching to civil war

The rift has been growing since the 2003 consecration of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The U.S. Episcopal Church (part of the worldwide Anglican Community) faces a rebellion by the Convocation of Anglicans in North America and its sister organization, the Anglican Church in North America. So far, the defections represent only about 5 percent of the 2.3 million total membership. But in July, the spinoff denominations announced an aggressive plan to launch 1,000 congregations in the next five years.

The Episcopalians wasted no time in firing back. On Aug. 1 -- less than a month after the end of a moratorium on the consecration of gay bishops that was put in place to appease restive congregations -- the Diocese of Minnesota announced that one of its three nominees for bishop is the Rev. Bonnie Perry, a Chicago priest who is in a long-term same-sex relationship. The next day, the Diocese of Los Angeles included two openly gay priests on its list of nominees for assistant bishop.

The ELCA proposal is intended to avoid a similar line in the sand.

The technical term is "rostering." As the rules stand, gays and lesbians who are involved in relationships are not allowed to be rostered, meaning that they are not officially recognized by the ELCA. But that doesn't mean they can't lead parishes.

Two Minneapolis churches, Calvary Lutheran and Salem Lutheran, are officially listed as having vacant senior pastor positions even though both have people in the jobs. The Rev. Bradley Froslee was installed at Calvary in February, and the Rev. Jen Nagel has been overseeing Salem for six years.

If the rule change passes, "It would be a way for us to live into what we already are," Nagel said. "Our pews already are full of people representing a wide diversity. Our pulpits would be able to be filled with people of similar diversity."

Vote could go either way

No one is willing to predict what will happen this week at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The vote will come late in the week and be decided by 1,045 representatives -- one-third of them clergy and the rest lay people.

The preliminary vote in favor of the rule change -- it was approved by 34 of the 65 synods -- means nothing this week. The synods were not required to vote, and only 46 did so. And that vote was not binding.

"That's why we don't call them delegates," Hanson said. "We call them 'representatives.' We expect them to take into consideration their synods' positions, but, ultimately, they are free to vote their consciences."

Furthermore, everything at the assembly is subject to a vote, including the voting. As it stands, the proposal will pass if it wins a simple majority. But if opponents sense that they are going to lose, they can try to force a two-thirds vote. Plus, amendments from the floor could dramatically change the proposal.

"It won't be dull, I can promise you that," Hanson said.

Leaders already have a plan for the aftermath. If the motion to change the rules about gay ministers passes, it won't go into effect until November, allowing three months for emotions to cool.

"Our capacity to be a vibrant church will be diminished if we allow this question to divide us," Hanson said. "I'm not minimizing the challenge we face, but we're committed to overcoming it."

Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392