I am surprised that Bob Lee and Al Quie ("The rank-and-file need to be heard," Jan. 7) reject the representative democracy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and wish that all "4.6 million members" had "the opportunity to directly elect" the presiding bishop and national church council. That's a prescription for chaos! Can they be serious?More important, I am grieved that they accuse the majority of the 1,045 duly elected voting members at the recent assembly of "acting contrary to 'the inspired Word of God'" when they voted to open the door to ministry to qualified gays and lesbians who are living in committed relationships of love and faithfulness. Are they unaware of the fact that many biblical scholars believe that the texts that rightly condemn lustful exploitive same-sex behavior say nothing concerning homosexuality rightly understood as a discovered, not chosen, reality of human life, nor concerning those living in the kind of blessed relationships affirmed by the assembly?For them we turn to other texts such as Romans 13: 8-10, which says "Owe no one anything, except to love one another ... love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."I once held views similar to those of Lee and Quie. I now thank God for lots of gay and lesbian Christians and for many biblical scholars who helped open my eyes to see both homosexuality and the Bible differently, and I believe, more clearly.There is room in the ELCA for Lee and Quie. I only ask that they also affirm that there is room for me. We need each other. Our unity is in Christ, not in the uniformity of our interpretations. Therefore, let's center on Christ and continue to work and worship together. THE REV. LOWELL O. ERDAHL, ROSEVILLE; BISHOP EMERITUS, ST. PAUL AREA SYNOD, ELCA