Friday Blog 2 ELCA Assembly

Here are a few of the highlights for this morning as the Ministry Proposals were brought before the Assembly. Right from the start there was a motion to consider Proposal #3 as #1 (...that in the implementation of any resolutions on ministry policies the ELCA commits itself to bear one another's burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all). It was then moved that the Assembly would "substitute" the following for the new #1 "Rostered leadership of this church who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual relations and practicing homosexual persons are precluded from rostered leadership in this church." This motion was defeated. Had it been accepted, the rest of the Ministry Proposals would have been null and void.

Then, #1 was amended with a few grammatical notes (underlined above) It passed 77.02 for; 22.98% against

As we were ready to deal with what would now be Proposal #2 (the ELCA commit itself to finding ways to allow congregations and synods that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships) a voting member made a motion that the remaining three proposals must meet a 'super-majority.' Even though we dealt with this on the opening evening, it was allowed to come to a vote here. It needed a 2/3 majority and was defeated.
Proposal #2 came to a vote and passed 60.63% for; 39.37% against.

We presently have the new Proposal #3 on the table (the ELCA commit itself to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church. Debate started and the lines were long. We finally had a lunch break and will return to the debate in the middle of this afternoon. In this debate, I though both sides attempted to be quite gracious. At the same time, there were some very definite "threat" sounding exchanges from some who do not want to make this change. One pastor noted in his opening line, "I'm a pastor in the ELCA - at least for a few more hours." After considerable conversation there was a motion to call for the close of debate (needing a 2/3 vote) and it fell short with a vote of 62.05% - for; 37.95% against.

During the lunch break I was called by the Dispatch for some of my thoughts. I never know what they will print. I started and ended my conversation with a quote by Bishop Peter Rogness when he greeted the assembly the first night. He noted that we are "A Pentecostal fugue - many voices, one song." If that is all she quotes from me - I will be honored.