Evangelical Lutheran Church of America votes YES to GLBT Ministry and Marriage!

GREAT DAY to be GAY!

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America votes to invite people who are in same sex relationships into ministry!!!!!

After the presiding Bishop Hanson discovered that it was time for a prayer he discovered there was none ready. The congregation laughed together as Bishop Hanson asked if that gaff would not be included in the minutes. This is the soul of the ECLA as members who emotionally and passionately dissented to allowing GLBT ministry called for their congregations to maintain the body in Christ and to not vote to succeed from the ELCA.

Effectively concurring with item 2 the ELCA voted yes to allow Gay and Lesbian clergy. There was passed an amendment that does require to respect those whose policy is to prohibit the exclusion or inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the ELCA

The 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, meeting in Chicago, directed the task force assigned to develop the social statement on human sexuality to "specifically address and make recommendations to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly on changes to any policies that preclude practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of this church." The church maintains official rosters for associates in ministry, deaconesses, diaconal ministers and ordained clergy.

The report and a four-step recommendation were released in February 2009. The report discusses concepts such as "bound conscience" and "structure flexibility." Assembly voting members will decide to accept or reject the recommendation, or amend any part of it. The ELCA Church Council recommended that each part of the recommendation requires a majority vote to adopt.

The assembly amended the order of consideration of ministry policies resolutions to 3, 1, 2, 4.
The four-step process asks these questions:


Step one asks the assembly whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding ways to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.
APPROVED

Step two asks the assembly whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as professional leaders of this church.
Approved

Step three asks this church whether, in the future implementation of these commitments, it will make decisions so that all in this church bear the burdens of the other, and respect the bound consciences of all.
APPROVED

Step four proposes the specifics of how this church can move toward change in a way that respects the bound consciences of all.
APPROVED

"Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust," a proposed ELCA social statement

Historic Day Gay Marriage and Clergy Approved

LGBT & Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal or Presbyterian? Progressive Inclusive or exclusive dogma.

LGBT people are in a struggle that is part of the continuum. As long as one person is different from another there will be those in power who's fulfillment will come from excluding others.

Source New Jersey On-Line

* The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (4.7 million members), whose weeklong meeting in Minneapolis begins today will vote on whether non-celibate gay people can be ordained as Lutheran clergy, and on a statement saying same-gendered relationships have a place in the church.

* In July, the United Methodist News Service announced that the United Methodist Church (11 million members, 8 million of whom are Americans) is on track, based on early voting results, to reject an amendment that would let any professed Christian become a church member. Conservative opponents viewed the proposed change as implicit acceptance of homosexuality.

* Last month, the Episcopal Church USA (2.1 million members) rescinded a moratorium on electing gay bishops, a moratorium imposed under Anglican pressure three years after Robinson's election. It also said clergy can bless same-sex unions.

* In June, the Presbyterian Church USA (2.3 million members) announced the rejection of an amendment that would have let non-celibate gay people become clergy.

.John 6:58
The bread that comes down from heaven isn't like what your ancestors ate. They died, but whoever eats this bread will live forever.
John 6:57-59 (in Context) John 6 (Whole Chapter)

Thanks to walking with Intergrity for posting this.

walking with integrity.blogspot

Faith Has No Boundaries~The Bridge to Victory for LGBT Advocates

Like a fireman guiding a plume of water faith based GLBT advocacy focuses on the very root and cause of bigotry and ignorance.

LGBT faith advocates that worship with people who oppose us on equality, in their Churches, are accessing the most viable path to successfully opening hearts and may soon share an incredible spiritual link with even our most intense opponent.

Christs love knows no boundaries.

LGBT Faith advocates are absolutely essential for our civil rights movements success.

In Christianity, historically the most successful and victorious opponents of GLBT rights worships along side of us every Sunday. We might be sharing the same interior walls or be miles apart but we are together none the less at the base of Christ's cross.

Some Christian ministers have become lost and have divided their congregations by encouraging distrust, fear and anger. Yes fear and anger. This is what motivated the originators of the exclusion of people of color in the past, and presently is targeting LGBT people by seeking to deny us from full participation in worship and serving our god.

There is one fatal flaw to that strategy. In the long run anger becomes a barren rock, swept clean of all pretentious facades, exposing to believers of Christ the underlying ugliness of bigotry.

Christians soon recognize hate as contrary to everything we share and love and the process of doubting these unfortunate and misleading ministries begins. A new fertile soil is joined with the rock and our tears nurture the seeds of love and hope.

The when and where this realization begins is up to each and everyone of us.

If we only worship in our LGBT churches the word of Christ will remain muted. If we choose to be a part of this wind and worship on Sundays when we are strong enough to bare our souls at Churches we know reject us, we bring this conversation undeniably to full view.

Choose a Sunday!

Choose a Sunday when you feel strong, put on apparel, {or in my case I'm a transgender woman and I just have to go:} that makes you visible and sit down in a pew. Breath in the moment. You will feel every possiable emotion being emitted from your neighbours. Fear and loathing will be first. These are learned reactions so when people see that you are there to truly worship distrust and fear are discarded. Some may still loath you and object to your very presence and You might be denied communion. Its not easy, but our saviour suffered for us so we us could do this. On that very day you will have accomplished a miracle. You will have touched people deeply by your bravery and faith. You will have introduced and communicated on a personal level our community to people who otherwise would have never known us.

Whether I am going to burn in hell as one Baptist Minister told me or that I am a true disciple of Jesus, as I am convinced we share our faith together. I will go to his church on Sunday and love Jesus Christ as much as if I was in a MCC Church. This is the bridge. Solid as a rock and available for us to cross to victory.

Institute for Welcoming Resources Two groundbreaking studies find religious voices critical to the advancement of LGBT equality

Soulforce Sundays of Solidarity

peace,

Kelli Anne Busey
June 5, 2009
planetransgender