New Jersey Lutherans Back Actively Gay cCergy

The New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America overwhelmingly approved a resolution last week asking the venerable Protestant denomination to change its policy requiring gay clergy to abstain from having sexual relations. See the news article at: (http://www.northjersey.com/page.phpqstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MTQ5OTAwJnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==). This quote sets the parameters of the issue:

"The feeling was we'd be a healthier church if we could be less restrictive," said Bishop E. Roy Riley, who oversees the approximately 200 ELCA churches in New Jersey.

The action by the New Jersey synod, along with similar measures by more than a dozen synods nationwide, sets the stage for a showdown with conservatives when the Chicago-based denomination holds its national meeting in August.

"I think our church is heading for some kind of division," said the Rev. Gerhardt Kugler, a Union City pastor who opposed the resolution. "What I'm afraid of is that there is going to be some painful conflicts and some breaking of fellowship."

In 2005, the ECLA Church wide Assembly defeated a resolution to ordain gay candidates who are in lifelong relationships by a vote of 503 to 490. The resolution required a two-thirds majority. Ever since that vote, I have not been able to feel totally comfortable in the ECLA, although I still consider it my church. It is difficult to attend a church where some consider you somehow less worthy than themselves.

In my view, the 2005 vote displayed an attitude on the part of those voting of being more concerned about avoiding a division in the denomination than about doing the right thing. Often doing the right thing leads the Pharisee class (like Rev. Gerhardt Kugler quoted above) to scream and threaten to pick up their marbles and go elsewhere, but it makes it no less the right thing to do. Hopefully, this year the vote to do what is right will prevail over the nonsense of the Pharisee class. I am always amazed by the Pharisee class that claims to be true to the Bible, yet cannot see that they are acting no different than the Pharisees so roundly condemned by Jesus.