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On Friday, August 21st, delegates to the National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to "find a way for people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationship" to serve as officially recognized ministers of that church body, effectively equalizing the norms and standards applying to heterosexual and homosexual clergy alike.
"We rejoice with our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Lutheran Church who have prayed, worked and witnessed for this day," said The Rev. Nancy Wilson, Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches. "Though many have raised concern that this vote for inclusivity and equality will either split the denomination or lead to a mass exodus of those who disagree with the vote, I believe it speaks to the truth that equality is not a 'liberal' or 'conservative' issue, but one of justice, and justice, as our sister Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook has so aptly put it, 'cannot be partitioned.' I believe that the ELCA and the Christian Church at large will be stronger and more unified for this vote of conviction."
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the largest Lutheran body in the United States, with an overall membership of 4.6 million people. The vote by its predominantly Mid-western constituency may signal an overall movement in the nation toward wider acceptance and support of LGBT equality among middle Americans.
The Lutheran body joins the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ as mainline denominations extending equality in the ministry to its straight and gay leadership alike. While the vote upholds the primacy of conscience, allowing individual congregations to decide whether to call gay clergy or lay leaders into active service, it nonetheless "affirms the vision of Scripture and its prophets: a house of prayer for all God's people," said The Rev. Wilson. "The ECLA has joined a growing movement of the faithful who understand and affirm that sexual orientation and gender identity are gifts of God intended to be celebrated and affirmed."
"We welcome our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church," she continued, "who now stand with MCC in praying for the day when the church of Jesus Christ will be one family of equals."
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