I am going to reveal my voting record pertaining to the resolutions regarding sexuality at this year’s ELCA Churchwide Assembly in order to hopefully offer some helpful perspective. I expect that my friends on both sides of the issue will be surprised with the way in which I voted. In a later post, I will explain in a bit more detail regarding why I voted the way I did, since it will likely seem irrational to many.
My votes:
- Social Statement on Sexuality: Against
- Resolution 1 (originally resolution 3, regarding respecting the bound conscience of all parties): For
- Resolution 2 (regarding a desire to support and hold publicly accountable those in monogamous, lifelong same-gendered relationships): Against
- Resolution 3 (regarding a desire to roster those in such relationships): Against
- Resolution 4 (the practical outcome of rostering such persons): For
As many can see, in general, I was not in favor of the resolutions being brought before this assembly in relation to human sexuality. I voted in favor of Resolution 4 as a symbolic gesture to affirm my desire to stay within the ELCA even though I disagree with the actions taken by the assembly. An additional amendment was added to Resolution 4 that strengthened the protection of those in the minority on this matter. Because of this, I was compelled to stand alongside those with whom I disagree and say that I am willing to continue to be a church together with them and to offer my voice to them.
Some, both individuals and churches, will leave the the ELCA over this assembly’s actions, and I think that is unfortunate. On Twitter, someone said that, “The true Church is neither constituted or destroyed because of a vote. Where Christ is – there is the Church.” And I agree. With the vote today, there was no ontological change in the church catholic or the ELCA. This vote simply turned into “official” church policy that which was already taking place within the ELCA. Yes, there will be practical implications of this decision today. But Hope Lutheran Church, where I serve, can continue to preach with conviction our interpretation of scripture, to feed the hungry, to worship God, to minister to and with our youth, and every other good work of mission and ministry that we are already doing. At this point, we are not being asked to act contrary to our deeply held convictions, and I believe we should stay within this national church body.
Martin Luther himself remained within the Roman Catholic church until it was clear to him that his ability to proclaim the gospel was being hindered by remaining within that body. I would admonish those in the ELCA who are now on the side of the minority on this issue to do the same.
Matt, I want to say two things:
1. Thanks for being at the churchwide assembly and for your hard work. I had the privilege of being there to help for two days and everyone I encountered understood the gravity of their work and your comments echo that reality and the thoughtfulness with which you did your work.
2. I also appreciate your openness about not only how you voted, but why. Your candor was helpful.
Thanks for your leadership in our church.
Beautiful.
thanks for being honest about your hopes for the church. i wish more of our brethren would follow suit.
walking in synod may not always mean agreeing with everything but agreeing where it is most important and loving regardless.
Hi Micheal – I appreciate your heartfelt response. I was at CWA in 2005 – it was not an inspiring experience as it was the beginning of my current sense of disconnect I feel from the ELCA. I appreciate your thoughtful and hard work as a voting member. Most pastors and leaders I know in the ELCA are taking the tack that you are in this post, i.e. we will continue to do our ministry as we have before in our local setting regardless of this vote. I will likely have to take a similar route in my current context. However, for many being yoked with a Church that now has moved (in my opinion of course) away from its own confession of faith is not an option. We are members of the ELCA and thus, according to the ELCA Constitution, are an expression of the ELCA. Whether we like it or not, the “final legislative body,” the CWA of the ELCA states and establishes our position. Perhaps Congregations will have to write their own positions where it differs from the ELCA.
I’m thankful for this post.
I’m one of those who find myself in the 4th paragraph of the Bound Conscience portion of the statement and I am infinitely glad that the ELCA has taken the tougher road of staying together through our differences and finding ways to worship and commune together despite our differently bound consciences.
I’d like to know where all my fellow churchmembers stand in terms of where their consciences are bound. part of me would love to have people read the 4 different paragraphs of the Social Statement and mark which represent their view. Bringing our differences to the light of day can be very healthy if we can still respect each other.
I am not Lutheran. However, I am a Christ follower. When you start allowing “sin” to enter the church and become accepted as “OK,” you minimize what God has said in his word. Sin is clearly defined in scripture, whether this issue or another. What other sin is “OK” by the ELCA’s standards? That of adultery, carousing, lying, murder, etc??? I would not like to be in the position of being a leader, or even a member, of the ELCA. God will not allow His name to be mocked. I believe the symbolism of the steeple now hanging in Mnpls is a sign that the Holy Spirit has written “Ichabod” on the ELCA and He has left. If Christ has left, what is keeping you there?
Matt, you sound like my faithful husband. And that is a good and blessed thing. Jesus loves the Church which is Christ’s body, the “fullness of him that fills all in all”. The divine husband loves his bride even in a baggy sweatshirt, ripped jeans, bare feet and pretty crabby and unwise at times. That’s what it takes to know God’s heart as our own, to love no matter what. Proud of the way you have loved well. Dr. C.
“With the vote today, there was no ontological change in the church catholic or the ELCA.”
Hi Matt,
The ELCA is not the church. It is a corporation which has only existed for the last 21 years of the church’s 1976 year history. {I am going on the assumption that the church was born on Pentecost in 33 AD}
This means leaving the ELCA is not the same as leaving the church. If any congregation is in a position where it can leave the ELCA, then I think it should. Since the ELCA has just tossed 1976 years of Christian understanding of marriage out the door, then the ELCA can drop dead, go to hell and be damned, as far as I am concerned.
I hope that my church can be persuaded to exist that vile institution. In the coming months, I will see what happens. But I cannot abide the thought of even one penny of my offering getting sent to the damnable ELCA.
Let me ask you…what in the world are we supposed to say when asked what the Christian view of marriage is? Should we stammer, “Well, in my opinon or the opinion of our congregation, marriage is a union of a man and a woman established by God, but the church teaches it might be one or the other, but we have to respect the ‘bound consciences’ of those who think they know better than Jesus”?
Sorry for ranting on your blog.
Stuart, if blogs aren’t for ranting, then I’m not sure what they’re for! I know I use it as a medium for such.
Your point is well taken. Wish I had time to say more.
Is this decision by the ELCA a heretical move in your view?
Heretical, apostate, just plain stupid…take your pick!
I have no idea right now what to do. I joined my church last Novermber after years of atheism and deism. I like my congregation, made friends there, and serve as a substitute lector, communion assistant, and take part in the Bible studies. And it shows no signs now of embracing this nonsense from the CWA. But that ELCA label makes it seem unclean now.
What to do? At present, nothing except see what transpires over the coming months and hope for secession, or at least by-law changes and affiliation with LutheranCORE or LCMC.
See, I’m not willing to classify this decision as heresy quite yet. Most of us use the 2000 year history of Christianity to provide support for our view that homosexuality is sinful.
However, that same 2000 year history does not typically classify poor moral decisions as heresy. Heresy almost always has to do with what is at the core of the Christian faith and belief. Usually starting at the Nicene and Apostle’s Creed is helpful.
A practicing homosexual and congregations that bless and ordain them can still say, and say with conviction, “I believe in God the Father Almighty…” Historically the issue of sexuality has never been creedal, and we should be slow to make it creedal today.
I stand with you in agreement that the decisions made at this past assembly were the wrong ones. However, we must not throw the term heresy around to justify our cause.
This is one of the reasons I think it it premature to leave the ELCA. When we start questioning the resurrection, I’m out. But sexuality is not on that level, in my view.
Hi Matt,
Ok, if heresy has a proper, more nuanced meaning, then I’ll go with not saying ELCA is heretical.
But I’m still not loyal to it.
I went to an open house tonight. The bishop of Del-Mar synod spoke on what happened there. A young woman there said the assembly was the worst experience of her church life. She heard it all. We are hateful, “homophobic”, unenlightened, etc. All the usual ad hominems the PC revisionist crowd habitually uses. And they want us to leave. Really! All this babble about respecting bound consciences is really about revenue. They want us gone….but they need the money too.
I say, let them have the ELCA. And let them pay for it. With a bit of effort and some adventerous spirit, we can find greener pastures by leaving Egypt to the Egyptians.
For my own part, I’m remaining with my local congregation. Even if it does not leave ELCA, there are other ideas being discussed among some friends on council. Affiliation with CORE, amending bylaws are some. My idea is to start a separate bank account devoted only to the needs of the local church, and members who wish may designate their offerings to this so 100% will go to the local church. And I’m also looking into status confessionis for myself. Clergy and laity can do this.
The ELCA should just merge with the Unitarian Church it would be a good fit.
That is absurd. Unitarians are anti-trinitarian and deny the incarnation. The ELCA is not even close to the Unitarians.
Matt,
Thanks for your honesty and openness! Being committed to the church takes guts! Thanks for having guts man!
Matt i love you in the most hetero-sexual Christ filled way possible 😀 I’m thinking of actually applying for a Diplomat//Ambassador position here real soon with all the politically correct, patient, love filled, positive rhetoric I’ve had to us in the past few months in ministry here, defending all that God has done and will continue to do in the midst of the ELCA’s stance…. Just like God is still moving in the PCusa and the Episcopal churches who faced this as well… Just like in the Baptist churches with their strong views on women leadership (or lack there of) just like God’s Spirit even moving through a non church member to give water or food to the very presence of Christ found in the homeless. I think…no… I know a lot of the remarks made here are very childish and God limiting based on human action. If my God can be out smarted and out done by a vote…he is not much of a God
I am not in agreement with the CWA outcome but for now I will stay with my church. My concern is with churches like herchurch.org. This is an ELCA church with lesbian pastors. They do not use the word God for God but but call God Goddess and they call Jesus Sophia. Is this what we can expect from churches pastored by lesbians? Why does the ELCA not discipline this church. This is scary stuff. God help us all.
Why you would want to stay in a denomination that continues to make policy decisions and change theology that goes against God’s word, is beyond me. You would not stay in a Christ that denies Christ is the only way to heaven would you? Opps. I forgot that the ELCA is now promoting theology and making policy decisions based on Universal Salvation. The vote was just another piece of straw on the camel’s back. They deny God’s word at every turn. Staying in that denomination is kind of like hangin’ with Satan, Imo. Check out http://www.exposingtheelca.com. For those that actually think the Bible is God’s Word. Pass this on.
Matt
I was being absurb but no more than the ELCA has become. Their teachings are herectical.
The ELCA is preaching universal salvation, anti zionism, and denial of the scripture as the word of God. They decided to write their own book.
In my opinion the ELCA is as dangerous as wolves in a sheep pen.
Returning almost a year after your previous comment. That’s pretty impressive. Now, I’m no apologist for the ELCA, but I do like to get my facts straight, so I went and looked up the ELCA “stance” on salvation. At the end of their treatment of Braaten’s statements, they close with:
Will, then, all people be saved in the end? We must say with Braaten, “We do not … know the answer. (That) is stored up in the mystery of God’s own future. All (God) has let us know in advance is that he will judge the world according to the measure of his grace and love made known in Jesus Christ, which is ultimately greater than the fierceness of his wrath or the hideousness of our sin.”
Hans Urs von Balthasar has said that we cannot know whether all are saved, but we must hope for it. I, for one, believe that the grace of God can be so encompassing that it knows no bounds and could provide for the salvation of all. I hope it does. But we cannot know that until the end, and so I live my life hoping to proclaim the gospel to all people. The ELCA stance sounds much the same.
Matt, Thank you for this post and your view on these matters. While I’m not an ELCA the similar issue of sexual have been a continued debate in the United Methodist Church. I have long feared the day when what is now a minority becomes a majority and we begin to ordain homosexuals, etc. I have feared this because I struggle with how I will respond. Your post sheds a new light on this issue for me and when the time comes I must consider the fact that the actions of one body do not affect the church but rather official church policy for one stream of faith within the entire story of Christianity.
Matt I not trying to be impressive nor judgemental, self righteous or what ever. I read the mumbo jumbo of the elca as Universal Salvation. I am not theologian nor do I wish to be especially one school in the ELCA.
The elca is a cop out form of Christianity just trying to be “progressive” and be open to all forms of worship whether it is Allah, Budda, a Tree, Mother Earth, Clay idol or a fence post. Worshiping a “god” other than the Christ is not fine, unless there some other way, and the bible states there no other way by which man can be saved but though Christ. I am not ashamed nor afraid to profess this. Christian’s ought to be just that Christian disciples of Christ. Either you believe or do not.
Stanley, you get the award for reviving discussions from the dead. It’s pretty impressive that you come back months later.
Fair enough.