General Overview Human Sexuality: Gift & Trust and Resolutions to Ministry Policies

1. General OverviewHuman Sexuality: Gift & Trustand Resolutions to Ministry Policies ELCA CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY August 17 – 23, 2009

2. ELCA Churchwide Organization Churchwide Assembly (voting members elected by synods) Conference of Bishops Church Council Presiding Bishop Program Units Service Units Offices • Office of the Presiding Bishop • Ecumenical & Inter-Religious Relations • Research & Evaluation • Worship & Liturgical Resources • Human Resources • Synodical Relations • Office of the Secretary • Office of the Treasurer • Information Technology • Management Services • Church in Society • Vocation & Education • Evangelical Outreach & Congregational Mission • Multicultural Ministries • Global Mission • Communication Services • Development Services • ELCA Foundation • Mission Investment Fund • Board of Pensions Independent Units • The Lutheran • Women of the ELCA • Augsburg Fortress

3. 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly“God’s Work. Our Hands.”August 17-23, 2009, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN

4. 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly“God’s Work. Our Hands.”August 17-23, 2009, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN Areas of Focus • HIV and AIDS Strategy • Lutheran Malaria Initiative • Full Communion Agreement with United Methodist Church • Social Statement on Human Sexuality • Ministry Policies • Update on “Book of Faith: Lutherans Read the Bible” • Budget (including World Hunger and Disaster Relief) • Memorials, Resolutions and Constitutional changes • Election of Vice President • Celebrations

5. The ELCA’s10th Social Statement Human Sexuality: Gift & Trust

6. Support Leaders Support Congregations Public Church New Social StatementHuman Sexuality: Gift & Trust • What is in the new social statement? • The social statement draws upon classic Lutheran themes to address the complex issues of sexuality: • Justification by grace through faith • Trust • Vocation • Ten Commandments • Freedom of the Christian for service to the neighbor • It addresses a broad scope of issues, including marriage, family, children, divorce, sexuality outside marriage, and friendship. • It also speaks about social issues, including: • Sexual abuse • Global sex-trade exploitation • Professional misconduct • Social structures that support relationships and enhance trust

7. Support Leaders Support Congregations Public Church New Social StatementHuman Sexuality: Gift & Trust • What does the statement say about homosexuality? • It states that the ELCA is opposed to all forms of violence or discrimination against homosexuals and is committed to welcoming all people, regardless of sexual orientation, and their families into our congregations. • On the matter of whether or how to regard lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships, the social statement describes several broadly representative positions that members in this church hold. • It acknowledges that these follow from strongly held differing understandings of Scripture and tradition. • The statement recognizes that these differing understandings will continue to exist among ELCA members and affirms the possibility of living together in continued discussion despite our disagreements. • We can do this by drawing deeply on the historical Lutheran tradition of respecting the other’s conscience and seeking a caring response to the needs of the neighbor.

8. “Vision and Expectations: Ordained Ministers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” Recommendations on Changes to Policies Related to Rostering

9. Vision and ExpectationsIII. The Ordained Minister as Person and Example Sexual conduct. The expectations of this church regarding the sexual conduct of its ordained ministers are grounded in the understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that ordained ministers are to live in such a way as to honor this gift. Ordained ministers are expected to reject sexual promiscuity, the manipulation of others for purposes of sexual gratification, and all attempts of sexual seduction and sexual harassment, including taking physical or emotional advantage of others. Single ordained ministers are expected to live a chaste life. Married ordained ministers are expected to live in fidelity to their spouses, giving expression to sexual intimacy within a marriage relationship that is mutual, chaste, and faithful. Ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships. As adopted by ELCA Church Council, October 1990

10. Support Leaders Revisions to Ministry Policies Support Congregations Public Church Adopted Resolutions • Commit to bear one another’s burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of those with whom they disagree regarding decisions on the call and rostering of individuals in such relationships (passed with 77% majority: 771-230) • The very fact that several different positions may be bound to Scripture means that we cannot simply assert one interpretation of Scripture over another but are called to respect consciences in the community of faith on this matter. • The emphasis of “bound conscience” is not on declaring oneself to be conscience-bound; rather it is that we recognize the conscience-bound nature of the convictions of others in the community of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:28–29). • When Christians disagree about an ethical issue of this magnitude, one important category for determining the policy of the church may be the recognition that participants in this debate are disagreeing not out of pride or selfish desires, but because their consciences are bound to particular interpretations of Scripture and tradition.

11. Support Leaders Revisions to Ministry Policies Support Congregations Public Church Adopted Resolutions • Find ways to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships (passed with 61% majority: 619-402) • Does this mean the ELCA has endorsed the blessing of same-gender unions? • No, the assembly was not asked to consider and thus took no action concerning a churchwide rite of blessing. • The assembly’s action means that a congregation is permitted to find ways to hold publicly accountable same-gender relationships that intend to be lifelong and monogamous and to surround these couples and their families with prayer and support in a variety of ways. The action adopted does not require any congregation to do so.

12. Support Leaders Revisions to Ministry Policies Support Congregations Public Church Adopted Resolutions • Find a way for people in such relationships to serve as rostered leaders (passed with 55% majority: 559-451) • The church's policy previously allowed gays and lesbians into the ordained ministry only if they remained celibate. • A resolution that would have reasserted the church's current policy drew 344 votes (34%), but failed because it was rejected by 670 of the voting members.

13. Support Leaders Revisions to Ministry Policies Support Congregations Public Church Adopted Resolutions • This final resolution, approved with a 68% majority (667-307), calls upon members to: • Respect the bound consciences of those with whom they disagree; • Declare the intent to allow structured flexibility in decision-making about candidacy and the call process; • Eliminate the prohibition of rostered service by members in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships; • This resolution requires public accountability of anyone in life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships who seeks to be an ELCA pastor, deaconess, diaconal minister, or associate in ministry. • Recognize and commit to respect the conviction of members who believe that the ELCA should not call or roster people in committed same-gender relationships; • The ELCA must make provision in its policies to recognize the conviction of members who believe that this church shall not call or roster people in publicly accountable, lifelong monogamous, same-gender relationships. Continued on next page . . .

14. Support Leaders Revisions to Ministry Policies Support Congregations Public Church Adopted Resolutions 4. (Continued) • Called for development of accountability guidelines; • Directed that appropriate amendments to ministry policy documents be drafted and approved by the Church Council; • The changes must honor the differences of convictions within the ELCA while maintaining this church’s present approach of having consistent churchwide ministry policies that are applied by synods, congregations, and others according to local ministry needs. • Urged that this church continue to trust congregations, bishops, synods and others responsible for determining who should be called into public ministry. • Make provision in policies to eliminate the prohibition of rostered service by members who are in such relationships.

15. In Summary . . . What do these changes mean relative to our call as congregations to be faithful, welcoming, and generous - - - sharing the mind of Christ?

16. Moving Forward Together • Congregations are asked to: • Stay engaged with one another • Stay focused on mission • Review the content of Human Sexuality: Gift & Trust in detail • Ensure common understanding of scope and content • Ensure clarity on implementing resolutions • Review the content of the revisions to “Vision and Expectations: Ordained Ministers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” in detail • Ensure common understanding of scope and content of the changes • Partner together to determine impact (if any) of these changes on their mission and ministry together

17. Moving Forward Together • Congregations are asked to partner together to determine impact (if any) of the decisions made by the 2009 CWA on their mission and ministry together. For example: • Does the congregation commit to “bear one another’s burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of those with whom they disagree” regarding decisions on the call and rostering of individuals in such relationships? • Will the congregation choose to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships? • What are the “guiding principles” for rostered leaders going forward? • As a body, does the congregation believe that this church shall not call or roster people in publicly accountable, lifelong monogamous, same-gender relationships? • Is the congregation willing to call a single pastor who has indicated they are homosexual? • Is the congregation willing to call a pastor who is in a publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationship? • Should these decisions be made broadly or on a “call-by-call” basis? • Others?