Stances of Faiths on LGBT Issues: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
While the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with approximately 5 million members, has approved repeated resolutions of welcome for gay and lesbian people since 1991, that welcome varies widely from synod to synod and congregation to congregation across the denomination. At its 2009 Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA lifted its previous requirement of celibacy for lesbian and gay pastors and allowed for those in committed same-sex relationships to serve the church openly. The Assembly also voted to honor same-sex commitment or marriage ceremonies in ELCA congregations wishing to bless them.
While individual synods have made statements or created local policies regarding transgender clergy, the ELCA has, to date, been silent on its transgender members.
Gay and Lesbian People in the Church
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America officially and unequivocally welcomes gays and lesbians and their families. In an open letter in 1996, the Lutheran bishops reaffirmed this message and condemned homophobia and anti-gay discrimination:
“To gay and lesbian members, we write to you in hope and out of faith. We all live with the pain of a church that experiences sharp disagreements on some issues. Yet we walk beside you and we value your gifts and commitment to the Church. … We repudiate all words and acts of hatred toward gay and lesbian persons in our congregations and in our communities, and extend a caring welcome for gay and lesbian persons and their families. We call upon all our pastors, as they exercise pastoral care, to be sensitive to the gifts and needs of gay and lesbian members.”
At its Churchwide Assembly in 2009, the ELCA adopted a social statement titled, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” which recognizes:
"… the complex and varied situations people have in relation to human sexuality: being in relationships, being single, being a friend, living in a young or aging body, being male or female, being young or old, or having different sexual orientations and gender identities. In whatever the situation, all people are called to build trust in relationships and in the community.”
The social statement also recommits the denomination to its oppositions to homophobia, discrimination, and harassment based on sexual orientation as well as committing to pastoral responsibility to LGB people, stating that the ELCA:
"...supports legislation and policies to protect civil rights and to prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, and public services. It has called upon congregations and members to welcome, care for, and support same-gender couples and their families and to advocate for their legal protection. The ELCA recognizes that it has a pastoral responsibility to all children of God. This includes a pastoral responsibility to those who are same-gender in their orientation and to those who are seeking counsel about their sexual self-understanding. All are encouraged to avail themselves of the means of grace and pastoral care.
The statement repeatedly acknowledges that members of the denomination stand on very different sides of the issue of same-sex relationships and calls for mutual respect from all sides as individuals and congregations continue to discern God’s will.
Same-Sex Unions
During its Churchwide Assembly in 2009, the ELCA voted 619 to 402 to commit to finding ways to “allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.” This resolution affirms congregations that choose to recognize same-sex relationships while continuing to respect the validity of conscience of congregations that will not recognize same-sex relationships. Since this resolution does not mandate that all ELCA congregations recognize same-sex unions, ELCA congregations will continue to vary in their beliefs regarding this issue.
Openly Gay Clergy
In 1990 the ELCA approved official guidelines instructing gay and lesbian ministers, even those in lifelong, monogamous same-sex relationships, to remain celibate.
However, in the decades following the approval of these guidelines, the denomination has remained deeply divided on how to relate to people in same-sex relationships, and there has been much ambiguity regarding congregational and synodical practices related to couples and clergy.
In 2009, after eight years of thoughtful theological exploration and denominational discourse on the genuine inclusion of LGB Lutherans in their churches, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly approved a resolution declaring the church’s commitment to “finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as professional leaders of the church.” The passage of this policy came on the heels of the assembly’s approval of a related resolution granting authority to congregations to chose to recognize publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-sex relationships. Both resolutions respect the autonomy of individual congregations with respect to their beliefs regarding lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships.
Resources for LGBT Lutherans
- Lutherans Concerned is a national education and advocacy group with chapters nationwide working on behalf of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues within the church. It has a list of more than 300 gay- and lesbian-welcoming Lutheran congregations.
- Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministries gives financial, legal and pastoral support to ministers who have been victims of discrimination based on sexual orientation
- Extraordinary Candidacy Project works with gay and lesbian seminary students to advance the inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the Lutheran clergy.
- Goodsoil.org is a coalition that aims to change official ELCA policies to become more inclusive of LGBT people.
Headquarters Location
If you would like to communicate with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, here is their mailing address:
Evangelical Lutheran Church
8765 W. Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60631
