(Lutheran) Gay pastor faces firing -- or a reprieve

[struggle4progress]

A Lutheran disciplinary committee ordered a gay pastor fired under a church rule, but said the rule should be reconsidered first.
By DORIE TURNER
Associated Press

ATLANTA - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said Thursday it is removing from the clergy a gay minister who announced he has a partner.

The Rev. Bradley Schmeling, who has led St. John's Lutheran Church in Atlanta since 2000, will be removed from the roster effective Aug. 15, according to a report from the ELCA's disciplinary committee.

The committee, however, also said that the church document that bars practicing homosexuals from the clergy is ''bad policy'' and encouraged church leaders to abandon it. The delay in Schmeling's removal gives the ELCA a chance to nullify it by changing the document at an August meeting.

Without the language in the document, the panel said it would agree with near unanimity that there is nothing about Schmeling's relationship ``that would impede the proclamation of the Gospel or the right administration of the sacraments.'' ...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/religion/16657837.htm

[54anickel]

1. Guess this will give the ELCA a "nudge" to address the constitution. I know

they've tried before. If I understand correctly it's more the "rank and file" at the congregation level that's against it than the leaders of the ELCA. And I think it's a slim majority. Part of the issue is congregations like the one I'm in that have members that refuse to even discuss the issue. They say they want to discuss when the ELCA brings it up, but then quickly sweep it under the rug to avoid any conflicts among themselves.

The WordAlone types are quickly becoming a minority in our congregation though. I think the ELCA is looking at loosing another splinter group, which was one reason they put the question of gays on the back burner. Seemed silly to me, they are going to loose the WordAlone types anyway, and the ELCA leadership has already made up their mind on allowing gay clergy. Guess they're trying to hold it all together.

Funny the article doesn't state which "church document" they are referring to. The ELCA constitution, the congregation's constitution or something else. :shrug:

Rather strange that they had no problems with his being gay until he "acted" upon it. The disciplinary proceedings are for "violating church rules barring sex outside of marriage". Wow, they let unmarried couples that live together join the church - whazzupwitdat?

[struggle4progress]

2. ELCA Discipline Hearing Committee Rules in Atlanta Case (ELCA News Service)

February 8, 2007
ELCA Discipline Hearing Committee Rules in Atlanta Case
07-019-JB

... The Rev. Ronald B. Warren, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Synod, Atlanta, filed charges against Schmeling on Aug. 8, 2006. Warren explained in "A Pastoral Letter of Disclosure" that Schmeling admitted to him that he was in violation of the ELCA's "Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline" for ordained ministers ...

Normally the churchwide organization does not release the contents of decisions of discipline hearing committees, but in this case the parties themselves released the complete written decision.

The text of the decision indicated that the committee was nearly unanimous in its concern that "Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline" and "Vision and Expectations: Ordained Ministers in the ELCA" "are at least bad policy, and may very well violate the constitution and bylaws of this church." The committee said it was specifically concerned with a sentence in "Definitions and Guidelines" that states: "Practicing homosexual persons are precluded from the ordained ministry of this church."

The committee said that if it was relieved of that requirement, it would find "almost unanimously that Pastor Schmeling is not engaged in conduct that is incompatible with the ministerial office, and would find with near unanimity that no discipline of any sort should be imposed against him." ...

http://www.elca.org/ScriptLib/CO/ELCA_News/encArticleList.asp?article=3521


I think these are the documents:

Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline
http://www.elca.org/legal/synods/guidelines.html

Vision and Expectations: Ordained Ministers in the ELCA
http://www.elca.org/candidacy/vision_ordained.html