Lutherans to allow pastors in gay relationships

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Homosexual Lutheran clergy who are in sexual relationships will be able to serve as pastors, the largest U.S. Lutheran body said on Saturday.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in "faithful committed same-gender relationships."

The resolution passed by a vote of 538-431.

"The Church ... has just said 'Do not do punishments'," said Phil Soucy, spokesman for Lutherans Concerned, a gay-lesbian rights group within the church. "That is huge."

The ELCA, which has 4.8 million members, had previously allowed gays to serve as pastors so long as they abstained from sexual relations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1131383720070811

Thanks for posting it.

I am in awe.

Things will change. Keep pushing, everyone.

Our Lutheran neighbors know we are lesbians and they bring us cookies every Christmas...<g>

Having been raised an atheist just about everything I know about Lutherans is from Garrison Keillor. He mainly says they worry a lot. I asked an online Lutheran friend of mine and she said there are two kinds of Lutherans, the ones who worry a lot and the ones who don't. I don't know what any of this means but I like cookies.

Lee