Lutherans divided over gay ministers, but denomination is leading the debate
Close vote results in some churches breaking away
 Pastor Bill Knott, right, and partner Ted Carter practice with the church band before services at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Fort Lauderdale. (April 24, 2010) |
"I'm delighted, of course," the Fort Lauderdale pastor says. "But it won't change the ministry life of the congregation."
But much has changed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with 4.7 million members nationwide. And other mainstream denominations are watching this version of the conflict between liberals and conservatives.
Last summer, delegates to the denomination's biennial assembly voted by a slim margin to allow churches to hire noncelibate gay ministers. That enabled Florida's bishop, Edward R. Benoway, to lift the sanction he had imposed in 2002 when Abiding Savior hired Knott as pastor despite denomination rules.
Most congregations are deeply divided over gay-related issues, Benoway says from Tampa, where he shepherds about 75,000 people in 204 congregations. "But most feel we can do what the Lord calls us to do, and not let this issue dominate."
Perhaps. But in the wake of the national vote, about 200 of the 10,000-plus congregations are considering leaving the denomination.
The Rev. Jeff Linman is dean of the 17 ELCA churches in Central Florida. But even at his own church, a straw poll showed divisions as sharp as those at the national votes."I personally accepted the [national] decision, but I would have said it wasn't time yet," says Linman, pastor of Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Orlando. "It's a no-win situation. We've just replaced one group's pain with another's. And every one of them is part of my flock. And it's a tricky dance."
The issues echo far beyond Lutheran circles. Because of its moderate image and Midwestern home turf, many see ELCA as a bellwether of American Protestantism.
"It's a painful issue, and a lot of denominations are watching to see how we do this," Linman says. "I hope they see we've tried to wrestle with it respectfully."
Abiding Savior is among more than 6,000 "gay-friendly" religious groups nationwide, including 181 in Florida, according to the gaychurch.org website. Besides Lutheran, they include Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, Quaker, even Catholic parishes.
Because of the sharp disagreement, the ELCA has moved slowly and cautiously. For one, the national vote last year didn't require all congregations to accept gay leaders. The delegates also resolved to respect one another's consciences. One of the issues is, well, agreeing on the issue. For conservatives, it's the status of the Bible, which they say flatly forbids homosexual acts. For liberals, it's social justice and human rights.
"Homosexuality is the lightning-rod issue, but the basic issue is the authority of the Word of God," says the Rev. Rebecca Heber, a national steering committee member for Lutheran CORE, who spoke at a Hispanic Lutheran meeting last month in Miami. "Lutherans interpret scripture by scripture, not by the current cultural milieu."
Across the aisle is Ross Murray, interim executive director of Lutherans Concerned/North America, which has lobbied for gay rights since 1974.
"The LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community has been beaten up by churches for quite a while," Murray says. "Now, a lot of people are deciding if church is a safe place for them to go. … The national policy changes were good."
Knott and other liberal pastors also note most Christians today don't follow other biblical bans, such as eating shellfish. "Some things were reflections of their time and place, and not God's word for all time. Yes, homosexuality was a sin in that day and age. But it wasn't the same as a loving, caring relationship."
For many Lutherans, gospel and ministry do seem more important than gay ordination.
"We want to welcome all people," says the Rev. Richard Barbour, of Advent Lutheran Church in Boca Raton. "This is an issue over which faithful Christians disagree."
Linman, the Orlando pastor, compares the situation to a couple who disagree on an issue, yet sleep in the same bed because of their commitment to the marriage.
"The gospel that unites us is greater than what divides us," Linman says. "A generation down the road, this won't be the divisive issue it is now."
