Frequently Asked Questions related to
ELCA Churchwide Assembly actions on
Ministry Policy and Procedures
My congregation does not approve of the policies that have now been accepted. Will we be forced to implement these new policies? No. An amendment to the recommendations mandates that provisions be made in whatever policies are approved to “recognize the conviction of members who believe that this church should not call or roster people in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship.”
Are these policies in place now? No. New policies cannot be implemented until they are developed in consultation with the Conference of Bishops and adopted by the ELCA Church Council. The timeline for that process is uncertain, but it will be at least several months before such policies can be developed. November at the earliest; many have suggested that it will take longer.
Will my congregation be forced to call a particular pastor? No congregation will be expected to call a pastor it does not believe is being sent to them by the Holy Spirit.
Is the ELCA now going to perform gay marriages? This church’s understanding of marriage has not changed. Marriage is between a man and a woman, according to the approved social statement. However, the assembly did find ways “to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support, and hold publicly accountable couples in such relationships.”
Will pastors be forced to perform same-sex unions? No pastor is being asked or is required to bless same sex unions. Pastors have always had the freedom to decline to solemnize a marriage. No one will be forced to act in a way that is against his/her bound conscience. Gay marriage, at this time, is not legal in Pennsylvania.
How did Bishop Hoover vote on the social statement and the ministry policies? Bishop Hoover has stated that he is a bishop of the whole church; therefore, he sees his role as working for unity on all sides of the issue. As a bishop of the whole church, he is called to defend the actions of the whole church. Stating publicly how he voted would only triangulate him in discussions with those on either side of the issue.
Is there a way for mission support money to go to the synod and not to the churchwide expressions of the ELCA? By Synod Assembly action, 50 percent of all mission support given to this synod is given to the churchwide expression of the ELCA. Any change in that percentage would involve a new consultation with the churchwide organization and would need approval by the Lower Susquehanna Synod Council and the ELCA Church Council.
My congregation wants to leave the ELCA. How can we do that? Chapter 6 of the Model Constitution for Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America provides the answer to that question. Please refer to your congregation’s constitution or to the model.
9/08/09
Lower Susquehanna Synod
Office for Communication
LOWER SUSQUEHANNA
SYNOD
900
South Arlington Avenue, Suite 208 Harrisburg,
PA 17109
(717) 652-1852 (800) 692-7282 (PA Only) Fax:
(717) 652-2504