Evangelical lutheran church in america lgbtq
Resources for the LGBTQIA+ Community
This is Christ's church. There is a place for you here.
We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person – questions, complexities and all.
ELCA social statement on human sexuality
Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust expresses ELCA teaching on human sexuality. A social statement is a teaching and policy document that assists us in thinking about and discussing social issues in the context of faith and society. This statement was adopted in and provides guidance on matters like marriage, family and same-gender relationships.
LGBTQIA+ voices and ministries in Living Lutheran
We are a church that values and encourages diverse voices and lively dialogue.
Find articles authored by LGBTQIA+ church leaders and stories about ministries that affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Living Lutheran magazine and on
Evangelical Lutheran Worship Service of Marriag During LGBT Pride Month (June), many ELCA congregations pay special attention to issues around sexual orientation and gender identity. Because the LGBTQ community has often been ignored or even condemned by Christian churches, some congregations explore to extend a specific welcome that directly addresses their spiritual needs. The following suggestions for welcoming the community are based largely on my experience and the experience of my LGBTQ friends and church members—your congregation and friends may be different. One of the best ways to welcome and affirm us is to ask. Don’t be adj to be ready to change. Many ELCA congregations have not yet had a conversation about what it means to be “welcoming and affirming.” If key leaders (pastoral or lay) are ready to start that conversation, ReconcilingWorks can help. For more than 40 years the organization has helped congregations move toward welcome, inclusion and equity for LGBTQ people. Its national “Building an Inclusive Church” trainings are held year-round and equip church In a historic move, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has elected its first-ever openly gay bishop. The Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin has been elected to a six-year term to the Southwest California Synod, which encompasses the greater Los Angeles area. GLAAD is working with Dr. Erwin and LGBT advocacy organizations within the Lutheran Church to verb media attention to this historic election for the denomination. This is a significant step for the ELCA, who, until , had banned clergy in same-gender relationships. Prior to , hundreds of gay and lesbian clergy were forced out of congregations or served under secrecy. Hundreds of seminary students were not granted ordination, simply for being gay. Many left the denomination to more welcoming denominations or to connect a roster of Lutheran pastors who refused to comply with the policy. Dr. Erwin is a native of Oklahoma and an active member of the Osage Tribe of Indians. Dr. Erwin also sits on the board of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, which expands ministry opportunities for publicly-identified LGBT The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will not remove conscience protections for members who oppose same-sex marriage, according to a church official. In , the progressive mainline denomination voted to approve an editing process for a document, which, among other things, required the denomination to respect different opinions on LGBT issues among members. Some expressed concern that the edits could lead to the removal of conscience protections for member congregations that are theologically opposed to recognizing same-sex marriages. Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. However, Ryan P. Cumming, program director for the ELCA's Theological Ethics, Education, and Community Engagement, has stated that this will not be the case. In comments emailed to The Christian Post on Wednesday, Cumming said that the "reconsideration is editorial only" a
1. Talk about becoming an affirming congregation.
ELCA will not remove conscience protections for gay marriage opponents: official
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