national meeting of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America yesterday denied ordination to gays and lesbians in committed relationships.
The assembly also voted to encourage clergy and congregations to offer pastoral care for ''all to whom they minister." An earlier proposal had specifically mentioned people in same-sex relationships, language that was interpreted as allowing pastors to conduct the informal blessing of gay unions without certain sanction.
Some gay-rights advocates said they resented the change in language -- which passed 491 to 484 on an earlier vote -- saying it stripped the proposal of its purpose and put pastors in jeopardy of censure if they perform the blessings.
The assembly turned down the ordination proposal by a vote of 503 to 490, another snapshot of the deep divide in the 4.9 million-member church over issues of homosexuality. The proposals require approval by two-thirds of the assembly to take effect.
Two years ago, the Episcopal Church consecrated its first openly gay bishop, to the dismay of a large portion of the worldwide Anglican Communion. And last month, the United Church of Christ became the first Protestant denomination to support gay marriage. The United Methodist Church, with whom the Lutheran assembly agreed to share the Eucharist earlier this week, bars non-celibate gay pastors.
Chicago Tribune
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