2009 Churchwide Assembly Blog

Posts from Minneapolis: 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly

Vote on Ministry Policies

Posted on August 21st, 2009 by Scott Post

On Friday morning and afternoon, the 2009 Churchwide Assembly deliberated prayerfully for several hours over the proposed ministry policies resolutions relating to the previously passed social statement on human sexuality.  The full records of the plenary session are listed on the ELCA’s 2009 Churchwide Assembly Web site, and a brief, generalized summary is listed below:

  • Resolution 1 [passed, 771-230, with amendment] is a statement of intention for members of the church to “bear one another’s burdens” in the implementation of the ministry policies resolutions.
  • Resolution 2 [passed, 619-402] states that the ELCA will commit to allowing congregations that choose to do so to recognize same-gender unions.
  • Resolution 3 [passed, 559-451] accepts those in same-gender unions to serve as rostered leaders in the ELCA.
  • Resolution 4 [passed, 667-307, with amendment] defines specific issues of church policy regarding rostered leaders in same-gender unions.

Social Statement Plenary

Posted on August 19th, 2009 by Scott Post

The 2009 Churchwide Assembly voted early this evening on the social statement on human sexuality, and the statement passed 676-338.  The document required a 2/3 supermajority for passage; the astute mathematicians among you may note that the above numbers represent a precise 2/3 vote, with 31 votes not cast.  All voting results are available on the assembly’s page of voting actions.

The proposed ministry policies recommendation, a thematically related document, will be discussed on Thursday and Friday mornings, and a vote will be taken on Friday afternoon.  The 2009 Churchwide Assembly schedule is updated frequently and available online.  You can also watch the assembly live.

Feel free to offer your thoughts below (respectfully) by commenting!

The time is near…

Posted on August 19th, 2009 by Scott Post

…for the vote on the proposed social statement on human sexuality.  To see the discussion taking place at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, please visit the ELCA’s live video page.

If you’re not at the assembly and would like to contribute your thoughts, please visit Luther Link, an online forum for ELCA leaders and members to discuss a broad spectrum of issues.  Luther Link’s human sexuality-specific discussion can be found at http://www.ecunet.org/topic/2009_CWA_Human_Sexuality_Issues.

CWA Press Conference

Posted on August 17th, 2009 by Scott Post

ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson led a press conference this afternoon to address questions regarding the main issues under debate at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.  Several topics were raised, including

Hanson expressed his hope that the assembly would remain a “clear, non-anxious, participatory process”  as the ELCA representatives discuss and debate potentially contentious issues.  The representatives, Hanson said, “are here as representatives of the whole church,” rather than of their synods or congregations.  “Our unity is in Christ.”

This week’s upcoming votes regarding the ELCA’s statement and policies concerning sexuality have drawn much attention, both outside the church (as in this recent NPR article) and within the church.  This press conference was no exception, but Hanson sought to express that there is more to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly than the question of sexuality.  (A full list of items awaiting a vote this week can be found on the ELCA’s assembly Web site.)

Video of the press conference is available online at www.elca.org/assembly/video, and the churchwide assembly’s plenary sessions can be viewed online as they are taking place at www.elca.org/livevideo.

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