LCMS differs with ELCA position on homosexuality
Delegates to the national convention of the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, on Friday voted to bless same-sex unions and to allow practicing homosexuals to serve as clergy.
In this story from Saturday’s edition of The Post and Courier, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s position on the issue, which is quite contrary to the ELCA position, is not clearly stated. But in this Aug. 16 article, an advance story about issues up for debate at the ELCA convention, reporter Adam Parker acknowledged that not all Lutherans agree with the ELCA and quoted from statements issued by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
On Saturday, a day after the ELCA’s vote, LCMS Synodical president Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick addressed the ELCA Assembly in Minneapolis. Here is an excerpt:
“I speak these next words in deep humility, with a heavy heart and no desire whatsoever to offend. The decisions by this assembly to grant non-celibate homosexual ministers the privilege of serving as rostered leaders in the ELCA and the affirmation of same gender unions as pleasing to God will undoubtedly cause additional stress and disharmony within the ELCA. It will also negatively affect the relationships between our two church bodies. The current division between our churches threatens to become a chasm. This grieves my heart and the hearts of all in the ELCA, the LCMS, and other Christian church bodies throughout the world who do not see these decisions as compatible with the Word of God, or in agreement with the consensus of 2000 years of Christian theological affirmation regarding what Scripture teaches about human sexuality. Simply stated, this matter is fundamentally related to significant differences in how we understand the authority of Holy Scripture and the interpretation of God’s revealed and infallible Word.”
The text of his message is here.
In February, Dr. Kieschnick clearly explained the LCMS’s objections to the direction ELCA was contemplating. His statement is available here.
If you have any questions about what the Bible has to say about these issues, or what the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod teaches, contact Pastor Sandeno via e-mail at pastor@goodshepherdcharleston.org, or by phone at 843-814-7221.