2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
Reflections from our Voting Members
Reflections from Glenn Ryder
I went into the Churchwide assembly with filled with hope and
filled with despair. I was able to worship and work with over
1,000 Lutherans and shared several meals with just one Lutheran,
my prayer partner. I was overjoyed at some of our decisions and
heartbroken over others. When it rained for several days I felt
right at home, and when I sat through a 'tornado warning' I
realized I was a long, long, long way from home.
Reflections from Pastor Victor C. Langford III
The unexpected departure of Pastor Jimmy Hoa from the
assembly provided an opportunity for Bishop W. Chris Boerger to
appoint a replacement. It was my pleasure to accept Bishop
Boerger's invitation to serve as a voting member on the last day
of business of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, which will be
long remembered.
Although, the assembly business on Saturday was low key and
routine, it was still difficult to keep my mind on the day's
agenda. The two notable events of the week were heavy on my mind
- the adoption of the Human Sexuality Statement on Wednesday and
the acceptance of the four Ministry Policies on Friday.
These two assembly actions were devastating to me. The
reality of these actions, though long in coming, were
nevertheless disappointing and liberating at the same time. I
had to come to terms with the reality that my church had
abandoned the biblical principles that have guided the Christian
community for over 2,000 years.
For nearly 20 years, I have sought to witness to the
traditional teachings of the Holy Scriptures at the assemblies
of the Northwest Washington Synod. Now, I reluctantly accept
what I have long sought to avoid; the thought of finding an
orthodox faith community where I can feel at home. The 2009
assembly is history now, but the impact of the 2009 decisions
will live on for many years.
Reflections from the Rev. Pam Russell
"These are the same faces you will see in heaven." Miguel
Hernandez, Churchwide Assembly voting member
From beginning to end, the 2009 Churchwide Assembly has been
a forum for debate on the unity of the church. How shall we live
together in the midst of our differences? Or shall we?
Our seating arrangement in the Assembly is familiar by now.
We know, generally, where the sympathies of the people around
lie, on the divisive sexuality issues.
But at worship and at meals, we seat ourselves next to
strangers. The conversation often begins at a very polite, very
cautious level. Today at lunch we made our way all the way to
dessert before I dared to ask my neighbor, who I suspected from
the beginning was grieving the votes of yesterday, what his
testimony would be to his home congregation.
Honestly, respectfully, sadly, he told me that he thought his
congregation would stop sending benevolence to the ELCA.
Perhaps, he said, this would strengthen the congregation's focus
on their own ministries and choices, and help them to grow in
ministry that way. "This organization has been hurt," he said.
I responded with my own testimony. My congregation, which in
consensus became a Reconciling in Christ congregation earlier
this year, has been growing in ministry in direct response to
our public welcome toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered individuals. A couple of the strangers around the
table nodded in appreciation.
Indeed, we are all in different places on these issues. The
votes approving the social statement on human sexuality, and on
allowing gay and lesbian clergy who are in committed
relationships to serve as clergy, are historic, pivotal. We are
entering a new day in the ministry of the ELCA.
But the very remarkable witness of this assembly, is that
even in the midst of differences, we are careful toward one
another. Caring, and careful. We listen and speak to Christ in
one another. We find our unity at the foot of the cross. Our
very kind, very wise, very compassionate Presiding Bishop
Hanson, reminds us of that.
At the close of one of our votes on Friday--and I can't
remember which vote--we sang "Children of the Heavenly Father."
The third verse follows St. Paul: "Neither life nor death shall
ever from the Lord his children sever."
Today we are praying, on behalf of the whole church, that in
life and in death, the Lord will not allow us to be severed from
one another, but will unite us to our sisters and brothers,
through Christ our Lord.
Reflections from Steven Chapman
(after vote on the social statement)
Title: When the Holy Spirit Wants In....The Tornado.
The Assembly was in the middle of a Bible study on the
Prodigal Son when the tornado sirens started. Bishop Hanson
announced that no one was to leave the Hall as this was the
strong room and that other parts of the building were to be
evacuated into the Hall. I was freaking out as I am terrified of
tornadoes. The Bible study resumed.
Immediately after the study, we began debate on amendments to
the Social Statement. The debate raged. I could hear the wind
howl outside the center. The debate was running late, the orders
of the day were in tatters. Even though the lock down had been
lifted no one wanted to leave the room. I could feel the
commitment from the Assembly to finish. This was the day! There
would be no more delay! Debate was extended for 90 minutes with
no objection. In very short order we finished with the rest of
the amendments (only two relatively minor editorial amendments
passed) and got down to debating the social statement itself.
What a relief to finally get to it!
There were a few statements made both "pro" and "con." The
"pro" side talked about how finally we were saying something
relevant to our society and culture. The "con" side focused on
fear and tradition.
Somebody not related to either camp moved the question. I
froze, this wasn't supposed to happen yet. I was ready to end
debate but there were several excellent speakers lined up to
make moving statements. I voted what I wanted trusting in the
collective will of the assembly. Debate ended. There was silent
prayer before the final vote. Imagine 1500 people so intently
silent that the silence was alive. I don't know how else to
describe it.
The vote went off without a hitch. The final count was
66.67%. One more "no" vote and it would not have been adopted.
There was spontaneous applause. There were cries of "NO!". There
were real tears: some in joy, others in agony. Me? I was like
the boat on the Sea of Galilee tossed to and fro in a storm of
emotions: 20 years of work, relief, sympathy for the pain of
others.
The tornado did indeed hit the convention center. It also
severely damaged the steeple of Central Lutheran across the
street. No one was hurt. It hit the convention center just as we
were beginning debate on the amendments to the social statement.
The storm raged around the convention center as the storm raged
within. And the sun did come out: just after we finished the
final vote.
I say it was the Holy Spirit breaking into the assembly. I
say it was God smiling on us after the vote was taken.
(reflections after the vote on Ministry Policies)
Title: What a Dump!
It is 12:30am on Saturday. I am finally sitting in quiet. It
has been a long day.
We started this morning with the four recommendations for
Ministry Policy:
- Let congregation support same-sex
relationships
- Let people in same-sex relationships onto
the rosters
- Be determined to live together faithfully
- Details for rostering people in same-sex
relationships
In my "dare I dream?" analysis I thought #1 and #3 would pass
with no problem. And maybe, just a glimmer, that #2 would pass.
I gave very little chance that #4 would pass. There was prayer
every 20 minutes and hymns on a regular basis. There was a
Prayer before every vote and something (prayer or hymn) after.
We started with #3. The debate from the no-change side got
mean but never nasty. Their arguments centered around biblical
and abandoning tradition. The arguments from the yes-change side
centered on fear not and no one is forcing you to do anything.
There was much discussion about what is "bound conscience". I
would like to have Shannon lead an adult forum on the topic of
"bound conscience" because it will be critical to our continuing
relationships with our no-change brothers and sisters. It passed
with 77.02%.
Then we started on #1. The debate from no-change centered on
how to define "publicly accountable" same-sex relationships.
Were we going to allow heterosexual pastors to "shack up"? What
about the children? The arguments for yes-change centered again
on fear not and no one is forcing you to do anything. The debate
on this resolution actually went quickly. It passed with 60.63%.
The fireworks started with our discussion of #2. This debate
went on for hours (or so it seemed) as there were two
unsuccessful attempts at stopping debate. The arguments from the
no-change side started to get mean (not too mean) and more
hysterical. They made lots of appeals to good order, and where
will they go now that the ELCA has abandoned them. One person
very accurately stated that the ELCA was creating a new minority
of Bible-believing traditionalists. Again the yes-change
argument was fear not and no one is forcing you to call a person
in a same-sex relationship. This debate was suspended so we
could eat lunch, have bible study (eh...), and have a few more
elections. Finally, debate closed and the resolution passed with
55.35%.
Immediately following the announcement of the vote, Bishop
Hanson called us into small group prayers. I was holding hands
with people from SW Texas and Western North Dakota (most of them
were no-change). During the prayer, I started sobbing: tears
streaming down my face, I was having difficulty breathing, I was
doubled over in my chair crying like I had never cried before.
Bishop Boerger carried me outside to get some air as I sobbed
into his chest (I'm tearing up just typing this). Apparently I
turned so white that he thought about calling the medics.
I wasn't the only one in the assembly who was inconsolable.
Many people were crying throughout the hall. Many left the hall
and were sprawled on couches and chairs in the lobby area
weeping. It took some time before I could stand and walk back
into the plenary hall where more voting awaited. It would be
many hours before I stopped shivering like I was cold. And even
8 hours later I still start crying.
That left #4. It was amended to explicitly state that
churchwide would create structures/flexibility that would
respect the bound consciences of congregations and clergy who
oppose people in same-sex relationships. By this time the
no-change people knew that change had arrived and didn't put up
much of a floor fight. No-change people were already sobbing in
their seats, some had already gathered their things and fled.
Without much more debate, the resolution was adopted 68.48%
(more than 2/3rds!).
At dinner, Pr Pam Russell stated in her very dry wit that of
course I sobbed: I had just given birth after a twenty year
labor and had a huge hormone dump. Sounds plausible.
After dinner, I was leaving the hall and a pastor from
Youngstown, Ohio, with whom I had shared the breakfast
roundtable discussion stopped me. This man was a complete and
thorough no-change pastor. But the Christ in me saw the Christ
in him and we were able to talk at the round-table and sincerely
and truly stated that we are both brothers together in Christ
and nothing would change that. Anyway, after dinner he came up
to me crying. "What am I going to do now? I don't know what I'm
going to say to my congregation? Is this how it felt for you for
so long?" I told him that "yes, this is similar to how we've
felt" but different in the sense that we were never completely
included before today, and he was feeling marginalized for the
first time. He was crying in my shoulder "what do I do?". I told
him that "yes, this is how it feels to be excluded" and "yes, it
hurts." I told him that in my twenty years of working on these
issues there was one constant voice: "we will not leave!" I
urged him to not leave, that we need his voice and witness. I
begged him to not leave the ELCA.
Later that night (was it only four hours ago?) at the
Goodsoil Worship I heard former bishop Chilstrom say that today
was a bittersweet day in the church's history. Yes, it was. I
never thought "victory" would feel so heavy. I never thought
that my actions to be welcoming and inclusive would be thrown in
my face as inhospitable and hurtful. He admonished us to "sew
into my heart a patch that remembers what it is like to be
excluded and marginalized."
I have been working on issues surrounding human sexuality and
homosexuality in the ELCA for about 20 years. I could never see
myself taking the votes that I took today. I wonder if part of
my melancholy is that I don't know what I'll do next. What do
you do after you've achieved the dream you never thought
possible?
It is now after 2:00 and I've been rambling for more than an
hour. Forgive me. I still can't form words about what happened
today. I am still crying even hours later. I'm numb (in a good
way). I can barely talk about anything. For all the time I've
been typing this, I haven't mumbled more than a few words all
evening. Everyone I talk with is the same.
As we head into these last two days of assembly I am relieved
the Sexuality Stuff is over. There is no "Next Year" rallying
cry. I don't know. I pray that over the last few days of the
assembly we can begin to talk again.
Worship is great. Food is lousy
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