And the church bent over backwards to try to create spaces for those who disagreed with the vote....
Where are these spaces, Brian? ...
I note that you have not been kicked out of the ELCA...
This must be some new form of "bending over backwards."
The ELCA worked diligently, spending thousands of dollars, to remove Ross Merkel, Steve Sabin, and Brad Schmeling from the clergy because their convictions (and actions) were at odds with the ELCA policy at the time. Countless number of seminary students were not endorsed for ordination because there was no "space" for them in the ELCA at that time. There is essentially no chance that your bishop will file disciplinary charges against you because you have a "traditionalists" conviction (one of the four in HSGT) about homosexual relationships. There is space for you that was not present for many with a different conviction prior to 2009.
My God! If you tell a lie enough, it's bound to become true, eh, Brian?
The ELCA "worked diligently" to "remove" Merkel, Sabin, and Schmelling? Really? I don't know Ross Merkel, but I do know Pr. Sabin and his ex-wife. There was no "witch hunt," Brian. And Pr. Schmelling
WALKED into his Bishop's office, announced his violation of standards, and basically dared his Bishop and Synod to do something about it.
For your three, I'll give you Gladys Moore, the former assistant to the Bishop of the New Jersey Synod, who lived openly and proudly as a non-celibate lesbian during her tenure, Pr. Katrina Foster, who was LAUDED as an example of what us pastors "should be," and (I'm sorry, but I can't remember his name) the Pastor who got up at CWA 2007 and announced...freely... that he had been lying to his Bishop for seven years as a non-celibate gay man, and was subsequently a voting member at CWA's 2009 and 2011...not to mention being featured in an article in "The Lutheran."
Good grief! This falderal that LC/NA cooked up about all those sinister Bishops sniffing around trying to uncover the brave, stalwart, virtuous gay and lesbian Pastors... that were sitting right there in front of them! Wow, the ELCA must have spent countless resources ferreting these folks out and relentlessly bringing discipline against them... I mean, hello! You've got Steve Sabin, who publicly divorces his wife and moves in with his lover.... and announces it to his congregation! Man, that's requires a heckuva inquisition, man. Break out the thumb-screws.
No space indeed... Whatever.
Pax Christi;
Pr. Jerry Kliner, STS