The Rev. Paul R. Hinlicky, Roanoke's Tice Professor in Lutheran Studies, said he's contemplating a "divorce." "Not from my wife of 35 years, but from my denomination." He wrote for The Lutheran Forum that the ELCA "has come up with a different plan for a new future," putting "our covenant itself to a vote in August." "The historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions have recognized marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman," said Hinlicky. But they appear in the proposed social statement "as memories of the way we used to be." He noted that some in the larger Christian community conclude that marriage is "also the appropriate term to use in describing similar benefits, protection, and support same-gender couples entering into lifelong monogamous relationships."The real voice of the people of God across the world and through the ages seems to matter not at all," said Hinlicky, "any more than Holy Scripture as parsed by the Lutheran Confessions. Surely, this church's congregations, if given an honest and secret ballot would overwhelmingly reject the manipulation of language and meaning involved in calling marriage anything other than that relation in Scripture and Confession."

For Dr. Paul Henlicky's comments

The task force's report and recommendation on ministry policies and social statement are available at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfuljourney on the ELCA Web site.

Various articles and responses

Bishop Susan Johnson and ELCIC National Church Council ("NCC") have
refused to include the congregational petition in the BOR in spite of
the time-honoured policy of previous ELCIC conventions. read more...

The move to create a new conservative Anglican jurisdiction in North America got an enormous boost yesterday as bishops representing three-quarters of the faith's worldwide adherents said they would recognize the breakaway faction in defiance of the wishes of the established churches of Canada and the United States... read more

In September 2007 seven members were expelled (excommunicated) from Faith Lutheran Church, Kelowna, B.C. Convinced that the process followed whereby they were expelled was flawed and, as well, thwarted by internal efforts to have justice served, four of the seven excommunicated members then took the matter before the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Judgement in the case of Lutz v. Faith Lutheran Church of Kelowna was rendered by the Honourable Mr. Justice Meiklem on January 23, 2009 with respect to the trial/hearing in the Supreme Court of British Columbia held on August 21, 2008 in Kelowna, B.C. concerning the excommunication of the four members from Faith Lutheran Church.

The Honourable Mr. Justice Meiklem of the Supreme Court of British Columbia squashed the exclusion (excommunication) of the four petitioners and awarded them costs. Justice Meiklem's Judgement reaffirms that church members must be treated according to the procedures laid out in the by-laws of their constitutions and according to the principles of natural justice.

The decision of the Justice implicates pastoral and synodical leadership in an unfair treatment of the seven members who were excommunicated.

It took the Supreme Court of British Columbia to provide the justice which those church members sought and unsuccessfully attained from the Pastor of Faith Lutheran, the B.C. Synod Council, the National Bishop and the National Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).
An excerpted version of the B.C. Supreme Court Judgement is attached.

The full transcript (49 pages) of Justice Meiklem’s “Reasons for Judgement” can be downloaded from the Courts of British Columbia web site

Dr. Braaten's response to the ELCA Sexuality Statement released February 19th, 2009.

In the first book, THE BANFF COMMISSION, participating scholars wrestle with the biblical and theological issues surrounding the questions asked by Ascension Church: “Are we being directed by the Holy Spirit to a whole new vision of inclusion similar to the inclusion of the Gentiles or has something like Marcionism in another guise returned to haunt us, or are we faced with some form of revisionist theology, or are we confronting new forms of idolatry, or even apostasy?”

Commission members whose papers appear in the first report are K. Glen Johnson, Convener of the Commission and Editor; Robert Benne, Director of the Roanoke College Center for Religion and Society; Reinhard Slenczka, Professor Emeritus at the University of Erlangen, Germany; James A. Nestingen, Retired Professor of Church History at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN; Patrick Henry Reardon, Pastor of All Saints Orthodox Church, Chicago and Senior Editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity; and J. Larry Yoder, Professor of Theology at Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC.

In the second book, THE JASPER COMMISSION, the focus is hands on ministry and witness to the gay community. Here Commission participants were asked to “determine how the church can, both in love and respect for this community, and in faithfulness to the Word of God and it’s teaching, conduct a faithful and effective ministry to those in that community.”

Commission members whose papers appear in the second report are Phillip E. Gagnon, Pastor of St. Albert Lutheran Church, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada; Joseph Nicolosi, Licensed Psychologist and Founder and Clinical Director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, CA; Lee Griffin, Retired Psychiatrist who taught Pastoral Care at Wartburg and Luther Theological Seminaries; Merton P. Strommen, Founder of Search Institute and a Fellow in the American Psychological Association; Victor Mollerup, Psychiatrist with over thirty years of experience in hospital and community practice; and James A. Nestingen, Retired Professor of Church History at Luther Seminary.

The Banff Commission, available early January. 100 pp, $12.50 plus $2.50 postage for one book, $.40 for each additional book.

Open Letter to Bishop Mark Hanson of the ELCA regarding recently released Sexuality Statement