Star-Tribune, Minneapolis:Gay ministers will be allowed to lead parishes, representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted today in Minneapolis.
The 559-451 vote marks a historic change for the 4.8 million ELCA members, including 830,000 in Minnesota.
The vote repeals the ELCA's ban on gay clergy unless they agreed to remain celibate. The new position allows the installation of gay pastors but leaves the decision to call a gay pastor up to individual congregations and synods.
Delegates heeded warnings not to react as the outcome was read, but onlookers in the gallery hugged one another in celebration.
It's a pretty convincing majority, although the vote wasn't without controversy. "What we are doing today is wrong," said one member.
"A woman came to tears as she said that if the gay clergy rules are adopted, her father no longer will attend an ELCA church," the paper reports. "A minute later, a man wiped away tears as he told about a gay seminary student who was so despondent about his rejection by the church that he committed suicide."
So, Pops won't go to church anymore because he's homophobic vs. seminary students committing suicide because the church is homophobic. Yeah, there's a real moral stumper, huh?
