A year later, no fracture of Lutheran congregations after allowing gay clergy

A year ago, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America held a close and controversial vote that opened its doors to non-celibate gay clergy. Disappointed opponents predicted a fracture that would cause 1,000 congregations to withdraw.

A year later, the ELCA remains largely intact.

“That 1,000-congregation figure has proven to be wishful thinking on the part of those who wanted it to happen,” said Larry Wohlrabe, bishop of Minnesota’s rural Northwestern Synod. “Our culture has changed on this.”

The Rev. Mary Albing is a lesbian who unofficially served Minneapolis’s Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer from 2003 until May, when her bishop formally placed her in good standing. She says the reaction to non-celibate gay clergy boils down to priorities.

“Gay people are not going to be the death knell of the ELCA,” Albing said. “Lutherans care about other things much more.”

Since the vote, only 199 congregations—2 percent of the ELCA’s roughly 10,300 congregations—have withdrawn. In Minnesota, home to more ELCA congregations than any state, 24 of 1,143 congregations have left.  Read Article

By Jim Spencer