(as it appeared in the March 1, 2009 issue of The Panzee Press)
The foundation of discrimination against sexual minorities lies within the church. However, not all churches, maybe not even most, wish to keep us suppressed. Some houses of God are fully in support of equality. MCC and the Unitarian Universalists are not only open to the idea of equality, but we see them standing up for us at every turn. The range in policies regarding BGLQT issues within the vast amount of churches is as diverse as the people within. The issue gets more complex through the tiers of hierarchy that govern each church. A stroll through the religions of Harrisburg offers a plethora of mindsets, policies, and controversies when considering what place sexual minorities hold within the church.
The Protestants are paying close attention to the issue of homosexuality. While tradition and regulations of a church are hard to change, the appeals of sexual minority congregation members are being heard. Three different Protestant denominations within Harrisburg, each having their own governing system and decision making process, are all undergoing the same transition. While the top tiers of each denomination remain opposed to same sex marriage or homosexual ministers, the congregants and pastors of each congregation are asking for equality, and asking their higher orders to reconsider their principles.
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church
St. Michael Lutheran Church (St. Michael’s) includes “gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender” in their welcoming statement just before the words, “We are a Reconciling in Christ Church.” They have a same-sex blessing policy which is within the folds of their higher order, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). They also have a ministry policy that disregards sexual orientation or gender identity, which defiantly contradicts the ELCA.
In 2003, the congregation council of St. Michael’s adopted a “Policy for Non-Traditional Services of Blessing,” which includes blessings for “same sex couples.” In 2008 the ELCA released a “Draft Statement on Human Sexuality,” which concludes that the church “does not have a consensus regarding loving and committed same-gender relationships. […] Some pastors and congregations will advocate repentance and celibacy. Other pastors and congregations will call our same-gender-oriented brothers and sisters in Christ to establish relationships that are chaste, mutual, monogamous, and life-long. These relationships are to be held to the same rigorous standards and sexual ethics as all others.” The draft goes on to say that ELCA recognizes the term “marriage” to be between one man and one woman and “does not wish to alter this understanding.” It further recognizes that states are defining their own terms for “marriage” and clarifies, “This is the prerogative of the state, which is the realm in which civil marriage and the laws governing it exist.”
On February 19, 2009, after reviewing congregational responses to the draft, the ECLA released “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” which they refer to as a “proposed social statement.” The lack of a Lutheran consensus regarding same sex marriage is reiterated. The newer document outlines four conflicting viewpoints on the subject. While the marriage definition of “one man and one woman” is provided as “tradition”, the ECLA-proposed social statement excludes any indication whether or not they wish to alter this understanding.
Both the draft and the proposed social statement clearly express the desire for equality and protection for same-sex oriented people and same-sex couples under civil law. This includes civil-unions which have the same benefits as marriage.
A gay minister is a more controversial subject within the Lutheran church. The “Draft Statement on Human Sexuality” discussed above was the result of a four year study (2001 to 2005) within the Lutheran church by the “Task Force for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality.” The task force presented three recommendations: 1) … “be urged to concentrate on finding ways to live together faithfully in the midst of disagreements” …; 2) … “welcome gay and lesbian persons into its life […], and trust pastors and congregations to discern ways to provide faithful pastoral care to same-sex couples; and 3) Ordain gays and lesbians in committed relationships.
While the first two recommendations fit on a half page, the third recommendation stretches across three pages including a background, a discussion of two positions (Homosexuality as sin and brokenness vs. Homosexuality as condition, not choice), rationale and description of the proposed process and finally the recommendation in legislative terms. The recommendation is quite convoluted, and difficult to summarize. The #3 summary given in the above paragraph was taken from “Minutes of the Lutheran Episcopal Coordinating Committee (LECC) June 20-22, 2005.”
The first two recommendations were adopted by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly; the third was not. The ELCA policy, dictating within “Visions and Expectations”, stands as: “Ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.”
St. Michaels is a member of “Reconciling in Christ” (RIC) (lcna.org/ric.shtm). This program was started after a 2002 movement within the Lutheran church to include people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
On www.elm.org, you’ll find much information about an organization named Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM), including their mission statement, which starts as, “Our vision is to create, empower, and sustain a growing number of faith communities that are committed to the full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.”
On January 25th, Rev. Steve Keiser, a member of the ELM roster, was ordained in Philadelphia. Harrisburg’s pastor, Larry Hawkins, took part in a procession of forty clergy and five hundred congregants. Most memorable to Pastor Hawkins was the laying on of hands. Rev. Keiser stood in the middle of the congregation, and everybody laid their hands on him. For those who couldn’t reach, hands were put on the shoulders of those in front of them. Hawkins says, “It was a very moving and wonderful event.” Hawkins knows of no formal response from ECLA.
St. Michael’s remains a warm, welcoming place to find the divine, and worship within a traditional environment regardless of legislation, and hierarchy governing tiers. Pastor Larry Hawkins seeks out ways to ensure his congregation has a channel to the Lord, and that members have a firm network of support regardless of their sexual orientation. The topic of homosexuality and the church gives Pastor Hawkins a great deal of pain and sorrow. He feels that a religious attitude to isolate and reject people as they are, and alienating a large population away from their Lord, is devastating.
Pine Street Presbyterian Church
Same-gender marriage has not yet arisen in the Pine Street Presbyterian Church, according to its pastor Dr. Russell Sullivan, Jr. He explained during a brief discussion that the Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUSA) has stated that sexual orientation should not be a hindrance to a person’s search for God and the divine. He noted the PCUSA still encourages more study and reflection on these issues.
In 1978, the PCUSA General Assembly released a major statement paper entitled, “The Church and Homosexuality: A Preliminary Study,” which explored the legal rights of homosexuals, their place in the church, and the ordination of homosexuals as deacons, elders, or ministers. While then concluding, “the practice of homosexuality is sin,” the paper ardently qualified its conclusions by noting many unanswered questions and stating: “Because God continues to reveal more of himself and His will in each succeeding age, we do not believe that a position taken in any one period sets forth the final understanding of his Word to the church.” The PCUSA position in these categories has evolved over the years as a result of this open-minded and compassionate approach.
Pastor Sullivan explained how the PCUSA continually urges contextual interpretation of Scripture, and that he would not summarily discourage homosexual behavior, wanting instead to achieve a greater understanding of the individual. As “all persons are created in the image of God,” the PCUSA has encouraged the church’s sensitivity to “the difficulty of rejecting a person’s sexual orientation without rejecting the person. [The church] should be open to more light on what goes into shaping one’s sexual preferences and reexamine its life and teaching in relation to people who are seeking affirmation and needing acceptance and who are apparently not free to change their orientations.” In the decades following the preliminary study, the PCUSA has encouraged a welcoming and inclusive approach to the issue, emphasizing compassion and understanding, and has affirmed the fundamental civil and non-discrimination rights of sexual minorities and the decriminalization of any associated behaviors.
Concerning same-gender unions, the PCUSA has consistently interpreted Scripture as “God’s intention for all people is to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or in chastity in singleness.” From this interpretation, Pastor Sullivan cannot perform any ceremony that would “marry” a same-gender couple, though he is able to offer blessings to a same-gender “union.” In 2004 a PCUSA statement affirmed this distinction, yet also urged state and federal legislators to “change state [federal] laws to include the right of same-gender persons to civil union and, thereby, to extend to them all the benefits, privileges, and responsibilities of civil union, and urges all persons to support such changes.” Pastor Sullivan explained his emphasis on God’s intention – “fidelity in marriage, chastity in singleness” – over the distinction between “marriage” and “union.” Again reflecting on the possibility that God’s will may not yet be fully revealed, Pastor Sullivan realizes he may be currently restricted, yet he extends himself where he can, emphasizing good behaviors and allowing for a later evolution of the church’s position.
The root definition of “homosexuality as sin” led to the PCUSA’s 1979 position regarding ordination:
- To be an ordained officer is to be a human instrument, touched by divine power but still an earthen vessel. As portrayed in scripture, the officers set before the church and community an example of piety, love, service and moral integrity. Officers are not free from repeated expressions of sin. Neither are members and officers free to adopt a lifestyle of conscious, continuing and unresisted sin in any area of their lives. For the church to ordain a self-affirming practicing homosexual person to ministry would be to act in contradiction of its charter and calling in scripture, setting motion both within the church and in society serious contradictions to the will of Christ.
- The repentant homosexual person who finds the power of Christ redirecting his or her sexual desires toward a married heterosexual commitment, or finds God’s power to control his or her desires and to adopt a celibate lifestyle, can certainly be ordained, all other qualifications being met.
The PCUSA affirmed this position in 1982 and 1993 and, following a three-year study, evolved their position only slightly in 1996 stating: “Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers.” The same statement later requested the congregations and presbyteries to “continue study of the issue of ordination and human sexuality…relating to the goal of seeking more clarity in discerning God’s will” and to remain open to “the leading of God’s Spirit, especially in those spaces between our differences where a more complete understanding of God’s Truth is being sought.”
As a member of the Presbytery of Carlisle, the Pine Street Presbyterian Church includes many examples of community service: they operate Downtown Daily Bread and Giving Tree, conduct recycling and eco-friendly programs, partner in various collection programs (“Contribute your unused eyeglasses!”), and offer peacemaking and disaster relief mission work. The church offers a consistent message of welcome and inclusiveness, from their Sunday service handouts to Pastor Sullivan’s easy, open manner. As one church among its presbytery, Pine Street reflects the PCUSA’s encouragement of a compassionate approach, and its recognition that while questions regarding sexual minorities and inclusion remain, they can be approached with love as directed by the continual search to understand God’s will.
St. Stephens Episcopal Cathedral
Located on Front St. in downtown Harrisburg, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral functions as a member and home office of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. The Diocese aligns with the Episcopal Church, USA and the Worldwide Anglican Communion. The Episcopalian approach is another variation in the Protestant Christian tradition, and one which recent events suggest is slightly more progressive than some Christian counterparts. Rev. Patrick Collins, Curate for St. Stephen’s, invoked this progressive and open manner in a conversation regarding matters of sexual orientation, same-gender couples, and Episcopalian ordination.
As the Episcopalian Church understands itself as a Reformed Christian viewpoint, they simultaneously hold high respect for their traditions yet keep them available for continual challenge and development. Rev. Collins spoke of this theological approach as one of “tension and acceptance,” encouraging positions of inclusiveness and compassionate mutual listening to all viewpoints equally. Rev. Collins emphasized a “contextual interpretation of Scripture” as one cause for the wide range of positions, depending on the extent a person (parish, diocese) finds The Bible as the living word of God versus a book written by man – thus with all his flaws – and intended to represent God’s teachings. Specific Bible verses supposedly speak to the issue of same-gender union and are interpreted oppositely by each side of the argument. The end result, it would seem, has become what Rev. Collins cautioned as a “real fracturing” within the Anglican-Episcopalian Communion.
The question (comparatively speaking) does not surround mere acceptance of alternative lifestyles into the Episcopalian faith; they could be reasonably considered an early innovator in this regard. Theologically – which the Instruments of Communion (the Anglican four governing components) are careful to maintain framing – the question seems to arise as concerning the heterosexual, procreative aspect to the Bible’s (currently interpreted) definition of “marriage.”
In 1998 the Lambeth Conference, one such Communion Instrument, released Resolution I.10 on Human Sexuality:
This Conference,
a) in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage;
b) recognizes that there are among us persons who experience themselves as having a homosexual orientation. Many of these are members of the Church and are seeking the pastoral care, moral direction of the Church, and God’s transforming power for the living of their lives and the ordering of relationships. We commit ourselves to listen to the experience of homosexual persons and we wish to assure them that they are loved by God and that all baptized, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ;
c) while rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture, calls on all our people to minister pastorally and sensitively to all irrespective of sexual orientation and to condemn irrational fear of homosexuals, violence within marriage and any trivialisation and commercialisation of sex;
d) cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions;
These findings were both lauded and criticized. (It should be noted that “homosexual practice” in c. above includes a non-celibate approach.) The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold, The Episcopal Church, USA Presiding Bishop at the time, stated of these findings: “Rather than settling the matter once and for all, the Lambeth Conference has brought the subject of homosexuality into the public discourse of the Communion, something which would have been impossible at the last Lambeth Conference ten years ago.”
Resolution I.10’s statement that “…we commit ourselves to listen to the experience of homosexual and faithful persons…” prompted the Anglican Consultative Council (another Communion Instrument with members of both the clergy and the laity) to appoint a Facilitator to “The Listening Process.” This position is substantively supported with online resources for parishes and dioceses to aid in their understanding and acceptance of those with alternative lifestyles, including the publication, “The Anglican Communion and Homosexuality.” Facilitator Rev. Philip Groves wrote the publication and manages the online support, which suggests a strong understanding of the issue’s divisiveness in the Communion: “The prevalence of homophobia (the irrational fear of gay and lesbian people) has led to those who hold a traditional view of the inappropriateness of sexual activity outside marriage being labeled as homophobic just for holding those views. In consequence they too have felt it unsafe to articulate their views. Safe ground includes space for honesty about conservative attitudes to sexuality.”
The Diocese of New Hampshire fueled the debate on the church’s potential move to recognize and bless same-sex relationships by electing Reverend V. Gene Robinson – an openly gay priest in a monogamous committed relationship – as their ninth diocesan bishop. Entering office in March 2004, Robinson quickly became a touchstone which launched the discussion to greater prominence. (Most recently, Bishop Robinson delivered the invocation at President Obama’s inaugural kickoff event, though it was widely held that his selection was made only to offset Rick Warren’s selection, and some broadcasts of the kickoff event failed to include Robinson’s invocation.)
The combination of Bishop Robinson’s election and the choice of a Canadian diocese in to “authorise services for use in connection with same sex unions” led the Lambeth Commission in 2004 to prepare The Windsor Report, whose mandate (at the behest of the Archbishop of Canterbury) was to offer insight and information to aid the Anglican Communion’s understanding of these issues. In the Report’s Foreword, Lambeth Commission Chairman Dr. Robin Eames wrote: “The depth of conviction and feeling on all sides of the current issues has on occasions introduced a degree of harshness and a lack of charity which is new to Anglicanism. A process of dissent is not new to the Communion but it has never before been expressed with such force nor in ways which have been so accessible to international scrutiny. Not all the opinions voiced have been expressed in ways which are conducive to dialogue or the encouragement of communion.”
The 2004 release prompted the creation of The Windsor Continuation Group to apply, adopt, and evolve the positions stated in the initial report. The Group released a set of Initial Observations at the 2008 Lambeth Conference which spoke to a potential loss of trust within the Anglican Communion, the turmoil this issue has caused with the Episcopal Church, and the long road the full Communion must still travel in its theological interpretation of Scripture to achieve a greater understanding of “God’s will.”
Efforts for full BGLQT inclusion in all matters Episcopalian have their allies and advocates. Integrity USA (integrityusa. org) is a nonprofit organization which since 1974 has been “the leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of BLGQT persons in the Episcopal Church and equal access to its rites.” Integrity has partner parishes in Reading and Wilkes-Barre, and local chapters in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, and Pittsburgh. Integrity is part of Claiming the Blessing (claimingtheblessing.org), “an unincorporated coalition of Episcopal organizations and individuals advocating for full inclusion of all the baptized in all sacraments of the church – including the blessing of same-sex relationships and equal access to all orders of ministry by qualified gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered candidates.”
There are, however, equally strong organizations advocating a more conservative interpretation of Scripture. Among the most vocal is the American Anglican Council (americananglican.org) whose history suggests reactions to Anglican Communion Instrument positions which directly oppose more liberal advocacy groups.
Conclusion
St. Michael’s was included in this article since the BGLQT community is specifically addressed in its outreach. Within a random group of churches upon which we inquired, Pine Street Presbyterian and St. Stephen’s were the first two to make themselves available. We’re not sure if other churches purposely eluded us, or if they were unavailable because of their pressed schedules. We ended up with three Protestant churches, perhaps because this is where the most wavering resides.
The contradictory nature of this topic makes it a difficult read, but if you comb through it carefully you’ll find some interesting similarities. On the downside, none of these churches will officially recognize same-sex marriage, nor ordain gay clergy. On the up-side, there is movement within all three to do the opposite. For all three churches the personal approach of the clergy gave one the sense of a foot soldier that keeps in step with headquarters, but retains the openness of each congregation’s vast diversity. All churches hold strong support for equal protection and rights for each person; this includes civil union with similar benefits to marriage.
Philip Wheeler authored Pine Street Presbyterian and St. Stephens
Bolton Winpenny authored St. Michael’s
One Perspective 