ELCA Synod Says Sexually Active Gay Clergy Must Marry

The ELCA's Metropolitan Chicago Synod has taken steps to force its ELCA pastors and leadership who are in a sexual relationship with someone of the same-sex to be married.

A November 2013 letter was published by Metropolitan Chicago Synod Bishop Wayne N. Miller titled, "Implications of the Illinois Marriage Equality Act with Respect to ELCA Positions and Policies on Same-Gender Relationships.” In the letter, Bishop Miller writes, “Although the people of the ELCA remain divided on the question of whether the church should or should not use the word 'marriage' to describe life-long, monogamous, intimate partnerships between two people of the same gender, we recognize the authority of civil law on this matter. In this state, same-gender marriage will be a fact rather than an opinion.”

Bishop Miller later states, “In Illinois, as of June 1, 2014...pastors and other rostered leaders of our synod will be expected to be married or sexually abstinent, regardless of their gender or sexual self-understanding.  Non-compliance with this uniform standard subjects any rostered leader to the Guidelines for Discipline established for leaders of this church.” (read here)

The ELCA synod is forcing pastors and ELCA leaders to make a lifelong commitment to God to be in a sinful lifestyle --a lifestyle that God has clearly declared wrong and sinful. A lifestyle God does not want his people to be in or remain in. A lifestyle God wants to free people from. So not only has the ELCA encouraged sinful sexual behavior, this ELCA synod is forcing their gay leadership to make a promise to God that they will continue in it until their dying breath.