The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America concluded at its 2005 conclave that sex was to be practiced within marriage. Also, such sex was not open to homosexual lifestyles. All this is because the Bible ethic is against sex outside of marriage and prohibits homosexual activities.
Bradley Schmeling, pastor, St. John’s ECLA, Atlanta, makes known that he is homosexual and now has a partner. The congregation agrees that he should continue as minister. In fact, the parishioners had a party celebrating his formal announcement of partnership with a "lifelong companion."
Bishop Ronald Warren, Southeastern Synod, told Schmeling to resign. Schmeling said he would not resign. "Disciplinary proceedings against him for violating church rules barring sex outside of marriage" have begun. That means Schmeling confronts a hearing composed of a dozen ELCA members deciding his fate.
The 350-member parish is located in the plush section of the city, east of downtown.
If the committee concludes him to be defrocked, he would no longer be "recognized as an ordained minister in the ELCA," per AP. If the congregation still calls him their spiritual leader, the church then could be disciplined.
Elsewhere there are churches within the Protestant denomination which allow their homosexual pastors to continue in ministry. Some also practice same-gender union ceremonies of various types.
"’We've always been a church that emphasizes the unconditional love of God, so this policy runs counter to that,’ Schmeling said in an interview with The Associated Press last weekend."
What this seminary trained cleric does not understand is that God does not contradict His own Word which refers to practicing homosexuality as abhorrent. God further stipulates other sins that are not condoned by divine holiness. Therefore, there are divine conditions that the biblical deity established for living the believer’s life.
In other words, God does not accept "unconditional love" as defined as accepting sin as righteousness. That would mean that stealing, lying, murder, child molestation — all sins — could come under God’s "unconditional love" acceptance. That of course would eliminate any demarcation between an ethical right and wrong.
Throughout the divine revelation right and wrong are set forth by God Himself. Consequently, for those espousing homosexual lifestyles as divinely blessed is to expose their biblical ignorance and theological liberalism, the latter basically given to writing one’s own religion.
Other denominations dealing with this matter include the Presbyterian Church, United Methodist Church, American Baptist Convention and segments within the Mennonite framework. Denominations which accept homosexuality as ethically legitimate include the Unitarian Society, United Church of Christ (Congregational), and the Episcopal Church of America.
Churches aligned with the Bible as divine revelation include evangelical congregations, regardless of the denominational tag or independent status. Evangelical congregations consider the groups blessing homosexuality as divinely smiled upon as apostate, having wandered far from divine expectations. The apostasy is spreading throughout the so-called mainline Protestant denominations so as to split the Anglican / Episcopal Church. Certain US Episcopal Churches, for instance, have left the main body to align themselves with a biblically sound Nigerian Anglican bishopric.
Regardless of what the ELCA dozen decides in this recent confrontation, the divine revelation is eternal ethic and thereby will not condone homosexual practice. Those running counter to this revelation will answer to God’s warth in this life and at death at the Judgment Seat of Christ.