Last week, a discipline hearing committee within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ruled that an Atlanta pastor, who is an avowed practicing homosexual, be removed from the church's clergy roster in August -- but that the policy bringing about that decision be overturned prior to that. The president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy is encouraging leaders of the ELCA to return to God's Word regarding homosexuality.

The president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) says it's disappointing that leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America want to change church guidelines so an open homosexual can continue serving as a pastor.

Last week, a discipline hearing committee of the ELCA ruled that Bradley Schmeling be removed from the denomination's clergy roster on August 15. Under ELCA guidelines, Schmeling cannot serve as a pastor because he has a homosexual partner. However, the discipline hearing committee said the policy regarding homosexual clergy is flawed, and should be changed at the denomination's meeting, which takes place before the deadline for Schmeling's removal.

IRD president Jim Tonkowich says the ELCA has rejected the biblical view on homosexuality. "That's departure not only from scripture," Tonkowich offers, "but from 2,000 years of Christian tradition and teaching about sexuality, about maleness and femaleness, about marriage -- and ultimately about the relationship that Christ has with His church."

Tonkowich explains that the fifth chapter of Ephesians portrays marriage, above all else, as a picture of the relationship that Christ has with His church. "That's distorted in same-sex relationships," he continues, "and the church needs to uphold marriage between one man and one woman."

The ELCA discipline hearing committee has recommended that the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly basically revise and remove all prohibitions against active homosexuals serving as clergy. The committee's actions and recommendations have been lauded by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest homosexual civil rights group in the nation.

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