December 15, 2009
Dear Friends,
I write to you, one of the 123,000 members of our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in South Dakota, knowing that you may be wondering about the recent news articles related to the decisions that were made at our churchwide assembly this summer.
First of all, let me clarify those decisions. We passed a social statement entitled “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” and then voted to allow congregations – if they so desire - to call a pastor who is living in a in a life long, monogamous, publicly accountable, same gender relationship. The document that was passed at the assembly outlines four positions on homosexuality that may be held by faithful Christians who have studied the Bible. The document states that we, as a church, do not agree on which of the four positions is “correct.” To say it simply, we have agreed to disagree. Each local congregation may call the pastor who they believe will best serve them.
So here we are in the midst of a churchwide body that doesn’t agree. You may find yourself in the middle of a congregation or even a family that cannot find agreement on these complex issues. I would offer you this: We are held together not by the correctness of our doctrine or the purity of our moral reasoning, but by Christ our King. Christ commands us to love one another not just when we agree, but especially when we don’t. I remain steadfast in my commitment to the ELCA and I would like to share with you a few of my thoughts about why I am staying in this church.
I choose to remain because there is a place in this church for people like me, who question the morality of homosexual behavior on the basis of God’s word. Our church acknowledges that on this particular issue, faithful believers have come to different positions. It does not hold any one position above the other. I find guidance in the following scripture, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). This is a moral issue. It happens to be about sex and family, things that to us are precious, and about which we feel strong emotions. But God’s salvation does not depend on being right or wrong on this or any other moral issue. It depends only on Christ our King who died so that all who believe in him would not be condemned but have eternal life.
I choose to remain because the new policies place the authority to call a pastor where it belongs – with the local congregation. Congregations will be encouraged to continue to ask tough questions of pastors during the call process; this has not changed. Questions should be asked about moral issues including but not limited to sexuality. Congregations have always called and will continue to call the pastor who will best serve them.
My commitment to stay in our ELCA is rooted in the commands of Christ and in the fact that our church is about so much more than this disagreement. We are here to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
+ This church brings hope and healing to the suffering. One example is “Nothing but Net,” our church’s commitment to ending malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa.
+ This church shares the good news of God’s love with those in prison through our ministry at St. Dysmas.
+ This church shows God’s love by feeding the hungry in your community and throughout the world.
+ This church stands with the poorest among us, as evidenced by our Lutheran Lakota Shared Ministries in Pine Ridge.
+ This church goes where people are to share God’s love. Right here in South Dakota we have seven new ministries, including African, Latino, American Indian, and suburban mission starts.
All of us, together as the ELCA, stand together in God’s grace, focusing on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is serious work that calls for a commitment from each one of us. We each bring everything we have, our gifts, our talents, our diversity, and even our disagreements to the service of God’s Mission.
Our church is not perfect. I will be working to change the polity of the ELCA so that congregations have more voice in this church. We need to find a way where all voices are heard throughout the decision making process. I will work with my colleagues here in South Dakota and in the Conference of Bishops to move forward on these changes.
I will remain faithful to the promises I made in my ordination and at my installation as the bishop of the South Dakota Synod. I promised to serve the whole church and to work for the life of the world. I will always keep the commands of Jesus at the center of our mission to “make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that I have commanded you” to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, tend the sick, and visit those in prison. We as a synod and as the whole ELCA have been faithful in living out those commands and I look forward to continuing this within the ELCA and with people across our synod and around the world.
Yours in Christ’s Mission
Bishop David B. Zellmer
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I appreciate the letter from Bishop Zellmer.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate his desire to fulfill the promises he made at his ordination and installation. He notes the promise to serve the whole church and to work for the life of the world.
The ordination vow that causes me great pause in dealing with the current crisis in the ELCA is the promise to preach and teach in accordance with the Holy Scriptures, the Creeds, and the Lutheran Confessions.