The forces are relentlessly at work to bring mainline Protestantism around to accepting gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in the pews and pulpits and full life of their faith communities. Each group, at its own pace and begrudgingly, seems to be moving toward such acceptance, amid the risks and realities of schism. For some faiths, its an issue yet to be raised because of orthodoxys tight reign on them and their adherence to spelled-out absolutes. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the largest group in the broad and diverse families of Lutherans, did some tweaking last Saturday in its own path to refining its sexual policies, although the big vote to end a ban on non-celibate gay clergy, the day before, was defeated. During their weeklong 2007 Churchwide Assembly in Chicago, delegates heard heated comments on both sides of the mega-issue. On Friday, they defeated a measure that would have ended a ban on non-celibate gay clergy. But they surprised many on the final day by voting 538-431 to refrain from disciplining gay ministers committed to same-sex relationships. Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, who leads the 4.8 million denomination, whose offices are in Chicago, called the action a way for the church to find some space and place in the quest to find ways for disparate parts of the church to live together.I interpret that as a way to reflect this journey of conversation, discussion, decision, seeking to be faithful to the authority of Scripture, the interpretation of our confession and mindful of the very context in which we are engaged in Gods mission, Hanson said at a press conference. Jaynan Clark Egland, president of the conservative group, WordAlone Network, said the action leaves the ELCA with inconsistent patterns of discipline and standards. To refrain from discipline in the home is bad parenting, but were about to do so in Christs church.The denomination has a task force at work to issue a comprehensive statement on sexuality in 2009, and many forces in the church have been appealing to that group to give attention to those things they want addressed. One request has been to revisit current policies that prevent practicing homosexuals from having their names on church rosters. In the 30 years that many mainline denominations have wrestled with sexuality status of clergy and lay leaders, the United Church of Christ has been the most notable denomination to adopt changes and move on to the legitimate issues of ministries and a hurting world. The 1.2 million denomination, with its God is still speaking theme, adopted an equal-marriage-for-all position in 2005 by 80 percent margin at its General Synod. We can go back 35 years to when the UCC became the first major Christian church to OK ordination for an openly gay pastor. In the mid-1980s, it declared itself open and affirming of gays and lesbians. Since then, other mainline denominations have inched toward various accommodations, usually after stages of task force studies. Clearly, there has been a shakeout in some denominations with the formation of factions that hold fast to tradition and biblical standards on sexuality, while other segments declare theyve moved to the truer spirit of Jesus message. Denominational executives find themselves beleaguered trying to hold sides together.The ELCA actions to hold off disciplining gay pastors in committed same-sex relationships drew a sharp response to the largest conservative Lutheran group, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which has 2.5 million members.Saying that the action created serious concern and consternation among his denominations members and leaders, President Gerald Kieschnick, said, .homosexual behavior is intrinsically sinful. We are deeply disappointed that the ELCA, by its decision, has failed to act in keeping with the historic and universal understanding of the Christian church regarding what Holy Scripture teaches about homosexual behavior as contrary to Gods will and about the biblical qualifications for holding the pastoral office.The potential implications of the ELCAs action, Kieschnick said, are that relationships between the groups and their mutual witness could be hurt.

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