Letter from Bishop Current on ELCA Social Statement, Human Sexuality Gift and Trust
By Bishop Amy Current
The ELCA Social Statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust draft with edits related to Reconsideration #1 (see below) is now posted online for feedback. People across the ELCA have until January 31, 2025, to provide comments and feedback to the task force. I encourage ELCA members to use the resources and links here to learn about the process for reconsideration, read through the draft edits, and then share your feedback with the task force. The task force's work is improved with feedback from across our church. Your voice and opinion matter!
Discussing the draft edits as a group or as part of an educational session in your worshipping community is a great way to gather feedback. A guide for conversations is available at www.elca.org/reconsiderations.
Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust is a social statement of the ELCA adopted by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly by a 2/3 vote of assembly voting members. The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly authorized two reconsiderations (Memorial C3 and Motion K) of the social statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust (www.elca.org/socialstatements ) by two-thirds majorities. The assembly did not authorize a reconsideration of the whole statement or dictate a particular outcome. Both possible reconsiderations arise from legal and social changes since the adoption of Human Sexuality in 2009.
The focus of Reconsideration #1 is editorial, which means the task force will look at small, clarifying word changes only. As the authorization indicates, civil law governing same-sex marriages, public
acceptance of such marriages, and diversity of family configurations have changed dramatically since 2009. The most obvious example is the 2015 Supreme Court decision that makes the marriage of any two individuals the law of the land. Given the legal and social changes since the adoption of Human Sexuality, the task force will examine editorial questions such as whether the statement should use ‘marriage’ for all couples.
The task force has completed a set of draft edits for Reconsideration #1. These are posted online for feedback. People across the ELCA have until January 31, 2025, to provide comments and feedback to the task force. Please be assured that the draft edits are not final and are not being proposed for Church Council consideration yet. This is a process, and your feedback is important. Please review the information at www.elca.org/reconsiderations to add your voice before January 31, 2025.
How can I provide feedback?
Throughout the public comment period, an online survey will be available at www.elca.org/reconsiderations. This is the best way to provide feedback. You can also download and mail a paper survey, or send an email Reconsiderations@elca.org to the task force.
Mail:
Human Sexuality Task Force
ELCA
Office of the Presiding Bishop
8765 W. Higgins Rd.
Chicago, IL 60631
Reconsideration #2 will be tended to beginning after the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly by the task force with public responses before the 2028 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
The focus of Reconsideration #2 is substantive rather than editorial, examining the coexistence in
the 2009 statement of four different but valid convictions that Lutherans can faithfully hold about
same-gender relationships (the shorthand for this concept is “bound conscience”). Again, the
authorization sets in motion a reconsideration of these ideas but does not determine the outcome.
The outcome must align with the main arguments of the 2009 statement and the process of
reconsideration will follow standard ELCA procedure for churchwide discernment.
The ELCA social statements are teaching and policy documents that provide broad frameworks to assist in thinking about important social issues in the context of faith and life. If you haven't checked out the ELCA Social Statements, I encourage you to do so at https://www.elca.org/faith/faith-and-society/social-statements.
Thank you for engaging in this important discernment.
Peace,
Bishop Current