I.C.M. - SW MN WordAlone

NW Wisconsin Synod Council

Votes for Dissenting Position #1

Editor

The Vote

On Saturday, February 19, The Northwest Wisconsin Synod Council voted 15-4 to adopt Dissenting Position #1 (p. 15 in the “Report”). This is in direct response to "The Report and Recommendations" from the ELCA's Task Force on Sexuality (online at www.elca.org ). Appropriate officials at the ELCA churchwide offices will be informed of this vote.

Dissenting Position #1 calls for upholding current ELCA policy (on same sex-blessings & ordination of non-celibate homosexuals) and for disciplining those who break this policy (ie: no local option).

The Deliberation

In deliberating over this issue, one council member, who eventually voted against the Dissenting Position #1, asked, "Does the language in Dissenting Position 1, '...if the Holy Spirit is speaking a new word... many in the community of faith are not hearing it,' mean that the author(s) assume that ears that are stopped need to be unstopped?" A fellow Synod Council member responded, "No. Rather, I believe the assumption is that what is being spoken about human sexuality [in the ELCA] is not being spoken by the Holy Spirit at all." Immediately, the question was called and the vote to adopt Dissenting Position #1 was taken.

Resolution Deadline Extended

In addition, the NW WI Synod Council, under advisement of Bishop Robert Berg, extended by 10 full days the final deadline for submitting resolutions/memorials to their Synod Assembly. The hope is that those who are aware of developments at the Churchwide offices will be able to craft effective resolutions to be considered at their Synod Assembly, and again at the Churchwide Assembly in Orlando.