Evangelical church lgbtq
EFCC Statements
These board-approved statements provide further explanation on some of the moral issues that are highlighted in our Covenant of Personal and Professional Ethics. Our hope with these statements is to joyfully express Kingdom-mindedness and a gracious heart. These are a foundational part of our ethos, driven by our humble understanding of Scripture.
The Evangelical Free Church of Canada affirms the historic, theological and Biblical understanding of marriage and sexuality.
The purpose for this document is neither to condemn nor judge others (Matt 7:1-6) but to offer a proper view of God and His good plan for human flourishing and for shalom (Psa 119; Gal 6:1-5).
A document that affirms the dignity and value of each human organism. A reminder that even in the midst of shadowy, trying times, there is hope.
EFCC Articles of Interest.
Two Congregations Force LGBT Debate on Evangelical Covenant Church
UPDATE (July 5): The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) has removed Awaken Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, over “policies and practices that are changeable with the denomination’s human sexuality guidelines.”
Delegates to the ECC annual gathering voted the church out on June 30. Awaken—which allows for same-sex marriage and the full participation of LGBT members in church life—is the second church in the ECC’s history to be removed involuntarily.
Weeks before the meeting, Quest Church, in Seattle, decided to voluntarily remove itself from the ECC over LGBT inclusion rather than face a vote at the meeting. In its letter announcing its withdrawal, Quest’s pastor Gail Song Bantum said ECC “has become a room that prioritizes doctrinal uniformity on a singular issue over relational unity in areas that are non-essentials of faith.”
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“We are always grieved when fellowship is broken,” said Tim Rodgers, chair of the Covenant Executive Board, after the vote on Awaken Church’s removal. “We pray
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
BACKGROUND
Of the three leading Lutheran organizations operating in the United States, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is considered the most welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ members. Formed in 1988 with the merger of three smaller Lutheran organizations, the ELCA is based in Chicago and encompasses nearly 10,000 congregations and more than 3.8 million members across the country.
Churchwide Assemblies are held every three years, with elected representatives establishing policy and addressing the concerns of the larger church body. As stated on the denomination’s web site, the Churchwide Assembly “provides a time and place for growth and change while remaining rooted in Scripture, tradition, Lutheran confessions and the opulent histories of our congregations and communities.”
LGBTQ+ EQUALITY
ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER IDENTITY
In 1991, the Churchwide Assembly passed a resolution stating that, "Gay and queer woman people, as individuals created by God, are welcome to participate fully in the life of the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."
Today, church
“All are welcome.” That’s the phrase displayed on the sign out front at Lorne Park Baptist Church in Mississauga, Ont. It’s the phrase found in its weekly bulletin, and it’s the phrase Junia Joplin, 41, preached for six years as the lead pastor. But when Joplin came out as transgender during a sermon this past June and was later terminated, it was clear to her that those words were hollow. “Any church can say, ‘All are welcome,’ and it’s a totally meaningless and empty phrase,” she says. “It’s dishonest in a way that actually harms marginalized people.”
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Even as an increasing number of denominations grapple toward full inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ2 people, evangelical, Pentecostal and many other non-denominational churches continue to preach that being gay is a sin, a lifestyle selection that can be changed. For decades, church members who didn’t fit the heteronormative roles prescribed from the pulpit have felt traumatized. But times are changing, and some conservative churches are being nudged along, too.
The younger generations now coming into direction roles at these churches grew up in a world that was m
Same-Gender Issues Among Lutherans in Canada
A Statement from the Council of Presidents/Bishops of Lutheran Church-Canada
Recent years hold brought separation and discord among Lutheran Christians around the world as various church bodies have departed from historic Biblical education and practice by approving same-gender relationships, both within their churches’ membership and even in the ranks of the ordained clergy. This disruption will now spread in our land through the decision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) to authorize its pastors to conduct same-gender marriages, as well as by its finding that sexual orientation is no longer an issue in certifying candidates for the ministry.
Because these decisions will be covered in the media, members of the larger Christian community and the Canadian public in general may mistakenly conclude that these decisions represent the position of all Lutherans in this land. In reality, the ELCIC is the only Lutheran church body in Canada which has approved such a departure from accepted Christian training. Further, although the ELCIC formally reports large membership statistics, nearly 40 percent of Canadian Luth