RC2001-RESOLUTION
Alternate Ordination Standards in the Minneapolis Area Synod

1     WHEREAS, a considerable number of the members, congregations, seminarians and pastors of the

2     Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) cannot, for scriptural and confessional reasons,

3     accept a requirement that our bishops must be installed into the historic episcopate and pastors

4     must be ordained into the historic episcopate; and

5     WHEREAS, the 2000 Minneapolis Area Synod Assembly adopted RC2000-1 0 and took other action

6     requesting that the ELCA Churchwide constitution and bylaws be amended to allow for alternate

7     installation authority for synodical bishops and alternate ordination authority for pastors, and

8     WHEREAS, Resolution #5 of the Eastern North Dakota Synod, adopted at that Synod's 2000

9     Assembly, provided that "the Eastern North Dakota Synod of the ELCA fully supports the right of its

10      constituent members, congregations, pastors, and bishops to freely accept or reject local

11         implementation of an historic episcopate; and,

12      WHEREAS, some other synods of the ELCA have taken action to amend their synod constitutions to

13      allow for such alternate installation authority and alternate ordination authority; therefore be it

14      RESOLVED, that the Minneapolis Area Synod Constitution be amended as follows:

15             1 . Amend +S8.12.c. by addition for the underlined text and deletion of stricken text:

16                  +S8.12. As this synod's pastor, the bishop shall: ...

17                  c. Exercise @ this church's power to ordain (or provide for the ordination by another

18                  synodical bishop or provide for the ordination by another pastor o@ approved candidates

19                  who have received and accepted a properly issued, duly attested letter of call for the office

20                  of ordained ministry ... (with the remainder of the provision unchanged).

21             2. Amend +S8.15. by addition of the underlined text:

22                  + S8.1 5. The presiding bishop of this church, or the appointee of the presiding bishop, shall

23                  install into office, in accord with the policy and approved rite of this church, each newly

24                  elected synodical bishop.  In the event that a newly elected synodical bishop has a

25                  theological objection to installation in the Historic Episcol2ate, said objection shall be

26                  honored by the al2l2ointment of an anl2ropriate bishop to preside for the newly elected

27                  bishop's installation.

Submitted by: Calvary Lutheran Church of Golden Valley Church Council - November 28, 2000

Contact person: Karl L Cambronne, Congregational President (612-339-7300)

and                394 Corridor North Conference in Assembly - April 29, 2001 Contact person: Pastor Lyndon Nygaard, Dean (763-479-1719)

Author: Pr. Jonathan Preus (612-545-5659)

Reference & Counsel Committee forwards this resolution without recommendation.

Note from Reference and Counsel Committee:

The ELCA Church Council has offered guidance to synods that may consider resolutions that support the right of its constituent members, congregations, pastors and bishops to freely accept or reject local implementation of the historic episcopate and has stated that, "while resolutions of a synod assembly seeking changes in this church's governing documents are in order, resolutions of a synod assembly pledging to support or undertake actions in violation of this church's governing documents are not in order.  "

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Alternate Ordination Standards in the Minneapolis Area Synod &

RC2001-6 and RC2001-7

Calling for Churchwide Constitutional Changes to Provide Alternate Ordination Standards

This resolution builds upon Resolution RC2000-10 (attached), which was forwarded to the 2000 Synod Assembly by the Synod Council, and which passed overwhelmingly.  We asked the ELCA Church Council to find a way to ordain qualified candidates who believe that Scripture and the Lutheran confessions do not allow them to accept the historic episcopate (HE).  We also asked that newly elected synod bishops who share these theological objections be installed by "an appropriate bishop," i.e., a bishop who does not bear HE.

We requested similar provisions for other rostered people.  After we passed RC2000-1 0, it was moved from the floor that we make the provisions of RC2000-1 0 synod policy until we see whether the national expression of our church will make adequate provisions for conscientious objectors to HE.  It was pointed out that the ELCA Constitution (5.0l.c) provides that each of the three expressions of the church - national, synod, congregation - should deal with matters that primarily concern that expression, with the other entities facilitating and assisting.  The ordination of pastors and the election and installation of bishops, do primarily concern the synod.  This motion did not pass; some said we should wait to see what the national church would do.  But we still do not know what the national church will do, and our new ordinands and our new bishop are left up in the air.

These resolutions make the same proposal, with language changes that make the resolution less prejudicial against the candidate bearing objections to HE.  It calls on us to make sure that worthy candidates are not excluded from any type of pastoral ministry because of an historic episcopate which everyone agrees is "not necessary" (though we do not all agree on the meaning of linot necessary").

From the ELCA Church Council, there was no response to the request on behalf of newly elected bishops.  The ELCA Division for Ministry prepared an "exceptions in exceptional circumstances" bylaw (not a change in the constitution) for ordination candidates.  Their proposal was very limited.  It was to expire after six years; it required bishops to press ordinands to accept HE; the presiding bishop was to be consulted in each individual case.  Each ordinand would have to prove that granting him/her an exception would enhance the mission of the church and strengthen the church s unity.  This proposal was narrowly approved by the Division for Ministry board.

The council of bishops insisted that the expiration date be removed in the proposal to be forwarded by the church council to the churchwide assembly this year, the synod bishop would decide whether to consider a request for an exception, then consult with synod council and presiding bishop.  The synod bishop would make the final decision, with no appeal.

The ELCA press release following the April ELCA Church Council meeting pointed out that the bylaw allowing possible exceptions requires a 2/3 majority at the churchwide assembly, and that many leaders in the ELCA concede that adoption of the bylaw is not certain.  The Episcopalian presiding bishop wrote a strong letter to our presiding bishop protesting this bylaw.  Meanwhile, seminarians are graduating, and we are electing a new bishop.

Therefore, let us take action on behalf of our synod (RC2001 - 6:Alternate Ordination Standards...), while forwarding a matching proposal (RC2001 - 7:Calling for Churchwide Constitutional Changes ... ) to the Churchwide Assembly.  If future national actions make our provisions unnecessary, we can adjust them or withdraw them.  But for the present, we need these protections.