Trinity's Welcoming Witness

As some of you may know, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is in the critical stages of its latest study process relating to gays and lesbians in the church. Over the past and next several months, many of the over 10,000 ELCA congregations are having discussion series aimed at generating a sense of the (admittedly diverse) overall feelings of the Church. What has been one of the most heartening and tragic things about leading Trinity's series is that almost everyone involved has said, "It's just not an issue here." For 25 years and more, Trinity has welcomed gays and lesbians as members: it's unbelievable to hear people dismiss even the possibility of doing otherwise. At the same time, that's an experience that so few gays and lesbians and too few congregations know.

I have decided that, in drafting Trinity's response to the study process, we will NOT attempt to argue for welcoming in theory: we will give strong witness to just how real it can be in practice. Trinity, I was proud to find out, was a home for many people (particularly gay men) infected in the early days of HIV/AIDS, the "GRID" and ACT-UP periods. One member remembered men who came home to the church only in their last days, and only because Trinity was not questioning but clear about its commitments of grace and love. In God's cycle of life, Trinity has this year also been a spiritual home for Kevin and me, unhesitatingly welcoming us together.

It won't happen in the next year, but some day ALL of God's people will proclaim with us at Trinity: "Whether and how to accept gays and lesbians is simply not an issue." Then maybe we'll preoccupy ourselves - with study processes, actions, heated debates, and passionate commitments - with something worthy of our vocation in baptism.