The ELCA and "Visions and Expectations"

Last week, I heard about a document called "Visions and Expectations" which was a document which was first put out in 1990 and then revised in 2010 (see link above) from the ELCA regarding people who could be ordained to the ministry.  See this link for more history.

I read the document for the first time today and was struck mainly by the footnote that said "This 'Vision and Expectations' document uses the terms 'marriage,' 'marry,' and 'married' to refer to marriage between a man and a woman." [emphasis mine]  one other thing that struck me was the way they referred to "same gender relationships", which would seem to exclude non-binary or agender people.  The final thing was the emphasis on monogamous relationships, which excludes those in faithful polyamorous relationships.

I do get that the document was written in 2010 so I can give some passes due to that.  It was before Obergefell v. Ohio and most states did not allow marriages that were not between a man and a woman to be legal.  I also get that polyamory is a complicated topic for many people.

All that being said, my hope is that the church will come out full throated for equality for all.  The recent decision of the UMC has shown that in America, there are a great many people who fully support full equality for all queer people.  In order for the church to be complete, it must allow all people to fully be a part of the life of the church.  This include queer people, this includes people in polyamorous unions, this includes using language that is open to all and doesn't exclude anyone, and this includes recognizing that the church has actively played a part in the stigmatization and oppression of different groups throughout its history.

I do recognize that another part of the reason for the timidity of the document is that there are more conservative elements within the ELCA that there are individual churches which as not welcoming to all people.  This view is not consistent with the radical love that Christ sought to bring into the world.  Jesus sought out the poor, the disenfranchised, the outcast, and brought them into the fold.  He did not try and exclude anyone from the love of God, rather he flung the doors wide open to allow all people in.  This is the sort of love that is expected of all Christians and that I expect the church to have.  This

                              is agape, a perfect, transcendent love, a love that raised the
                              mountains, created the world, and breathed life into humans.
                              A love that is transformative and validating.  A love that
                              abides no borders because it knows no borders.

This is the love we, as a church, are called to have.  And this love must extend to those who will be ministers and leaders of the church.  When you exclude people from the church, you limit who the church can reach and what will be considered because people have a much harder time talking intelligently about that which they do not know.

Added 3/11/2019-

So I just discovered that there is a new version of the document ("Trustworthy Servants of God") that I was able to read.  While it removes much of the problematic language above, it is in all other aspects identical to the 2010 document.  The document is incredibly bland and generic, which renders it value pretty much a moot point.  I am hoping that something stronger, more forward looking, and more inclusive will come out sooner rather than later.