July 17, 2026
Dear church,
We are church together – following Jesus as individuals, as a congregation, and as a community in the much larger body of Christ. One of the larger communities of which Grace is a part is the ELCA – or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Our denomination is one body, made up of many members, sharing core theological beliefs, but different practices and ways of living out those beliefs, and some beliefs that differ between congregations.
One way that we stay united as a denomination is through social statements – documents and teachings that are informed by the Bible and Lutheran theology, that are developed over an intensive process of workshopping and feedback. However, those social statements are a snapshot in time, and so sometimes there is a proposal to reconsider part or all of a social statement.
The ELCA’s social statement, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, is one such document under reconsideration. As a denomination, we have already updated sections of language to reflect the Obergefell decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the country, and currently, the section on bound conscience is being reconsidered.
Put simply, bound conscience is the theology that allows congregations and members to hold different theological beliefs and practices, in this case especially related to LGBTQIA+ welcome and inclusion. Right now is the time that the ELCA’s Reconsideration Task Force is accepting feedback and thoughts from congregations. This is not reconsidering any policy or practice about LGBTQIA+ leadership or inclusion, but is asking us to consider how we live with difference, and what level of difference allows us to stay as one body with many members.
We will be hosting a four-part Reconsideration Study at Grace, Wednesday evenings 6:30-7:30p, starting on July 22nd and going through August 12th. This study was developed by the national task force, and we are forming our own mini-task force at Grace to go through the materials and give feedback. There is no need to sign up in advance, but in order to keep the group consistent, we are asking that you only attend if you are able to commit to at least 3 of the 4 Wednesday evenings. Please reach out to me with any questions!.
In Christ,
Pastor Reed