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ELCA social statements are documents that help people think through social issues and that guide the church’s teaching and policies on those issues. However, their language can become outdated over time as laws and language change.
The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted to have our church reconsider certain passages from the ELCA social statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust in light of changes in U.S. laws regarding marriage since 2009 and in acknowledgment of the church’s understanding of the diversity of family configurations.
A task force, with people of diverse perspectives from across the ELCA, has been appointed by the ELCA Church Council to shepherd this process.
In early November, the task force released a set of draft edits for public comment. These are potential editorial changes only — small word changes that update the text without changing its meaning.
The task force invites you to review these and to share your feedback. This feedback is critical for our discernment as church together, and the task force will prayerfully consider all comments before proposing changes to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly for their action. The deadline for your response is Jan. 31, 2025.
You can share your feedback by taking an online survey or by emailing the task force directly at Reconsiderations@elca.org.
To help your discernment, several resources are posted at www.elca.org/reconsiderations, including an explanation of each draft edit, a discussion guide and an FAQ. Each resource is available in English, Spanish and large print.
Thanks in advance for participating and for sharing this invitation with others!
In good faith,
Theological Ethics Staff
Office of the Presiding Bishop
ELCA Churchwide Organization
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