'A huge victory' for gay Lutheran clergy

'A huge victory' for gay Lutheran clergy
Chicago Sun-Times, United States -
The nation's largest Lutheran denomination on Saturday passed a measure calling on church leaders to "refrain from or demonstrate restraint" in disciplining gay clergy in committed relationships.

A day earlier, church members meeting at Navy Pier voted down a measure that would have ended the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's celibacy requirement for gay clergy.

Still, Saturday's 538-431 decision was widely viewed as historic and a sign of shifting thinking on homosexuality within the 4.8-million member denomination.

"It's a huge victory," said Jeremy Posadas, a voting church member from Decatur, Ga. "The gospel of inclusion has won, and we're going to keep winning."

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