According to the present constitutional requirement of the ELCIC (Bylaws Part II, section 2 and 6), Bishop Michael Pryse has two options to respond to the wilful violation and disregard of the constitution by Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Newmarket, Ontario: suspension or exclusion. In his letter to the congregation, he expresses regret that he has to choose either, and chooses the former, suspension.
This suspension could go on indefinitely because the letter does not include any time-line for the expectation of congregational compliance, and failing that, when exclusion would then be warranted.
Bishop Pryse envisions that the church's present constitution is only a temporary hurdle. This is also the opinion of his assistant, the Rev. Guenter Dahle as quoted in the National Post http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=970725
of Wednesday, November 19, 2008, “The church as a whole will one day be open to gay ordination but it is not acceptable for individual parishes to go off and do it themselves.”
In conclusion, Bishop Pryse commits himself to working towards the eventual realization of Holy Cross', the Eastern Synod's, and the ELCIC's goal of recognizing same gender relationships and the ordination of gays and lesbians... more
