The incoming Lutheran bishop of Pittsburgh says his reflections on his church's most divisive issue are colored by his friendship with a gay pastor at the center of the storm, but that he does not consider himself an advocate for or against the ordination of gay pastors in committed relationships.

	Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Bishop-elect Kurt Kusserow of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Click photo for larger image.

Bishop-elect Kurt Kusserow of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America plans to honor a request from the denomination's national assembly to refrain from removing gay ministers who have partners, at least until the church issues a new policy on sexual ethics in 2009.

"I think that already reflects the hearts of most of our bishops," said Bishop-elect Kusserow, who attended part of last week's assembly in Chicago.

"There are pastors and members of our churches who are involved across the board in all sorts of things that are questionable in terms of church practice. What it means to be a pastor is to work with people in their difficulties. ... It is not a wise pastor who goes looking for other people's faults to weed them out."

His perspective, he said, is affected by his friendship with the Rev. Bradley Schmeling of Atlanta, a seminary classmate. Mr. Schmeling's removal from the roster of ELCA clergy provoked last week's debate over partnered gay clergy.

About 1,000 clergy and laity voted overwhelmingly to refer all policy proposals concerning gay ministers and same-sex blessings to a task force drafting the 2009 sexuality policy. By a much closer margin, however, they urged bishops "to refrain from or demonstrate restraint in disciplining those rostered leaders in a mutual chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship."

The resolution did not define "chaste."

Bishop Donald McCoid of Southwestern Pennsylvania, who chairs the bishops' committee on theology and ethics, said, however, he believes it parallels a traditional definition that includes sexual faithfulness in marriage as well as abstinence in singleness. The ELCA requires all unmarried church leaders to be abstinent, but does not forbid the ordination of celibate gays and lesbians.

Bishop-elect Kusserow said he was glad to see Mr. Schmeling at the assembly; however, Mr. Schmeling will not attend his October installation because of a schedule conflict, he said.

"Brad would not be the only person I know and love who is a gay or lesbian person. It makes all the difference in the world" in how he thinks about gay-related issues, he said.

"I think the Christian theology of incarnation makes that point exactly. God does not just look at us from a distance, from a perspective of categories on paper. He comes to us to look at us in person," he said.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod has a history of opposing church affirmation of same-sex relationships. The bishop-elect said he did not intend to push the synod in another direction.

"I wouldn't think of myself as an advocate for either side," he said.

"I would advocate doing good theological and biblical work, no matter how the resolution comes out. It is possible for good theological and biblical work to come out on either side of the question -- and I think it is possible to come out on either side of that question without having done good work."

He said he does not perceive himself as very different from Bishop McCoid, who has opposed changes to traditional Christian sexual ethics, while accepting pastors who welcomed gay couples. Bishop McCoid said that he believes his soon-to-be successor "has tried to walk the tightrope" on a difficult issue.

Many local Lutherans were upset by press reports that made it sound as if the ELCA had voted to accept sexually active gay clergy, Bishop McCoid said.

"There was no change in policy or practice. This was an encouragement, it was not a directive," he said of the resolution on disciplinary action.

Some opponents of gay ordination supported the resolution because they thought it unwise to begin church trials until the policy was more settled, he said.

The Rev. Janet Grill, pastor of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Shadyside, the only church in the synod to officially declare itself welcoming to gay couples, said that the assembly took a step in the right direction.

"That gives everybody breathing space. By my stars, it was far from a victory in terms of including everyone fully, but it was also a wonderful opportunity for us to dialogue without threats of removal from the clergy roster," she said.

JoAnn Rogers, a partnered lesbian who attends St. Andrew's, was at the assembly as a visitor.

She was disappointed that an effort to approve partnered gay clergy was defeated.

But she was glad to hear that her new bishop accepted the resolution against disciplinary action.

"What it means to me personally is that the gay and lesbian Lutheran pastors who I know will feel safer," she said, noting that the resolution affects more than clergy.

In a prior congregation, she said, she was removed as a lector and vacation Bible school teacher because of her lesbian relationship.

A local Lutheran pastor authored a countervailing resolution that passed by a close margin.

The Rev. David Gleason, pastor of First Lutheran Church, Downtown, moved a request for the bishops to review and report on their own accountability to church policies, such as ordination standards.

"There is still a lot of uncertainty and a certain amount of apprehension about what will eventually come out of all of these sexuality issues," he said. "It is very clear that there is deep division."