Homosexuality issues dividing some area churches

Linda Stewart Kroon is saddened by the message she says some churches are sending to the gay community.

“I feel sad that churches cannot find within the gospel a message of welcome,” she said. “I know it's in there.”

Stewart Kroon, 50, is the daughter of a retired Reformed Church in America pastor and has been active in the church all her life. She's the spouse of an Episcopal pastor in Iowa City. She's also a lesbian.

Gay and lesbian issues have taken the front pew in churches across the country as congregations grapple with biblical interpretation regarding homosexuality and questions surrounding gay and lesbian clergy and same-sex marriage. Some denominations are being split as congregations vote to leave because of policy or doctrine changes some don't agree with.

“This is the civil rights issue of today,” said Peter Jauhiainen, associate professor of religion at Kirkwood Community College.

He said it comes down to interpretation of Scripture.

“I think there's a fundamental divide going on in a lot of churches,” he said. “I think it's really happening in mainline denominations in particular. Some of the more liberal denominations have taken a full stance for ordination of gays and lesbians. In the more mainline churches - Lutheran, PCUSA, United Methodist - this is where you really see the faultlines. There are more shades of gray in their interpretation of the Bible.”

It's not the first time congregations and denominations have been at odds over societal issues, though.

“The debate over women's ordination was in some ways just as contentious,” he said. “In the Episcopal Church, when they first started ordaining women, there were about a dozen churches that split off.”

For Stewart Kroon, the schisms are hurtful.

“As a lesbian person myself, it's very painful to me to see churches taking action because they don't want to be welcoming to ‘those people,' ” she said. “I am ‘those people,' and it hurts.”

Joshua McNary, 30, of Cedar Rapids, is active in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

“I am a conservative Christian, and the Scripture clearly states homosexuality is a sin,” he said. “I firmly hold to this and would leave a church adopting an alternate stance.”

He said he was pleased an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation in Marion voted Oct. 3 to leave the ELCA because of the latter's position on allowing gay clergy to be in committed relationships.

“Churches whom are brave enough to stick to the teaching of the Bible and lean on Christ's saving work for us are those which are most likely to withstand the test of time and overcome the past and present ‘issues' in the church,” he said. “Those who are influenced by societal or cultural phenomenon are those which in decades to come will cease to be the Christian Church, and perhaps become something different.”

The Rev. Kristin Hutson, chaplain at Coe College in Cedar Rapids and director of its Religious Life group, disagrees but also said she's reluctant to call the issue a civil rights issue.

“Once we start calling it a civil rights issue, it actually excuses the churches from having to deal with it,” she said. “It's a pastoral issue in my book. How are we as leaders of the church to live out our ministries if we are not able to offer the same opportunities to all members of Christ's church?

“We can't be ‘the church' without these people in our churches,” she said.