Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
He was removed from the clergy roster last year. Bishop Philip Hougen of the
Southeastern Iowa Synod said he is "uncomfortable with Steve Sabin continuing"
as pastor at Lord of Life but has not asked the Synod Council to expel the
congregation from the denomination.
"To remove them in order to make some sort of point about purity seems to me
to be not worth the effort," Hougen said. "I don't want to cause any more pain."
At last Saturday's service at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Denver, Sabin and
other gay and lesbian pastors made the roster of the Extraordinary Candidacy
Project, part of an alliance supporting gays and lesbians in Lutheran ministry.
"Rostering is a new word in the life of the church," Sabin told the crowd of
about 150, according to the ELCA News Service. "We are not commissioning; we are
not ordaining; we are not installing. But we are a listing of people who have a
call to ministry. In extraordinary times, you need extraordinary measures."
Sabin was encouraged to see a few of the denomination's bishops at the
service. "It was interesting that they were there and interesting that they took
Communion."
He preached about the need to move on in ministry. "If I spend too much time
on studies and discussions, or shaking a fist at those I'm pleased to be angry
with, then I'll miss those other people and let down the Lord who reconfirmed my
call."