North Carolina Synod assembly calls for house bill 2 repeal

The North Carolina Synod (ELCA) assembly passed 16.05, “HOUSE BILL 2 RESOLUTION FOR NC SYNOD OF THE ELCA,” addressing the recently passed House Bill 2. House Bill 2 prohibits North Carolinians from filing housing and employment discrimination cases in state courts on the basis of age, sex, religion, national origin, race, class, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The assembly also passed memorials repudiating the “European Christian-derived ‘doctrine of discovery‘” and memorializing the 2016 Churchwide Assembly to include a focus of African Decent lives for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.”

ReconcilingWorks affirms the assembly’s actions and commits to be a resource for congregations, their members, synod leaders, and pastors as they call for the repeal of House Bill 2.

The resolution cites the 1991 ELCA social statement, The Church in Society: a Lutheran Perspective, which affirms Lutheran’s calling to “defend human dignity, to stand with poor and powerless people, to advocate justice; […] to remove obstacles of discrimination and indifference; […] to be critical when groups of people are inadequately represented in political processes and decisions that affect their lives; and speak out on timely, urgent issues on which the voice of this church should be heard,” and the 2009 ELCA social statement, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust which states: “This church also will attend to the need for equal protection, equal opportunities, and equal responsibilities under the law, and just treatment for those with varied sexual orientation and gender identity. Such individual are disproportionately and negatively affected by patterns of stigma, discrimination, and abuse.”

nc-sb2-resolution“THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that:

  • the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America meeting in Assembly call upon North Carolina state legislators, the speaker, the president pro tem and the governor to repeal House Bill 2; and
  • the North Carolina Synod meeting in Assembly encourage its congregations and its members also to call for the repeal of House Bill 2; and
  • the North Carolina Synod meeting in Assembly urge the bishop of the synod, or his designee, to
  • make the synod’s position on this matter known throughout the synod and to the public at large;
  • the North Carolina Synod meeting in Assembly call upon our synod leaders, pastors and congregations to welcome diversity and defend equal protection under our laws for all, and that we commit ourselves to walking in the Way of Jesus—the way of radical compassion, embracing all people within God’s reign of justice.”

The North Carolina synod is made of up 201 congregations.