Insufficient Evidence: In an August 5 press release titled INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE THAT SEXUAL ORIENTATION CHANGE EFFORTS WORK, SAYS APA, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that its 2009 convention had adopted a resolution stating that mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments. The new resolution ("Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts") updates a resolution adopted by the APA in 1997. In 2007 the APA established a six-person Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation to review the efficacy of sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) and to update the 1997 resolution.
To produce its 138-page report, the task force examined the peer-reviewed journal articles inEnglish from 1960 to 2007, including 83 studies. Most of the studies were conducted before 1978. The group also reviewed the recent literature on the psychology of sexual orientation.
The abstract of the report reads:
The American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed journal literature on sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) and concluded that efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely to be successful and involve some risk of harm, contrary to the claims of SOCE practitioners and advocates. Even though the research and clinical literature demonstrate that same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviors are normal and positive variations of human sexuality, regardless of sexual orientation identity, the task force concluded that the population that undergoes SOCE tends to have strongly conservative religious views that lead them to seek to change their sexual orientation. Thus, the appropriate application of affirmative therapeutic interventions for those who seek SOCE involves therapist acceptance, support, and understanding of clients and the facilitation of clients’ active coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, without imposing a specific sexual orientation identity outcome.
Responses to the APA announcement have been wide-ranging, but we feel the most interesting response to date has come from Michael Foust writing for the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Press. Mr. Foust's article appeared on August 7 and is titled: "Has APA given nod to gay change therapy?"
The putative nod of Mr. Foust's article is in the last sentence of the abstrract quoted above:
... the appropriate application of affirmative therapeutic interventions for those who seek SOCE involves therapist acceptance, support, and understanding of clients and the facilitation of clients’ active coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, without imposing a specific sexual orientation identity outcome.
Mr. Foust also cites Bob Stith who holds the position of national strategist for gender issues for the Southern Baptist Convention and represents the denomination's Task Force on Ministry to Homosexuals:
...the report was much better than I had expected. [It had] enough to give anyone who read it some support.

Texas to Minnesota: Pr. Sophie is in Houston, Texas this week and on Sunday August 9 (which Pr. Sophie observes as Nixon Resignation Day) she dropped in for worship at Grace Lutheran Church ("Not your average Lutheran church") in the city's Montrose area. Pr. Sophie reports:
Grace is a small ELCA congregation that, in 2008, called and ordained Pr. Lura Groen, who is on the roster of

Extraordinary Lutheran ministries.
A year after Pr. Groen's installation, the congregation seems to be doing well with about 50 people in attendance on Sunday morning and a new enquirers' class starting later this month.
The truly amazing thing is that the congregation will send 9 people to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis. None of the members of the Grace delegation are voting members: they are going as volunteers and observers because the business of the assembly, particularly the disposition of the social statement on human sexuality and the ministry policy recommendations, are of vital interest to the congregation.
Asked by another of our far-flung reporters about their role in Minneapolis, it was explained that the group from Grace will be doing volunteer work with Goodsoil which will once again be present at churchwide, this year to encourage voting members to adopt the social statement on human sexuality and the ministry policy recommendations put forth by the ELCA Task Force for Sexuality Studies. Members from Grace are intent on sharing their experience since calling Pr. Groen who is among those excluded from the ELCA roster under current policies.

When Luke Met Adam: We are indebted to Samuel G. Freedman whose writing in the New York Times brought to our attention Geoffrey Nauffts' play Next Fall. According to Mr. Freedman, Next Fall "may well be the first artistic exploration of interfaith marriage within a same-sex context." The play has just finished a run off Broadway in a production by Naked Angels, and may return next season.
Luke and Adam are two men who meet, have sex, and, in spite of the fact that Luke is an evangelical Christian and Adam is a 'fervent' atheist, fall in love. Their differences over the role of faith animate much of the play as their relationship evolves over several years.
Adam challenges Luke to reconcile his sexuality with his religious convictions, particularly Luke's belief that gay sex is sinful. Luke responds that sex is simply one way way of sinning, and sin is human nature. While it can't be escaped, it can be forgiven. In Luke's view, damnation comes not from sin, but from failing to accept Jesus, and he, in turn, is anxious over the fate of his atheist partner.
Mr.Freedman explains Mr. Nauffts' background:
[T]he playwright grew up essentially without religion, the child of a secular Episcopalian father and a half-Jewish-half-Lutheran mother unobservant in either faith. Only gradually, through both romantic and professional relationships, did Mr. Nauffts come to know and respect some deeply religious people, particularly a Roman Catholic girlfriend, before he came out as a gay man, and several evangelical Christian actors he befriended in more recent years.
He quotes Mr. Nauffts:
It's an eye-opening experience, to be in and among people one normally wouldn't be in and among. To sort of see individuals as human beings, not as monsters. It's really easy to write off people with any kind of religious belief, especially if they are fervent. But what I saw was a struggle, internal turmoil, to exist in the world and hold on to your beliefs...

Green Is the Color: The Goodsoil Worship service accompanying this year's ELCA Churchwide Assembly will be held at 7:30PM Wednesday August 19 at Central Lutheran Church adjacent to the Minneapolis Convention Center.Bishop David Brauer-Rieke, Oregon Synod, will preside; Rev. Barbara Lundblad of Union Theological Seminary in New York will preach. The worship service is open to all.
Clergy are invited to vest and are encouraged to meet in Central Lutheran's lower narthex 7:00PM. Green is the color.

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