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Refrain...from Wasting Money

Abstract: It seems we underestimated the cost of enforcing the ELCA's celibacy policy.

Last year at this time there was a great deal of talk about the impending trial of Pr. Bradley Schmeling in the Southeastern Synod. In 2006, Bishop Ron Warren charged Pr. Schmeling with conduct incompatible with the ministerial office because Pr. Schmeling lives in a committed, same-sex relationship.
At the time, we speculated that the trial would be expensive, perhaps costing the ELCA between $150,000 and $200,000.
Recent rumor has it that we were overly optimistic, and that the final bill for the trial was nearly to $250,000.
Can it really be worth a quarter million dollars to remove one pastor from the ELCA clergy roster? One would like to think that as a church we are not so alienated from our mission that we couldn't find a better use for that money.

(Vol. II, viii December 21, 2007 )

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