Letters to the editor for Saturday, Feb. 21

Minneapolis Lutheran Bishop Craig Johnson hits it on the nose when he says the church loses "some great skills" by not placing partnered gays in leadership roles (Star Tribune, Feb. 20). I pray the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, in its national assembly this summer, will accept professional ministry by people in same-sex committed relationships, and let decisions to call them rest with congregations.

My congregation, Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer, made such a decision six years ago. Ignoring ELCA rules, we called as pastor a partnered lesbian. Ever since, we have thrived via her "great skills": pastoral, theological and relational. The ELCA officially views the Rev. Mary Albing as "on leave from call" and our congregation as pastorally "vacant." During this six-year "vacancy," we've added scores of members, completed a addition to our facility and grown notably in mission activity beyond the parish.

In Lutheran understanding, the call to serve in pastoral ministry comes essentially from God. My pastor knew she was captured by that call well before she knew her sexual orientation. God didn't withdraw the call when she discovered she was lesbian. Neither should the people of God.

HERTHA LUTZ, MINNEAPOLIS

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The ELCA's "structured flexibility" plan to allow for congregations to ordain or appoint homosexual pastors is a step in the right direction, but we cannot overlook the inherent discrimination in the plan.

The chairperson of the ELCA task force has said that it is "important that homosexual ministers be publicly accountable for their relationships" in the same manner that heterosexual ministers are.

ERIC CAMERON, NORTHFIELD, MINN.

There has been talk of sharing the burden of a faltering economy. I can see some need in that philosophy.

Let's start with food. The current level of subsistence that the federal government set for people who are suffering the hardest in this economy is $165 a month in food stamps. That should be our benchmark. If those of us who are struggling economically are expected to survive at that level, shouldn't that be the same standard for all? Start with the Legislature: cut the daily per diem to reflect our frugality. Then change the tax codes so anyone who writes off food paid for by their company or by others are only allowed to write off the $165 a month. Anything beyond that would be counted as income. Fair is fair.

ROBERT A. SWART, MANKATO, MINN.

The heartbreaking story of Anna Sitte ("Her family's legacy is gone, and she will never know it," Feb. 17) made no mention of this case being reported to Adult Protective Services (APS), which, under state law, investigates elder abuse and abuse of adults with disabilities and intervenes to protect victims. APS receives no directly appropriated federal support, in contrast to Child Protective Services, which receives over $7 billion a year.

KATHLEEN QUINN, SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ADULT

PROTECTIVE SERVICES ASSOCIATION

Hats off to the Editorial Board for taking charge in the exploration of ideas to streamline the operating costs of our great state. Do we really need 87 defined counties in Minnesota?

Fewer courthouses, less duplication of services, more consistent information between regions, fewer forms, less paperwork, better opportunities to leverage new technologies. Back in the "olden days" 87 counties to better represent smaller regions might have been approriate, but with today's technologies, it seems a bit silly and wasteful.

The Star Tribune suggested we consider doing away with the Taxation and Board of Estimates and Park Police and moving to a city manager, rather than city coordinator. All great ideas!

Let me add to that by suggesting no more Park Board and a minimum of six City Council seats. There is no justification for a city of 350,000 to have 13 council seats. Los Angeles, a city of over 4 million, has 15 seats -- that makes sense. Time to get this city structured and operating properly.