Years race by, but the debate over whether American Christianity can accommodate gays and lesbians is never ending. Yes, some major denominations have largely settled the issue, most notably the United Church of Christ, whose maxim is God is still speaking.

In the past week, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church (USA) have experienced two events that would appear to be steps forward to permit gay pastors. On Saturday, the Rev. Jennifer Nagel, a lesbian with a partner for nine years, was ordained and installed as the pastor of Salem English Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minn. It was labeled an Extraordinary Ordination, meaning it was outside the Lutheran rules that ban non-celibate gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from serving as pastors.

What gave it extraordinary character was that three retired bishops from the

Minnesota area gave their authority to the event by taking part in the ordination service. Said the Rev. Roger Livdahl, a retied ELCA pastor and member of the Salem congregation, Jen has insights and gifts which make her uniquely qualified to give

Salem leadership in our location of the city. We are inspired by her passion for ministry to poor and hungry people and others who are regarded as on the fringes of society.

Another church member, Sarah Kunze, called the event a bold call for change in the church, and she underscored Nagels qualifications and ability to lead the church in honest, Spirit-led transformational ministry. The 5 million-member denomination passed a resolution last year recommending bishops to refrain from or show restraint in the discipline of homosexual, bisexual and transgendered pastors and their congregations. Yet, it did not change its policy. Any action awaits completion of a study this year. If the ban is lifted, it could not come until the Church-wide Assembly in the summer of 2008. She is the 13^th extraordinary ordination through Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries.

Meanwhile, progressives Presbyterians in the Presbytery of San Francisco took action Jan. 15 to advance the candidacy for ordination of Lisa Larges, 44, who has been working 23 years to win the right to be an ordained pastor and to live openly as a lesbian. Twice before Larges, who is a Lesbian, has seen her path blocked. Following a debate that went into the night, the San Francisco Presbytery voted 167 to 151 to support Larges application for ministry. Traditionalists say it could violate the churchs constitution. Larges case is seen as the first national test of a 2006 policy change by the church.

The San Francisco woman coordinates the national project, That All May Freely Serve, which advocates for gay Presbyterian clergy candidates. It was in 1985 as Larges began training at San Francisco Theological Seminary that she was selected for ministry by the Minnesota presbytery where she grew up, according to the Los Angeles Times account. At a certain point in her training, she decided she could no longer pursue the ministry and keep her sexual orientation secret. Her candidacy in the Twin Cities Presbytery went forward but in 1992, the churchs highest body denied Larges candidacy. Then she moved to San Francisco and started a new bid. Beginning in 1997, she met annually with a committee overseeing candidates for ordination. In 2004, the committee voted against her ordination but with a view toward a possible shift in church-wide policy. It let her continue to be a candidate.

In 2006, the General Assembly voted to give some flexibility for local and regional church bodies to approve the ordination of gays on a case-by-case basis a departure from a long established law that clergy and lay leaders be either married to a member of the opposite sex or be single and chaste. But candidates would have to declare a conscientious objection to provisions and put that in a statement. In her words, Larges said she could not abide by the churchs requirement that she be married to a man or to be celibate in order to be a pastor. She said the provision is a mar upon the church and a stumbling block to its mission and was not essential to Presbyterian faith.

The Covenant Network of Presbyterians, which advocates for allowing gay pastors and church leaders, issued a letter calling for support for Larges and saying attention turns to April when Larges is scheduled to under her trials of ordination. But that could be delayed if there are challenges to the presbyterys recent actions.

In June in San Jose, Calif., the General Assembly meets again and will deal anew with the controversies over homosexuality that has already caused congregations to leave the denomination and, in some cases, cause battles over whether departing groups can retain their campuses.

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