Double Delight: Two Good News Reports to Report

A New Presiding Bishop for the Lutherans

Delighted to get the news that the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) has elected its first woman Presiding Bishop -- the Reverend Elizabeth Eaton. From the Religion News Service report:

(RNS) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on Wednesday (Aug. 14) elected the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton as the denomination’s first female presiding bishop. Eaton received 600 votes against incumbent Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, who received 287.

Eaton, the current ELCA bishop of the Cleveland-based Northeast Ohio Synod, is married to the Rev. Conrad Selnick, an Episcopal priest. Like Hanson, she is considered a moderate who supported the denomination’s decision to allow partnered gay clergy while allowing room for churches to disagree, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A native of Cleveland, she received a master of divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School.

Ding, Dong -- Prop 8 is REALLY Dead!

Equally delighted at the news that the anti-marriage equality folks failed in their last ditch effort to end marriage equality in California. Check it out:

SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to revive Proposition 8, ending the last remaining legal challenge to same-sex marriage in the state. Meeting in closed session, the state high court rejected arguments by ProtectMarriage, Proposition 8’s sponsors, that only an appellate court could overturn a statewide law -- rejecting Prop. 8 Proponents’ last-ditch effort to revive Proposition 8. Following the resumption of marriage equality in California on June 28, Prop. 8 Proponents filed a lawsuit seeking to limit where gay and lesbian couples could marry to only two California counties.

Los Angeles Times article and AFER report