The Christian Century

Little noted in the history behind the California Supreme Court decision that gives the “right to marry” to same-sex couples are the bold steps taken over four decades by onetime Pentecostal minister Troy Perry in trying to establish legal and religious rights for gays and lesbians.

Augsburg Fortress, the Minneapolis-based publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced in January that it is eliminating 24 staff positions, discontinuing product lines and consolidating select overhead costs. The decision means the company will focus on “core ministry resources for the ELCA and the wider Christian community,” its news release said.