( CNN ) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will decide this week whether to allow gays and lesbians who are not celibate to serve as clergy members and lay leaders , a spokesman said Tuesday . Current Evangelical Lutheran Church policy allows gay and lesbian clergy , lay people to serve only if celibate . Spokesman John Brooks said the church 's 1,045 voting members , who are at a weeklong Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis , Minnesota , will vote Friday on whether to change its policy regarding gay clergy members . The policy allows gays and lesbians to serve as clergy members and lay leaders if they are celibate , Brooks said . Heterosexual clergy are allowed to have sex within marriage . The new policy would allow gays and lesbians in `` publicly accountable , lifelong , monogamous , same-gender relationships , '' to serve as clergy and lay leaders , according to the proposal . Lay leaders are people other than clergy members who are on the professional rosters of the church . A simple majority will decide the vote , Brooks said . He said there is a `` wide range of opinions '' on changing the policy . The body is also scheduled to vote Wednesday on a social statement on sexuality that has been eight years in the making , he said . `` It 's important for us because it informs the basis for policy , '' he said . According to its Web site , the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has 4.6 million members . The church is not the only denomination that has dealt with the issue of gay clergy . Last month , the Episcopal Church 's House of Bishops voted by a wide margin to allow gays and lesbians to become bishops , Episcopal Life reported . In April , the Presbyterian Church ( USA ) voted against allowing openly gay pastors to serve , according to the Presbyterian News Service .
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America meeting in Minneapolis this week . Policy allows gays , lesbians to serve as clergy , lay leaders if they are celibate . If approved , new policy would allow them to serve if in monogamous relationships . Spokesman says simply majority vote of 1,045 members to decide issue .