ORLANDO, Fla. - Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America expressed anger, hurt and confusion about what role gays should have in their denomination at a hearing Tuesday on an upcoming vote at their national convention.

More than 400 delegates and observers crowded into a hotel meeting room where Lutheran leaders invited comments about proposals on blessing same-sex unions and ordaining gays who are not celibate.

No one at Tuesday's hearing directly advocated maintaining the denomination's prohibitions on gays. But some raised questions about the impact of easing the rules.

The Rev. Carol Custead of Hollidaysburg, Pa., said a Lutheran bishop in Kenya had told her that "ties may have to be broken" if the ELCA moved toward approving gay relationships.

"Were any of the global ramifications of this considered?" she asked.

The key proposals before the 1,018 delegates in Orlando are based on years of work by a task force on sexuality that tried to find a compromise policy for the 4.9 million-member church.

The measures would:

Affirm the church ban on ordaining sexually active gays and lesbians, but allow bishops and church districts called synods to seek an exception for a particular candidate if that person is in a committed relationship and meets other conditions.

Uphold the denomination's prohibition against same-sex blessings, but give bishops and pastors discretion in deciding how to minister to gay couples.

Call for unity, even though congregants disagree on the issue.