Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries

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Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM), founded on October 31, 2007, is an organization committed to the full participation of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.

Contents

History and background

Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries was founded in 1990.

The Extraordinary Candidacy Project was founded in 1993. ECP credentialed openly LGBT seminarians, candidates, ordained and commissioned ministers that were preparing for professional vocations in independent Lutheran parishes and congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The ELM roster currently has 34 ministers, 2 individuals approved for call and 3 seminarians. Discipline for congregations that call pastors from the ELM roster has varied throughout the ELCA. Members of the ELM Roster are/were members of the ELCA and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. [1]

On January 1, 2009, ELM opened the official international office in Chicago, Illinois.

Extraordinary Ordinations

Rooted in the extraordinary ordinations that were performed by Martin Luther and the reformers as recorded in the Lutheran Confessions, 18 Extraordinary Ordinations have taken place to date.

These ordinations were later validated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America when the extraordinarily ordained pastors were brought into the church through a "Rite of Reconciliation." [20] The first rite was held in San Francisco with the "SPS7," when the Revs. Jeff Johnson, Paul Brenner, Megan Rohrer, Dawn Roginski, Ross Merkel, Craig Minich and Sharron Stalkfleet were received into the ELCA. [21] Currently all the extraordinarily ordained pastors have been received into the ELCA except for Jay Wilson.

Passing of the stole

Each ordination since the Rev. Anita Hill has received a traveling stole: The red stole was presented to Pastor Anita Hill by the Rev. Lynne Lorenzen at Hill's ordination on April 28, 2001. Lorenzen had received it from the Rev. Rebecca Hostetler, a member of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church and a lesbian who left the ELCA roster at her bishop's request when he learned she was in a committed relationship. Lynne passed the stole to Hill with the request that she pass it to the next ordained from the Extraordinary Candidacy Project (now, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries) roster.

The stole passed through numerous ministers throughout the years.

The Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer wore the stole in an “l am Beautiful” video for Cosmo magazine, then passed it on the Rev. Noah Hepler on the Netflix show Queer Eye (Season 5, Episode 1).

Related Research Articles

Called to Common Mission (CCM) is an agreement between The Episcopal Church (ECUSA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the United States, establishing full communion between them. It was ratified by the ELCA in 1999, the ECUSA in 2000, after the narrow failure of a previous agreement. Its principal author on the Episcopal side was theological professor J. Robert Wright. Under the agreement, they recognize the validity of each other's baptisms and ordinations. The agreement provided that the ELCA would accept the historical episcopate and the "threefold ministry" of bishop - priest - deacon with respect to ministers of communicant churches serving ELCA congregations; the installation of the ELCA presiding bishop was performed through the laying on of hands by Lutheran bishops in the historic episcopate. This provision was opposed by some in the ELCA, which after its founding merger in 1988, held a lengthy study of the ministry which was undertaken with divided opinions. In response to concerns about the meaning of the CCM, synod bishops in the ELCA drafted the Tucson resolution which presented the official ELCA position. It made clear that there is no requirement to ordain deacons or accept their ministry. It also provided assurance that the ELCA did not and was not required by CCM to change its own theological stance.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of 2021, it has approximately 3.04 million baptized members in 8,724 congregations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada</span> Protestant denomination in Canada

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran denomination, with 95,000 baptized members in 519 congregations, with the second largest, the Lutheran Church–Canada, having 53,165 baptized members. Together with the LCC and the Canadian Association of Lutheran Congregations, it is one of only three all-Canadian Lutheran denominations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the Anglican-Lutheran North American grouping Churches Beyond Borders. According to the 2011 Canadian census, a larger number of 478,185 adherents identify as Lutheran.

ReconcilingWorks, initially named Lutherans Concerned for Gay People and subsequently Lutherans Concerned/North America, is an organization of laypeople, pastors, and congregations primarily from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) working for the full acceptance and inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions in the life of the church. It is one of many LGBT-welcoming church movements to emerge in American Christianity in the late 20th century.

WordAlone is a Lutheran grassroots network of congregations and individuals within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States. According to its website, WordAlone advocates reform and renewal of the church, representative governance, theological integrity, and freedom from a mandated historic episcopate. The group is generally considered theologically and socially conservative. As of 2005, approximately 215 congregations have officially joined the organization.

Solid Rock Lutherans was a Minnesota-based group of Lutheran clergy and laity within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) who opposed liberalizing that church's position on the ordination of non-celibate gay and lesbian persons on the basis of scriptural authority.

Chris Glaser has been an activist in the movement for full inclusion of LGBT Christians in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), or PCUSA, for over 30 years. He is currently a minister in the Metropolitan Community Church, or MCC.

Anita Carol Hill is an LGBT American minister in the Lutheran Church. She is one of the first ordained lesbian women in the church and became a pastor before the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) changed its policy on LGBT ministers.

The Society of the Holy Trinity is an Evangelical-Catholic Lutheran ministerium dedicated to the renewal of Lutheran churches and ministry. The society was founded in 1997 by 28 pastors. As of April 2015, 283 pastors are subscribed to the Rule of the Society.

Lutheran viewpoints concerning homosexuality are diverse because there is no one worldwide body which represents all Lutherans. The Lutheran World Federation, a worldwide 'communion of churches' and the largest global body of Lutherans, contains member churches on both sides of the issue. However, other Lutherans, including the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference and International Lutheran Council, completely reject homosexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First United Lutheran Church</span> Church in San Francisco, California

First United Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), located in San Francisco, California. Formed in 1886, it was the first Lutheran congregation in California to use English as its primary language for worship. In 1990, First United was suspended, and later expelled from the ELCA for ordaining an openly gay pastor, against the wishes of the denomination. The ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted to approve openly gay clergy in 2009, and in 2012, First United rejoined the denomination. Presently a "church without walls," First United meets in St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church, located at 2097 Turk Street, near the main campus of the University of San Francisco.

herchurch is another name used for the Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco, a congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The church is a member of the San Francisco Council of Lutheran Churches. Stacy Boorn, the minister for herchurch, uses feminist theology in the church's expression of faith, worship, learning, mutual care, and acts of justice. Its former Associate Pastor is Megan Rohrer, who is transgender. Rohrer was ordained extraordinarily, at the time in defiance of the ELCA rules. Rohrer is rostered by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, which is "committed to the full participation of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church."

John Harvey Frykman Ph.D., was a Lutheran minister and American psychotherapist specializing in brief therapy, medical hypnosis and family therapy. He was the founding director of the drug treatment program of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic in San Francisco, California, and is noted for his problem solving, individualized approach to substance abuse therapy and solution focused brief therapy.

The ordination of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) clergy who are open about their sexuality or gender identity; are sexually active if lesbian, gay, or bisexual; or are in committed same-sex relationships is a debated practice within some contemporary Christian denominations.

The 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly was the eleventh biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It convened in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, from August 17–23, 2009. The Churchwide Assembly is the 'highest legislative authority' of the ELCA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordination of women in Protestant denominations</span>

Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies such as celebrating the sacraments. The process and ceremonies of ordination varies by denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is undergoing the process of ordination is sometimes called an ordinand. The liturgy used at an ordination is sometimes referred to as an ordinal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Erwin</span> American bishop

R. Guy Erwin (Osage) is an American Lutheran bishop. He was elected in 2013 to a six-year term as bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Since August 2020, he has served as president of the United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Pacific Synod</span> Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Sierra Pacific Synod is one of the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It covers central and northern California and northern Nevada and supports ELCA congregations throughout that region. It is headed by a bishop, most recently by Megan Rohrer who resigned on June 6, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Rohrer</span> American Lutheran pastor (born 1980)

Megan Rohrer is an American Lutheran minister and activist. Rohrer was the first openly transgender minister ordained in the Lutheran tradition. Following their reception as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Rohrer served the church as bishop of its Sierra Pacific Synod from 2021 until asked to resign in June of 2022 after allegations of racism against one of the pastors under their care came to light.

References

  1. ↑ "ELM History". Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  2. ↑ Jane Gross, Special to the New York Times (January 22, 1990). "San Francisco Journal; Milestone In Church: Gay Clergy Ordained". The New York Times . Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  3. ↑ "Pastor Donna Simon". Abiding Peace. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Rebels with a Cause - Ordination of Gay Clergy by Lutheran Congregation in SF Bay Area". The Advocate. March 27, 2001. Archived from the original on May 30, 2005. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  5. ↑ Allen, Martha Sawyer (April 29, 2001). "A Joyful Ordination Breaks the Rules; Anita Hill Became a Minister, Going Against the ELCA Policy that Lesbian Clergy be Celibate". HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  6. ↑ "On this Day..." Goodsoil. Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Erik Christensen, ECP candidate, to be ordained and called to St Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square in Chicago". Luutherans Concerned/North America. September 29, 2006. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  8. ↑ Rohrer, Megan (November 8, 2006). "Consortium of San Francisco Lutheran Churches to Ordain a Queer Pastor on November 18th". Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ministry Booklet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  10. ↑ ECP Candidate Dawn Roginski called by St Francis Lutheran in San Francisco
  11. ↑ "Lesbian pathbreaker to be ordained in S.F. - Queer Lesbian Gay News - Gay.com". Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  12. ↑ "Lakeview Lutheran church ordains lesbian minister". Chicago Free Press. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20.
  13. ↑ "Rev. Jen Nagel's Extraordinary Ordination". Human Rights Campaign. January 18, 2008. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Married Gay Minister's Ordination Causes Unrest In Lutheran Church". CityNews. May 15, 2008. Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  15. ↑ Neil Ellis Orts. "The Extra Ordinem Ordination of Lura Groen". OutSmart. Archived from the original on 2008-07-28. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  16. ↑ Tillotson, Kristin (October 25, 2008). "Lesbian Minister, Congregation Take a Step Toward Change and Acceptance". StarTribune. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  17. ↑ "ELM Roster and Affiliates - Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries". Elm.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  18. ↑ "Home:: Welcome - a communal response to poverty: san francisco, homeless, hunger, education, san francisco, whole body care, trauma counseling, community gardening, communal cooking, mental health care, housing, shelter, social worker, lutheran, interfaith, religious, presbyterian, episcopal, neighborhood". Welcomeministry.org. Archived from the original on 2010-03-14. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  19. ↑ "ELM Roster and Affiliates - Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries". Elm.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  20. ↑ "ELCA Council Authorizes Rite, Receives Report on 'Bound Conscience'". ELCA News. Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  21. ↑ "Lutherans Offer Warm Welcome to Gay Pastors". NY Times. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
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