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.

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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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