Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
Encyclopedia
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM), founded on October 31, 2007, is an organization committed to the full participation of persons of all sexual orientation
s and gender identities
in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church
. ELM stands in opposition to the policies of discrimination against gay
, lesbian
and transgender
individuals in Lutheran churches around the world.
The Extraordinary Candidacy Project was founded in 1993. ECP credentialed openly gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender 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 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
.
On the 490th anniversary of Martin Luther
’s posting of his 95 theses calling for reform in the Catholic Church, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries virtually posted its theology statement urging Lutheran churches around the world to return to their Lutheran core and end the practice of mandated celibacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender pastors.
On January 1, 2009 ELM opened the official international office in Chicago
, Illinois.
, 18 Extraordinary Ordinations have taken place to date. In the days before the first Extraordinary Ordination, Krister Stendahl
, Harvard professor and Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Stockholm of the Church of Sweden
, wrote to Jeff, Ruth, and Phyllis: “Since I cannot be with you at your ordination which—it seems—must take place extra ordinem, I want to send you a greeting affirming my conviction that the steps that your congregations and you are taking stand well before God.”
These ordinations were later validated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America when the extraordinarily ordained pastors where brought into the church through a "Rite of Reconcilliation." 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. Currently all the extraordinarily ordained pastors have been received into the ELCA except for Jen Rude and Jay Wilson. Jen Rude has been approved for reception and will be received into the church in Chicago sometime in the near future.
Anita passed the stole to the Rev. Sharon Stalkfleet when Sharon was ordained a month later. Sharon held onto the stole, presenting it in 2004 to the Rev. Jay Wiesner. Jay presented it to the Rev. Erik Christensen in 2006. A month later, it was passed to the Rev. Megan Rohrer, then in 2007 to the Rev. Dawn Roginski, then to the Rev. Jen Rude ordained at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Chicago who kept the stole for two months before passing it along to the Rev. Jen Nagel. A few months later, it was passed to the Rev. Lionel Ketola, who then passed it to the Rev. Lura Groen.
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
s and gender identities
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
. ELM stands in opposition to the policies of discrimination against gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
individuals in Lutheran churches around the world.
History and background
Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries was founded in 1990. LLGM empowered sexual minority people to pursue their calls to ministry and worked with congregations and communities to create ordained positions despite social and institutional prohibitions supporting and empowering openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (GLBTQ) pastors and the congregations served by those pastors.The Extraordinary Candidacy Project was founded in 1993. ECP credentialed openly gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender 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
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
(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 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada's largest Lutheran denomination, with 152,788 baptized members in 624 congregations, with the second largest, the Lutheran Church–Canada, having 72,116 baptized members...
.
On the 490th anniversary of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
’s posting of his 95 theses calling for reform in the Catholic Church, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries virtually posted its theology statement urging Lutheran churches around the world to return to their Lutheran core and end the practice of mandated celibacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender pastors.
On January 1, 2009 ELM opened the official international office in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois.
Extraordinary Ordinations
Rooted in the extraordinary ordinations that were performed by Martin Luther and the reformers as recorded in the Lutheran ConfessionsBook of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
, 18 Extraordinary Ordinations have taken place to date. In the days before the first Extraordinary Ordination, Krister Stendahl
Krister Stendahl
Krister Stendahl was a Swedish theologian and New Testament scholar, and Church of Sweden Bishop of Stockholm. He also served as professor and professor emeritus at Harvard Divinity School.-Life:...
, Harvard professor and Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Stockholm of the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
, wrote to Jeff, Ruth, and Phyllis: “Since I cannot be with you at your ordination which—it seems—must take place extra ordinem, I want to send you a greeting affirming my conviction that the steps that your congregations and you are taking stand well before God.”
- 1 - 3 Extraordinary Ordination of Jeff Johnson, Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart- January 22, 1990: Pastor Jeff Johnson is called by First United Lutheran ChurchFirst United Lutheran ChurchFirst United Lutheran Church is an independent Lutheran congregation 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...
. Pastors Frost and Zillhart are called by St. Francis Lutheran. This first extraordinary Ordination resulted in a trial and the ultimate expulsion of First United and St. Francis from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
. - 4. Extraordinary Ordination of Donna Simon - October 28, 2000 in Kansas CityKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
: Pastor Simon was called by Abiding Peace Lutheran. - 5. Extraordinary Ordination of Craig Minich - February 18, 2001 in BerkeleyBerkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
: Pastor Minich is called by two OaklandOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
churches and University Lutheran in Berkeley - 6. Extraordinary Ordination of Anita C. HillAnita C. HillRev. Anita Carol Hill is a pastor at Saint Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, . The congregation is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . Her ordination is now recognized by the ELCA...
- April 28, 2001 in St. Paul, Minnesota: Pastor Hill was called to St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota to serve with Pastor Paul Tidemann, a straightHeterosexualityHeterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
pastor in the congregation. The congregation is censureCensureA censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
d, but the censure is later repealed. Active ELCA Bishop Paul EgertsonPaul EgertsonPaul Wennes Egertson was Bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from 1995 to 2001 and served as a Senior Lecturer at the California Lutheran University.-Biography:...
participated in Anita's ordination as did the Rev. Dr. Krister Stendahl, Bishop of the Church of Sweden. - 7. Extraordinary Ordination of Sharon Stalkfleet - May 12, 2002 in the Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
: Pastor Stalkfleet is called to the East Bay Nursing Home - 8. Extraordinary Ordination of Jay Wiesner - July 25, 2004 in Minneapolis: Pastor Wiesner was originally called by Bethany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis; he is now serving University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Philadelphia
- 9. Extraordinary Ordination of Erik Christensen - October 21, 2006 in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
: Pastor Christensen was called to St. Luke's of Logan SquareLogan Square, ChicagoLogan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...
. - 10. Extraordinary Ordination of Megan Rohrer - November 18, 2006 in San Francisco: Pastor Rohrer was called to be the director of the Welcome Ministry with a call from HerChurchHerChurchHerchurch is another name used for the Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco. Ebenezer herchurch is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , the Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus and the San Francisco Council of Lutheran Churches.Stacy Boorn, the minister for herchurch,...
; Christ Church; St. Francis and Sts. Mary and Martha in San Francisco. Queer in sexuality and gender, Rohrer became the first openly transgender person to be ordained in the Lutheran church. - 11. Extraordinary Ordination of Dawn Roginski - June 16, 2007 in San Francisco: Pastor Roginski was called on March 25, 2007 by St Francis Lutheran Church of San Francisco to serve as its Pastor of Parish Programs.
- 12. Extraordinary Ordination of Jen Rude - November 17, 2007 in Chicago: Pastor Rude was called to Resurrection Lutheran and the Night Ministry in Chicago.
- 13. Extraordinary Ordination of Jen Nagel - January 19, 2008 in Minneapolis: Pastor Nagel was called to Salem Lutheran where she had been serving for four and a half years as a pastoral minister.
- 14. Extraordinary Ordination of Lionel Ketola - May 16, 2008 in Newmarket, OntarioNewmarket, OntarioNewmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
: Pastor Ketola was called to Holy Cross where he will serve as associate pastor and Ambassador of Reconciliation. Ketola became the first legally married gay man to be ordained in the Lutheran church. Later, the congregation and the pastors who participated in the ordination were censured by the local bishop, who is investigating whether or not to further discipline the congregation. - 15. Extraordinary Ordination of Lura Groen - July 26, 2008 in Houston: Pastor Groen was called to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.
- 16. Extraordinary Ordination of Jodi Barry - October 25, 2008 in Minneapolis: Pastor Barry was the first pastor called by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries to a specialized ministry. Pastor Barry is a hospital chaplain.
- 17. Extraordinary Ordination of Jay Wilson - December 6, 2008 in San Francisco:
- 18. Extraordinary Ordination of Steve Keiser - January 5, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA: Pastor Keiser was ordained at Holy Communion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia.
These ordinations were later validated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America when the extraordinarily ordained pastors where brought into the church through a "Rite of Reconcilliation." 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. Currently all the extraordinarily ordained pastors have been received into the ELCA except for Jen Rude and Jay Wilson. Jen Rude has been approved for reception and will be received into the church in Chicago sometime in the near future.
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 Anita’s ordination on April 28, 2001. Lynne had received it from the Rev. Rebecca Hostetler, a member of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church and a lesbian woman who left the ELCA roster at her bishop’s request when he learned she was in a committed relationship. Lynne passed the stole to Anita with the request that she pass it to the next ordained from the Extraordinary Candidacy Project (now, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries) roster.Anita passed the stole to the Rev. Sharon Stalkfleet when Sharon was ordained a month later. Sharon held onto the stole, presenting it in 2004 to the Rev. Jay Wiesner. Jay presented it to the Rev. Erik Christensen in 2006. A month later, it was passed to the Rev. Megan Rohrer, then in 2007 to the Rev. Dawn Roginski, then to the Rev. Jen Rude ordained at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Chicago who kept the stole for two months before passing it along to the Rev. Jen Nagel. A few months later, it was passed to the Rev. Lionel Ketola, who then passed it to the Rev. Lura Groen.