Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) is committed to the full participation of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.
News and Press Information
Organization Nails Its Statement on the Virtual Door of the Lutheran Church
On the 490th anniversary of Martin Luther’s historic posting of his 95 theses calling for reform in the Catholic Church, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries has 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.
“Martin Luther’s 95 theses caused reformation because a revolution in religion came together with a revolution in technology. We believe that launching our theology statement on the internet will reignite the spirit of reformation in Lutherans who continue to struggle with the same issues that the reformers document in our confessions.” Rev. Erik Christensen, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries Co-chair.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries’ theology statement confronts the policy of Lutheran churches around the world that limits the full participation of gay and lesbian individuals and mandate celibacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender pastors and seminarians. Martin Luther wrote more than 292 times in his collected writings that mandating celibacy for pastors is against the gospel. Luther even went so far as to arrange marriages between the previously celibate monks and nuns and ended up marrying a nun himself.
The unveiling of the theology statement also serves as the official launch of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (a merger between Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministries and the Extraordinary Candidacy Project). Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is a national non-profit that credentials and rosters openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people for ministry; supports these pastors by working with congregations that will call them and providing mission grants to support their ministry; and provides a network of support to the congregations and pastors. Pastors from the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries roster currently serve fourteen ELCA and two independent Lutheran congregations.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries’ theology statement states: “If ‘ordinary’ has come to mean ‘discriminatory,’ we have chosen the adjective ‘extraordinary’ deliberately to emphasize the "out-of-the-ordinary" nature of our community.”
Facing increasing pressure to revisit its policy banning partnered gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people from serving as pastors, the five-million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) took up the issue at their biennial assembly August 6-11 in Chicago. Early this year, a popular Atlanta pastor, the Rev. Bradley Schmeling, was tried after ending his celibacy and sharing that he was in a same-sex relationship. While the ELCA disciplinary committee recommended his removal, they expressed opposition to the policy and recommended it be overturned. Twenty one synods passed recommendations that the policy be overturned, but instead the assembly passed a resolution recommending that bishops “refrain from or show restraint in” disciplining pastors and congregations who challenge the policy.
“We have faith that the ELCA will return to its Lutheran core and honor the promise proclaimed at the baptism of each of its 5 million members. We will continue to enable ministry now, as long as the ELCA continues to say ‘no’ and ‘not yet’ to otherwise qualified gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seminarians and pastors. Our candidacy and credentialing process is modeled after the ELCA’s in anticipation of the day when the ELCA will allow the full participation of people all sexual orientations and gender identities.” Lois Voss, ELM Co-chair.
On November 17th, 2007 ELM will put its theology statement into action. For the fourth time in 13 months a Lutheran congregation will directly challenge the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) policy on clergy in same-sex relationships. On October 28th, Reformation Sunday, Jen Rude was called by Resurrection Lutheran Church and on November 17th she will
The ordination will take place Saturday, November 17, 2007, at 2:00 pm, and Rude will be installed as Associate Pastor during the 10:00 am worship service on Sunday. The services are open to the public at Resurrection Lutheran Church at 3309 N Seminary Ave Chicago, IL 60657.
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