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.

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries Vision Document

Prepared by the joint Steering Committee representing LLGM, ECP, the ECP Roster and ECP Congregations on January 25, 2007 and approved on February 17, 2007.

Introduction

A new mission covenant is being formed among Lutherans. Compelled by the gospel’s proclamation of unconditional love and the prophetic call to act for justice, LLGM and ECP have entered into a process for consolidating our efforts so that we might fulfill our mutual mission and ministry in new, more powerful and creative ways.

Our vision is to create, empower, and sustain a growing number of faith communities that are committed to the full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church. To accomplish this, we are seeking to merge our organizational structures, expand our mission efforts, and form a covenant of congregations,
ministry organizations and individuals who subscribe to our vision and are committed to helping us realize its purpose.
This document will illuminate our vision, propose a new organizational structure for implementing it and provide the background and rationale for taking this action now. The new 25 organization will continue to evolve as new needs arise.

Our Vision for a New LLGM & ECP (Extraordinary Lutheran Ministires or ELM)

Mission Statement
Compelled by the gospel of Jesus Christ, grounded in the Lutheran confessional tradition, and impassioned by the prophetic call to justice, ELM creates, empowers, and sustains faith 35 communities committed to the full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.

Reflection
LLGM and ECP are re-organizing for mission in response to the urgent message of the reconciling and hopeful Gospel of Jesus Christ. We take seriously this proclamation, and our responsibility to convey the message of reconciliation, unconditional regard and everlasting love to all people, especially those who have been left out of, or abandoned by the church that bears the name of Christ.

We believe that this Gospel compels us to act in solidarity with others and work together for justice. This work is not ours to choose. Rather it is our responsibility to bring to an end the injustice and discrimination that have imprisoned leaders and members of Lutheran churches throughout the world, conditioning them through policy and practice to categorize, exclude and malign people of certain sexual orientations and gender identities.

We experience the inter-connectedness of the structures and systems of oppressions that we work to loosen. We also trust in the promise inherent in the justice we seek. We understand and undertake our work advocating for the full inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and leadership of the church as part of the broader pursuit of equality and justice for all people in church and in society.

Our vision for expanding our mission is rooted in Lutheran confessional history, liturgy, and practice. Many of us are lifelong Lutherans. Others of us have come more recently to the Lutheran church. Some of us are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCiC). Still others of us belong to independent Lutheran parishes or are living in exile with no church home. But we all share a commitment to our common Lutheran heritage and an expectation that our confessional tradition will illumine our current struggle to create joy, hope and faith where the institutional churches have failed to do so.

LLGM and ECP recognize that many current Lutheran denominations have policies that forbid pastors in same-sex partnerships from being ordained or living out their call to ministry. Most of these denominations are mired in endless study or debate about the place and role of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer pastors in their institutional life and leadership. We can no longer participate in this tragic denial of the diversity that is at the heart of God’s creation. Neither can we leave unchallenged the religious teachings that oppress sexual minority people and corrupt the Gospel message. We can wait no longer.

Our vision is to create, empower, and sustain faith communities committed to the full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.

Our specific mission is to establish and grow a covenant of individuals, congregations and ministry organizations that are committed to this inclusive understanding of the Gospel and willing to bear witness to it in their communal life and in advocacy within the whole church.

Our unique calling is to expand ministry opportunities for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, with special attention given to those who have either been denied ministry or adversely affected in other significant ways by the existing policies and practices of discrimination and oppression. Therefore, we must continue in our extraordinary work of calling, ordaining and placing into positions of ministry pastors and lay professionals who are fully trained, qualified and prepared, when and where the institutional church fails to do so.

We are “church.” However we are not seeking to create, nor do we regard ourselves as, a new church, synod or denomination. The new ELM will be a covenant of congregations, ministry organizations and individual people who hold a more inclusive understanding of the Gospel and share our vision for mission and ministry. We are part of the church of Christ, with a particularly Lutheran expression, seeking to be “church” for ourselves and for each other in a new way. We seek to provide community for those denied the opportunity to fulfill their vocations because of the policies and practices of Lutherans the world over who have been imprisoned by discrimination and oppression. We seek to be “church” for all people who are inspired by the living word of Christ and seek a more open and free proclamation of the Gospel.

Acts of Mission
As part of our regular work and ministry together, we commit to the following acts of mission:

Commission, consecrate, ordain, credential and endorse people for ministry, in full acceptance of all sexual orientations and gender identities. This full acceptance celebrates faithful and committed relationships and welcomes to ministry openly-identified queer and allied persons who are single or in a partnered relationship.
Maintain and support a roster of qualified pastors, lay professionals and ministry candidates who are openly-identified regarding their sexual orientation and gender identity. This roster will foster collegiality for the sake of accountability, professional development and mutual support. This roster will also seek to embody diversity and model inclusivity.
Build community among those committed to the full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities including clergy and lay people, congregations and social ministry organizations for the purpose of connection, accountability, mutual support, and mission.
Develop new opportunities and the financial resources to support the ministries of rostered clergy and lay professionals in a variety of traditional, creative and specialized settings including parishes, hospitals and social-ministry organizations. We are committed to finding congregations and other faith communities to call these rostered leaders into positions of ministry. We are committed to providing financial support, pastoral care, and legal referral to these ministers and the communities they serve.
Explore new models for ministry that encourage creativity, respond to emerging situations, 45 promote justice and meet the real needs of people.
Support, encourage, celebrate, and accompany our mission and ministry partners by offering training, education and advocacy. Connect with people of other faiths who share a commitment to our common mission for mutual support and resource sharing.
Bear witness to the whole church and to society by speaking out about injustice, specifically around heterosexism, homophobia and gender bias.
Build bridges and stand in solidarity with other justice movements celebrating God’s commitment to the poor, the oppressed, the exploited, the marginalized and those most in need.

Values
As we begin to re-organize ourselves for mission, we articulate values that are particularly important for guiding our work together. They do not replace many other shared values that stem from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our Lutheran confessional tradition. We highlight here the values we find at the heart of our mission to seek justice for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

We celebrate the diversity and full humanity of all persons. Sexual orientation and gender identity is part of the miracle of our full humanity, and we recognize the inherent value and diversity of orientations and identities as an expression of our created goodness.

Human relationships are to be respected especially those grounded in covenants of sacred trust 25 and respect between two loving, committed and faithful partners.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to lives of hospitality and welcome. In all our work and ministry, we strive to achieve the level of hospitality, acceptance and welcome that Jesus modeled for us. Humans seek out community and thrive in it. We are not individuals alone and isolated in the world, and through our work we seek to build community among all who are looking for a spiritual home and a sense of belonging.

All people are fully embraced by God’s unconditional grace and loving kindness. This grace is freely given to all who seek it. There is no sanctioned restriction, partiality or discrimination based on culturally created differences and social constructions.
The Church as a community is one body. As individual people we bring myriad diversity and uniqueness. All parts of this body are fully welcomed, respected and celebrated.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ compels us to seek and promote justice. We seek justice for all who have been left behind by the Church—people of color, women, the disenfranchised, those in prison, those living in poverty, people with disabilities, others—and those at the core of our mission, people who have been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identification.

We are also called to be stewards of God’s creation, to live more sustainable, responsible lives with others in the world.

Mission within a Lutheran Context
While the covenant document and the criteria for becoming covenant partners with ELM are still being drafted, we recognize the commitment and passion of a vast number of Lutherans to honor the calls and relationships of people who have been denied ministry opportunities or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Therefore, the new ELM will be designed to allow Lutheran congregations, individual members and rostered leaders to participate in our movement without relinquishing their primary membership or other affiliation. This could mean, for example, that a congregation and/or rostered professional from another Lutheran body will be able to become an ELM covenant partner by subscribing to our vision statement, acts of mission and covenant of commitments and values. We hope that this will provide a valuable vehicle for members and congregations of the ELCA and ELCiC to help us expand our mission while they continue their resistance to institutional policies and move the whole church toward reform.

ELM will continue to build on existing relationships with the ELCA, other Lutheran bodies, professional agencies and our affiliate ministry partners. Specifically, we will want to maintain a contextual education arrangement with ELCA seminaries and seek official recognition as a “faith community” by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) and the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). We will also work to strengthen bonds with the organizational members of goodsoil.org (Lutherans Concerned/North America, Wingspan Ministries, The Lutheran Network for Inclusive Vision) and the constituents of other justice-seeking organizations.

Background: A Time for Action
As the members of the ECP roster and the ministries they serve have become more numerous and diverse, new needs and opportunities have arisen. For this reason we seek to increase our outreach and expand the ways in which we exercise our mutual ministry. We feel compelled to act now, recognizing that the ELCA, the ELCiC and other Lutheran bodies have repeatedly failed to affirm the giftedness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people or open the door to professional and rostered service.

There is a special sense of urgency to move forward following the ELCA’s failure to rescind its policy of discrimination at the church-wide assembly in Orlando, August 2005. Currently, pastors and seminarians on the ECP Roster who are not serving under call from a synod or congregation have limited legal and ecclesiastical authority to function professionally. Given the ELCA’s and other Lutheran denominations’ refusal to recognize sexual minority pastors unless they vow celibacy, large numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer pastors and seminarians may never have the chance to fulfill their vocations in a Lutheran parish or specialized ministry setting unless we create the opportunities for ourselves and for them.

There is also a growing number of congregations that have become impatient with the pace of the Lutheran church’s reform. These congregations are seeking new ways of embodying the inclusiveness of the Gospel that they proclaim. They are interested in coming together to share resources and joining with others in taking a public stand for justice.

Rationale: Reorganizing for Mission
Currently, there are nearly 50 members on the ECP Roster – but fewer than half of them have calls. Many have been seeking an opportunity for years. Others are at risk of losing their credentials as chaplains because they have not been set apart by a “recognized faith group.” While LLGM has worked tirelessly for over ten years to encourage congregations to open their call processes to the ECP, the need to empower ministry has outpaced a strategy that relies solely on congregations that are willing to take a stand of principled non-compliance.

While this may remain a hallmark of our mission strategy, the time has come for us to claim fully the extraordinary authority to certify, call and ordain pastors and rostered professionals on behalf of the whole church, especially when Lutheran bishops and other church leaders refuse to do so. Given the unique professional certification requirements for chaplaincy and specialized ministry, we must also establish a regular process for providing ecclesiastical oversight and endorsement for those who are called to ministry in non-parish or specialized settings.
In summary, the primary motivations for reorganizing ELM are:

the need to provide more ministry opportunities for those on the ECP roster;
the need to provide professional preparation and ecclesiastical endorsement for those seeking calls to chaplaincy and specialized ministry or needing to retain professional credentials as chaplains or pastors serving specialized ministries;
the need to provide ongoing support, encouragement and ecclesiastical oversight to existing ministries that do not have a ‘synodical’ home;
• the desire to create a belonging place for independent Lutheran congregations, LLGM mission partners and individuals who want to be partners in our mission effort;
the eagerness to explore new models for ministry and progressive, justice-working ways of being “church” in the world in order to be responsive to the real needs of people;
the recognition that the time has come to shift our organizing principle away from ‘resistance to the policy’ toward ‘empowering persons and communities for ministry;’
the observation that there are a growing number of Lutheran congregations that are looking for new ways to model the inclusiveness of the Gospel that we proclaim; and,
the realization that we must redirect the locus of our advocacy from national, church-wide institutions to local congregations and ministry sites.

New Organizational Model
In order to realize the new vision and bring together all of the activities of LLGM and ECP, a new structure is needed that integrates our mission and ministry functions. A consolidated ELM will allow us to streamline administration, enhance collaboration, expand our outreach and increase our capacity. It must establish regular protocols for creating, empowering and sustaining new ministries. It should also provide a more effective collaboration among our partners in mission, and ground the extraordinary authority for “setting apart” ministers in a coalition of persons, congregations and faith communities who are bound by a covenant and agree to assemble on a regular basis for this expressed purpose.

In order to be effective a merged ELM should be structured to focus resources on:

the creation, development and funding of ministry opportunities;
the exploration of new models and understandings of Word and Sacrament ministry;
the pastoral formation, credentialing, collegiality and professional growth of rostered leaders; and,
the strengthening of community among the people, congregations and other ministry organizations that join us as partners in our common mission.

As in the past, ELM will continue to credential and support sexual minority clergy and rostered lay ministers. In addition, we will open the roster to persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities, especially those who have been professionally disadvantaged by the discriminatory policies of the ELCA and ELCiC. We will collaborate more closely with, and strengthen bonds among congregations and agencies that are served by ECP pastors. We will reach out to include other people, congregations and faith communities that would like to be our partners in mission and ministry.

The specific model we recommend blends the general structure and purpose of a mission covenant or association with the ecclesiastical authority and responsibility to certify, call and ordain rostered clergy and lay professionals in extraordinary situations. Therefore, protocols will be established for calling and ordaining qualified candidates to Word and Sacrament ministry, and for certifying pastors and lay professionals for ministry in non-parish and specialized settings. Because a primary purpose of the consolidated ELM is to enable new ministries by expanding opportunities and empowering ministers, the structure is designed to rely heavily on volunteer resources, minimize hierarchy, share responsibility, encourage innovation and allow enough flexibility to be responsive to emerging situations.

Proposed Organizational Structure

The diagram below illustrates the organizational and leadership structure for the future ELM. The organization is structured as a series of seven interlocking “ellipses” that represent working groups, programmatic functions or constituencies. Taken together, the structure continues many of the existing and all of the essential functions of the legacy
organizations. It also anticipates that the two specific constituents of the organization (rostered clergy and lay professionals; covenanted congregations and ministries) will have their own needs for organization and representation in decision-making. Finally, it establishes a new “diversity” group for the purpose of ensuring that ELM pursues and maintains the full range of diversity in its policies, practices and personnel. All of the ellipses overlap each other in order to reflect the interdependence of the groups and the necessity for shared governance and ownership of the organization’s mission.

LLGM & ECP – Diagram of Organizational Structure and Leadership
ellipse
Ellipses:
Collegium (Constituency)
Congregations & Ministries Group (Constituency)
Fundraising, Grants, & Communications Group
Program Group (education/training support for roster and congregations)
Mission Development Group
Inclusivity/Diversity Group Candidacy & Credentialing Group
Spheres of Authority:
Coordinating Officers (4) – center circle
Covenant Circle (11) – middle circle
Assembly (Everyone) – outer circle

A brief description of each “ellipse” is provided below.
1. Collegium (Constituency) = The current ECP Roster

A collegial community of ministers who are subjects in the organization’s mission
Will elect a council for themselves
May provide chaplaincy/pastoral care for themselves
May take on functions such as group benefits management, etc.

2. Inclusivity/Diversity Group = New

Will provide leadership in developing racial, class, and other diversity
Will monitor procedures and policies of all groups for impediments to diversity
Will encourage congregations and ministries to increase diversity

3. Candidacy & Credentialing Group = The current ECP Board and Panels

Will continue the current candidacy process and add credentialing for chaplaincy and other specialized ministries
Will fully develop functions and procedures for accountability, discipline and grievances
Will reorganize as appropriate; could become more than one ellipse

4. Fundraising, Grants Management & Communications Group = Current LLGM functions

Will assist in implementing a long-range development plan and participate in fundraising
Will communicate grants guidelines, receive applications and monitor appropriate use
Will continue current communications responsibilities and add more as appropriate

5. Program Group = Current/developing LLGM function

Will provide non-monetary support for ministries and congregations, such as conflict resolution, stewardship training, resource workshops, new ministry models, etc.
Will provide non-monetary support for members of collegium, such as continuing education, specialized training, professional development counseling, etc.

6. Mission Development Group = Current/developing LLGM function

Will seek and cultivate opportunities for ministry in congregations and other communities
Will work with congregations and candidates in the call process
Will encourage congregations to sign the Covenant

7. Congregations/Ministries (Constituency) = The association of congregations and ministries that are served by the Collegium and/or are covenant partners with ELM in mission

Will start the process of forming a community of partner congregations and ministries who subscribe to the mission covenant
Will be developed and evolve as the organization moves forward and the number of congregations and ministries continues to grow

Governance
As a general rule, each of the “ellipses” will have the authority to make decisions and develop policy and procedures for its own area. It is expected that gender diversity will be incorporated in 5 all of the groups and representative leadership, and that the Inclusivity/Diversity group will help the entire organization develop other areas of diversity as appropriate.

In addition to the seven ellipses above, there are three “spheres” of authority that provide leadership within the organization and are ultimately responsible for making sure that the organization and its resources remain devoted to its mission. The three spheres are represented in the diagram as concentric circles that proceed from the center outward. These are:

1. Coordinating Officers (4 members): Elected by the Assembly (see below)
2 Co-Conveners (1 from the Collegium, 1 Lay Person), Secretary and Treasurer
The Coordinating Officers will serve as the corporate officers of the organization and will meet monthly to start. (The lengths, limits and staggering of terms are yet to be established.) The Coordinating Officers’ primary function is to provide executive leadership and administrative oversight in managing the organization between meetings of the Covenant Circle (see below).

The Coordinating Officers’ basic responsibilities will include:

Oversee business affairs and programmatic functions of the organization
Ensure communication and coordination among all groups and leadership circles
Formation of an emergency or crisis response team drawn from other groups
Supervise or assign the organization’s staff and independent contractors

2. Covenant Circle (11 members)
The Covenant Circle is a representative council whose members hold governing authority and are custodians of the organization’s vision/covenant. The circle will be comprised of the four Coordinating Officers, one representative from the Collegium, one representative from Congregations/Ministries, and one representative from each of the five function groups, for a total of eleven members. The Covenant Circle will meet quarterly, with two of those meetings in person. One of the in-person meetings will be in conjunction with the Annual Assembly (see below). Their basic responsibilities include:

Coordinate all activities, functions and programmatic efforts of the organization
Oversee allocation of the organization’s resources, including adopting the budget
Make final decisions on the awarding of grants
Set mission priorities and terms of the mission partner covenant
Make sure all policies, procedures and personnel remain true to the organization’s mission
Develop policies and procedures that do not fall within a particular “ellipse”

3. Annual Assembly
On an annual basis, ELM will gather for corporate worship and renewal, the sharing of programmatic resources, workshops, and community building. All participants in the function groups and leadership circles above, persons who have signed the mission covenant and members of associated congregations and ministries will be invited to attend.

The assembly’s legislative and governing authority will be limited to:

Election of Coordinating Officers (terms and limits to be determined)
Election of Diversity Leader (until group is formed and functioning)
Election of Congregation/Ministries Leader (until constituency is organized)

The Collegium’s annual retreat may be held in conjunction with the Annual Assembly. The Annual Assembly may also be the occasion to install persons to specialized ministries and perform extraordinary ordinations. It is also possible that this “congregation” might be called together at other times and in different places throughout the year for this expressed purpose.

Staffing
The coordinating work and governing of the organization will be conducted by the volunteer members of the groups, constituencies and leadership spheres described above. The ministry of the organization will be conducted by the Collegium and through the individuals, congregations, social service agencies and ministry organizations who have subscribed to the covenant.

The new ELM will inherit two independent contractor positions from LLGM:

Development Director – Amalia Vagts
Executive Assistant – Lynn Mickelson

Changes in the staffing priorities will remain under the authority of the LLGM Board until the new legal entity is formed, at which time that authority will pass to the Covenant Circle.

Transition – Legacy Boards and Councils
At the constituting assembly on February 17, 2007, the following positions will be elected under rules and recommendations to be provided by the Steering Committee in advance:

Coordinating Officers (4)
Diversity/Inclusivity Leader (1)
Congregation/Ministries Leader (1)

In addition, representatives of the five remaining function groups will be appointed as follows:

Collegium (1) – Elected or appointed by the ECP Roster
Candidacy & Credentialing (1) – Elected or appointed by the ECP Board
Fundraising, Grants & Communications (1) – Elected or appointed by the LLGM Board
Program (1) – Elected or appointed by the LLGM Board
Mission Development (1) – Elected or appointed by the LLGM Board

The first task of the Coordinating Officers will be to develop an implementation plan, refine the Vision Document for public release, and manage the transition leading to the new organization. The officers will also oversee progress toward preparing the following materials and documents in anticipation of merger:

Statement of professional standards and conduct (Candidacy & Credentialing Group)
Discipline process and grievance procedures (Candidacy & Credentialing Group)
Theological grounding for calling and ordaining (consider appointing a taskforce)
New roster criteria for opening the roster to all sexual orientations and gender identities (ECP will present first draft at February 17 meeting)
New organizational name, logo, articles of incorporation and by-laws
Covenant

During this time, it is expected that the legacy boards and councils will continue to function and maintain their legal authority until the official vote to merge is conducted by the boards of LLGM and ECP, and the new organization’s corporate documents are executed and filed.

During the transition, it is assumed that the primary task of the Covenant Circle will be to continue the work of LLGM, ECP and ECPR in collaboration with the legacy boards and councils and to begin developing the Diversity/Inclusivity Group and the Congregations/Ministry constituency. It is also assumed that the work of the Steering Committee will officially expire at the February 2007 meeting, although some members may be invited by the Coordinating Officers to continue in an advisory capacity.

Sample Covenant
[Note: The first work of ELM will be to develop a simple “covenant” to guide the organization – and to 20 which individuals, congregations and other faith communities/ministries can subscribe. This sample is preliminary and reflects the proposed minimum criteria for becoming a partner with ELM in ministry.]
We/I commit to honor, witness and advocate for the Vision, Acts of Mission and Values of ELM. We commit to work together for justice based on these shared ideals.

Specifically, we commit to the following actions:
•    We advocate a full welcome to persons with all sexual orientations and gender identities.
•               We advocate the full participation in ministry of all people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
•    We will make an annual commitment to support ELM with our prayers, time, talent and financial resources.

•    As congregations and faith communities, we will open our calling of pastors and lay professionals to members of the ELM roster.
• As individuals, we will advocate for our congregations and faith communities to open 40 calls of pastors and lay professionals to members of the ELM roster.
Name of Individual/Congregation/Community Date

Theological Statement Supporting the ELM Vision Document