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.
History of ELM
October 31, 2007 Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries publicly launches their organization by virtually nailing their theology statement to the doors of Lutherans all over the world.
February 17, 2007 This weekend the leaders of three Lutheran entities (LLLGM, ECP and the ECP Roster) 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 agreed to begin forming a new organization and approved a vision document. A team was created at this event that created what later became the ELM Theology Statement that Supplements theVision Document
2006 A team with representatives from the LLGM, ECP and ECP Roster formed a vision team to create what would become the ELM Vision Document
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries was formed on October 31, 2007 from its predecessor bodies: Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries (LLGM); and the Extraordinary Candidacy Project (ECP).
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 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 who are preparing for professional vocations in independent Lutheran parishes and congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Our Roster has 34 ministers, 9 individuals approved for call and 2 seminarians. Discipline for congregations that call pastors from our rosters has varied throughout the life of the ELCA.
