Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries

Last week, Brenda Bos spoke with ELM’s new Program Director Rev. Jen Rude to talk about her new role.

by Brenda Bos, ELM Communications Team

Congratulations on the new job. It’s exciting to see Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries expand our staff!

Thanks. Knowing when to expand is a tricky thing. The ELM board had been having a serious conversation for over a year about adding a staff position dedicated to our programs. Our three main programs are all about three times the size they were just a few years ago! We’d started feeling like we were just maintaining rather than growing. By having someone around to focus on the programs, Amalia can spend more time getting the word about ELM out to more and more people. The timing worked out to be right for ELM and me this fall. I’m really excited to be connecting back with the Lutheran church and I love that Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is largely a grassroots organization with committed volunteer leaders.

You were working in The Night Ministry in Chicago. For those who don’t know what The Night Ministry is, it’s working mostly with the homeless in urban areas, right?

Yes. I served at The Night Ministry for eight years (during part of that time also serving a local church). I was working with teenagers and young adults who are experiencing homelessness, I was outside two nights a week on the streets doing outreach. There is a huge overlap with LGBTQ youth and homeless youth. I worked a lot on relationship building, talking to people in crisis, and being a constant presence both in challenging times and joyful times. One of the parts of the work I loved the most was getting young people involved in leadership development, peer to peer outreach and support and the watching them be amazed at what they are capable of.

Interesting that ELM does a lot of that same relationship building, but in the LGBTQ pastor and seminarian world, rather than youth on the streets.

Exactly. I’m excited to really get to know more deeply all of the folks who are involved with ELM. One of the things I love to do is help people figure out what their gifts are, what their skills are, and what brings them joy. In this new role at ELM, I can support our pastors and seminarians behind the scenes so they can go live into their call to serve God and serve the church. Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”At Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, I want to partner with people to discern what makes them come alive – and then work together to make it happen!

How did you end up in ordained ministry?

Well, I grew up in the Lutheran church and I’d thought about being a pastor. My dad, grandpa and uncle are all pastors. Two weeks into freshman year I fell for a girl and came out as queer. I had this moment where I realized being a pastor was no longer possible for me. So I told myself I was going to be an academic – like, a religion professor. Yah, I’m not smart enough for that! But, I thought about going to seminary and visited Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, where I met (historic ELM rostered) Pastor Jeff Johnson. It was one of the first moments that I recognized there were people who lived both as openly LGBTQ people and as pastors doing ministry. It was the first time that I realized that this could be possible for me, too.

I admire those early pastors who came out, but there were many LGBTQ pastors who stayed in the closet. How do we make sense of all those different stories now?

I think the first thing is just to honor that we all chose a path and we all took different ways, and that that’s OK. I think in the past there was a lot of judgment about you didn’t do it this way, or you didn’t do it that way. We all did the best we could. Now it’s all about building connections together. I would have not gone through candidacy as openly as I did if I didn’t have mentors from the historic ELM roster along the way who gave me advice about how to do it with integrity for me. It is a pretty scary process to go through candidacy and I had people to support me and help me find language and even to help me feel empowered to say to candidacy committees “That’s not an appropriate question.”

There are people who are the only openly LGBTQ pastor in their state and they need to be connected with people who are in places where there is a lot of support. I think we give each other strength. We also need to honor the differences between being queer in South Carolina and being queer in Chicago. Hopefully the community as a whole has moved past judgments about the past and we are more concerned with how to live into God’s future together. Today we stand in a long line with those who risked a lot, and at times, suffered a lot. Part of the reason there is so much exciting LGBTQ stuff happening in the Lutheran church today is because of the work people of faith have been doing for decades.

And Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is thinking about its prophetic role to strengthen the entire ELCA. What have you got in mind?

I think one of these new gifts is the Ministry Engagement Program. How do we connect with allied congregations, not just pastors and seminarians, but congregations and ministries doing radical public work? It can also be isolating to be the only radical congregation in your neighborhood. There are incredible congregations and ministries who have been way ahead of church policy. How do we pull those churches together and what is the work of justice and compassion that is now before us now?

What do you think the LGBTQ community has to offer the ELCA?

Lutherans are all about living in the paradox. Not black and white, not one thing or another, but “both/and” and “now and not yet.” ELM seeks to live in this gray area. We have a diverse community. By definition, LGBTQ is not one single identity and we are finding ways to live as faithful people in the beauty and challenges of such diversity. I think of the communion table. We’re all invited, everyone sits at the same table, there is food enough for everyone, and Christ is our host. Our job is to see and engage all who are at the table and to think about who is not at that table. Who am I missing out on sharing a meal with? Who is going hungry? And then we realize that actually there is plenty of room and the food keeps multiplying, and God’s table grows – and we grow.

 

Yesterday afternoon, Elizabeth A. Eaton was installed as the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was as joyous and momentous occasion. I was honored to be among those gathered for the service, and especially glad to be sitting with Emily Ewing, an LSTC student,member of Proclaim and former Joel R. Workin Scholar. I was also glad to be sitting next to ELM’s new program director, the Rev. Jen Rude (also a Proclaim member & former Joel R. Workin Scholar!). I met two Proclaim members for the first time in person that day. I also loved seeing many Proclaim members active in the worship service.  At one point, Jen and I elbowed each other when Proclaim members Rev. Erik Christensen, Kyle Severson, Rev. Steve Wilco, and Rev. Michael Fick all passed by us within minutes as members of the procession.

This great day came just two weeks after many of us gathered in Thousand Oaks to celebrate the installation of the Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin as Bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the ELCA. It was a powerful day for many and we were fortunate especially that day to hear a fierce sermon from Bishop Mark Hanson.

Bp. Hanson began his sermon at Bp. Erwin’s installation with a long series of thank yous. He ended his introduction with these words:

“On behalf of this whole church, I want to say a deep and heartfelt thank you to everyone here and everyone who’s watching the live stream, and those that have gone on to glory that have worked so tirelessly, fervently, prayerfully, prophetically, agitationally so that we could come to this day as a church when Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin, in the presence of his husband Rob, could be installed in the office of bishop in Christ’s church. Thank you.” 

You can watch Bp. Hanson’s sermon here (with thanks to the Rev. Megan Rohrer for recording and posting the sermon).

We gave thanks for what has been, what is, and what is to come.

One of the ways Proclaim supports leaders is through a monthly devotional written by one of the Proclaim chaplains. Here is the September devotional from Angela Nelson. 

by Angela Nelson, Proclaim Chaplain & Guest Blogger

I have officially lived in New England for a whole entire year. Weird. Super weird. I came out east to live with my best friend while looking for work and waiting for a call, and I have no idea how an entire twelve months have gone by. More than that, really, since I spent the first month looking for work and am next week marking a year of working at Target (10% employee discount!).

by Amalia Vagts, Executive Director

It’s Jen’s first day in the office as the new ELM Program Director and I would love for you to join me in welcoming her!

This is a major step for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and one we couldn’t take without our committed and visionary supporters. Our organization began as a grassroots effort twenty-three years ago.  The efforts of those first leaders and congregations led to a wider movement in the Lutheran church to support LGBTQ people called to rostered ministry. Grassroots and volunteer leadership have been central to keeping this work going over the years. In 2006, thanks to the One Voice campaign, ELM was able to hire its first full-time staff person. I was honored to take on that role of Development Director to help (then) Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministries expand our base of supporters and outreach.

In 2008, we added the position of Operations Coordinator and changed my position to Executive Director. Rachael Johnson served as Operations Coordinator until this past August, when she moved to Portland, OR. At that time, the ELM Board assessed our current staffing needs and capacity and decided our programs were at a place where we need dedicated program staff. Rather than fill the Operations Coordinator position, we created the full-time Program Director role and were lucky enough to hire the Rev. Jen Rude for the job.

Jen will be working full-time from the Chicago office. Her primary focus will be directing ELM’s three programs: Proclaim, Candidacy Accompaniment, and Ministry Engagement.  She can be reached via email at programdirector@elm.org or by phone at 773-235-0610. You can read all about Jen’s background and vision for ministry here.

Even though we’ve been able to move to two full-time staff positions, Jen and I could not (and don’t want!) to do this work alone. It is only thanks to the devoted board members, volunteers and supporters that we can pursue our vision of a church where all people can serve God according to their callings.

Thanks for doing your part. Please join me in welcoming Jen!

In addition to beginning his studies at the Lutheran School  of Theology at Chicago this August, Robert Needham provided invaluable help in the ELM Chicago office during our staff transition. We are so grateful for having Robert as part of our team for a short time! I invited Robert to share some thoughts about his first days at LSTC. -Amalia

by Robert Needham, Guest Blogger

During the months of August and September young people throughout the country begin their school year. This is no less true of those God has called to serve in the church who are beginning the academic year in seminary, divinity school or other theological education. Moves from places far across the country (if not globe) took place. New student orientations and subsequent explorations of the new locations happened; during this time relationships began to take shape.

When I moved onto campus, I prepared to experience a sense of being an “other” because of the many ways I perceived myself as different from the seminary community. Although I attend a Lutheran seminary and embrace some Lutheran theology, I have not yet joined a Lutheran church. As an openly queer person who has received a significant amount of bullying because of that identification, I braced for rejection and taunting from classmates. I spent a few years outside of academic life before starting my theological education. Many of my classmates transitioned from undergraduate graduation to graduate school with little more than a summer in between.

However, no matter what I expected God surprised me with welcoming community, and all of the othering I expected did not matter. Since arriving on campus almost a month and a half before classes started, I anticipated the arrival of new students during the weeks before orientation. The mutual welcome we gave to each other allowed me to identify as and to become part of this seminary community. This space also opened up several conversations about what it means to be queer, and how that looks on a seminary campus. At a personal level, I define queer as “beyond the mainstream.” What exactly that means, each person can decide as they get to know me.

During the Master of Arts student meeting, I had conversation about LGBTQ identities and how they work in various ministry contexts. For several of the students, I was the first openly queer person they had met, and certainly one of the first they felt fully comfortable asking questions about identity. This was the beginning of a pleasant surprise. The seminary community celebrates each person in their personhood, celebrating the diverse perspectives they bring to the table. As a not-quite-Lutheran, I’ve learned how important grace is, not just for me in all my brokenness, but for all of those children of God I encounter in daily life. Finally, as a person who needed an academic break, I realize how much I’ve missed the academic context. God has been working throughout my lifetime to bring me to this point, and I am thankful for the community God prepared to share the seminary experience together.

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) has hired our first ever program director, the Rev. Jen Rude!

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries’ work with LGBTQ rostered leaders, seminarians and ministries has expanded enormously in the past few years. The ELM Board of Directors felt the vital next step was to provide the staffing support these growing programs need.

From a solid pool of talented candidates, we found a clear choice in Jen.

Jen brings considerable program experience to this role, developed over her 8+ years at the Night Ministry and Resurrection Lutheran Church. Jen has done significant anti-oppression work, and has excellent experience working with youth and young adults. Jen has been serving as the volunteer Proclaim program chair for the past few years and currently serves on the ELM Board of Directors. Jen attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. She received a B.A. in Religion with Gender Studies and Psychology minors. Jen earned her divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. Jen was extraordinarily ordained in 2007 and received onto the ELCA Clergy Roster in 2011.

Jen’s role will be directing ELM’s three programs: Proclaim, Candidacy Accompaniment, and Ministry Engagement. Her first day will be October 1.  Jen’s position is full-time and she will be working from our Chicago office at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square. Jen will join Executive Director Amalia Vagts to round out the staff for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries.

Freed and compelled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to proclaim God’s love and seek justice for all, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries envisions a church where all may serve God according to their callings. The mission of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is to expand opportunities for Lutheran LGBTQ rostered leaders and their ministries in order to proclaim God’s love and justice for all people. Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries does this work through three main programs: Candidacy Accompaniment, Ministry Engagement, and Proclaim—a professional community for Lutheran LGBTQ rostered leaders and seminarians. Learn more at www.elm.org.

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministry has released a major new resource for candidacy committees working with LGBTQ candidates in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Click here to download the resource as a PDF: Candidacy for LGBTQ Individuals- Draft.  The resource is also available on the elm.org homepage.

Candidacy and LGBTQ Individuals was prepared as an offered resource for Synodical Candidacy Committees in the ELCA in their work with candidates seeking rostering in the ELCA. Although it was prepared carefully and reviewed extensively, the resource is being released in draft form to allow for feedback and modification from those working in candidacy.  ELM will publish a final version in early October. Anyone is invited to submit comments and feedback that will strengthen this resource. Please send comments to info@elm.org.

Some candidacy committees may have limited experience in engaging LGBTQ candidates. This guide is intended to help that engagement to be a respectful and rewarding one for both candidates and committees. Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries has been working with openly LGBTQ candidates for ministry for many years and has learned quite a bit in the process. This resource has developed out of that work and through extensive review and conversations with LGBTQ candidates, Candidacy Committee members, seminary staff, churchwide and synodical personnel.

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (www.elm.org) is a social ministry organization that expands opportunities for LGBTQ rostered leaders and their ministries through three primary programs: Proclaim, the professional community for Lutheran rostered leaders and seminarians who public identify as LGBTQ; Ministry Engagement, which connects ministries led by or open to leadership by LGBTQ leaders; and Accompaniment, which supports LGBTQ people through the candidacy and call processes. The Accompaniment Advisory Team includes the following people: Rev. Dr. Randy Nelson, Rev. Dawn Roginski, Rev. Rod Seeger, Rev. Anita Hill, Rev. Tom Taylor, Rev. Joy McDonald Coltvet, Rev. Jason Bense, Rose Beeson, and Asher O’Callaghan.

Candidacy and LGBTQ Individuals was authored and edited by the Rev. Dr. Randy Nelson, based on a previous version written by the Rev. Megan Rohrer. Reviewers and contributors included members of the LGBTQ community; rostered leaders; seminarians; former and current candidacy committee members; seminary faculty; and ELCA synodical bishops. Additional information about Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is available at www.elm.org.

Last Friday at the 2013 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, I heard an excellent sermon preached on Matthew 15:21-28, the story of the Syrophoenician woman. In it, I heard good news for LGBTQ people and especially those called to places where they have not been welcomed.

In this passage, we heard a difficult truth – that Jesus didn’t always welcome everyone. When a woman from outside the Jewish faith approached him for a miracle to save her daughter, first the disciples turned her away. Then Jesus did. She persisted and in a stunningly frank exchange she made it clear that she was able to accept whatever Jesus had to offer. Her faithfulness changed Jesus. As biblical scholars note, this is a turning point for Jesus and leads to a great expansion of his ministry to people outside the Jewish faith.

The pastor didn’t mention LGBTQ people, but as I sat among a dozen or so LGBTQ pastors, candidates and seminarians as I listened to his sermon, I could only think of the faithfulness of people who have been rejected at many turns, but continue to follow a call to ministry.  I sat next to a pastor who served faithfully as a pastoral associate for nearly 20 years before her congregation decided to move forward and ordain her extraordinarily. I sat near a clergy couple who were placed in separate rooms by their candidacy committee and quizzed about their relationship.  I sat near someone who was selected for a full tuition scholarship from the ELCA’s Fund for Leaders several years ago, and who still awaits first call. I sat near another pastor whose candidacy committee told him that he was the one of the best candidates for ministry they’d ever seen, but that they could not approve him due to the ELCA’s (then) guidelines. Despite these barriers, each of these pastors has followed her or his call to ministry, and the church is better for it. These are just a handful of the stories that surrounded me that morning.

I was sitting among many Proclaim leaders because one of their colleagues, the Rev. Tita Valeriano, was presiding at the service.  Just a few seats down was the Rev. Guy Erwin. Just four short years ago, our own church policies prevented both Tita and Guy from being recognized as ELCA clergy. And due to their faithfulness and the persistence and faithfulness of many before them and alongside them, these leaders can now do the ministry to which they were called. And I believe that the church has and will continue to change as a result.

The 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly was a powerful experience because of moments like these. I was deeply grateful to be there to show my gratitude for the leadership of Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and to recognize where he has led this denomination. And I’m thrilled to welcome Bp. Elizabeth Eaton as Presiding Bishop!

I couldn’t agree more with Presiding Bishop Elect Elizabeth Eaton’s words that she shared in a press conference following the election: “The election of the woman to the office of presiding bishop is a fulfillment of his ministry of making this church a welcoming place,” [Eaton] said.

We’re still on a journey and there is a long way to go before the diverse gifts of all are recognized. But we’re on our way. I’m thankful for the prophetic vision and witness of LGBTQ pastors, their congregations & ministries, and the ELM donors who support this work.

 

One of the best parts of the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly has been seeing Proclaim leaders in all kinds of settings. I’ve counted 17 Proclaim leaders in attendance.

At opening worship on Monday night, I caught a glimpse of the Rev. Jason Bense serving as a communion minister. The same night (and at all worship services since), I’ve seen the Rev. Steve Wilco busy in his capacity as a member of the ELCA Worship Team. There are a number of Proclaim leaders who are here as voting members. Proclaim members Tim Feiertag , the Rev. Anita Hill, and Rose Beeson have been VERY busy all week as members of the ReconcilingWorks staff and volunteer Legislative Team. We heard the Rev. Guy Erwin preach tonight at the ReconcilingWorks-ELM worship service and we’ll hear the Rev. Tita Valierano preside at the ELCA worship service on Friday morning. And from my vantage point in the Visitors’ Section, I’ve gotten more than a few glimpses of Assembly floor volunteers Laura Kuntz and Sara Cogsil (pictured at left).

It’s wonderful to see all of the LGBTQ leaders serving their church in different ways. I’m especially moved by the service of Laura, Sara, and Angela Nelson – all three are approved for ordination and awaiting call. They are here on their own dime and staying at host homes (traveling over a half hour each morning to arrive for their 7:30 shifts!). They’re here because they wanted to witness the Churchwide Assembly and be of service.

These are the leaders you are supporting through your investment in Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. It’s been a big week. We give thanks for the wonderful leadership of out-going Presiding Bp. Mark Hanson and welcome Bp. Elect Elizabeth Eaton. I’m thrilled that ELM and Proclaim have been here to witness and be part of all of it.