Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
Compelled by the gospel of Jesus Christ to seek justice, ELM seeks to expand ministry opportunities for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the Lutheran church. Learn More
Cause Bulletin
Twenty Years Ago Today...
On January 20, 1990 the congregations of St. Francis Lutheran Church and First United Lutheran Church, both of San Francisco, affirmed the calls of Jeff Johnson, Ruth Frost, and Phyllis Zillhart. Jeff, Ruth, and Phyllis were ordained as Lutheran pastors following the traditions of the Lutheran church. There was something … Read More
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Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
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Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Recent Cause Activity
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is the result of a twenty year movement within the Lutheran church to affirm the calls of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. For a long time, they have been saying yes in the face of our church policies that said no to the gifts and talents of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual pastors. Now, what an amazing time to be a Lutheran, following the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s long overdue votes to allow congregations to recognize same-sex relationships and to allow ordination of people in same-sex relationships. Now who is next? What other people have we been blind to? Search our hearts so they may be opened as Jesus' was. As God is. As we must be.
The "In the Life: Documentary Stories from the Gay Experience- Profiles in Leadership" chronicles the LGBT movements struggle for civil rights and January's videos focus on how religious leaders a paving the way for full LGBT inclusion to their congregations, threatening an establishment that would prefer policy come from the pulpit.
The lead segment, 'A Call for Inclusion' profiles two leaders in the faith communities leading the call for tolerance, inclusiveness and religious freedom. Emily Eastwood, an elder of the LGBT-faith movement who fought discrimination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Interfaith Alliance President, Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, who put his career on the line to write a paper calling for religious freedom and constitutional rights for all.
Profiles in Leadership will begin airing January 1st and be available for free video streaming and downloadable podcasts from the IN THE LIFE website on January 2nd. To find out when it will air in your local area, to stream or download it, go to http://www.inthelifetv.org/
Watch a preview for the video:http://www.youtube.com/user/itlmedia
Rev. Dale Poland approved as Board Certified Chaplain, First for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries announces that Rev. Dale Poland has been approved as a Board Certified Chaplain by the Association for Professional Chaplains.
In February of this year Poland received ecclesiastical endorsement from Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) in his pursuit of becoming a Board Certified Chaplain with the Association for Professional Chaplains (APC), a multi-faith association established to certify and serve its membership and to promote professional chaplaincy. Poland was the first Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries- rostered clergy to receive ecclesiastical endorsement from ELM.
Rev. Dale Poland serves as a chaplain with HospiceCare of Boulder and Broom field Counties in Colorado. He also serves as a chaplain to the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries Roster. “This has been a long process for me and a long process for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. I would like to personally thank Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and those who worked so hard to make it possible. Since joining this roster in 2003 I have received nothing but support and encouragement for my sense of call to hospice chaplaincy and for that I give thanks to God. It is my hope now that other chaplains on the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries roster will feel free to pursue board certification.” Rev. Dale Poland.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries credentials and rosters openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people for Lutheran 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.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is recognized as a credentialing and endorsing body by the Association for Professional Chaplains, The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and the American Association for Pastoral Counselors.
ELM Statement Following ELCA Churchwide Assembly:
Halleluiah! What an amazing time to be a Lutheran! Immediately following the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s historic votes to allow congregations to recognize same-sex relationships and to allow ordination of people in same-sex relationships, many people have asked: “What does this mean for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries?”
In the coming weeks and months we will be talking with supporters, ELM Roster members, affiliated congregations, coalition partners and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We will be gathering responses, reactions, questions and reflections to inform our work in the days and weeks to come. Working together with our partners in this movement, ELM remains committed to supporting the full inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the church as we explore together what that means in light of the ELCA’s recent decisions.
We express our profound gratitude to Lutherans Concerned/North America and the Goodsoil coalition for their hard and successful work to organize within the church to enact policies that welcome and support people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We joyfully celebrate together during this time of watershed change in the Lutheran church!
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is the result of a twenty year movement within the Lutheran church to affirm the calls of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. For a long time, we have been saying yes in the face of church policies that said no to the gifts and talents of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual pastors. We express our deep appreciation to the members of the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries Roster and the congregations that have opened their call process to our roster, and all those who have demonstrated for many years what it looks like to affirm the calls of lesbian, transgender, gay and bisexual people. We remember and grieve the loss of those who resisted these policies as long as possible, but who left our denomination, or the Church, or did not live to see this day. We recognize that there are still pastors for whom the possibility of coming out is tempered by the reality that they may be serving in a congregation or synod that may not affirm their call based on sexual orientation or gender identity. We pray that someday all people may live and serve openly and authentically without fear of rejection from their church.
We will continue to keep you informed about further developments for ELM.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries Announces 2009 Joel R. Workin Memorial Scholar:
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) announces the 2009 Joel Raydon Workin Memorial Scholar. This year’s recipient is Julie Boleyn. Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries provides the $1,000 scholarship to an Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries seminary student who embodies a gospel-centered passion for justice and devotion to faith in Jesus Christ.
“Julie Boleyn exemplifies the academic and pastoral qualities and courage so characteristic of Joel Workin, and looks to be a strong future clergy leader in this church.” Greg Egertson, Joel R. Workin Memorial Scholarship chair.
Julie Boleyn is a third-year student at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Chicago. She recently completed an internship at Faith Lutheran Church in Chicago. Julie lives in Chicago with her partner, Jeanie Reardon, and their daughter Madelyn.
Twenty years ago when Joel Workin came out as a gay, Lutheran seminarian, he and several others helped spark the current movement supporting openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) persons in ordained ministry. Following Joel’s courageous and faithful act, his certification for ordination was vacated when Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) bishops refused to place his name on the roster of approved candidates waiting for call. The Joel R. Workin Memorial Scholarship was established in 1995 by the generosity of Joel’s family, colleagues and close friends. Boleyn is the third recipient of the scholarship.
“Twenty years and ten Churchwide assemblies later, the same policy of mandatory celibacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clergy that excluded Joel Workin and so many others still stands. Yet, there can be no doubt that God is calling the gifts and graces of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities into the church’s life and mission – people like Julie Boleyn, an ELM candidate for ordained ministry who has shown tremendous gifts of intelligence and compassion.” Rev. Erik Christensen, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries co-chair.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries will publicly award the scholarship to Boleyn at an awards dinner in Minneapolis on August 20.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award. Joel Raydon Workin claimed his sexuality openly, honestly, and without apology. His courage and conviction has made it possible for me to follow my own calling with integrity. I am deeply grateful for his witness.” Julie Boleyn, 2009 Joel R. Workin Memorial Scholar.
The Joel R. Workin Memorial Scholarship supports seminarians who have been admitted into the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries candidacy process; and encourages them to persevere in their preparation for ordained ministry. The recipients must be enrolled as an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender student, have demonstrated gifts for Word and Sacrament ministry, and seeks to fulfill their vocations as publicly identified sexual minority persons. The recipients demonstrate academic excellence, integrity and courage in response to the ELCA's discriminatory policies, a passion for social justice, faithfulness to Jesus Christ and potential to become an effective leader in church and society.
The early witness of Joel Workin and several other gay seminarians led to a larger movement within the Lutheran Church. Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, a result of this witness, 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.
ELM is now on Twitter. Follow us for important and informative updates!
http://twitter.com/elm2649
Thanks,
ELM staff
A Chicago gathering of ELM supporters
ELM will host Dazzling Bouquet, an afternoon of socializing with Chicago-area ELM supporters, on Sunday, July 19 from 3:00pm to 4:30pm. The event is at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, Chicago, IL (Chicago’s LGBT Center).
Socializing, dazzling appetizers, summer drinks & a festive live & silent auction!
•Hand made baby quilt
•Organic locally grown feast for four
•Two tickets to a live taping of 'Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me' & autographed items
•Unique pastoral services from some of Chicago's leading GLBT Lutheran pastors
Tickets are $35-$50 per person.
RSVP or Questions? Please contact Rachael Johnson 773-235-0610 or operations@elm.org
Interested congregations and ministries network call:
This Saturday there will be an Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries conference call for all interested congregations and ministries to network with each other and discover more information about the different ways of supporting ELM. Folks on the call will also be informed of the Covenant for Congregations Affiliating with ELM.
This call is geared toward lay people. This is not a decision-making call; it is an information sharing and relationship building call. It will provide an opportunity for those working in congregations or ministries that have ELM leadership or those who have opened their call process to ELM leadership to have sense of their partnership with one another across the nations.
Call:
Saturday, June 27
9:00 a.m. pacific; 11:00 central and 12:00 noon eastern.
If you would like to join the call, please send an email with your name and congregation or ministry to info@elm.org and we will send you the call-in information.
Thank you!
I am a journalism student looking to do a story about a member of ELM in the process of being ordained in the region of Toronto Canada. Please message me for any leads!
Thanks,
Natalie