Meet the Preacher: Nadia Bolz-Weber

Nadia Bolz-Weber is the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints a Lutheran emerging church in Denver Colorado that describes itself as a group of folks figuring out how to be a liturgical, Christo-centric, social justice oriented, queer inclusive, incarnational, contemplative, irreverent, ancient - future church with a progressive but deeply rooted theological imagination. She is author of an entertaining but not terribly important book called Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television (Seabury 2008) a slightly snarky theological and cultural commentary based on her experience of watching 24 consecutive hours of Trinity Broadcasting Network. This book is mostly famous for giving prosperity gospel preacher Joel Osteen the nickname"McPreachy". Nadia blogs at Sarcastic Lutheran and at Jim Wallis' God's Politics blog. Her writings can be found in the Christian Century, The Lutheran and Patheos.com. Nobody really believes she’s an ordained pastor in the ELCA. Maybe it’s the sleeve tattoos or the fact that she swears like a truck driver. Either way…she’s fine with it. Nadia lives in Denver with her family of 4 where she can be found writing bios in the third person and chasing chickens around the back yard with her kids.

Pastor Megan Rohrer

Photo by Vince Donovan

Megan Rohrer, is a native of Sioux Falls, SD. A graduate of Augustana College in Sioux Falls, Megan received a master of divinity at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California where Megan is currently a candidate for the Doctorate of Ministry degree.

The first openly transgender pastor to be ordained in the Lutheran church, Megan has been the Executive Director of Welcome (a ministry to the homeless and hungry in the Polk Gultch District of San Francisco, CA) at Old First Presbyterian Church since June of 2002 - and has been called to this ministry by a joint call from herchurch (Ebenezer Lutheran), Christ Church Lutheran, St. Francis Lutheran and Sts. Mary and Martha Lutheran. Megan was ordained extraordinarily on November 18, 2006.

Known for creative leadership and ministry, Megan has worked with congregations across the Bay Area to transform unused land into community gardens. The most notable of these gardens is the Free Farm, a 1/3 acre farm on the former site of St. Paulus Lutheran Church which is expected to harvest 12,000 pounds of free food that will be given away to local residents.

Preaching and teaching across the country, an author for the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Out In Season: A Transgender Encounter With the Church Year and as a facilitator of HRC's Gender Identity and Our Faith Communities- A Congregational Guide for Transgender Advocacy, Megan is known as a leader in transgender theology.

Currently, Megan is working in partnership with the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco on the Vanguard Project. Tenderloin street youth founded the organization Vanguard in 1966 with the support of liberal ministers, and in the context of a federal anti-poverty campaign. It is considered to be the nation’s first gay liberation organization and first gay/transgender youth organization. This project creates a series of opportunities for people living in poverty and those working on anti-poverty campaigns, to consider their place in the city vis-à-vis creative engagement with Vanguard Magazine, published from 1966-68.

Megan also serves as the Director of Candidacy for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, on the board of Soujourn Chaplaincy at San Francisco General Hospital is an associate of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, MN.

Megan's Sermons

Publications & Productions

• The exhibit Man-i-fest: FTM Mentorship in San Francisco from 1976 - 2009, currently on display at the GLBT Historical Society and online at Out History, where it won the Since Stonewall Local Histories Competition.
• Megan Rohrer and Zander Keig, Letters For My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect, Wilgefortis, 2010.
• Queerly Lutheran, Wilgefortis, 2009.
• "Queer Soteriology" Stand Boldly: Lutheran Theology Meets the Postmodern World, Three Trees Press, 2009.
• "Life, Death and Resurrection," Simul: Lutheran Voices in Poetry," Xulon Press, 2007
• Megan's "Ordination Song" is on the CD: Out of the Extraordinary: Benefit Album for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries that Megan produced with Amalia Vagts (2007).
  

Presider: Bishop Mark Holmerud

Mark was born September 2, 1956 in Pomona, California, the third of four children born to Hal and Eleanor Holmerud. Mark is an eighth-generation native Californian, tracing his family’s history to early Hispanic settlers of the eighteenth century. He grew up in Solana Beach, a town located on the Pacific Ocean twenty miles north of San Diego. After graduating from San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, he served in the US Navy and went on to graduate from San Diego State University in 1980, with a degree in History and a minor in Classics.

He attended Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and upon graduation in 1984, was called to serve as Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church of Stockton. A year later he was called to serve as the Senior Pastor of Zion, and served that ministry until the fall of 2004. He was then called to serve as Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Davis, California, in September of 2004. Mark has been active in social justice and community organizing and in ecumenical and interfaith endeavors, including “Celebration of Abraham” events in both San Joaquin and Yolo counties. Bp. Mark was installed as the fourth bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod on July 12, 2008.

Married to Debbi -- who serves as the principal of Lincoln High School in Stockton -- for 22 years, they have a blended family of four adult children: Alyssa, 30, Marshall, 28, Justin, 28, and Meaghann, 25. Mark’s interests include astronomy, several injury-plagued stints on church softball teams, canning award-winning pickles (the ribbons may be seen in his office) and the ongoing (and seemingly endless) restoration of a 1966 Mustang. Mark was born September 2, 1956 in Pomona, California, the third of four children born to Hal and Eleanor Holmerud. Mark is an eighth-generation native Californian, tracing his family’s history to early Hispanic settlers of the eighteenth century. He grew up in Solana Beach, a town located on the Pacific Ocean twenty miles north of San Diego. After graduating from San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, he served in the US Navy and went on to graduate from San Diego State University in 1980, with a degree in History and a minor in Classics.

He attended Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and upon graduation in 1984, was called to serve as Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church of Stockton. A year later he was called to serve as the Senior Pastor of Zion, and served that ministry until the fall of 2004. He was then called to serve as Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Davis, California, in September of 2004. Mark has been active in social justice and community organizing and in ecumenical and interfaith endeavors, including “Celebration of Abraham” events in both San Joaquin and Yolo counties. Bp. Mark was installed as the fourth bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod on July 12, 2008.

Married to Debbi -- who serves as the principal of Lincoln High School in Stockton -- for 22 years, they have a blended family of four adult children: Alyssa, 30, Marshall, 28, Justin, 28, and Meaghann, 25. Mark’s interests include astronomy, several injury-plagued stints on church softball teams, canning award-winning pickles (the ribbons may be seen in his office) and the ongoing (and seemingly endless) restoration of a 1966 Mustang.

Pastor Dawn Roginski

Pr. Dawn Roginski was ordained extra ordinem at St. Francis Lutheran(SF) on June 16. Pr. Ruth Frost was celebrant; Bishop Paul Egertson (retired) and Pr. Dan Solberg, Dean of the San Francisco Conference conducted the rite of ordination; Pr. Donna Simon preached. Pr Roginski was installed as pastor of parish programs at St. Francis on June 17 (Pr. Erik Christensen preaching). Dawn's last day at St. Francis Lutheran was Sunday June 13, 2010.

Rev. Dawn Roginski grew up Catholic in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She earned an undergraduate psychology degree from the University of Minnesota and began a career in counseling. Dawn then earned an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Dawn was promoted to program director at a residential treatment facility for seriously mentally ill patients at Boston Health Care in Minneapolis. After nearly 10 years of full-time employment at Boston Health Care, Dawn was called to ministry after presiding at a prayer service and further exploration.

Following a discernment process, Dawn became Lutheran because she felt a deep connection with the theology of Martin Luther and the way he envisioned the Gospel, and because of the Lutheran church’s strong theological grounding. She also did research, read materials and talked to other Lutherans and pastors.

Dawn transferred to Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, and came out while attending there. Despite obstacles due to her sexual orientation, Dawn received her Master of Divinity degree at Luther Seminary December in 2002, completing her internship at Lord of Light Lutheran Campus Ministry in Ann Arbor, MI. As the only out M.Div. student she was aware of in her first year at Luther, other closeted students actively avoided her, leaving her isolated from their support. She gained strength from Pr. Anita Hill and the congregation of St. Paul-Reformation, where she became a member. In 2002, Dawn embarked on the course of eventual indefinite postponement of her approval for ordination in the ELCA. Dawn joined the ELM Roster in 2002.

In 2003, Dawn became a part-time chaplain and part-time youth care worker at a residential treatment center for children in Kansas City, MO, providing care for seriously emotionally disturbed children and youth. Dawn developed a youth ministry program from the ground up, including groups and worship. As her programs grew, she was offered the position of full-time chaplain.

As a volunteer, Dawn’s service includes having served in leadership roles on the Lutherans Concerned/North America board, and currently as convener of the leadership team for the ELM roster. Dawn loves music and plays in the Mid-America Freedom Band.

Video: First Extrordinary Ordination

Extraordinary Ordinations

Rooted in the extraordinary ordinations that were performed by Martin Luther and the reformers as recorded in the Lutheran Confessions, 18 Extraordinary Ordinations have taken place to date. In the days before the first Extraordinary Ordination, Krister Stendahl, Harvard Professor and Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Stockholm of the Church of Sweden, wrote to Jeff, Ruth, and Phyllis: “Since I cannot be with you at your ordination which—it seems—must take place extra ordinem, I want to send you a greeting affirming my conviction that the steps that your congregations and you are taking stand well before God.”

• 1 - 3 Extraordinary Ordination of Jeff Johnson, Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart- January 22, 1990: Pastor Jeff Johnson is called by First United Lutheran Church. Pastors Frost and Zillhart are called by St. Francis Lutheran. This first extraordinary Ordination resulted in a trial and the ultimate expulsion of First United and St. Francis from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
• 4. Extraordinary Ordination of Donna Simon - October 28, 2000 in Kansas City: Pastor Simon was called by Abiding Peace Lutheran.
• 5. Extraordinary Ordination of Craig Minich - February 18, 2001 in Berkeley: Pastor Minich is called by two Oakland churches and University Lutheran in Berkeley
• 6. Extraordinary Ordination of Anita C. Hill - April 28, 2001 in St. Paul, Minnesota: Pastor Hill was called to St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota to serve with Pastor Paul Tidemann, a straight pastor in the congregation. The congregation is censured, but the censure is later repealed. Active ELCA Bishop Paul Egertson participated in Anita's ordination as did the Rev. Dr. Krister Stendahl, Bishop of the Church of Sweden.
• 7. Extraordinary Ordination of Sharon Stalkfleet - May 12, 2002 in the Bay Area: Pastor Stalkfleet is called to the East Bay Nursing Home
• 8. Extraordinary Ordination of Jay Wiesner - July 25, 2004 in Minneapolis, MN: Pastor Wiesner was originally called by Bethany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis; he is now serving University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Philadelphia
• 9. Extraordinary Ordination of Erik Christensen - October 21, 2006 in Chicago: Pastor Christensen was called to St. Luke's of Logan Square.^[9]
• 10. Extraordinary Ordination of Megan Rohrer - November 18, 2006 in San Francisco: Pastor Rohrer was called to be the director of the Welcome Ministry with a call from herchurch; Christ Church; St. Francis and Sts. Mary and Martha in San Francisco.Queer in sexuality and gender, Rohrer became the first openly transgender person to be ordained in the Lutheran church.
• 11. Extraordinary Ordination of Dawn Roginski - June 16, 2007 in San Francisco: Pastor Roginski was called on March 25, 2007 by St Francis Lutheran Church of San Francisco to serve as its Pastor of Parish Programs.
• 12. Extraordinary Ordination of Jen Rude - November 17, 2007 in Chicago: Pastor Rude was called to Resurrection Lutheran and the Night Ministry in Chicago.
• 13. Extraordinary Ordination of Jen Nagel - January 19, 2008 in Minneapolis: Pastor Nagel was called to Salem Lutheran where she had been serving for four and a half years as a pastoral minister.
• 14. Extraordinary Ordination of Lionel Ketola - May 16, 2008 in Newmarket Ontario: Pastor Ketola was called to Holy Cross where he will serve as associate pastor and Ambassador of Reconciliation. Ketola became the first legally married gay man to be ordained in the Lutheran church. Later, the congregation and the pastors who participated in the ordination were censured by the local bishop, who is investigating whether or not to further discipline the congregation.
• 15. Extraordinary Ordination of Lura Groen - July 26, 2008 in Houston, Texas: Pastor Groen was called to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.
• 16. Extraordinary Ordination of Jodi Barry - October 25, 2008 in Minneapolis, MN: Pastor Barry was the first pastor called by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries to a specialized ministry. Pastor Barry is a Hospital Chaplain.
• 17. Extraordinary Ordination of Jay Wilson - December 6, 2008 in San Francisco, CA: Pastor Wilson called to serve Welcome with a call from First United Lutheran.
• 18. Extraordinary Ordination of Steve Keiser - January 5, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA: Pastor Keiser was ordained at Holy Communion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia.

Greetings from Anne Lamott

This is a beautiful and profound event and I wish I could be there. My contribution to the prayer is my pastor's benediction; "God bless you real good." We love and welcome or brothers and sisters with open arms, jumping up and down in godfull joy.

Annie Lamott