Event Details: (Event Time Line)
July 25th, 2010
2:30 Press Conference
4pm Service
St. Mark's Lutheran Church
1111 O'farrell, San Francisco - Get Directions
Contact Information:
Bishop Mark Holmerud
Email: bpmark@spselca.org
Office of the Bishop: 510.430.0500 or 800.275.3522 Extension 116
Brief Background:
In 1990 two San Francisco Lutheran Churches, St. Francis and First United, defied the policy that prevented openly GLBT individuals from serving as pastors when they ordained a gay man and a lesbian couple. As a result the two churches were expelled from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). More than 20 years later: 18 pastors have been ordained in defiance of the church, 3 pastors were removed by trial and and countless others were denied the ability to serve openly as GLBT pastors in the Lutheran Church. Now, the ELCA has changed its policies and on July 25th, the first group of GLBT pastors who faithfully served the church, despite their undocumented status, will be recognized by the ELCA. Seven GLBT pastors, from the Bay Area will be either received or reinstated to the ELCA roster of pastors.
Received to the Roster Will be:
- the Rev. Paul Brenner a member of St. Francis Lutheran Church, San Francisco
- the Rev. Jeff Johnson of University Lutheran Chapel, Berkeley
- the Rev. Craig Minich of the East Bay Lutheran Youth Program (called by: St. Paul Lutheran and United Lutheran, Oakland)
- the Rev. Dawn Roginski formerly of St. Francis Lutheran Church, San Francisco
- the Rev. Megan Rohrer Executive Director of Welcome (called by: St. Francis Lutheran, Iglesia de Santa Maria y Marta, herchurch and Christ Church, in San Francisco)
- and the Rev. Sharon Stalkfleet, formerly of the Lutheran Ministry to Nursing Homes (called by St. Paul Lutheran, Resurrection Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran in Oakland and Trinity Lutheran Church, Alameda)
the Rev. Ross Merkel of St. Paul Lutheran in Oakland
More About the Pastors:
- Short Bios of all the Pastors
- For long bios, click on the names of individual pastors above.
- Photos and Links to High Resolution Photos (Please credit: Vince Donovan)
Definitions:
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.” See video of the First Extraordinary Ordination
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries: (ELM) ELM is an organization that credentials qualified candidates of "all sexual orientations and gender identities" for ordained ministry. ELM rostered GLBT pastors during the past 20 years while it remained against ELCA policy.
News Archive:
- "Gay Lutheran Pastors to Join Church Roster," Associated Press, July 24, 2010.
- "Embracing the Church: Transgender Minister to be Ordained as ELCA Pastor," By Jill Callison, Argus Leader, July 22, 2010.
- "Lutherans Receive LGBT Pastors," By Matthew S. Bajko, Bay Area Reporter, July 22, 2010.
- "Two Dismissed Pastors, Others Welcomed to ELCA Clergy Roster" ELCA News Service, May 25, 2010.
- NY Times: Lutheran Group Eases Limits on Gay Clergy, By MICHAEL LUO and CHRISTINA CAPECCHI, August 21, 2009, New York Times.
