Elca gay pastors
ELCA synod elects its first openly gay bishop
A California-based synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has elected its first-ever openly gay bishop, over a year after the regional body removed its first-ever trans-identified bishop from office.
At the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly last week, Pastor Jeff R. Johnson of Berkeley, California, was elected to a six-year term as bishop of the regional church body.
Johnson was elected bishop on the fifth ballot last Sunday, receiving votes, while the Rev. John Keuhner, pastor of Unity Lutheran Church of South San Francisco, earned votes.
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Shortly after winning the election, Johnson addressed the synod gathering, celebrating the fact that he belongs to "a Church that is more open, more welcoming, more inclusive, more affirming than the Church we started out in."
"It is a sign for us that we can be that Church in the future," sai
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
BACKGROUND
Of the three leading Lutheran organizations operating in the United States, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is considered the most welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ members. Formed in with the merger of three smaller Lutheran organizations, the ELCA is based in Chicago and encompasses nearly 10, congregations and more than million members across the country.
Churchwide Assemblies are held every three years, with elected representatives establishing policy and addressing the concerns of the larger church body. As stated on the denomination’s web site, the Churchwide Assembly “provides a time and place for growth and change while remaining rooted in Scripture, tradition, Lutheran confessions and the rich histories of our congregations and communities.”
LGBTQ+ EQUALITY
ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER IDENTITY
In , the Churchwide Assembly passed a resolution stating that, "Gay and lesbian people, as individuals created by God, are welcome to participate fully in the experience
My Freedom Day as a Female, Jet and Queer Pastor
To be a female, Black and same-sex attracted pastor on “Freedom Day” necessitates a certain amount of introspection, for my relationship with the church has extended been a lgbtq+ dance whose steps I don’t often apprehend.
Galatians says: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Yet this oneness has been elusive in the ELCA and elsewhere, has it not?
There are still churches in the ELCA that won’t hire a female pastor. If hired, we are required to perform femininity in a way that is acceptable to the congregation. Dress like a woman, but don’t be too sexy. Be a robust leader, but never too emotional. Affection the children of our church, but don’t spend too much time with your own.
There are churches in the ELCA that won’t hire a person of color — full stop. For those that act, we are often required to accomplish race in a way that is “nonthreatening” to the community. Be a dynamic speaker, but don’t be too loud. We
Resources for the LGBTQIA+ Community
This is Christ's church. There is a place for you here.
We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we adopt you as a whole person – questions, complexities and all.
ELCA social statement on human sexuality
Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust expresses ELCA teaching on human sexuality. A social statement is a training and policy document that assists us in thinking about and discussing social issues in the context of faith and population. This statement was adopted in and provides guidance on matters like marriage, family and same-gender relationships.
LGBTQIA+ voices and ministries in Living Lutheran
We are a church that values and encourages diverse voices and lively dialogue.
Find articles authored by LGBTQIA+ church leaders and stories about ministries that affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Living Lutheran magazine and on
Evangelical Lutheran Worship Service of Marriag