Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) is committed to the full participation of persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life and ministry of the Lutheran church.
News and Press Information
Pastor-Elect Jen Rude
Extraordinary Ordination Scheduled for November 17, 2007
(Chicago, IL)
For the fourth time in 13 months a Lutheran congregation will directly challenge the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) policy requiring lifelong celibacy of gay and lesbian clergy. On October 28, Jen Rude was called to ministry by Resurrection Lutheran Church in Chicago. On November 17, Rude will become the first pastor to be ordained in the newly formed Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) and the first official challenge to the new ELCA policy of “Refrain and Restraint” that was passed at its biennial assembly August 6-11 in Chicago.
Rude will be ordained in an “Extraordinary Ordination” service on November 17. The service is called such because it is performed outside the ordinary guidelines for Lutheran ordinations.
Facing increasing pressure to revisit its policy banning partnered gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons from serving as pastors, the five-million member Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) took up the issue at their biennial assembly August 6-11 in Chicago. In January of this year, a popular openly gay Atlanta pastor, the Rev. Bradley Schmeling, was placed on church trial after telling his bishop that he was in a same-sex relationship. While the ELCA disciplinary committee recommended Schmeling’s removal, they expressed opposition to the policy and recommended it be overturned. Twenty-one synods passed recommendations that the policy be overturned by the national assembly. The biennial assembly fell short of overturning the policy, but instead passed a resolution recommending bishops “refrain from or show restraint” in discipline of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pastors and their congregations.
The newly elected Bishop Wayne Miller of ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod met with members of Resurrection Lutheran to discuss potential ramifications of their vote to call Rude. Miller replaced Bishop Paul Landahl after the Churchwide assembly. Bishop Landahl has spoken out for an end to the ELCA’s discriminatory policy and was the individual who brought “Refrain and Restraint” to the floor. It is unknown how Bishop Miller will respond to the actions at Resurrection.
“Jen’s ministry with us for the past two years has been a Godsend,” says Rev. Brian Hiortdahl “and in our congregation's experience, she has more than proven herself worthy of ordination to the ministry of word and sacrament.
“The Congregation’s vote to call Jen,” he continues, “is consistent with this community's legacy and mission and we hope this action will encourage others to join us in our mission, in prayer and in our pews.”
“I am honored and humbled to be called to Resurrection Lutheran Church,” Rude said following the congregation’s vote to call her as their pastor. “I am inspired by this congregation’s history of responding to the emergent needs of the community and their commitment to justice, generosity and faith.”
Jen Rude is the third generation of social justice pastors in her family. She completed a master of divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA in 2005. She began candidacy process in the Sierra Pacific Synod in April 2004. In 2005, Rude was endorsed by the Extraordinary Candidacy Project (a predecessor organization to Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries) after her ELCA candidacy committee postponed her endorsement decision until after her internship was scheduled to begin. A month into her internship, Rude’s ELCA candidacy committee finally endorsed her. When it was time for approval, Rude’s ELCA candidacy committee again told her to wait, indefinitely postponing her because of her principled non-compliance to the ELCA’s policy of discrimination. Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is committed to helping Rude and all the members of the roster do ministry now, as long as the church continues to say “not yet.”
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (formally Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries and the Extraordinary Candidacy Project) will officially launch on Reformation Day (Oct. 31, 2007) marking the 490 year anniversary Luther’s posting of the 95 theses.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries is a national non-profit that 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. Fourteen ELCA and two independent Lutheran congregations are served by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries pastors.
Rude’s ordination will be the 12th “Extraordinary Ministry” in the seventeen years since the first ordination of openly gay pastors Jeff Johnson, Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart in San Francisco, CA.
The ordination will take place Saturday, November 17, 2007, at 2:00 pm, and Rude will be installed as Associate Pastor during the 10:00 am worship service on Sunday. The services are open to the public at Resurrection Lutheran Church at 3309 N Seminary Ave Chicago, IL 60657.
