Contact Info for Pastor Lionel Ketola:
Email: ric@lutheransconcerned.ca

On May 16, 2008 Lionel become both the first Extraordinary Ordinand to be ordained in Canada and to be legally married. Lionel has been called to Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Newmarket, Ontario. Learn more about Lionel's ordination.

Lionel began his candidacy process with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) in 1985. After coming out to his bishop in 1986 Lionel’s internship site was cancelled and he faced the prospect of being dropped from the master of divinity program at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Saskatoon. While Lionel was eventually allowed to finish his degree, his progress towards approval for ordination was halted.

For the next fourteen years, Lionel worked in the non-profit sector with a variety of church-related organizations, and retrained to work as an art therapist. After learning about the ELM through a friend, Lionel, who’d been “sensing the spirit’s nudge to once again risk pursuing [his] calling to ministry,” made application to the ELM and was endorsed in April, 2004.

Having already completed his seminary education, all that remained was completion of an internship in order to advance to the approval phase of the ELM candidacy process. Finding a placement became a two year project for Lionel, who spoke with many congregations to find one that would be willing to serve as an internship site for someone not currently in an ELCIC candidacy process.

In 2005 Lionel approached Holy Cross Lutheran Church just north of Toronto, Ontario. In the process of consideration, the congregation realized its commitment to justice extended beyond Lionel’s internship. Their grant application to ELM stated:“The Council of Holy Cross sees our congregation’s efforts as a witness to the ELCIC as well as to the communities in which we serve. It is our hope that Lionel’s internship at Holy Cross will mark the beginning of a Canadian ELM. However, as a small mission congregation, these hopes would go unrealized without the external financial support needed to enable Lionel to set aside a year to complete his internship.”

Following notification in January that ELM approved funding, Holy Cross immediately moved ahead with plans for Lionel’s internship. On Sunday, February 12, the congregation took its final vote to call Lionel to a one-year internship beginning April 1st. “Without the support of ELM our internship proposal could not have become a reality,” said Lionel. His internship marks the first time an ECP rostered candidate has been called to an ELCIC parish. Lionel lives with his spouse, Steven Loweth, a 41-year-old music publisher. They were married New Year’s Eve 2003. They make their home in York Region north of Toronto.