Tyler Rasmussen was ordained at Zion Lutheran Church in Gowrie, IA on Sunday, August 26. Tyler has been called to serve as Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Coopersburg, PA. Tyler is a member of Proclaim, the professional community for publicly-identified LGBTQ Lutheran rostered leaders and seminarians- a program of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries.
Tyler was ordained in Zion Lutheran Church, Gowrie, IA, his childhood congregation, which also happens to be the childhood congregation of Barbara Lundblad.
The sermon was preached by Tyler’s internship supervisor, Bill Waxenberg, who was the pastor of Christ Lutheran in Dallas, TX, at the time of Tyler’s internship. Since then Pastor Waxenberg retired and became a part-time adult education director at Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church, Huntley, IL. He brought with him a letter from the senior pastor at Shepherd, who happened to be the first person to enter the ministry of Word and Sacrament from Zion. One of the other ministers there that day, Katherine Werner, happened to be a founding member of Shepherd.
Tyler wrote, “So, we had continual small-Lutheran-world effect throughout the day.
“Also,” he continued, “I am officially the 24th person Zion has sent into the ministry.”
Small Lutheran world effect, but big Lutheran world impact….Congratulations to Tyler as he continues changing the church through his ministry as a publicly-identified LGBTQ Lutheran rostered leader.