Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries

By Bergen Eickhoff

I was almost too intimidated to join Proclaim.

I know that never feeling Queer enough is a part of the modern bisexual/nonbinary condition. Still, I was apprehensive to join an organization filled with living Lutheran legends. As a closeted Queer kid in small-town Minnesota, Proclaim members were the legendary defenders of a bright future I needed to believe in even though it felt far away. How could I now be in the same group as my heroes when I was just a mere intern pastor?

I joined Proclaim in 2020. So it’s safe to say that my experience in Proclaim has been marked by instability. Heartbreak. Hurt. Change upon change upon change. Like the wider Lutheran church, ELM and Proclaim are in a period of self-discovery. Gone are the days of growth and advancement. Here are the days of discernment, adaptation, accountability, advocacy, and change upon change upon change.

Self-discovery is a beautiful period of life, but one defined by pain. To quote Jimmy Eat World, “We’re in the middle of the ride.” Everything might be alright one day. But not until we endure a lot of struggle and the seemingly endless onslaught of questions and tasks of becoming. Being in Proclaim and ELM right now feels like writing the perfect poem but struggling to come up with an appropriate ending.

When I was discerning an invitation to become the Proclaim relator to the ELM Board, I felt that all too familiar intimidation returned. Proclaim, to me, seemed in need of healing. I am a pretty new pastor. I’m still pretty new to being out. What place did I have in that healing process?

I still don’t know what place I have in the healing process of Proclaim. But my discernment told me that I have a place in the self-discovery process. We in Proclaim, in ELM, in the Church, in the world, are being called to change. And as Queer people of faith, we trust that the call to change is a holy call from God in the Holy Spirit. When the world screams at us to be normal, we respond by changing with the brilliant and loud enthusiasm as a Lollapalooza crowd singing “Hot to Go.” When the church tells us it isn’t ready for our change, we reform it by sharing our transformation loud and proud like a Pride parade. We do this because we know our change is holy.

Now is the time for us to give attention to the millions of ways that each of us individually and collectively are being called by God to change. We’re in for some holy chaos in the middle of this ride. But leaning into that call to change is what we’ll need to do if we want to get to a place where everything might once again feel alright.

And that’s why I’m here. As the new Proclaim relator to the ELM Board, I am here to give attention to your call to change. Proclaimers, use my Calendly page to schedule a time to meet with me, and tell me about how you are called to change and how Proclaim or ELM is called to change in this moment. I promise never to minimize or put down your call to change. My commitment is to be a presence in the world of ELM and Proclaim whom you can trust to carry your call to change. And I will do everything I can to prove worthy of your trust by representing your call to change in ELM’s self-discovery process.

It’s going to take some time to heal. Especially as America is kind of a political tirefire right now. But I hope that these conversations about your call to change help make ELM and Proclaim a community that sustains and nourishes your vocation to love and serve in this weary world.

Please do not be too intimidated to find a time to talk. Please do not be too intimidated to dive into the middle of Proclaim and ELM’s questions of self-discovery. As we figure out how we’re called to change, we don’t need legend and heroes.

We need you. Thanks be to God that you’re here.

 

Peace,

Pastor Bergen Eickhoff (they/them)

 

P.S. If you’d like to get in touch with Bergen or the ELM board, please reach out via board@elm.org

Bio: Bergen Eickhoff (they/them) is a pastor, poet, and mercenary pianist living in Tacoma, Washington. They currently work in Children, Youth and Family ministry in Olympia, Washington, where they enjoy great Music and better coffee. They are bisexual and nonbinary, and love to be loud about both of those identities. They have been a member of Proclaim since 2021 and currently serve as the Proclaim Relator To the ELM Board. You can find their writings on their Substack pages (Standard) (Bible Rewrite Project). Go be Queer!

Those of us reading this in the United States have a pretty big responsibility today. We have stressed over the election for months, prayed about it, and maybe talked about it with friends and family members.

As the hours pass today, and more and more of us have completed our voting duty or voted early by some means, all that is left is the waiting.

As Christians, we have seasons when we contemplate waiting intentionally. Even though the stakes feel high, like we are in the midst of Good Friday, observing a kind of Holy Saturday Vigil, or approaching the tomb early at sunrise…

I wonder if this is more like how we wait in Advent?

In the comforting night. Contemplating what the deeper meanings of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love might really mean to a weary people. Contemplating more than the birth pangs of a newborn baby, but the birth pangs of a whole people. A whole people delivered like how the Hebrew people were delivered from Egypt, or the Judeans living under colonial Roman rule.

Salvation did not come to all people through a political candidate in the time of Jesus, and it will not come through this election today. The grace, love, and peace of God remain the foundation we stand upon.

As people of faith – we put our trust in Christ Jesus, the one who calls us to love God and love our neighbors. Now, I am not saying don’t go vote. I hope you already have! And as we vote, we remember that we follow the one who restores us into community. The one who heals. The one who forgives. Who reconciles. Who brings us to new life.

Whether the election is called today, tomorrow, or legal proceedings drag this out to the very last minute up to the inauguration, may we know we are not alone in the waiting.

I pray you have already started the steadfast work of cultivating your network – the network of loving support – the kind that James Baldwin writes about – so that even when we do not feel like we are shining the light of Christ as brightly as we could be, our light together radiates.

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About this author: Mycah McNett graduated with honors in Biblical and Lutheran studies from United Lutheran Seminary. She was called as the second pastor at Saint Luke Lutheran Church in Devon, PA in the summer of 2023. Before seminary, she served in church communication and youth ministry roles in Harrisonburg, VA, and was an ELCA Young Adult in Global Mission participant. Since 2022 Pastor Mycah has served on the Board of Directors for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and is an active member of the Proclaim Community for LGBTQIA+ Lutheran Rostered Leaders. Pastor Mycah lives in Downingtown with her spouse, Alyssa, and three cats, Minnie, Clio, and Clem.

“Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries anticipates a church in which queer leadership is valued, empowered, and celebrated: queer-led ministries are dynamic and thriving; all marginalized communities are liberated and honored, and justice flows from the sacraments as they overwhelm us and bring us to life”

As the liturgical calendar closes in on the end of another year, and as I continue in my service as a board member in this season of ELM’s ministry, I cannot help but reflect upon the arrival of All-Saints Sunday. Whenever I think of the saints throughout history as well as those in my personal life, one thing that stands out to me is the way they all rose up in their particular context, to boldly live out lives of faith rooted in the grace and peace of our Creator. From the bold witness of members of the early Jesus-movement, to family and friends whose lives leave a lasting impact upon us, I am perennially struck by how vast the cloud of witnesses is, and how fortunate we are to remember, honor, and reflect on the impact of their lives.             ELM also has its own cloud of witnesses, as it were. There is certainly no shortage of saints who boldly and faithfully committed themselves to the work of living out God’s love even when the systems and powers that be actively resisted their efforts. Leaders, volunteers, witnesses, and allies, each a precious and beloved child of God, rose to the occasion of their specific context and showed the Church through their very lives how expansive, how inclusive, and how radical the love of God truly is. It is for the historic and ongoing witness of these saints that I give thanks today.             And, now, ELM finds itself in another specific time and place. In a recent meeting, the current members of ELM’s board partook in a ritual of recommitment to this storied and important ministry. In this ritual, we spoke aloud our intentions to stay committed to the vision, direction and values that have always been at the core of this ministry, while prayerfully letting go of what was not serving us in our endeavors. In this current moment, the board’s efforts are focused on: making expedient progress in the process of hiring a new director, working to lock down the day-to-day operations of ELM so when a new director is hired, they can transition into their position smoothly and easily, and return the board to the work of visioning and guiding the direction of ELM’s ministry.             In all of this work, we continue to follow the Spirit’s guidance towards a church where queer leadership is valued, celebrated, empowered and normalized. We anticipate a churchly reality where marginalized communities are liberated and honored, and the radical, world-changing justice we encounter in Christ through the sacraments may imbue us all with new life and new passions to boldly step into this moment as faithful followers of the One called Love.

Bio: Tom Gehring (He/They) is a pastor currently working as a chaplain in Metro Chicago providing spiritual care for individuals living with, or at risk for HIV. In their free time Tom loves to DJ, spend time outside, play lots of games (both video and board), read excessively thick fantasy novels, and work out with his lovely gym community. Tom has been serving as a member of ELM’s board of directors since October of ’23 and is honored to be a part of this ministry

by Tom Gehring & Mycah McNett

Greetings in the name of the One who created all things good, who redeemed all people through radical love, and who sustains all bodies with the breath of divinity. It is my joy to write to you all in this first of many updates on the work of the ELM Board of Directors. We understand that many of you are likely curious about what the Board has been working on and that news and communication has been sparse the past several months. The Communications team plans to send semi-frequent updates (like the one you’re reading right now!) to keep all of you looped in.

To start, here are some updates on Board Membership, both people cycling out of board service and joining. We give abundant and joyful thanks for the completed services of Rev Lindsey Jorgensen-Skakum (board secretary), Jessica Davis, Ryan Fordice, and Rev Kelsey Green. We celebrate and commemorate their faithful terms serving this ministry and wish them well in their current and future endeavors. We also celebrate Rev Bergen Nelson beginning their service as a board member and look forward to how their gifts will aid the board in its ministry. The current members of the board and brief bios of each person can be seen on the ELM website. 

In April, the ELM Board began working with Rozella Haydee-White and RHW Consulting to coach the board in clarifying our vision for the ministry of ELM in this current and emerging moment. Specifically, Rozella and the board are working to 1) solidify ELM’s strategic direction, defining and prioritizing ELM’s programs, 2) navigate and strategize for the process of hiring and onboarding new staff, and 3) overall clarifying and communicating ELM’s identity and function. We are grateful for the ways in which Rozella has helped the board thus far and look forward to the remaining 6 months of working together.

If you are curious about the work the board has been focusing on and discussing in our monthly meetings, check out meeting minutes here on our website. These Board Meeting minutes are a summary of what was on the agenda and discussed in each month’s ELM Board of Directors meeting. The board approves the summary of the minutes in the following month and then they are posted to the website. That means if a meeting happens in January, the January minutes will not be posted until after they are approved in February’s meeting.

That’s it for this update! Thank you, as always, for supporting ELM. As we reflect upon what this organization has been and envision what it is becoming, we do so in the confidence that the Spirit continues to guide us in ministry together. 

Blessings,
The ELM Communications Team
Tom Gehring
Mycah McNett

 

Bio: Tom Gehring (He/They) is a pastor currently working as a chaplain in Metro Chicago providing spiritual care for individuals living with, or at risk for HIV. In their free time Tom loves to DJ, spend time outside, play lots of games (both video and board), read excessively thick fantasy novels, and work out with his lovely gym community. Tom has been serving as a member of ELM’s board of directors since October of ’23 and is honored to be a part of this ministry.

 

Bio: Mycah McNett (she/her) is a 2023 graduate of United Lutheran Seminary and is ordained in the ELCA. Mycah holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from James Madison University, specializing in environmental and evolutionary fields as well as anthropology. After college, she served as a Young Adult in Global Mission through the ELCA. Before attending seminary, Mycah served as a lay staff member in a Lutheran congregation where she worked with communication, youth, and young adult ministries. Currently, Mycah is located just outside Philadelphia, PA with her spouse and three cats: Clem, Clio, and Minnie. 

by Tom Gehring

Once again, we find ourselves entering the most sacred week of the church year.

As the child of two pastors, I consider myself intimately familiar with the church calendar as my life has been marked by its rhythms for 30 years now. Despite this long-running familiarity, however, the journey through Holy Week has always carried a meaningful significance. From washing feet and hearing the command to love as Jesus loved, to sitting through the painful emptiness of grief and keeping vigil, my spirit has always found peace and meaning among the familiar patterns. The Lenten runup and subsequent journey through this sacred week felt like a return home. It was a poignant reminder of who I am as an individual of faith as well as a member of the worldwide body of Christ. However, in recent years, Holy Week has not felt like much of a homecoming.

Four years ago, I was in my final year of seminary and navigating the early stages of a global pandemic that continues to mark our lives. As Holy Week approached, I struggled to find any peace, joy, comfort, or familiarity in the rhythms of the week because they had been so aggressively upended. I felt unable to feel much of anything through the observations of the week. Admittedly, I still struggle to some extent as the months and years since that first pandemic Holy Week have only grown increasingly chaotic and disheartening.

This year, however, I find myself wondering. If the familiarity of these sacred observances no longer brings a sense of comfort, introspection, and joy, then perhaps it can stir up something new within me, maybe in our communities as well. After all, the stories that shape and guide us, we profess to be a living Word. Though the structure and stories of this sacred week are relatively unchanged from year to year, we as individuals and communities have been shaped in myriad and tumultuous ways. I desperately want to believe that, despite living in a reality whose very fabric seems to be unfolding before our eyes, our collective journey through the days to come might help us face whatever comes next.

With everything in the world continuing to unfold, with each new and prolonged crisis, I cannot help but focus on the tenacity of this week. Perhaps, too I feel an indignant comfort in how staring down a world in chaos has only seemed to highlight the most important elements of this Holy Week: a protest through the streets that actively mocked an occupying empire, an intimate gathering of close friends sharing a meal amidst heightened anxieties, a desperate prayer in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, hours of keeping watch through the silence of night with a defiant hope.

However you approach this coming week, be it with anticipation and excitement or the numbness of enduring yet another year, I pray that the Spirit might find you and speak to you in the way you most need. May we all come home to this sacred moment and be transformed into the very Love we encounter in the altar, the cross, and the tomb. Amen.

Bio: Tom Gehring (He/They) is a pastor currently working as a chaplain in Metro Chicago providing spiritual care for individuals living with, or at risk for HIV. In their free time Tom loves to DJ, spend time outside, play lots of games (both video and board), read excessively thick fantasy novels, and work out with his lovely gym community. Tom has been serving as a member of ELM’s board of directors since October of ’23 and is honored to be a part of this ministry.

By Tom Gehring

The lockdown-era of the ongoing Covid pandemic had many of us exploring new hobbies and interests. For some, they nurtured sourdough starters and brought forth bountiful loaves. Others dove deep into the rabbit hole of brewing specialty coffee at home. Others still (most of us, if I remember) learned a lot about the world of exotic cats and the rather colorful characters who exist in that realm. For myself, it was an opportunity to do something I had been thinking about starting for decades: I started learning how to DJ.

Music has always been a major part of my life, and sharing music with others has been an integral part of how I enjoy the art. In elementary school, I always volunteered to provide music when we had a class party, and, as the child of a pastor, I attended more than my fair share of wedding receptions and was always enthralled by how the DJs could get an entire room of people out of their chairs, away from their food, and onto a dancefloor. And then, as a student at Luther Seminary, I had the chance to attend a house party planned and hosted by conveners of Decolonize Lutheranism. In between offerings of spoken word poetry, ongoing queer theology studies, and imbibing good food and drink, we danced to music provided by a DJ. It was one of the more authentic experiences I had of beloved community while a seminarian.

In January of 2021, I began my journey as a DJ, learning how to mix, how to match beats, how to blend between tracks, and transition across moods. I didn’t want the focus on me and my command of the tracks, rather I wanted to create a shared experience among the people who heard what I played. I was and still am fascinated and motivated by the concept of a group of people joining together and not just encountering the music I played, but co-creating a moment in time where we share in the same energies and emotions driven by the music.

I eventually created a persona for myself: DJ Happy Accidents (yes, in reference to the famous painter!) and started performing on the streaming platform Twitch. For just over 2.5 years now I have regularly played music on the internet and been intentional to keep the focus on the experience. For those who tune in, we not only enjoy the music and vibes together, but we share what we’re experiencing in life. Watching the people show up in Twitch Chat and support one another through hardships, while celebrating each other’s joys has been thrilling to see. When close colleagues first told me that in some ways, Twitch Chat was my mission field and my DJing was a ministry, I was resistant to the idea. I am of the opinion that we don’t need to ruin any more art forms by making Christian versions of them, and I have taken care to not bill myself as a Christian DJ.

However, in forming and creating this community online, as well as having opportunities to perform in-person, I do consider this hobby as a ministry. When we’re all caught up in the vibe of the music, I’ve found that people are willing and eager to show up as their authentic selves. The dance floor, or the chat window on Twitch, is a safe space for people to bring their full selves and engage in a co-creative process. We connect over the music, yes, but we also connect over the expression of emotion. And, for me at least, that is exactly why I continue to do this hobby.

If you’re interested in checking out my recorded mixes, want to tune in live on twitch, or shoot me an email, just follow this linktree: https://linktr.ee/djhappyaccidents

When I followed my heart after college to do a year with Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) with the ELCA, I did not expect that one of my best friends for years to come would be a 68-year-old Sister of Perpetual Indulgence.

To be honest, as a freshly graduated college student and someone who still was not quite out to herself, no less anyone else in my life, I was not sure what I was getting into by serving a church in Manchester, UK. What I found while I was there was the most welcoming, affirming, and diverse congregation that was excited to worship and be part of their local community for the benefit of everyone. It was the first congregation I had spent a significant amount of time in that so vocally and firmly believed that LGBTQIA+ people were beloved children of God and fully affirmed as we are.

One of my first outings with our church on the few days of arriving was to attend Manchester Pride and provide affirming messages of love from a faith perspective. We stood between the protesters and the rest of the parade, and it was from our spot on the sidelines that someone pointed out the float that one of our church members was riding. Alan was proudly in his full regalia as Sister Latex (OPI), waving with the other sisters.

(Left Photo) Alan and Mycah on a walk along a canal – he loved to walk around Manchester and share the city with me.

(Right Photo) Alan – Sister Latex OPI – posing with several Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at a Pride event. Alan is all the way to the left in this group.

Alan was the sacristan and always prepared the altar for worship (I learned more at his side about liturgical theology than I perhaps did in my own seminary class, sorry professor!). He also often prepared the other altar in our church, the counter where we hosted hospitality tea and cake. If no one baked a cake, he would pop around to the shops to get one and make sure we had enough tea to go around. In his spare time, he started a ministry teaching English to victims of human trafficking who lived near our church, getting a whole army of volunteers together to support our neighbors. He spent the rest of his volunteer time with an adult day center for people with dementia.

My friend, bless him, taught me what it was to be a follower of Jesus.

Alan came out as gay early in life, when he was sixteen and immigrated from a small town in Ireland to London, where he had a career in theatre and teaching. He joined the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence while there and shared so many wonderful stories of the loving chaotic ministry they did together.

We kept in near-weekly contact for a few years after I moved back to the US before he was diagnosed with cancer that he never recovered from. Even when he was too tired to respond, I would send him my latest updates from the States and remind him how deeply he was loved by his friends who became family, and by his creator.

Alan’s steady presence in faith and in my life was part of what brought me to my own understanding with God that I am a queer woman called to serve God’s people. I like to think of him as my faithful gay godmother who cheers me on in ministry every day.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are celebrating their 45th anniversary this Easter, and are distributing $45,000 in grants! The $250-$1000 grants are for projects that serve the Bay Area or particularly embattled communities in other locales around the country and the world that promote wellness, joy, tolerance, and diversity within our communities. Find out more about the grants and how to apply here.

The Rev. Mycah McNett graduated with honors in Biblical and Lutheran studies from United Lutheran Seminary. She was called as the second pastor at Saint Luke Lutheran Church in Devon, PA in the summer of 2023. Before seminary, Pastor Mycah served in church communication and youth ministry roles in Harrisonburg, VA, and was an ELCA Young Adult in Global Mission participant. Since 2022 Pastor Mycah has served on the Board of Directors for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, and is an active member of the Proclaim Community for LGBTQIA+ Lutheran Rostered Leaders. Pastor Mycah lives in Downingtown with her spouse, Alyssa, and three cats, Minnie, Clio, and Clem.

Molded from the mud
God breathes in us life and love
Ash to belov'd ash

 

Bio: Gretchen Rode enjoys preaching God’s all-encompassing love as the pastor at House of Hope Lutheran Church in New Hope Minnesota. She lives in the Twin Cities with her wife, Pastor Jill Rode, her four vivacious children, and her loveable hound dog. In her free time, she can be found contentedly reading in the sunshine or joyfully crushing her children at card games. 

Photo credit:
(https://photosbygreta.mypixieset.com/)

The story of the Samaritan woman meeting Jesus by the well (John 4:5-42) was never supposed to happen. Jesus, an unmarried Jewish man, and the unnamed woman, an unmarried Samaritan woman, were not supposed to meet. They were supposed to remain separate.

However, Jesus crosses the divide and speaks to the Samaritan woman. She is understandably surprised and says as much (verse 9).

This doesn’t stop Jesus. He keeps talking to the Samaritan woman. And the Samaritan woman keeps talking right back. Even when the Samaritan woman challenges Jesus, Jesus still stays in relationship.

In the end, the Samaritan woman becomes a believer in Jesus. And she tells EVERYONE, becoming one of the first evangelists in the Gospels.

I see similarities in this interaction of the Samaritan woman and Jesus, and the queer community. The Samaritan community was separate and cast out from the broader Jewish community. Queer history has been one of queer people either not being allowed in Christian spaces, or being required to change, or being required to hide. Historically there was more often than not some type of separation between those who are queer, and those who are Christian.

But Jesus and the Samaritan woman break the divide and have a conversation. I think of the many queer pioneers before me who broke the divide between the queer and Christian communities. I think about those who said, yes, I am both queer and Christian, and were loud about it. And then those that said yes, I am both queer and a ministerial leader, ordained by God, and were loud about it.

We have made strides in queer rights over the last few decades. In the Lutheran church, the 2009 decision allowing gay and lesbian people to serve openly as pastors. Gay marriage being legalized nationwide in the United States in 2015.

And yet, the progress hasn’t been the same for everyone.

The people most helped by this progress have been white, cis-gender, gay men.

People like me.

While those in the queer community who are black, trans, women have not seen this progress benefit them in the same way.

Which means there is still work to do.

As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

My own freedom as a white, cis-gender, gay man is wrapped up in the freedom of those who are black, trans, women.

I’m Lutheran after all.

This is not either/or. This is both/and.

Bio: Alex is in his second call as pastor of Christ United Church in Dewitt, MI. Since this is a part-time call, he also develops websites for businesses, non-profits, and churches. In his spare time he likes to dance, be outdoors, travel, write and read.

Dear Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries & Proclaim Community,

After over five years as Program Director for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, Olivia LaFlamme-Washington will be concluding their time with ELM at the end of December. We are so incredibly thankful for the many gifts that Olivia has shared with us during their time with ELM. As Program Director, Olivia brought a clear vision and vibrant energy to accompanying Proclaimers, engaging leaders and volunteers, and partnering with the organization as a whole. In addition, during our recent period without an Executive Director, Olivia took on a myriad of additional responsibilities that ensured the continuing work of ELM. Their labor, dedication, and wisdom will forever have an impact on the life of our organization.

What does this mean for the immediate future for ELM, and specifically the Proclaim programs? Olivia has worked hard to engage, uplift and empower the volunteer leaders within Proclaim to work closely with the board and lead ministry teams, in particular the chaplains, welcome team, first call coaches, and identity-specific subgroups. If you have questions about specific program pieces, or simply would like accompaniment as you process this announcement, please reach out to us at board@elm.org.

What’s on the horizon for ELM? There is a team working on putting together an updated job description for an executive director and assembling a hiring team/call committee. We will be reaching out in early 2024 to Proclaim and the wider ELM community to recruit for individuals to serve on this team.

Board Secretary Lindsey Jorgensen-Skakum and the chaplains are currently planning a farewell gathering on zoom on December 28th, 4pm EST (3pm CST, 2pm MST, and 1pm PST). We hope you will join us to give thanks for Olivia’s time with us and wish them well on their endeavors to come.

May your Christmas be blessed and your new year full of promise and abundant life,

Board of Directors
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries