Vision Statement
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
Mission Statement
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries organizes queer seminarians and rostered ministers, confronts barriers and systemic oppression, and activates queer ideas and movements within the Lutheran Church.
Values
Lutheran. We claim the Theology of the Cross as a queer gift of grace: radical honesty about the world in which we live, radical love that holds our wounds along with our joy, radical liberation that centers the marginalized and stigmatized, and radical affirmation of our true identities as the beloved of Christ made in God’s image.
Public. We commit to work transparently, collaboratively, and grounded in community; to publicly witness to the capacity of queerness and queer leaders to transform the church; to respect the life-affirming choices each individual must make in response to the systemic violence and oppression they face; and to leverage our privilege for the liberation of our neighbors.
Daring. We endeavor to speak truthfully to ourselves, to our wider community, and to systems of power — especially when it’s hard. We pursue joy and delight in our pursuit for justice.
Confessing. We confess white supremacy and also complicity with systemic injustice in our decision making, historical positions, organizational structure, and programs. We expect to be called to account. We repent and are in an active state of repentance. We commit to an anti-racist lens in all we do. We ask “who is not here?” We engage in reparative actions to restore mutuality and right relationship. We intend to model the freedom we know in Christ and to organize together with respect to the fundamental dignity of all people and our sacred relationships.