Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries

07/14/2026

07/14/2026

About last week…

What a joy to gather with Proclaimers, deacons, pastors, bishops, approved candidates, and allies at the ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering in Indianapolis.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the ELM reception. We are grateful for the opportunity to reconnect, welcome new friends, and continue being woven together in Christ’s mission.

07/06/2026

There are moments in the life of the Church that remind us the Holy Spirit is still doing a new joy-filled thing.

This weekend, we celebrated the ordination of Rev. Deivis Ventura to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament and his installation as Mission Developer of Caminos de Jesús, a Spanish-language q***r ministry of the ELCA and the Metro New York Synod. (First of its kind, we think!) Presiding at the service was Bishop Katrina Foster, a beautiful witness to God's continuing work through q***r leaders of the church..

The service concluded by singing Ríos de Agua Viva: "Gozo en mi alma y en mi ser, son como ríos de agua viva." (Joy in my soul and in my being, is like rivers of living water.) May that joy continue to flow through Deivis's ministry, through Caminos de Jesús, and through a Church continually being renewed by the Holy Spirit.

¡Gracias a Dios por este día lleno de esperanza, comunidad y gozo!

07/06/2026

See You in Indianapolis!

Tuesday, July 7th | 5:30pm to 7:30pm
JW Marriott Lobby Bar

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries invites Proclaimers, Supporters, and LGBTQIA+ Attendees to join Interim Executive Director for a Cocktail Hour at the Rostered Ministers Gathering in Indianapolis. We will meet Tuesday, July 7th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at JW Marriott Lobby Bar. Wine, beer, soft drinks, and light snacks provided.

SEE YOU THERE!

06/06/2026

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries celebrates the election of the Rev. Erik Christensen as Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, ELCA!

As a member of Proclaim and the ELM Historic Roster, Bishop-elect Christensen’s election is a powerful reminder of the gifts, leadership, and faithful witness LGBTQIA+ leaders bring to the church. We give thanks for his ministry and for all those who helped pave the way toward a more inclusive church.

Congratulations, Bishop-elect Christensen! We hold you in prayer as you prepare to begin this new chapter of leadership and service.

04/07/2026

ELCA AMMPARO Migrant Ministry
Date: Friday, April 17th
Time: 2:00 pm EDT/1:00 pm CDT/12:00 pm MDT/11:00 am PDT

Over the past several months, we have heard from communities across the country, about the devastating impacts recent federal policy changes have had on our neighbors, particularly immigration enforcement action, families have been ripped apart, and the fear is palpable.

But you are not alone. We are church together. Join ELM as we host Mary Campbell, Director of ELCA Ammparo Migrant Ministry to get an on-the-ground update and how you or your ministry site can prepare and respond.

REGISTER HERE: https://shorturl.at/QMVfS

03/31/2026

"Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility — a time dedicated to celebrating the lives, gifts and contributions of transgender people, while also recognizing their ongoing struggle for safety, dignity and justice.

In the ELCA social statement Faith, Sexism and Justice: A Call to Action, we affirm our belief that “God’s intention revealed through the Scriptures is that all people have life abundantly and flourish” (page 2). Today reminds us of our call to love, affirm and support one another — not just today, but every day as an expression of our faith."

Read Presiding Bishop Curry's pastoral message for Transgender Day of Visibility through the link in the comments below.

03/20/2026

ELCA AMMPARO Migrant Ministry
Over the past several months, we have heard from communities across the country, about the devastating impacts recent federal policy changes have had on our neighbors, particularly immigration enforcement action, families have been ripped apart, and the fear is palpable.

But you are not alone. We are church together. Join ELM as we host Mary Campbell, Director of ELCA AMMPARO Migrant Ministry to get an on-the-ground update and how you or your ministry site can prepare and respond.

Date: Friday, April 17th
Time: 2:00 pm EDT/1:00 pm CDT/12:00 pm MDT/11:00 am PDT

REGISTER HERE: https://shorturl.at/Dm0e1

03/18/2026

From a Deacon's Desk: "A Lenten Devotion on Resistance and Rest"
From Deacon Lauren Morse-Wendt

Deacon Lauren Morse-Wendt writes with rare vulnerability about the guilt of feeling like we are not doing enough in a time that seems to demand heroics; and the grace she discovered in simply showing up, one small shift at a time.

"It is not our goodness that keeps the world, or the resistance, going: It is God's goodness. And we are not God."

This Lenten season, be reminded that your single thread in the web matters more than you know.

Read the full devotion, here: https://www.elm.org/2026/03/14/from-a-deacons-desk-lauren-morse-wendt/

03/16/2026

From a Pastor's Desk: “Holy Resistance”
by the Rev. Joe Larson

In this powerful reflection, Pastor Joe Larson draws a straight line from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's defiance of N**i Germany to the streets — and terminals — of Minneapolis today. As a gay pastor who waited 30 years to be ordained, he knows what it means to be on the receiving end of oppression. And he knows what it means to show up anyway.

"During this Lenten season [. . .] Jesus calls us to act with holy resistance and to speak with a prophetic voice. A voice of hospitality for immigrants and people of color. A voice of acceptance for trans and q***r individuals. A voice of comfort for those who live in fear. And a voice of welcome for those without a safe home."

This is what holy resistance looks like.

Read this powerful reflection, here: https://www.elm.org/2026/03/14/from-a-proclaimers-desk-joe-larson/