Women Of The ELCA Celebrates 35th Anniversary Of Women's Ordination

SAN ANTONIO (ELCA) -- Nearly 2,000 Lutheran women and men attended the "Great Banquet" July 9, a first-time event in which they heard inspirational speakers and music, and observed the 35th anniversary of the ordination of the first Lutheran woman pastor in North America, the Rev. Elizabeth Platz. Platz is still an active pastor and is a campus pastor with the Lutheran Campus Ministry, University of Maryland, College Park.
The event was the culmination of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Sixth Triennial Gathering held here July 5-10 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The organization's three-year theme, "Act Boldly," was unveiled at the convention amid Bible study, keynote presentations, workshops, community service, business sessions and elections. More than 2,100 women from across the United States and around the world participated.
The highlight of the evening was a presentation about women serving in the ministry. More than 3,000 women are on the active clergy roster of the ELCA, more than 25 percent of the church's active ordained pastors, said the Rev. Michelle Miller, associate director for leadership development, ELCA Commission for Women, Chicago.
The Rev. Marie Aviles-deJesus, retired ELCA pastor, Milwaukee, became a Lutheran pastor at age 65. In remarks to the banquet participants, deJesus, now 90, began by asking the audience how many are over age 65. "If I did it, you can do it, too," she said. "It's very easy because with the help of God all things are possible."
The Rev. Elieshi Mungure, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Diocese of Meru, credited Women of the ELCA for helping her to become a pastor. Mungure, who is studying for a doctorate at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., one of eight ELCA seminaries, said the Lutheran Church in Tanzania has been ordaining women for 13 years, however, two dioceses in the church have declined to ordain women.
The Rev. Barbara J. Lund, program director for East Asia, ELCA Division for Global Mission, Chicago, was ordained 10 years ago. She said women should celebrate that nearly one-quarter of the ELCA's active pastors are women. She said "the deepest gap" in the church today is with women of color clergy.
Bozena Miller, a member of the Lutheran Church in Poland, has studied theology but is not ordained because the Lutheran Church there does not ordain women. At present, she teaches and studies English, she said.
"Women in our church who study theology are really acting boldly," she said, adding that many teach and provide "pastoral care."
"Whenever you pray, please think about your sisters in Poland and pray for ordination in our country," Bozena Miller added.
The presentation concluded with a video that highlighted women in ordained and lay ministry, and noted the ordained women who were pioneers in the ELCA predecessor church bodies.
The women and men also heard brief reflections from Ardath Rodale and her daughter, Maria. Ardath Rodale, chairwoman of the board, Rodale, Inc., is an author and publisher of at least 11 magazines, including "Prevention" and "Men's Health." Rodale, a member of Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Emmaus, Pa., spoke about her faith journey, and how her faith was affected by the death of her son, David, as a result of AIDS; the sudden death of her husband, Bob; and her three bouts with cancer.
Maria Rodale, vice chairwoman of Rodale, Inc., and founder of "Organic Style" magazine, also shared brief reflections on her faith journey.
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Information about the Women of the ELCA's Sixth Triennial Gathering is at http://www.womenoftheELCA.org on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news