ELCA Assembly Celebrates Women In Ministry

ORLANDO, Fla. (ELCA) - All women in ministry were honored at
a banquet Aug. 13 at the 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). This year marks
the 35th anniversary of the ordination of Lutheran women. The
Rev. Elizabeth Platz was ordained Nov. 22, 1970, in the Lutheran
Church in America (LCA), an ELCA predecessor church body.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, met here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott and
Convention Center. About 2,300 people participated, including
1,018 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly
was "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever."
Brightly colored cards decorated banquet tables showing
joyful images of contemporary women in ministry singing,
presiding at Holy Communion and baptizing. In a video
presentation, the assembly was reminded that "from the very
beginning, women have been leaders" in the church. Their service
as missionaries, teachers, nurses, deaconesses and more were
commended.
Soloist Deborah Ford sang faith-filled songs following the
elegant meal.
The moderator for the evening's ceremony was the Rev. April
Ulring Larson, bishop, ELCA LaCrosse (Wisconsin) Area Synod. She
was elected in 1992, making her the first female bishop of the
ELCA and second in the world. Larson related how Platz told her
that the first time she ever heard a woman preach was when she
heard her own voice.
The Rev. Phyllis B. Anderson, president, Pacific Lutheran
Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif., was asked to step to the
dais because she was the first woman president of a Lutheran
seminary in the United States, and was greeted by cheers and
applause.
The seven women currently serving as bishops among the 65
synods of the ELCA also stood together, a concentration which is
unique among church bodies in the Lutheran World Federation. When
they gathered, the assembly spontaneously broke into song,
reprising "Gloria," the sung prayer that preceded the meal.
All rostered women in ministry present were recognized at
the banquet, with Larson asking women who had no female
professors in seminary to stand first. About 12 stood. A few more
stood when women who had one female seminary professor were asked
to do so. These women were applauded as pioneers in rostered
ministry. Associates in ministry, diaconal ministers, deaconesses
and congregation pastors comprise the ELCA roster.
"We also express great thanks tonight for all of the dear
brothers who have accompanied women," said Larson. She
acknowledged their contributions made "so that we might walk side
by side."
Since women have been ordained in the ELCA for 35 years,
Larson rhetorically asked, "Why are we doing this one more time?
Why are we still talking about this and celebrating this?" She
told the assembly of her experience as bishop assisting
congregations with selecting a new pastor.
"More than half the time, when the candidate is a woman,
there is a somber tone to their meeting. They never say, 'we
don't want a woman,' but it's somber and mysterious," Larson
said, saying this is more notable if the woman is a candidate for
a solo or senior position but not for an associate pastorate.
"We've got some work to do," she said.
Joanne Chadwick, executive director, ELCA Commission for
Women, said, "The banquet was a very important event. Some of our
male colleagues may ask how long we're going to celebrate this.
But we're still dealing with these issues of sexism. Our work is
not done. That's what [it] was about."
The ELCA established a Commission for Women at its founding
in 1988 along with a Commission for Multicultural Affairs. Audrey
Mortensen, Columbia, Mo., who chaired the first steering
committee of the commission said, "The commissions were created
to cut across everything and call the church to task for its
sexism and racism, to call the church to what they said they were
supposed to be."
In those early years, "We had a liaison to every board of
the church, looking at things like the use of inclusive language
and how [the units] were treating their staff."
The Commission for Women was eliminated as part of the
restructuring proposal adopted Aug. 10 by the churchwide
assembly. "We've developed to the point where we don't think we
need this anymore. The work of the commission will belong to the
whole church," she said.
In the ELCA 62 percent of the adults "in the pews" are women
according to Larson. "When will half of our bishops, half of our
pastors, half of our seminary presidents be women?" she asked.
"Tonight, we can dream." She urged all to "continue to embrace
the common ministry we share."
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Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at http://www.elca.org/assembly/05 on the Web.

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