Proclaiming, Reforming, Celebrating: Stories of 50|40|10
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WOMEN’S ORDINATION ANNIVERSARIES Proclaiming, Reforming, Celebrating: Stories of 50|40|10 ELCA.org/50yearsofordainedwomen TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface 2 Introduction – Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton 3 Rev. Amanda Applehans – Imposing Ashes 5 Rev. Linda M. Bollenbach – New Thing 6 Rev. Nancy Goede – Welcomed to Campus Ministry 8 Rev. Margaret Schultz-Akerson – Welcomed Beyond Our Knowing 8 Rev. Rachel Laughlin – A Real Pastor 10 Rev. Karen Rask Behling – Sometimes It’s “Only” Being a Woman in Ministry 11 Rev. Kathy Gerking – Ask Good Questions 12 Rev. Viviane Elise Thomas-Breitfeld – Called to Persist in Being Faithful 14 Rev. Connie Winter-Eulberg – You Are Called to Do WHAT? 16 Rev. Pamela Hunter – Resetting the Relationship: Changing and Growing 17 Rev. Mary E. Peterson – Guided, Affirmed, and Blessed by the Holy Spirit 19 Rev. Nyahaley Labor – “Why Would God Choose a Single Mother?” 20 Rev. Ellen C. Jennrich – Never Too Old to Start a New Endeavor 22 Rev. Dr. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras – Rooted in God’s Word 23 Rev. Karen Davis Thompson – The Turquoise Bedroom Funeral 24 Rev. Lee Ann M. Pomrenke – Embodying the Challenging, Freeing, Wild Love of God 26 Rev. Carla Thompson Powell – Invited into the Holy Moments 26 Rev. Helen Hollingsworth – A Viable Vision 27 Rev. Nancy J. Amacher – Practices Change Before Attitudes Do 29 Rev. Edith Benrud Roberts – A Ministry Journey 30 Rev. Lydia Posselt – We Will Never Stop Marching in the Light of God 31 Rev. Bonita Bock – Creating Something New 33 Rev. Heather Hammond – A Little Story of a Curious Confirmation of Call 34 Rev. Elizabeth Mitchell – Turning Some Heads 35 Rev. Joan L. Beck – The Parable of the Yeast 35 Rev. Judy M. Deckert – The Call 37 Bp. Jessica Crist – “¡Obispa!” 38 Rev. Alice M.S. Horton – Some of the Challenges of 1976 39 Rev. Ruth Lesher – Grace, Unbidden 40 Rev. Dr. Patricia Stauffer Medley – “Wife of Baptist minister ordained by Lutherans. 41 Details at 11:00!” Rev. Marcia Shumate-Schultz – Great Aunt Emma: A Nazarene and a Role Model 43 Rev. Mary Hannah Rowe – Dancing with Miriam, Wrestling with God 45 Rev. Dr. Synde Manion – The Quiet and Profound Honor to Serve 47 Rev. Priscilla Paris-Austin – No Toxic Church Behavior Can Negate God’s Call 48 Rev. Lori E. Swenson – Snapshots of 33 Years of Ordained Ministry 51 Rev. Susan P. Thomas – A Parable in Jerusalem 53 Rev. Anna Figueiro – Who Said Girls Can’t? 55 Rev. Dee Emmert – Created in God’s Image 56 Rev. Vivian J. Becker – “Take the risk. It’s worth every penny and every minute of time.” 58 Rev. Stephanie Kopsch – Faith in the Key of Music 58 Rev. Marie C. Jerge – Global Companions 60 Rev. Marilyn Breckenridge – Women Can Be Pastors! 62 Rev. Marjorie Weiss – Women’s Ordination Anniversary Story 63 Rev. Joan Conroy – “Remember that you are a child of God, chosen and blessed 65 for this journey.” Rev. Jean Bozeman – The Times They Are A-Changin’ 66 Rev. Pat Hawley – Celebrating You and Your Unique Story 69 Rev. Peggy A. Rose – I Love to Tell the Story 69 Rev. Rhonda Hanisch – The Power of Humor 70 Rev. Barbara Kopperud – Early Discerning of the Call 72 Rev. Bonnie Nash – God’s Presence Everywhere 72 Rev. Sara Ilderton – Me Neither 73 Rev. Emily K. Stelling – Billions of Particulars 73 Rev. Tonya Eza – “You never know who you are going to be seated to at the next 75 heavenly banquet.” Rev. Esther Rajashekar – “If you have a dream, pursue it!” 76 Pastor Nancy Lee Gauche – “Ordination is a risk that demands courage.” 77 Rev. Dr. Norma Cook Everist – Women Sent in Ministry from the Open Tomb to the World 79 Rev. Margaret Eiben Hoversten – Yep, I Can Do that, and You Can Too 80 Rev. Susan B. Sheffer-Meyer – Be Strong and Courageous 82 Rev. Dr. Felicia Campbell – “You can make it – just let God lead you.” 83 Rev. Karen Elizabeth Knutson – From Roots to Rainbows 84 Rev. Jana Schofield – Not Knowing What to Do 85 Rev. Beverly A. Blackman – God Calls a Texas Girl 86 Rev. Carol West – Making a Difference 88 Rev. Gretchen Rode – Raising Young Feminists in the Church 89 Rev. Kari Parsons – “Yes, I can. Watch me!” 90 Rev. Laura Csellak – The Gift of Baptism 90 Rev. Dr. Karen L. Bloomquist – Fifty Years Ago and Today: Ordination of Lutheran 91 Women in the United States Bishop Katherine Volz-Finegan – Finding the words 92 Rev. Melissa Woeppel – Seen, Heard, Known 94 Rev. Virginia Elizabeth Tredon Eggert – “We’re getting one of youse at church.” 94 Rev. Beth Utto-Galarneau – She was the strong one of the church—generously 95 proclaiming encouragement and support Rev. Nitza Rosario-Rodriguez – Seeing New Possibilities 96 Rev. Sandra Bowdish Kreis – It All Started at Age 15 98 Rev. Mindy Jo Ehrke – WWGJD? 99 Rev. Birgit Solano Richante – Three Strikes, and You Are In 101 Rev. Ruth F. Doty – Of Beginnings and of Endings 101 Rev. Ashley B. Nicolis – “I never knew that women weren’t supposed to be pastors.” 103 Rev. Karen G. Bockelman – Surprised by the Call 104 Rev. Christine Cowan – “I felt something like longing stirring within my soul.” 105 Rev. Barbara Wangsness – Opening Horizons 106 Rev. Christine Nelson Meyer – She Hugged Me – Embraced by a Calling 107 Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills – Are You Ready? 109 Rev. Dr. Beth Spitzner Neubauer – Words to My Younger Self 111 Rev. Annemarie H. Cook – “I am grateful for the women who paved the way for me.” 113 Rev. Linnea B. Wilson – Hebrews 12:1 114 Rev. Nancy L. Winder – Called in Community 114 Dr. Beverly Wallace – The Journey Began Before I Was Born 116 Rev. Dr. Beth Warpmaeker – Two Generations: From Mother to Daughter 118 Rev. Cassie Anderson – The Unexpected Blessings of Being a Pastor 119 Rev. Linda Jaffke Hilliard – Let It Be! 120 Rev. Kristin D. Anderson – Last Gas for 82 Miles 122 Rev. Harriet JR Wieber – A Watershed Moment 124 Rev. Kim Kyllo – “Wow, could I do that too?” 125 Rev. Sarah Stadler – Vision for Mission and Humanity 126 Rev. Janice Marie E. Lowden – Growing (Up) in Grace 127 Rev. Jan LaVake – No Coincidences 127 Rev. Karen L. Soli – “That’s Funny – A Girl Pastor.” 128 Rev. Dr. Chris Alexander – “Follow your joy and look for the extraordinary.” 130 Rev. Monica Weber – Girl Acolyte to Girl Pastor 132 Rev. Rachel Knoke – No Small Lives, Only Small Congregations 133 Rev. Lynne Ogren – God Broke Open My Heart 134 Rev. Mary Caroline Knight Tokheim – Curiosity 134 Rev. Megan Torgerson – Blessed Are Those 135 Rev. Betsy Hoium – From Lawyer to Pastor 136 Rev. Jennifer Boyd – For All the Saints 137 Rev. Gayle Pope – God Makes Everything Fit 138 Rev. Linda C. Hanus – Ministering to My Mentor 139 Rev. Mardi K. Krusemark – Journeying with Others in the Chaos of Life 140 Rev. Kathy Burkheimer – Words of Wisdom for a Woman or Girl Becoming a Pastor 141 Rev. Megan Crouch – It’s a Calling, Not a Choice 141 Rev. Dr. Jeanette Bidne – God Calls YOU! 143 Rev. Lynn Ronsberg – What Does a Woman Pastor Really Look Like? 143 Rev. Karen R. Hanson – Seeing Jesus 145 Rev. Gail Heidtke – Listen 146 Rev. Amaretta Onstad – Blessed to Wrestle 147 Rev. Emily Meyer – Birthdays: Words of Wisdom for Future Female Clergy 148 Rev. Heidi Hester – “Be bold in following the Spirit’s stirring.” 150 Rev. Christine Roe – May God’s Breath Be Your Guiding Force 151 Rev. Jane Perkolup – Called to Be a Blessing, and Blessed to Be Called 151 Rev. Katheryn M. King – Love the People 153 Rev. Laura Smith – Eternity Is Planted with People 154 Bp. Tracie Bartholomew – “Cling to the identity given to you by Jesus Christ in baptism.” 155 Rev. Louise Hilbert – Mentors Matter 156 Rev. Beth J. Costlow – God in the Brokenness 156 Rev. Kristin Reed Klade – The Most Natural Thing I Have Ever Done 158 Rev. Janelle Rozek Hooper – Tips for Ministry 159 Rev. Sheri Lodel – Growth, Honesty and Safety 160 Rev. Carol Soderholm – Keep On Keeping On 162 Rev. Rebecca Christine Lund Sheridan – “I stand on the shoulders of women who 162 went before me.” Bp. Anne Edison-Albright – “Be bold. Have courage. God is calling you.” 164 Rev. Gloria Espeseth – Memories … Good and Not So Good 164 Rev. Karen LaFollette Marohn – Don’t Give Up 166 Rev. Dr. Wyvetta Bullock – I Was Called to Serve 168 PREFACE The year 2020 marked 50 years since pulpit was their own. For others, their first members of the American Lutheran Church experiences of Word and Sacrament came and Lutheran Church in America voted to through women: that was their childhood change their policies and allow women to norm. And yet, so many of the stresses around be ordained. The year 2019 marked the 40th the ministry of women have not changed anniversary of the first women of color being over the past 50 years. A theme threaded ordained in these predecessor bodies to the throughout the stories is God calling a woman ELCA, and 10 years since the voting members and the church not recognizing the call or of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly allowed making space for her. We see this theme in people in lifelong, same-gender, monogamous the stories of white women in the 1950s and relationships to be ordained. ’60s, and it continues to echo in the stories of women of color living today. This thread Though the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted many continues for queer pastors, whose calls have of the plans for celebration and lamentation finally been recognized as valid but who, too around these anniversaries, the following often, are still told, “Not yet, not here.” The authors took the time to write down stories that pain of God calling and of not being able to they wanted to share with the church.