Extraordinary Ordination: On November 18, in a particularly joyful service at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Megan Rohrer was ordained and installed for her work among the homeless with the Welcome Ministry in San Francisco. Megan is rostered with the ECP and was called by four San Francisco churches. Pr Erik Christensen of St. Luke's - Logan Square in Chicago presided. Ordinators were Bishop Emeritus, the Rev. Stanley Olson and Pr. Daniel Solberg Dean of the San Francisco Conference.

Megan's ordination was the first Extraordinary Lutheran Ordination in San Francisco since 1990.

Second Chance: Bishop David Mullen of the Sierra Pacific Synod was required at another ordination and declined the invitation to attend the extraordinary ordination of Megan Rohrer. The Letter of Call will, however, be forwarded to Bishop Mullen for his signature. We await further developments.

Preaching Challenge: Preachers, what would you do with this text (chosen as the first lesson for Megan Rohrer's ordination)? But Jael wife of Heber took a tent-peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground�he was lying fast asleep from weariness�and he died. Judges 4:21.

ECP Roster Grows: The Extraordinary Candidacy Project's Fall approval interviews were held in Philadelphia on November 11 and two new candidates were added to the roster of candidates approved for call: Steve Keiser and Jen Rude.

In October, the candidacy committee of the Sierra-Pacific Synod of the ELCA interviewed Jen Rude but was unable to make a decision about her candidacy. Throughout the candidacy process, Jen has maintained a stance of "principled non-compliance" regarding the ELCA policy that requires celibacy of gay and lesbian clergy.

Ordination Moments:

Sampling the buzz after Megan Rohrer's ordination, it seems that for many the high point of the service was the greeting that indroduced the Rite of Ordination. Pr. Daniel Solberg enthusiastically intoned: "The Top of all Tops be with you!" and the congregation replied "And also with you!"

Personally, we were moved by the Prayer of the Day: Almighty and merciful God(dess), you built Your Church on the foundation of the diverse individuals of many nations and ethnicities that You have called to speak Your Word: women, men, queers, eunuchs, sex workers, felons, the addicted, apostles, the infected, royalty, the educated, nomads, widows, homeless, prophets, tax collectors, the rich, and the differently abled. And, You instituted the office of the holy ministry so that Your diverse living Word might be heard throughout the ages. Grant that Megan, now ordained, may exercise ministry faithfully in the power of your Spirit Sophia; through your child the Christ.

Overheard: At the reception following Megan Rohrer's ordination, one homeless man who is served by the Welcome Ministry declared: "This is a great victory! Four hundred years ago, you would have been burned at the stake!"

We'd Like to Know: Question for Pr. Richard Foster: What's the boundary between "extraordinary" and "illicit"? Is it still "illicit" if Bishop Emeritus Olson participates?

500 Years Later, ELCA Reconciles with Anabaptists: At its November, 2006 meeting, the ELCA church council took action to reject past statements attributed to early Lutheran church reformers and expressed "its deep and abiding sorrow and regret for the persecution and suffering visited upon the Anabaptists during the religious disputes of the past." The Council's action emphasized that condemnations in the Augsburg Confession directed at Anabaptists do not apply to today's Mennonite Church USA: "the situation of the 16th century no longer applies in the 21st century." More info.

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