Cutting-edge Lutheran
mission under attack for calling a lesbian pastor
[9-16-04]
Central City Lutheran Mission, in San Bernardino, CA,
describes itself as "a cutting edge ministry which assumes
both delivery of a
wide variety of social services and development of a Word and Sacrament
ministry." Their simple style focuses on neighborhood leadership in a
multilingual ministry, "where the poor and oppressed become subject in a
pastoral project for neighborhood transformation and are not simply the
objects of the church's charity or social services."
The Mission recently called the Rev. Dr. Jenny Mason as
an Associate Pastor. Mason was ordained in 1991, served for ten years in
urban ministry in Chile, and has already been serving for some months on
the CCLM staff. While the Lutheran Church (ELCA) exercises considerable
latitude in matters of ordination and sexuality, this call has been
challenged and is now under review by a special committee, and some
economic sanctions have already been imposed on the Mission.
You can learn more of the situation in this statement
from the CCLM:
I
What is Central City
Lutheran Mission?
Central City Lutheran Mission is a cutting edge ministry
which assumes both
delivery of a wide variety of social services and development of a Word and
Sacrament ministry. In our short ten year history, CCLM has developed a
unique model for urban ministry. Its style is stark and simple centering
around neighborhood leadership development and the Eucharist, which is
celebrated eight times a week at the Mission. Working in English, Spanish
and Ebonics, Central City Lutheran Mission has established a unique trust
with neighbors. Central City Lutheran Mission functions as a
non-congregationally based, denominationally rooted, community based
pastoral project.
Central City Lutheran Mission has become nationally known
as a site where the poor and oppressed become subject in a pastoral project
for neighborhood transformation and are not simply the objects of the
church's charity or social services. Central City Lutheran Mission is in a
unique position within the ELCA as it partners in ministry with the Division
for Outreach, the Division for Church in Society, the Division for Ministry,
the Division for Congregational Ministries, the Commission for Women and
several seminaries as an internship site for theological students seeking a
learning experience in urban ministry. In many ways, the pastoral work of
Central City Lutheran Mission prefigures a trend within the Division for
Outreach which is to combine social services with the celebration of the
Sacraments.
II.
The Call of an Associate Pastor
Central City Lutheran Mission began a process with the
Pacifica Synod in August 2002 to call an Associate Pastor. In an urban
context, CCLM needed a pastor who is organizer, administrator, social worker
and spiritual leader, however no appropriate candidates were presented by
the synod. In November of 2003 the Rev. Dr. Jenny Mason was approved by the
roster of the Extraordinary Candidacy Project, and in December, the
Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Central City Lutheran
Mission recommended to the full Board that she be called as Associate Pastor
at CCLM.
At the time Pastor Mason was called as an Associate
Pastor, she had already worked at Central City Lutheran Mission for seven
months. Board members and staff were well aware of both her sexuality and
her work habits and qualifications. Dr. Mason is theologically trained at
Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, and has a Doctorate in Ministry from
Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She has studied in Argentina and did
a year of internship in Chile. Following her ordination in 1991, she worked
in Chile in an urban working class community for more than ten years.
Central City Lutheran Mission hired a qualified,
theologically trained and experienced pastor coming from the tradition of
the Lutheran Confessions. Until her forced resignation from the roster of
the ELCA in 2002 due to non-compliance with Vision and Expectations,
she had served the ELCA well through its Division for Global Ministries. The
Board of Directors of Central City Lutheran Mission was aware that the ELCA
has a policy against calling persons who are lesbians and gays in committed
relationships or who are not committed to celibacy. Central City Lutheran
Mission and its leadership, who are committed to biblical principles of
justice and cultural values of tolerance and diversity find this policy to
be unjust and inconsistent with the teachings of our evangelical
confessions. The Board and Executive Committee were also aware they had
found a uniquely qualified candidate in the person of Pastor Mason who
brings personal gifts as well as years of training and experience in ELCA-
related ministries.
While it was not the motivation of Central City Lutheran
Mission's leadership to openly defy or resist ELCA policy, when faced with
the need to call a qualified candidate in the absence of any other
candidates, the disobedience of this unjust ELCA policy did not prohibit
CCLM's leadership from making the solid decision it made. The intent was to
call a qualified and experienced candidate for pastoral services. Our search
led us to one candidate: The Rev. Dr. Jenny Mason.
III.
Current Situation
Central City Lutheran Mission is also aware that the
constitution of the ELCA and the current practice of synods provide for
tremendous leeway in its application. Different synods respond differently
to ministries in non-compliance. There is no uniform approach to the
application of discipline. It ultimately becomes a synodical decision. There
are no recent cases showing punitive acts or actions of retribution that
have crippled or damaged ministries which have their own integrity and
merits based on a common commitment and conviction to the preaching of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Central City Lutheran Mission is a unique point for
ministry within the ELCA. On the cutting edge for theological education,
urban ministry, outreach and social justice, Central City Lutheran Mission
represents a unique Word and Sacrament ministry committed to the health and
education of not only the community it serves, but the church at large.
Central City Lutheran Mission is not asking for any special favors or
treatment, but rather for a fair review of our positions and pastoral
practice. We ask for that review in the context of the policies and the
practices of the ELCA as they are currently being implemented, which allow
for a glimmer of hope that justice can be observed, respected and will be
served. With some economic sanctions against the Mission already in place, a
consultation committee has produced a non-public report that was shared with
the Synod Council the end of August. The Synod Council is calling a special
all-day meeting on October 29th to continue the discussion that
was started. The conversation needs to be broader than closed board rooms
and non-public reports.
IV
How you can help
· Pray for Pastors David Kalke and Jenny Mason, the Board,
staff and all those served by CCLM's ministries. Pray for the leadership of
the Pacifica Synod and its Synod Council as they determine on October 29,
2004, what disciplinary actions if any be taken in response to CCLM's
calling of an ECP-rostered pastor.
· Contribute financially to enable us to continue our
diverse ministry programs.
· Sign up for our e-mail action alert and let the ELCA
know that programs such as ours are vital to the community and the larger
church.
· Come visit us.
· Place a service learning program at our site.
·
Please keep in touch with us and check our website for
regular updates:
www.cclm.org
· Write Bishop Murray Finck and Synod Council
Vice-President to express your thoughts to them.
Bishop Murray Finck
Rod Anderson
Pacifica Synod-ELCA
Vice-President, Synod Council
23655 Via del Rio, Suite B 15691 Clarendon
Street
Yorba Linda, CA 92887 Westminster, CA 92683
mdfinck@aol.com
randerson1@socal.rr.com
