20th Anniversary of the First Extraordinary Ordinations!

This month marks the 20th Anniversary of the first historic Extraordinary Ordinations of Rev. Ruth Frost, Rev. Phyllis Zillhart and Rev. Jeff Johnson. The ordinations took place on January 20, 1990 at St. Paulus Lutheran Church in San Francisco. The ceremony was attended by over 1000 persons, with participation by over 70 clergy members. An additional 700 persons attended seven simultaneous worship services throughout the country.

At the time of the ordinations, over 425 people signed a covenant of support. One section of this covenant read, "At this moment in the history of our church, we, the undersigned, feel conscience bound to take action in support of gay men and lesbian women who are qualified for ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."

Regional supporters will gather for an event in San Francisco to celebrate this 20th anniversary.  The event, "Rivers in the Desert," is on Saturday, February 13, 2010 to honor the congregations of First United and St. Francis, the ordinands, and others involved in this historic event. if you would like details about the event or work of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries please see their website:  www.elm.org