If one only knows about the ELCA from news media, the impression is probably that dissent over CWA09 bubbles up here, there, and everywhere. While that is true in some congregations, the thriving ministries in most do not receive press attention. But, a positive news article from my old stomping grounds of St Cloud, Minnesota, caught my attention this morning, and I want to offer a brief shout out to Atonement Lutheran Church, a congregation of around 1,650 members. I know Atonement well with many friends there, including a couple of pastors from the past, and I have fond memories of serving on numerous Cursillo teams in their facilities.
The article in the St Cloud Times reports that Atonement has called Pastor Yolanda Lehman, an African American woman and former pastor of the now defunct Resurrection African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of St Cloud. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Pastor Lehman teaches a diversity course at St Cloud State University, and she has been a popular preacher filling pulpits around the country since 2006 (when the Methodist-Episcopal congregation closed).
Lehman believes that she will be the first black woman to be installed as a pastor in the Southwest Minnesota Synod.
“I am particularly drawn to this congregation because of their commitment to be the hands of Jesus in the world, something I’ve given my whole life to,” she said. “Here, social justice ministries and the care for the poor, oppressed and marginalized for people of color are huge.”
“I am a gregarious person, I would say. I believe in ‘full body worship,’ so you will see me clapping my hands and, you know, moving my feet,” Lehman said about herself as a pastor.
Pastor Lehman will be installed as associate pastor during all weekend services on the 20th & 21st of March. As a friend of Atonement, I extend my best wishes to Pastor Lehman; I am sure her ministry will be a blessing to the entire faith community of St Cloud.
Thanks Obie, God is Good! What a gift she will be to that congregation. I am sure there will be some who will spin this to be somthing bad.
One thing that happened in our now LCMC church this past year was a dispute about “The Shack’. I bought it and read it and gave it to the church secretary. The pastor had received a copy as a Christmas gift but was having trouble getting through it. Well, it seems that our Orthodox Lutherans have trouble calling God anything but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In “The Shack” God the father is portrayed by a black woman that is called “Papa” Jesus is Jesus and the Holy Sprit is a female figure that flits here and there. The church secretary wanted to lead a discussion of “The Shack” and the pastor forbade her to and I understand was quite vocal about it. Well, I grew up with God being Maker, Redeemer ,and Comforter. Does God really care ?
@Lilly
Wow. Anti-Shack?!?! I didn’t think it was possible. I’ve only heard positive comments about it. One of my friends gave that to me and she’s Catholic. (I haven’t gotten to reading it yet.)
Some folks of all stripes react badly to it. I like it quite a bit, but it is only an allegory. Take the time, HoB. Good stuff, IMO.
Thanks Tony, this shows that there is diversity of opinion in LCMC. People who have lost a loved one recently have a hard time with “The Shack” . The book is somewhat graphic in the murder of the little girl but this is overshadowed by the overwhelming love of God.
Hey Lilly, I’ll be in your neighborhood, Immanuel Lutheran Fremont, Thursday night. If you are having trouble sleeping, come on down. Im better than sominex. And definitely not habit forming. 🙂
Go early and take you fishpole, the walleyes are running on the Wolf. I won’t say what I think about you being there, I just wish there were a better spokesperson for ELCA to counteract you. I’ve been trying to talk the people here into a community church model to serve all “disfranchised” Christians in the community. So far they are still thinking along denominational lines. At least two of the other denominations are struggling to have members. The old guard thinks CHURCH is the building. Oh well, no one listens to a prophet in his/her own community anyway.
I think the thing that keeps coming back to me contributing to this blog and reading all the opinions is “So You Don’t Want to Go To Church Anymore” This is the title of another Windblown Media book. I question if I really do want to be part of an organized religion church. I need the fellowship. I need friends. But do I need something that is so tied to tradition that it doesn’t have room for individual thoughts ? I have even read some of John Shelby Spong’s works and at first they threw me for a loop. He has the history, but does he have the answers? I am still wandering in the wilderness and probably will for awhile.
I guess I better get back to the issue here. I think that it is wonderful that a black woman can be a pastor in Scandinavian/German twin cities ELCA. I wish that the Methodist church had been able to survive. I hope that other ethnic group CCM pastors will feel free to apply in ELCA churches. The only way to break the “walls” is to climb over them.