Nebraska Synod ELCA

As part of their commitment to improving the quality of calls for women, seven synods in the Midwest collaborated to host a gathering for women in ministry.  This gathering, with the theme “Empower, Empowered, Empowering”, took place August 6 – 8 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Through conversation, support, education, and rest and renewal, women cared for and shared with one another the challenges they still experience in living out their calls even though it has been over 50 years since women were first ordained.  Nine pastors and deacons from the Nebraska Synod made the trip.

“I learned about similar and new experiences that my female colleagues in the ELCA have had by simply being a female in a ministry leadership role.  I also learned more about myself and why having female support is vitally important to my ministry, and my mental health.  I was also reaffirmed, and renewed, by my time talking, sharing, and worshiping with so many wonderful women in ministry,” wrote Deacon Kristin Johnson.

Worship included a song written specifically for the gathering as well as a look at faithful women in scripture from those who first proclaimed the resurrection to those who shared the message with households and communities.

About these women, Deacon Johnson went on to share, “I’m still thinking about some of the women in scripture and how they lived out “Empower, Empowered, Empowering”.  To live in an age where women were not seen as equal to their male counterparts, they still found ways to support, love, care for, and empower one another.”

Women who attended the gathering were given the opportunity to connect through covenant groups.  Through stickers on their name tags, participants were placed into groups where every effort was made to have everyone in the group from a different one of the seven synods.  These covenant groups will meet at least quarterly over the next year.

“I thought the keynote speaker Rosella Haydee [White] challenged us and raised a lot of questions for us to ponder.  I enjoyed meeting and sharing ministry stories with my Covenant group,” commented Pastor Sandra Braasch.

“What I took away from it was far more than I expected.  We had a wonderful covenant group that fit together well.  We discussed, shared insights into ourselves, asked questions of each other and shared thoughts on other perspectives in situations brought before the group,” stated Pastor Becky Beckmann.

The funding for this gathering came from the ELCA Quality of Call for Women Initiative, originating from the Office of the Presiding Bishop. In addition to the gathering, other components of the grant from the Initiative include a sample list of gender neutral questions for call committees, equity language to be added to Synod guidelines for compensation, a workshop for women on interviewing skills, emphasis on gender-inclusive language for humans and inclusive and expansive language for God in synodical worship events, and the inclusion of gender equity training in synodical boundaries and ethics work.