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| Clergy participating in ordination of Rev. Kari Lipke included (l to r) Rev. Alan Bray, Pastor, First Lutheran Church, St. Peter; Rev. Joanne Enquist, Seattle, WA, Bishop Wm. Chris Boerger, Northwest Washington Synod, Seattle, WA; Rev. Kari Lipke; Bishop Jon Anderson, Southwest Minnesota Synod, Minneapolis, MN; Rev. Anita Hill, Reconciling Works, Minneapolis, MN; Rev. Rachel Larson, Gustavus Aldophus College, St. Peter; and Rev. Don Holmstrom, Pastor, First Lutheran Church, St. Peter. |
June 6, 2007
'Wm. Chris' Boerger re-elected bishop of ELCA Northwest Washington Synod
by Lauren A. Lamb,* ELCA News Service
The Rev. William C. "Wm. Chris" Boerger was re-elected to a six-year term as bishop of the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at the synod assembly June 1-2 in Lynnwood, Wash. Boerger, 58, was re-elected on the first ballot for bishop with 358 votes. A second nominee, determined earlier by a synod nomination process, the Rev. Victor C. Langford, III, Seattle, withdrew from the election, leaving Boerger unopposed. Boerger's new term begins Sept. 1.
Boerger was born in Columbus, Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. Pacific Lutheran is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities. Boerger earned a master of divinity degree from Christ Seminary-Seminex, St. Louis. He was ordained in 1978. Prior to his election as bishop, Boerger served as pastor at Northlake Lutheran Church, Kenmore, Wash. He previously served as pastor of ELCA congregations in Friday Harbor and Everett, Wash.
The ELCA Northwest Washington Synod has 51,822 baptized members in 108 congregations. The synod office is in Seattle.
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On Sunday morning, April 7, Kari Lipke was ordained as a pastor of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The service was held at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter with Bishop Jon Anderson of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod and Bishop William Chris Boerger of the Northwest Washington Synod of the ELCA officiating.
Pastor Lipke is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and Harvard Divinity School, and has served in a variety of leadership positions at First Lutheran, including congregational president. Currently, Pastor Lipke serves as a Regional Director for Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full Participation, in Seattle, Washington.
Reconciling Works helps congregations to discern and offer a hearty public welcome to people of all gender identities and expressions, and people of all sexual orientation. It advocates for social change that improves the lives of LGBTQIA persons and families in this country and abroad.
Pastor Lipke has been called as pastor and mission developer for a community of faith called “The Garden” in downtown Seattle. The Garden “seeks to affirm that all are God’s people, rooted in sacred ritual and service with neighbors near and far.”
Pastor Lipke’s ordination was part of the regular 10:30 a.m. worship service at First Lutheran. In addition to Bishops Anderson and Boerger, other participating clergy included Rev. Joanne Enquist of Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Seattle, who preached, Rev. Alan Bray and Rev. Don Holmstrom of First Lutheran, Chaplain Rachel Larson of Gustavus Adolphus College, and Rev. Anita Hill, Reconciling Works. Also participating were Kari’s family and friends.
Rachel Segerhammar, president of Gethsemane Lutheran congregation in Seattle, made the formal presentation of Pastor Lipke as a candidate for ordination.
The ELCA is a mainline Protestant denomination with over four million members, and is the seventh-largest religious body and the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.
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GJ - The ordination of Anita Hill was a turning point for ELCA and for Mark Hanson's career. He soon became Presiding Bishop of ELCA. As readers can see, Anita Hill is now in charge of organizing ordinations for her group, and the new ELCA Secretary is an ally.
My classmate at Yale, Stan Olson, promoted these changes as a division head at ELCA headquarters, until his position was eliminated for budgetary reasons. He is now president of Wartburg Seminary, one of two Lutheran seminaries founded by William Loehe.
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Fascinating. Press briefings, of course, are all about spin, and I heard today’s events spun by Mark Hanson, and then by Jeff Johnson of Goodsoil. Hanson first.
The presiding bishop appeared before a full press room with Roy Riley, Chair of the Conference of Bishops, and Stan Olson, Executive of the Division for Ministry. Also present were Rebecca Anderson of Church and Society and Jim Childs of the task force. Bishop Hanson began by urging the press again to use a “wide angle lens”—pointing out some of the “non-sexuality” important things that were approved, such as the strategy for African American outreach. But he knew the issue on the minds of the press was what had just happened. He was appreciative, he said, of the respectful tone, both of the voting members and of the demonstrators who had stood in silent witness. A bit of a shift, of course, from his earlier words about being “disappointed” that they refused to follow the rules. Sources close to the bishop’s office told us “disappointed” and “respectful” aren’t exactly the right words to describe the bishop’s attitude toward Goodsoil; more like “livid.” Voting members may not have been aware of the heavy hotel security throughout the ballroom, nor of the uniformed Orlando police who were backstage, just waiting for a signal to enter and deal with the situation. To Bp. Hanson’s credit, he held things in check; everyone seems to agree he turned the situation around with his quip about being the father of six. But we understand he’s plenty ticked.
The presiding bishop appeared before a full press room with Roy Riley, Chair of the Conference of Bishops, and Stan Olson, Executive of the Division for Ministry. Also present were Rebecca Anderson of Church and Society and Jim Childs of the task force. Bishop Hanson began by urging the press again to use a “wide angle lens”—pointing out some of the “non-sexuality” important things that were approved, such as the strategy for African American outreach. But he knew the issue on the minds of the press was what had just happened. He was appreciative, he said, of the respectful tone, both of the voting members and of the demonstrators who had stood in silent witness. A bit of a shift, of course, from his earlier words about being “disappointed” that they refused to follow the rules. Sources close to the bishop’s office told us “disappointed” and “respectful” aren’t exactly the right words to describe the bishop’s attitude toward Goodsoil; more like “livid.” Voting members may not have been aware of the heavy hotel security throughout the ballroom, nor of the uniformed Orlando police who were backstage, just waiting for a signal to enter and deal with the situation. To Bp. Hanson’s credit, he held things in check; everyone seems to agree he turned the situation around with his quip about being the father of six. But we understand he’s plenty ticked.
Pr Art Hebbeler, STS
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... and since it was Hanson who gave Jeff Johnson access to the ELCA Council, I can believe as much of this as I want ...
Brian H.
Awww, c'mon Brian, maybe, just maybe, the PB actually "strapped them on" yesterday morning before the session and has finally reached his limit with pandering to Johnson et al.
I think there was a strong message to him from the voting members that, narrow as it might be, the church is still on the side of orthodoxy. Further, while the protesters were not evicted (as they rightfully should have been), all those pictures on the ELCA web site will begin to filter out and be seen by many who have stood silent in the response to the "in your face" actions of LC/NA, Goodsoil, et al, and they will stop being so silent.
Just my 3 cents worth
Art