LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Queer Justice Ministry Team

The Queer Justice Ministry Team of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin is committed to advancing justice, equity, and love for LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities within the church and beyond.

Building on the legacy of the Reconciling in Christ Ministry, this team seeks to move from welcome and affirmation to active advocacy and transformative presence. We believe that the Gospel calls us to love and protect our siblings without reservation and to work together to build a world where all are safe, valued, and celebrated.

Following Jesus, who commanded his followers, ‘Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another,’ and believing that all persons are created in the image of God, the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA, strives to be fully inclusive for all. This synod welcomes people of every race, background, age, political affiliation, economic and social status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and mental and physical ability, while striving to enable all people to participate fully in the life and work of the church and its expressions.       -SCSW Welcome Statement

22 of our congregations in south-central Wisconsin have also taken steps to be intentionally welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community. These congregations are identified as Reconciling in Christ congregations. By having a statement affirming this welcome that specifically names either, “LGBTQIA+ people” or “people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions” in their statement, these faith communities are accepted into the Reconciling in Christ partnership with ReconcilingWorks. You may click on a congregation below to learn more:

March 6, 2025 Statement from Bishop Joy & RIC Team re: Recent Executive Orders

“[Jesus asked]: ‘Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” (Luke 15:36-37, from Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan)

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.” (Psalm 139:14-16a)

Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe, along with the members of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin’s Reconciling in Christ1 team, write today out of deep concern for the struggles faced by our 2SLGBTQIA+2 community, and particularly for our transgender siblings in humanity.

Recent executive orders and related actions seek to deny the personhood and existence of transgender people in the United States, by way of denying them necessary health care, excluding them from the armed forces, and banning female transgender athletes from participating in school sports teams that align with their gender identity, to name but three examples. As a result, fear is spreading amongst our transgender and non-binary neighbors: what new wounds will be inflicted on their identity and ability to live freely in the days to come?

As Christians of the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA), we believe that all human beings, including our transgender and non-binary neighbors, are created in the image of God. Our call, poured out on us in the water and Word of our baptism, compels us to work to ensure that each person can experience the wholeness and abundance of God. We believe that families who have transgender and non-binary youth matter and belong in the church. We support efforts to make our communities safe spaces for all people.

We live in a world of nuance and reject that we are being forced into binary classification. Further, we reject any attempt to erase the identity or existence of our transgender neighbors.

We reject the scapegoating of some of the most vulnerable people and even, at times, trying to falsely portray them as a threat. Finally, we reject the notion that supporting our transgender and 2SLGBTQIA+ neighbors is a political or partisan issue. Rather, this is not an “issue” at all, but is recognition that there is an attack on our fellow human beings, who are as deserving of access to health care, a sense of peace and well-being, the ability to serve in the military or in any other profession, as any other citizen and human being. This is, quite simply, a matter of morality. Those affected are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and members and leaders in our congregations and ministries – those Jesus calls us to love, to show mercy to, to treat with dignity and compassion, and to work alongside of for the sake of the gospel.

May we answer that call through our continued support for our transgender siblings in faith and the entire 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

In Christ,

Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe
The SCSW Reconciling in Christ Team

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¹The Reconciling in Christ program works to “ensure the welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; work for racial equity and commit to anti-racist work and support the national program [of Reconciling Works].” Visit https://www.reconcilingworks.org/ric/becomeric/ to learn more.

²2-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, + additional ways individuals choose to self-identify.

Resources

• The Trevor Project was Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, and is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25. Learn more HERE.

• GLAAD provides an amazing list of online resources on their website HERE. GLAAD works through entertainment, news, and digital media to share stories from the LGBTQ community that accelerate acceptance.

• Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries organizes queer seminarians and rostered ministers, confronts barriers and systemic oppression, and activates queer ideas and movements within the Lutheran Church. Learn more HERE.

• The new Lavender Book App is a crowd-sourced app created by the National Black Justice Coalition and Out In Tech, that aims to record safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people of color. The app allows users to narrow down places through various filters — such as whether American Sign Language is spoken, gender-neutral restrooms are available or if there’s a wheelchair ramp on site. Learn more HERE.

RIC Program

The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program is for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations. Lutheran communities that publicly welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are accepted onto the Reconciling in Christ Roster. Most groups start the process of consideration by engaging in a study program or series of educational meetings. Hearing the experiences of LGBT people and their families often creates greater understanding and insights. Learn more about the RIC program through ReconcilingWorks.