Speaking for the Present: How Hannah Peterson Helped Youth Voices Be Heard at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly

When Hannah Peterson arrived at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this summer, she carried with her the lessons of years of community organizing, the theological grounding of her MDiv studies at LSTC, and the conviction that young people’s voices are essential to the church’s present and future success.

That conviction had taken root earlier, when Peterson participated in the ELCA Young Adult Policy and Advocacy Immersion in Washington, D.C. and at the United Nations in New York City. Through the coordination of ELCA Young Adult Networks Coordinator Kayla Zopfi, she and other participants explored the connections between the ELCA and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), which has, since 1984, urged all member churches to strive for 20% youth participation in decision-making and leadership roles. The LWF defines “youth” as anyone under 35.

“[I saw that] our ELCA Constitution wasn’t in alignment with that standard,” Peterson said. “It’s important for international church relations that we, the ELCA, follow the guidance of the Federation–when we don’t, it demonstrates a disregard for our shared communion; when we do, it is a meaningful demonstration of our commitment to our global church.”

Peterson knew the Churchwide Assembly was her moment to act. Amendments like hers, which would bring the ELCA into alignment with the stated goals of the LWF, required 25 signatures by 9:15 p.m. on Monday night. In a fast-moving scramble, she tracked down the documents and reference numbers, worked with fellow delegates to draft the amendment language based on LWF resolutions, and began spreading the word through the Assembly’s young adult group chat. “We needed everyone,” she recalled. “I really believe that it was the behind the scenes organizing and evangelism by all the young adults and youth willing to bring this to their synods and have conversations way before it got to the floor on Thursday morning that got this to pass.”

Her organizing network quickly grew. She connected with Keoni Newman, who had served on the Church Council since age 20 and offered expertise on process and Robert’s Rules. Dayle Matheny and another young adult on the ELCA Reference and Council Committee negotiated with their colleagues to not only recommend the amendment but add a clause requiring the Church Council to develop an implementation plan.

Peterson also worked to ensure young speakers would be ready when the amendment came to the floor. Drawing on her preaching and storytelling formation at LSTC and her experience with The People’s Lobby in Chicago, she helped others shape their testimonies, compiling stories in a shared document and holding one-on-one coaching sessions during breaks and meals.

When her turn came to address the Assembly, Peterson stepped to the microphone and introduced herself as “an Army veteran, seminarian, and the 28-year-old daughter of two pastors and the granddaughter of one of the first ordained women in this church.” She invited the Assembly to vote yes, “to raise our goal from 10% youth and young adult involvement in these areas of church leadership to 20% and thereby bring us into fuller communion with our Lutheran World Federation partners.”

The response from the floor was mixed. Some delegates voiced enthusiastic support. Others, including some youth leaders themselves, expressed doubts about young people’s capabilities, citing personal experiences or concerns about limiting older lay participation. “As disheartening as these arguments were to hear, our core arguments remained unchanged and our stories of hope uplifted the room.” Peterson said. “Every speaker in favor brought their own diverse story and flavor: joy, fierceness, healing, anger, compassion. And, behind every speaker was a hope and love for the Church, for our community.”

One voice stood out: Carolyn Utech from the Metro Chicago Synod, who helped, as she put it “get the ordination of women into the church.” Her advocacy in this moment was powerful. “I have a very short lifespan ahead of me,” she began, before recalling her own involvement in the movement to ordain women. “I trust young people Sometimes I trust them even more than people my age. I believe this is not a binary decision on whether it goes from top down or down up. We are leaders here. If we lead and say it’s important and get that message out to the churches it becomes more important to the churches, to the congregations, and especially to the young people. We need people who think outside of old boxes. I really believe they can do this work if we help them.” For Peterson, that moment was healing. “In a world in which the most powerful elders have taken the resources and held on tight, leaving little for the rest of us, it was healing to hear Carolyn’s testament and trust.” she said.

Peterson’s theological grounding was central to her work. She points to biblical examples, like Elihu in Job, where God uplifts the wisdom of youth. “I’ve worked to unlearn paternalism and childism—the baked-in ideas that young people are only around to be formed and have nothing to teach people with more years. These falsehoods have robbed us of deeper relationships with youth and robbed our society of their wisdom more broadly.” she said. She sees intentional organizing not as opposed to the movement of the Holy Spirit, but as a demonstration of it. Evening devotional spaces for youth and young adults during the Assembly offered rest and renewal alongside the hard work of change-making.

With the amendment’s passage, Peterson hopes the ELCA will move toward greater trust in youth leadership. “I hope people can look to this, and other changes coming, and when the choice is up between two people, those with decision power can look at this amendment and remember the wisdom that youth bring and choose the younger person, even when it feels like a risk,” she said.

Her advice to young adults discerning their place in the church is simple: find your community, through ELCA young adult networks, Gather, Abide, or even local political organizing. “As individuals, we don’t have much power to shape institutions,” she said. “Learning and practicing the tools of community [by] organizing in your public local community is a great way to both be the church that Jesus showed us to be in the world and learn how to be a change-maker within the church as well.”