Queer Intersectionality and Public Church Symposium
The 3rd Annual Queer Intersectionality and Public Church Symposium “Extraordinary Histories”
The Queer Intersectionality and the Public Church Symposium, titled Extraordinary Histories, will take place April 20–21, 2026 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. The 2026 annual symposium is a celebration of the powerful stories of the clergy, laypeople, congregations, and allies that came together to form a movement to contest the exclusion of LGBTQIA+ people from ordination in the ELCA.
Throughout those decades, this exclusion was contested by a movement comprising a range of organizations (e.g., LLGM, ECP, Lutherans Concerned, ELM, Reconciling Works), convicted congregations, and committed individuals. In the midst of that movement, one group that stands out are those recorded on the Historic ELM Roster: individuals who were removed from the ranks of Lutheran clergy because they were not allowed to be ordained due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, including eighteen clergy who were ordained through a courageous process called “extraordinary ordination.” This movement did not end in 2009 with the ELCA adoption of the Social Statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, but has continued to expand through the work of clergy, laypeople, and organizations committed to the flourishing of LGBTQIA+ people in the ELCA.
This 2026 Queer Intersectionality and the Public Church Symposium, Extraordinary Histories, through powerful preaching, interactive panels and plenaries, and shared conversation, will help to ground the work of future generations of LGBTQIA+ clergy and laypeople in the depth of past struggle and awareness of what kind of challenges have been and can be overcome.
Register to secure your spot and be part of this empowering conversation!
This event is sponsored by the E. Rhodes and Leona Carpenter Foundation, with additional funding provided by the Lyn C. and Stewart W. Herman Jr Fund for Innovation in Theological Education.
Registration Fees
- In-Person Attendance: $100
- Virtual Attendance: $50
- Registration with CEU: $150
Event Schedule
Monday, 4/20
| 10:00 -11:30 a.m. | Registration, Coffee, and Welcome |
| 11:00-12:00 p.m. | Service of the Word: Preacher: Pastor Erik Christensen |
| 12:00-1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:30-3:00 p.m. | These are Our Stories: How do you tell the story of a movement? |
| 3:15-4:45 p.m. | Honoring Extraordinary Histories |
| 5:00-6:30 p.m. | Dinner |
| 6:30-8:00 p.m. | Plenary: The Transformative Power of Our Stories Barbara Lundbland |
Tuesday, 4/22
| 9:00-10:30 a.m. | Brunch with LSTC Students and Historic Roster |
| 10:45-12:00 p.m. | Intergenerational Conversation |
| 12:30-1:30 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:30-3:30 p.m. | Church Leaders Reflecting on Queering the Church |
| 3:30-4:30 p.m. | Closing Reception |
For questions related to this event, send an email to queersymposium@lstc.edu.
Organizer
