Asher O’Callaghan
experienced liturgy before,” he said. “I didn’t understand what was happening, but it felt like it was holding my life together from week to week.” For members Amy Clifford and Stuart Sanks,
O’Callaghan was the first person they’d been in relationship with that had transitioned. Both had welcomed him into their faith community pre-transition and became closer with him over time. “Our intention at House is to welcome someone with no constraints, no assumption, no judgment,” Clifford said. “I don’t think it’s any different for [Asher] as it was for anyone else. We allow [people] to come as they are.” While at House, O’Callagahan made his transition.
“Allowing us to walk through [Asher’s] process of transitioning was powerful for our congregation,” Sanks said. “I remember that having a profound effect on everyone. Asher is a gift, not only to our church and to the Lutheran denomination as a whole, but a gift to the capital “C” big church.” In 2015, O’Callaghan became the first transgender
person to be ordained through the ELCA’s regular ordination process. Today he is the program director for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) where he works with synods and congregations to raise up LGBTQ leaders, living out ELM’s belief that “the public witness of LGBTQ rostered leaders proclaims the gospel now, enriching and transforming our church.” “In order for God to really reform me, I have to
encounter people who are truly different from me,” he said. “The church can only be what God intends for it to be when we have the widest array of diverse people at the table.”
For a longer version of this article that includes a profile of Aubrey Thonvold, visit
LivingLutheran.org.
Sarah Carson is associate editor of Gather, the magazine of Women of the ELCA, and a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Evanston, Ill.
Respond to: Acting President Lutheran Theological Seminary 114 Seminary Cresc. Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N 0X3 Email:
president.lts@
usask.ca
CATEGORY •
LIVINGLUTHERAN.ORG 29
Photo: Courtesy of Asher O’Callaghan
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