Church goals to ‘deconstruct Christianity and different patriarchal religions’
A Lutheran church in San Francisco that was based almost 150 years in the past now worships a “goddess” and has a “resident witch” on employees.
Previously generally known as Ebenezer Lutheran Church, “herchurch” is a congregation inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and is a part of the progressive denomination’s Sierra Pacific Synod, which consists of roughly 180 “worshipping communities” throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada, based on its web site.
Based by Swedish immigrants in 1882, Ebenezer Lutheran modified its title to “herchurch” round 2007, when its membership was round 115 congregants, based on a cached model of the ELCA web site.
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The employees, which is led by “pastor and priestess of formality” Stacy Boorn, contains over a half dozen “priestesses” and a “priestexx” Thom Longino, who’s listed as “adjunct pastor” and “religious director.” A CP assessment of Longino’s LinkedIn profile additionally revealed that he’s an worker of Catholic Charities San Francisco.
A video of Longino discussing his work with homeless LGB-identified youth at San Francisco Evening Ministry is featured on the YouTube web page of Megan Rohrer, who made headlines in 2021 as the primary overtly trans-identified bishop to serve in a serious denomination.
Rohrer was later suspended after allegedly utilizing “racist” language.
One in all herchurch’s “priestesses,” Christine Konkol, identifies as a “resident witch” and is seen in a photograph on the church web site carrying a standard witch’s hat.
Described as an “open and affirming group” the place all are “beloved within the love of Christ-Sophia and the Nice Mom of us All,” the church’s web site calls “all expressions of gender identification…a blessing.”
As a part of its about part, its web site calls herchurch an “rising, liberating feminist congregation” which is “hoping to be part of the prophetic voice of the divine female that can deconstruct Christianity and different patriarchal religions.”
The location additionally gives guests language to make use of in a so-called “goddess rosary,” which states, “Hail Goddess, filled with grace. Blessed are You and blessed are all of the fruits of your womb. You’re the Mom of us all. Hear/ Heal us now and in all our [dreams]/wants. O blessed be, O blessed be. Sophia, Ah-She.”
Painted in shiny purple and lavender colours to “assist proclaim this liberating love,” the church constructing hangs an indication above its entrance entrance which reads “Have a good time the Goddess.”
A replica of the church’s “liturgy of the divine female” states the service’s goal of “honoring the traditional mom” Julian of Norwich, who’s widely known as the primary girl to publish a ebook within the English language.
The church has over 100 items of feminine-focused paintings on show, together with one profane piece described as a “bisexual love letter to vulvas” that includes feminine genitalia.
CP reached out to ELCA for touch upon herchurch’s standing within the denomination. This story can be up to date if a response is acquired.
Over the past decade, the ELCA has skilled a substantial decline in membership amid rising ecclesiastical and doctrinal divides between member congregations. In 2013, the ELCA reportedly had over 3.9 million members. The determine dropped to round 3.3 million members by the tip of 2020. The newest figures present a membership of fewer than 3 million members.
