Reconciling Works

July 9, 2012         ReconcilingWorks Assembly Calls On Congress to Support Their Constituents Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression and End Second-Class Citizen Status Met in its biennial assembly, ReconcilingWorks passed resolutions calling on the Congress of the United States to take up and pass legislation that relates directly to support of their […]

July 3, 2012         Historic First – Lutheran Presiding Bishop Keynotes Pro-LGBT Faith Group ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson addresses ReconcilingWorks Assembly in Washington, D.C. July 7, 2012 Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA) will deliver an historic keynote on July 7, 2:30 pm, to the ReconcilingWorks biennial gathering running from July […]

Sharon Bost, Canton, Georgia
I continue to contribute to ReconcilingWorks because . . . I have seen how hard the organization has worked over the past decade to promote full inclusion in the church and how supportive they have been to parents, friends and allies of LGBT persons. I have personally benefited from the educational opportunities offered in a variety of ways from conferences attended, to materials to study, to networking and making new friendships. Thus, I have become more vocal in my own  environment, more supportive of LGBT causes, and I hope and pray that  this important work will continue on until such time as there is no discrimination in this world.

Minnesota Lutheran synod assemblies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have been clear about their opposition to legislation or public policies that would preclude same-gender couples and their families from pursuing ordinary means to achieve the same support and protections afforded to all other citizens of Minnesota.  Such a prohibition is exactly what […]

The Metropolitan Chicago Synod assembly called for civil marriage for all at its annual assembly held in Tinley Park, Illinois on June 1-2, 2012.  The vote by show of cards of the nearly 350 present was overwhelmingly in favor; well over 90%.  The synod is comprised of 202 congregations, nearly 98,000 members, located in Chicago […]

Lutherans Concerned/North America Becomes ReconcilingWorks It’s a new day and we have a new name!!       For decades we’ve worked among Lutherans for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the life of the church. In 2009, a major milestone was achieved when  the Evangelical Lutheran Church in […]

A Brief History of Our Names and Amazing People Notes from ReconcilingWorks’ Early History On June 16 and 17, 1974, five people gathered at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis at the invitation of Pastor Jim Siefkes. There were no cell phones, the only computers in existence were massive mainframes controlled by “priests and attendants” […]

Families Valued weaves together the stories of more than a half a dozen gay and lesbian couples into a dramatic presentation that utilizes the power of theater to educate and transform hearts and minds. The play gives audiences a glimpse into the full range of these couples’ lives, from their falling in love, to their commitment ceremonies, to their ongoing lives together.

Welcome to ReconcilingWorks!!   Reconciling is what Paul says in the epistles we are all called to do. Reconciling prevents disagreements from growing into permanent separation one from another. We are not only Lutherans concerned about LGBT inclusion; we are Lutherans working for full participation through a ministry of reconciliation. We are not just worried […]

The Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, at its annual assembly in Ocean City, Maryland, May 31-June 1, passed resolutions on the Maryland Civil Marriage Protection Act and in support of the Uniting American Families Act currently before the U.S. Congress.      The Maryland Civil Marriage Protection Act was enacted by the […]