A report from the Rev. Kim Beckmann in Chicago: In a Valentine’s Day session, the Illinois State Senate voted 34 – 21 yesterday in favor of SB 10: the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. This vote was a significant step toward making Illinois the tenth state to legally recognize and support the loving commitments...Continue reading→

Yesterday, Bishop Dave Brauer-Rieke of the Oregon Synod (ELCA), along with a large, ecumencial group of clergy in the Portland metro area, signed a petition in support of putting a call for the freedom to marry on the November 2014 ballot in Oregon. Bishop Brauer-Rieke also wrote a letter to members of the Oregon Synod,...Continue reading→

ReconcilingWorks Welcomes Kari Lipke to Staff Kari Lipke joined the ReconcilingWorks staff in late July to help organize Lutherans in support of the Washington United for Marriage Referendum 74 campaign. Her work on the campaign was made possible, in part, through a partnership with Gethsemane Lutheran in Seattle.  At the successful completion of that campaign to...Continue reading→