Auction, Banquet, Program, Dance
We will walk around the Thomas Circle to the Westin Hotel to continue our celebration in the beautiful banquet hall. We will celebrate with a silent auction to benefit the ministry of ReconcilingWorks. A variety of items are up for auction from businesses, arts and crafts, books and multi-media, to vacation destinations. Appetizers and a cash bar will help to enhance the auction atmosphere. If you have an item you would like to donate to the silent auction, please email lissam@lcna.org.
Upon the conclusion of bidding, we will begin our banquet, followed by a program that will honor where we have come and where we are going. We will present the Jim Siefkes Justice Maker Award and the Jeannine Janson Distinguished Service Award. Finally, a DJ will invite us to dance the night away (at least until midnight).
Jim Siefkes Justice Maker Award
The Jim Siefkes Justice-Maker Award was established by ReconcilingWorks in 1992 to recognize superior and tireless efforts of straight allies on behalf of GLBT Lutherans.
The criteria for the Jim Siefkes Justice-Maker Award reflect the contributions of its namesake:
Recipient must be a non-LGBT Lutheran who has made significant contributions to advancing justice for GLBT Lutherans
Actions should have a broad impact and not be limited to a particular local or region
Nominees for the Siefkes Award are evaluated and selected by the ReconcilingWorks Board of Directors, and the Award is presented at the ReconcilingWorks Biennial Assembly. A nomination form is available here.
The Rev. Jim Siefkes obtained funding for and convened the initial meeting in Minneapolis in June of 1974 that resulted in the formation of ReconcilingWorks for Gay People (our original name).
Pastor Siefkes also wrote the Affirmation of Welcome, which is the heart of the Reconciling in Christ Program. Even in retirement, Pastor Siefkes continues to advocate for the full inclusion and participation of LGBT Lutherans in the Lutheran Church.
Past recipients of the Siefkes Award:
- The Rev. Stanley E. Olson, Bishop Emeritus
- Joanne Chadwick
- Dr. Paul Jersild
- The Rev. Paul Tidemann
- The Rev. James DeLange
- The Rev. Reinie Heydemann
- The Rev. Paul Egertson, Bishop Emeritus, and Shirley Egertson
- Dr. Margaret Moreland
- The Rev. Lowell Erdahl, Bishop Emeritus
- Bennett Falk
- The Rev. Jayne Thompson
- The Rev. Herb Chilstrom, Presiding Bishop Emertus, and the Rev. Corinne Chilstrom
- June Kjome
Jeannine Janson Distinguished Service Award
Jeannine Janson served on the ReconcilingWorks Board of directors, first as the West/Northwest Regional Director followed by a six-year term as Co-Chair. She managed the ONE VOICE Campaign, the successful first major donor campaign conducted jointly between ReconcilingWorks, Wingspan Ministry of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church, and Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministries (now Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries). Her tireless attention to details and her dedication to ReconcilingWorks were instrumental in creating the professional organization that ReconcilingWorks is today. In 2008, the Distinguished Service award was named in honor of Jeannine Janson.
Past recipients of the Jeannine Janson Award:
Jeannine Janson
Dirk Selland
Gerald Vagts
Phil Soucy