![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2022\/08\/Rev.-Nelson-congregation-right-the-wrongs-scaled.jpg\")
Over the last eight months, I have been chronicling the saga of Rev. Nelson Rabell Gonz\u00e1lez and his congregation, Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina (Saint Mary the Pilgrim Lutheran Church).\u00a0 For this piece, one of his parishioners, Se\u00f1or Jorge Carvajal, shared with me his experience of what happened to his congregation on Dec. 12, 2021.\u00a0 He has given me permission to share his story, but my words and opinions are my own.<\/p>\n
The Moment <\/strong><\/h2>\nOn December 12, 2021, Se\u00f1or Jorge Carvajal and his wife Sandra walked into the church service of Misi\u00f3n Latina Luterana, in Stockton, Calif. The festive sounds of a Mariachi band danced through the air as people gathered for the high holy day of El D<\/em>\u00eda de la Virgen de la Guadalupe<\/em>.\u00a0 His church had planned for months to celebrate this sacred day commemorating the Virgin Mary appearing to Juan Diego nearly 500 years ago. Diego was a Mexican peasant who has become an icon for Indigenous, Mexican, and other Latin\u00e9 peoples to celebrate their identity, dignity, and liberation. [Read more in this piece<\/a>.]<\/p>\nOn that afternoon as his fellow congregants gathered for this holy celebration, Sr. Carvajal passed the Aztec dancers dressed in colorful beaded clothes. Their chachayotls, <\/em>rhythmic seed leggings, rattled joyously as they prepared to process into the sanctuary.<\/p>\nBut he did not see his pastor, the Rev. Nelson Rabell Gonz\u00e1lez, who normally would be the first person to greet him when he came into the sanctuary.\u00a0 This seemed a little odd.\u00a0 He noticed another pastor, who happened to be one of the assistants to the bishop, sitting at the back of the church and asked her if she knew where Pastor Nelson was.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me that he wouldn\u2019t be in today,\u201d Sr. Carvajal recalled.\u00a0 This concerned him, because Rev. Nelson had not communicated anything on Facebook about being absent.\u00a0 \u201cI asked her if he was okay, but she just said he wouldn\u2019t be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, he saw another assistant to the bishop stand up to lead to service with then-bishop Megan Rohrer sitting in the chancel looking on.\u00a0 At first, he felt confused. The ceremonial procession by the Aztec dancers was cut short.\u00a0 \u201cEverything seemed out of place,\u201d he remembered. All through the service \u2013 the opening prayer, the Scripture readings, and the sermon \u2013 nothing seemed right. \u00a0His confusion turned to gnawing questions.<\/p>\n
He leaned over to ask two other people if they knew where Pastor Nelson was.\u00a0 \u201cWe heard he has been fired,\u201d they whispered.<\/p>\n
Fired?\u00a0 For what?<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
Then he called out the question.<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn this video<\/a> at minute mark 32:50 you can hear Sr. Carvajal call out:\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Pastor Nelson?\u201d The assistant to the bishop told them they must wait until the end of the service to find out.\u00a0 The congregation became restless and agitated.\u00a0 Then the bishop stood to address them.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2021\/12\/Bishop-Megan-Rohrer-at-Mision-Latina-Luterana.png\")
Bishop Megan Rohrer at Mision Latina Luterana on Dec. 12, 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cThere was such a feeling of disrespect from the bishop,\u201d Sr. Carvajal recalled.\u00a0 \u201cI have never felt so much racism and hate from someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The congregation knew something terribly unjust had happened.\u00a0 And they would not sit for it.<\/p>\n
People began shouting about the injustice done to their pastor and their community.\u00a0 They were angry that their pastor was missing without any explanation.\u00a0 And they refused to be treated like children \u2013 told to shush and wait.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he\u2019s not here, we\u2019re not going to be here!\u201d someone yelled.\u00a0 \u201cV\u00e1monos!\u201d others called out.<\/p>\n
So, they picked up the statue of Mary, gathered up the flowers and the cross, and exited the sanctuary.<\/p>\n
That is the day when the congregation began their pilgrimage, accompanied by Mary the Mother of Jesus.<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t know it then, but that moment<\/em> of standing up to injustice in the church would become a movement<\/em> for justice in the ELCA.<\/strong><\/h3>\nThat moment of racially-motivated injustice has highlighted the systemic racism within a denomination whose membership is 90% white (which I talk about in this piece<\/a>).\u00a0 But the situation with Rev. Nelson has also revealed several other problems within the structural and ecclesial systems of the ELCA.<\/p>\nThere are four overarching issues.\u00a0 One is the abuse of non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements. A second is the misuse of On Leave From Call status for removing clergy from the roster. A third is the mistreatment of mission developers and congregations. And the fourth is the failure of the denomination to follow its own constitutional process for disciplinary procedures. I\u2019ll say more about these issues further on.<\/p>\n
From a moment to a movement<\/strong><\/h2>\nSince Dec. 12, there has been a constant barrage of unsubstantiated and false allegations, rumors, character assassinations, disinformation, and confusion about this very complex situation.\u00a0 Nevertheless, allies of Rev. Nelson and people of good will across the ELCA have advocated for justice for him and his church. And, on a larger scale, many have taken up the call to reform the denomination.\u00a0 Clergy and other rostered leaders, laity, and colleagues both within and outside of the ELCA have mounted campaigns to inform and organize.\u00a0 They have worked to educate, agitate, and legislate so that the underlying and often unseen problems that have enabled this fiasco \u2014 and others like it that have not received this level of attention \u2014 can be addressed and fixed.<\/p>\n
In a matter of months, the movement to reform the ELCA resulted in memorials that were crafted, voted on, and passed in synods across the denomination.\u00a0 (Memorials and resolutions<\/a> enable the ELCA to address broad policy issues or issues important to God\u2019s mission in the world.)\u00a0 These memorials were then sent to the Churchwide Assembly (CWA), a triennial gathering of rostered and lay delegates that is the largest decision-making body of the ELCA. From Aug. 8 \u2013 12, more than 800 people gathered in Columbus, Ohio, to worship, pray, deliberate, and decide on these memorials as well as other business of the denomination.<\/p>\nOrganized for justice and reformation<\/strong><\/h2>\nThree groups in particular made their presence known during the CWA that were committed to see justice done for Rev. Nelson and his congregation, reform the denomination, and reconstruct its Constitution.<\/p>\n
One group was #reformation2022 which was initially formed to address the secrecy around the forced resignation of former Bishop Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld in 2019.\u00a0 Many of the issues they addressed overlapped with the situation Rev. Nelson faced, including the use of NDAs, the treatment of clergy of color, and the disenfranchisement of vulnerable communities and people.\u00a0 By the time of the CWA, the \u00a0#reformation2022 Facebook group<\/a> had more than 1000 member, many of whom worked on memorials for synods and the Assembly.<\/p>\nAnother group was Reconstitution2022. They formed out of the work of ten synods in the ELCA calling on the national office to rewrite the denomination\u2019s Constitution and bring it into the 21st century.\u00a0 With its Facebook page<\/a> of more than 800 followers garnered in less than two weeks before the CWA, the group pushed for congregations, synods, and Churchwide to have a central document that \u201cholds our decisions together in justice and equity.\u201d<\/p>\nA third was a small group of mission developers and allies of Rev. Nelson who traveled to CWA with flyers, buttons, and a poster with the tagline, \u201cNow is the Time to Right the Wrongs,\u201d featuring an illustration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. They urged voting members to support the memorials and to call for justice for Rev. Nelson, his family, and his congregation.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2022\/08\/Mission-developers-at-CWA.jpg\")
Mission developers and allies of Rev. Nelson Rabell with delegates from Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 2022.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Apology<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn Aug. 9, the first day of the CWA, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton read an apology to a group of delegates from Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina.\u00a0 While this public apology was a necessary first step, as of the writing of this piece, we have yet to see any concrete action for restitution and reparations.\u00a0 And for Sr. Carvajal, the gesture was \u201ctoo little, too late.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t buy any of it,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThey should have stopped Rohrer right away and done an apology.\u00a0 If we hadn\u2019t had that video of the service, and if Pastor Nelson wouldn\u2019t have done so much work to raise awareness about what happened, they never would have investigated.\u00a0 It took way too long.\u00a0 They have no idea how helpless we felt.\u00a0 It\u2019s like we were slapped in the face.\u00a0 The ELCA did a lot of damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He and others are also concerned that Megan Rohrer remains on the roster of the ELCA.\u00a0 It has been two months since a disciplinary process was initiated in June.\u00a0 So far, there have been no updates on the status of the investigation.<\/p>\n
Also, many have noted that the apology itself was devoid of any personal responsibility for what Bishop Eaton has done and left undone that contributed to the ever-worsening situation. Yet, the congregation\u2019s response taught us a great deal about how to receive an insufficient apology, which I reflect on in this piece<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhere is Pastor Nelson?<\/strong><\/h2>\nAnother thing that was noticeably absent from Bishop Eaton\u2019s speech was any mention of an apology to Rev. Nelson and his family for what they have endured from this denomination and its three expressions \u2013 the churchwide, synodical, and congregational levels.\u00a0 Though she has finally agreed that a full investigation of his situation should be conducted, Bishop Eaton has not apologized for refusing to help Rev. Nelson when he first reached out to her for help in November 2021.<\/p>\n
Or for neglecting to ensure that any support was offered to him and his family while dealing with the allegations and lack of due process.<\/p>\n
Or for waiting three months to finally convene a Listening Panel to find out the truth about what happened on Dec. 12th<\/sup>.<\/p>\nOr for initially refusing to release the report and trying to bury it for an entire month.<\/p>\n
Or for neglecting to intervene at the Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly when several people engaged in publicly slandering Rev. Rabell.<\/p>\n
So, as I listened to the apology, I wanted to call out along with Sr. Carvajal:\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Pastor Nelson?\u201d<\/p>\n
Present through his absence<\/strong><\/h2>\nAs I explained in my previous piece<\/a>, though he had been invited to the CWA (after much hesitation on the part of the Presiding Bishop), Rev. Rabell felt it best for the focus to be on the congregation rather than the unresolved issues regarding the accusations against him.\u00a0 But in their response, his congregation reminded the Assembly of the need for prayers and justice for their pastor.<\/p>\nWe ask all of you to keep Pastor Nelson Rabell-Gonz\u00e1lez in your prayers. We believe in his integrity and honesty. Our Pastor deserves a just and fair investigation process to bring closure to him and his family. We hope that this will finally be possible under the leadership of Sierra Pacific Synod Interim Bishop Claire Burkat.<\/em><\/p>\nDespite Rev. Nelson\u2019s absence, however, the influence that his saga has had on the ELCA could be seen in numerous memorials that were affirmed by votes with overwhelming majorities at the Churchwide Assembly.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2022\/08\/Delegates-from-Iglesia-Luterana-Santa-Maria-Peregrina-ELCA-CWA-2.jpg\")
Delegates from Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina, ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMemorial B8 limits NDAs<\/strong><\/h3>\nMemorial B8 addresses Separation Agreements.\u00a0 It affirms a churchwide organization commitment to \u201climit the use of nondisclosure provisions and to urge other expressions and partners of the ELCA to also limit the use of nondisclosure agreements, including as a matter of course or in termination of calls of rostered ministers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The passage of this Memorial is due in no small part to Rev. Nelson sounding the alarm about the way his former congregation, St. Paul Lutheran in Lodi, Calif., attempted to use an NDA to silence his prophetic voice about the racism he observed and experienced.\u00a0 (See The NDA, the Church, and the Attempt to Silence Rev. Nelson Rabell-Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a>.) The passage of this memorial is vital for stopping the use of NDAS to silence people harmed by the denomination, congregations, or powerful individuals within the church.<\/p>\nMemorial B11 stops the misuse and abuse of On Leave From Call status<\/strong><\/h3>\nAnother important action taken at the Assembly was the passage of Memorial B11 \u2013 Specialized Ministries and On Leave From Call Status (OLFC). This memorial \u201cdirects the Church Council to establish a process for examining policies, procedures and constitutional provisions related to specialized ministry calls and on-leave from call status, as well as protocols for removal from rosters and communication on such actions. The memorial also urges bishops and synod councils to use sparingly any action that removes a minister from the roster for nondisciplinary reasons until this review process is complete.\u201d<\/p>\n
The movement to stop the weaponization of OLFC was written by Rev. Kari Foss who wanted to address the ELCA\u2019s practice of dropping pastors and deacons from the roster for reasons that had nothing to do with their abilities as leaders.\u00a0 As Rev. Foss shared with me, \u201cWomen, the LGBTQIA+2S community, BIPOC leaders, and those with disabilities have all been disproportionately affected.\u201d She noted that Rev. Nelson\u2019s removal from the roster<\/a> in the Sierra Pacific Synod helped to increase the number of people learning about the misuse of OLFC by giving a specific, public example.**<\/p>\nThis memorial will hopefully end that practice and, ideally, lead to the restoration of many clergy who lost their rostered status.\u00a0 It also recognizes the institutional precariousness of those called to specialized ministries such as chaplains, seminary professors, and mission developers, and moves to protect their positions going forward.<\/p>\n
Memorial B9 reforms the Mission Development process<\/strong><\/h3>\nRev. Nelson\u2019s case fell into the no-man\u2019s land of ecclesial accountability due in part to the status of mission developers in the ELCA. Mission congregations and pastors in this denomination are essentially treated as colonialist enterprises that within a system largely run by white leaders.<\/p>\n
Memorial B9 calls for \u201cgreater equity and clarity on the mission development process, including studying and refining current ELCA guidelines related to appointments, calls, funds and support mechanisms for mission developers and new ministries.\u201d Going forward, this memorial should put mission developers and congregations (often in historically marginalized communities) on par with their (usually white) counterparts in established churches with adequate funding, support, and access to resources.<\/p>\n
Memorial B4 calls for a study of restructuring and reconstitution<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe case of Rev. Nelson Rabell exposed many problems with ELCA governance that allowed for the abuse of power by a bishop and the use of a double and triple standard<\/a> when applying discipline.\u00a0 Not to mention the lack of due process<\/a> for a clergyperson from a marginalized community.\u00a0 It also exposed what I call the Corporate Captivity of the ELCA<\/a> and the need to restructure the denomination.<\/p>\nIn response, there was a movement to restructure the governance of the ELCA that resulted in the passage of Memorial B4.\u00a0 This memorial calls for the ELCA Church Council \u201cto consider statements of purpose for the church and its organizational structure and to present its findings and recommendations to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in preparation for a possible reconstituting convention.\u201d Ideally, what will emerge is an ecclesial structure that untethers itself from the model of corporate America and creates a system of governance based on its Lutheran theological foundations and gospel values.<\/p>\n
Things are moving in the right direction, but they are not happening fast enough.<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhile these memorials are right and salutary for the denomination to reform itself, Rev. Nelson and the congregation of Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina continue to wait for justice.\u00a0 Once again, a Latin\u00e9 congregation \u2013 one that has been told to wait <\/em>over and over \u2013 is being told to wait yet again.<\/p>\nThis means that, despite increasing worship attendance, the congregation is hindered by having to worship in the dining room of a church. They languish in their ability to engage in outreach, and cannot afford to pay their pastor, let alone cover the basics of ministry such as musicians, worship bulletins, or hymnals.\u00a0 And for Rev. Nelson, there are still bills to be paid and ongoing mental health care expenses for his traumatized family<\/a>.<\/p>\nWould that the powers that be at CWA had given a check to the congregation in good faith, as a kind of a down-payment on the promise of restitution. They also could have taken up an offering for the congregation during the Assembly.\u00a0 Instead, the delegates got nothing but . . . ribbons.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2022\/08\/Eaton-with-ribbon-CWA-300x172.png\")
Presiding Bishop Eaton holds up a ribbon of lament at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 9, 2022.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter the apology, Bishop Eaton invited those at the assembly to write their laments and prayers for the church on ribbons and tie them to a cross.\u00a0 That gesture was about as substantial as those flimsy pieces of fabric.<\/p>\n
The pilgrimage continues<\/strong><\/h2>\nBy the time of the CWA, there were more than 160,000 hits on the different blog pieces that I\u2019ve published about Rev. Nelson and his congregation over the last eight months.\u00a0 Sr. Carvajal hopes that as more people are aware of their congregation\u2019s plight, they will pressure the ELCA to make things right with his church.\u00a0 \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have gotten this far without people sticking up for us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2022\/07\/Bishop-Burkat-and-Latine-delegation-visit-Santa-Maria.jpg\")
Rev. Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez with members of the ELCA Latin\u00e9 delegation, the Sierra Pacific Interim Bishop Claire Burkat, and two of the congregation\u2019s Diaconal candidates Lissa Barragan and Reyna Martinez after the worship service on July 17, 2022, at Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile their future is uncertain, the people of Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina remain strong in their faith.\u00a0 They look forward to a just resolution to their plight and an end to their pilgrimage by the time they gather once again to celebrate El D\u00eda de la Virgen de la Guadalupe.<\/em><\/p>\nOn that day, no one will ask, \u201cWhere is Pastor Nelson?\u201d\u00a0 Because he will be right where God has called him \u2013 leading worship, caring for his congregation, inspiring his community, and strengthening them to be a blessing of hope for all who stand up for justice.<\/p>\n
How can you help?<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhile we wait for the investigations to reveal the truth, and while we wait for the ELCA to help Rev. Nelson and his congregation, there are things that individuals can do to show their support.<\/p>\n
Contact the ELCA Churchwide Office <\/strong><\/h3>\nCall or email Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton (1-800-638-3522;\u00a0Bishop.Eaton@elca.org<\/a>) and ask for two things:<\/p>\n\n- A public update and full transparency on the investigation into Megan Rohrer.<\/li>\n
- Reparations and restitution without delay for Rev. Nelson and Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Support Rev. Claire Burkat, Interim Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod <\/strong><\/h3>\nEmail Interim Bishop Claire Burkat (bishop@spselca.org<\/a>) to express your support for the following:<\/p>\n\n- A full, public, and transparent investigation into the case of Rev. Nelson Rabell Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/li>\n
- Reparations and restitution without delay for Rev. Nelson and Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Support Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina and Rev. Nelson<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you would like to make a donation to support the ministry of the congregation, click here:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/paypalme\/ILSMP<\/a><\/p>\nIf you would like to help Rev. Rabell and his family, you can donate using any of these links:<\/p>\n
Cash App:\u00a0 https:\/\/cash.app\/<\/a>\u00a0 $NelsonRabell.<\/p>\nPayPal https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/<\/a> @NelsonRabell.<\/p>\nVenmo: https:\/\/venmo.com\/<\/a>\u00a0 @Nelson-Rabell.<\/p>\n** The original version of this article relayed incorrect information about Memorial B11.\u00a0 My apologies to Rev. Foss, and my thanks to her for providing the correction.<\/p>\n
\nRead also:<\/h4>\n
The ELCA Apology to Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina: What Have We Learned?<\/a><\/p>\nUnraveling Rohrer\u2019s Big Lie: New Report about Rev. Nelson Rabell<\/a><\/p>\nBishop William Gohl: Bishop Megan Rohrer\u2019s Actions Warrant Discipline, Removal<\/a><\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2020\/11\/RevLeahSchade.BW2_-150x150.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/strong> is<\/em> ordained in the ELCA. She does not speak for the ELCA; her opinions are her own.\u00a0 She is the author of <\/em>Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019)<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit<\/a>\u00a0(Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of\u00a0<\/em>Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).\u00a0 Her latest book, co-written with Jerry Sumney is\u00a0<\/em>Apocalypse When?: A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts<\/a>\u00a0(Wipf & Stock, 2020).<\/p>\nTwitter<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/em>@LeahSchade<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n
On that afternoon as his fellow congregants gathered for this holy celebration, Sr. Carvajal passed the Aztec dancers dressed in colorful beaded clothes. Their chachayotls, <\/em>rhythmic seed leggings, rattled joyously as they prepared to process into the sanctuary.<\/p>\n But he did not see his pastor, the Rev. Nelson Rabell Gonz\u00e1lez, who normally would be the first person to greet him when he came into the sanctuary.\u00a0 This seemed a little odd.\u00a0 He noticed another pastor, who happened to be one of the assistants to the bishop, sitting at the back of the church and asked her if she knew where Pastor Nelson was.<\/p>\n \u201cShe told me that he wouldn\u2019t be in today,\u201d Sr. Carvajal recalled.\u00a0 This concerned him, because Rev. Nelson had not communicated anything on Facebook about being absent.\u00a0 \u201cI asked her if he was okay, but she just said he wouldn\u2019t be there.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, he saw another assistant to the bishop stand up to lead to service with then-bishop Megan Rohrer sitting in the chancel looking on.\u00a0 At first, he felt confused. The ceremonial procession by the Aztec dancers was cut short.\u00a0 \u201cEverything seemed out of place,\u201d he remembered. All through the service \u2013 the opening prayer, the Scripture readings, and the sermon \u2013 nothing seemed right. \u00a0His confusion turned to gnawing questions.<\/p>\n He leaned over to ask two other people if they knew where Pastor Nelson was.\u00a0 \u201cWe heard he has been fired,\u201d they whispered.<\/p>\n Fired?\u00a0 For what?<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n In this video<\/a> at minute mark 32:50 you can hear Sr. Carvajal call out:\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Pastor Nelson?\u201d The assistant to the bishop told them they must wait until the end of the service to find out.\u00a0 The congregation became restless and agitated.\u00a0 Then the bishop stood to address them.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was such a feeling of disrespect from the bishop,\u201d Sr. Carvajal recalled.\u00a0 \u201cI have never felt so much racism and hate from someone.\u201d<\/p>\n The congregation knew something terribly unjust had happened.\u00a0 And they would not sit for it.<\/p>\n People began shouting about the injustice done to their pastor and their community.\u00a0 They were angry that their pastor was missing without any explanation.\u00a0 And they refused to be treated like children \u2013 told to shush and wait.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he\u2019s not here, we\u2019re not going to be here!\u201d someone yelled.\u00a0 \u201cV\u00e1monos!\u201d others called out.<\/p>\n So, they picked up the statue of Mary, gathered up the flowers and the cross, and exited the sanctuary.<\/p>\n That is the day when the congregation began their pilgrimage, accompanied by Mary the Mother of Jesus.<\/p>\n That moment of racially-motivated injustice has highlighted the systemic racism within a denomination whose membership is 90% white (which I talk about in this piece<\/a>).\u00a0 But the situation with Rev. Nelson has also revealed several other problems within the structural and ecclesial systems of the ELCA.<\/p>\n There are four overarching issues.\u00a0 One is the abuse of non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements. A second is the misuse of On Leave From Call status for removing clergy from the roster. A third is the mistreatment of mission developers and congregations. And the fourth is the failure of the denomination to follow its own constitutional process for disciplinary procedures. I\u2019ll say more about these issues further on.<\/p>\n Since Dec. 12, there has been a constant barrage of unsubstantiated and false allegations, rumors, character assassinations, disinformation, and confusion about this very complex situation.\u00a0 Nevertheless, allies of Rev. Nelson and people of good will across the ELCA have advocated for justice for him and his church. And, on a larger scale, many have taken up the call to reform the denomination.\u00a0 Clergy and other rostered leaders, laity, and colleagues both within and outside of the ELCA have mounted campaigns to inform and organize.\u00a0 They have worked to educate, agitate, and legislate so that the underlying and often unseen problems that have enabled this fiasco \u2014 and others like it that have not received this level of attention \u2014 can be addressed and fixed.<\/p>\n In a matter of months, the movement to reform the ELCA resulted in memorials that were crafted, voted on, and passed in synods across the denomination.\u00a0 (Memorials and resolutions<\/a> enable the ELCA to address broad policy issues or issues important to God\u2019s mission in the world.)\u00a0 These memorials were then sent to the Churchwide Assembly (CWA), a triennial gathering of rostered and lay delegates that is the largest decision-making body of the ELCA. From Aug. 8 \u2013 12, more than 800 people gathered in Columbus, Ohio, to worship, pray, deliberate, and decide on these memorials as well as other business of the denomination.<\/p>\n Three groups in particular made their presence known during the CWA that were committed to see justice done for Rev. Nelson and his congregation, reform the denomination, and reconstruct its Constitution.<\/p>\n One group was #reformation2022 which was initially formed to address the secrecy around the forced resignation of former Bishop Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld in 2019.\u00a0 Many of the issues they addressed overlapped with the situation Rev. Nelson faced, including the use of NDAs, the treatment of clergy of color, and the disenfranchisement of vulnerable communities and people.\u00a0 By the time of the CWA, the \u00a0#reformation2022 Facebook group<\/a> had more than 1000 member, many of whom worked on memorials for synods and the Assembly.<\/p>\n Another group was Reconstitution2022. They formed out of the work of ten synods in the ELCA calling on the national office to rewrite the denomination\u2019s Constitution and bring it into the 21st century.\u00a0 With its Facebook page<\/a> of more than 800 followers garnered in less than two weeks before the CWA, the group pushed for congregations, synods, and Churchwide to have a central document that \u201cholds our decisions together in justice and equity.\u201d<\/p>\n A third was a small group of mission developers and allies of Rev. Nelson who traveled to CWA with flyers, buttons, and a poster with the tagline, \u201cNow is the Time to Right the Wrongs,\u201d featuring an illustration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. They urged voting members to support the memorials and to call for justice for Rev. Nelson, his family, and his congregation.<\/p>\n On Aug. 9, the first day of the CWA, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton read an apology to a group of delegates from Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina.\u00a0 While this public apology was a necessary first step, as of the writing of this piece, we have yet to see any concrete action for restitution and reparations.\u00a0 And for Sr. Carvajal, the gesture was \u201ctoo little, too late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t buy any of it,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThey should have stopped Rohrer right away and done an apology.\u00a0 If we hadn\u2019t had that video of the service, and if Pastor Nelson wouldn\u2019t have done so much work to raise awareness about what happened, they never would have investigated.\u00a0 It took way too long.\u00a0 They have no idea how helpless we felt.\u00a0 It\u2019s like we were slapped in the face.\u00a0 The ELCA did a lot of damage.\u201d<\/p>\n He and others are also concerned that Megan Rohrer remains on the roster of the ELCA.\u00a0 It has been two months since a disciplinary process was initiated in June.\u00a0 So far, there have been no updates on the status of the investigation.<\/p>\n Also, many have noted that the apology itself was devoid of any personal responsibility for what Bishop Eaton has done and left undone that contributed to the ever-worsening situation. Yet, the congregation\u2019s response taught us a great deal about how to receive an insufficient apology, which I reflect on in this piece<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another thing that was noticeably absent from Bishop Eaton\u2019s speech was any mention of an apology to Rev. Nelson and his family for what they have endured from this denomination and its three expressions \u2013 the churchwide, synodical, and congregational levels.\u00a0 Though she has finally agreed that a full investigation of his situation should be conducted, Bishop Eaton has not apologized for refusing to help Rev. Nelson when he first reached out to her for help in November 2021.<\/p>\n Or for neglecting to ensure that any support was offered to him and his family while dealing with the allegations and lack of due process.<\/p>\n Or for waiting three months to finally convene a Listening Panel to find out the truth about what happened on Dec. 12th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Or for initially refusing to release the report and trying to bury it for an entire month.<\/p>\n Or for neglecting to intervene at the Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly when several people engaged in publicly slandering Rev. Rabell.<\/p>\n So, as I listened to the apology, I wanted to call out along with Sr. Carvajal:\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Pastor Nelson?\u201d<\/p>\n As I explained in my previous piece<\/a>, though he had been invited to the CWA (after much hesitation on the part of the Presiding Bishop), Rev. Rabell felt it best for the focus to be on the congregation rather than the unresolved issues regarding the accusations against him.\u00a0 But in their response, his congregation reminded the Assembly of the need for prayers and justice for their pastor.<\/p>\n We ask all of you to keep Pastor Nelson Rabell-Gonz\u00e1lez in your prayers. We believe in his integrity and honesty. Our Pastor deserves a just and fair investigation process to bring closure to him and his family. We hope that this will finally be possible under the leadership of Sierra Pacific Synod Interim Bishop Claire Burkat.<\/em><\/p>\n Despite Rev. Nelson\u2019s absence, however, the influence that his saga has had on the ELCA could be seen in numerous memorials that were affirmed by votes with overwhelming majorities at the Churchwide Assembly.<\/p>\n Memorial B8 addresses Separation Agreements.\u00a0 It affirms a churchwide organization commitment to \u201climit the use of nondisclosure provisions and to urge other expressions and partners of the ELCA to also limit the use of nondisclosure agreements, including as a matter of course or in termination of calls of rostered ministers.\u201d<\/p>\n The passage of this Memorial is due in no small part to Rev. Nelson sounding the alarm about the way his former congregation, St. Paul Lutheran in Lodi, Calif., attempted to use an NDA to silence his prophetic voice about the racism he observed and experienced.\u00a0 (See The NDA, the Church, and the Attempt to Silence Rev. Nelson Rabell-Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a>.) The passage of this memorial is vital for stopping the use of NDAS to silence people harmed by the denomination, congregations, or powerful individuals within the church.<\/p>\n Another important action taken at the Assembly was the passage of Memorial B11 \u2013 Specialized Ministries and On Leave From Call Status (OLFC). This memorial \u201cdirects the Church Council to establish a process for examining policies, procedures and constitutional provisions related to specialized ministry calls and on-leave from call status, as well as protocols for removal from rosters and communication on such actions. The memorial also urges bishops and synod councils to use sparingly any action that removes a minister from the roster for nondisciplinary reasons until this review process is complete.\u201d<\/p>\n The movement to stop the weaponization of OLFC was written by Rev. Kari Foss who wanted to address the ELCA\u2019s practice of dropping pastors and deacons from the roster for reasons that had nothing to do with their abilities as leaders.\u00a0 As Rev. Foss shared with me, \u201cWomen, the LGBTQIA+2S community, BIPOC leaders, and those with disabilities have all been disproportionately affected.\u201d She noted that Rev. Nelson\u2019s removal from the roster<\/a> in the Sierra Pacific Synod helped to increase the number of people learning about the misuse of OLFC by giving a specific, public example.**<\/p>\n This memorial will hopefully end that practice and, ideally, lead to the restoration of many clergy who lost their rostered status.\u00a0 It also recognizes the institutional precariousness of those called to specialized ministries such as chaplains, seminary professors, and mission developers, and moves to protect their positions going forward.<\/p>\n Rev. Nelson\u2019s case fell into the no-man\u2019s land of ecclesial accountability due in part to the status of mission developers in the ELCA. Mission congregations and pastors in this denomination are essentially treated as colonialist enterprises that within a system largely run by white leaders.<\/p>\n Memorial B9 calls for \u201cgreater equity and clarity on the mission development process, including studying and refining current ELCA guidelines related to appointments, calls, funds and support mechanisms for mission developers and new ministries.\u201d Going forward, this memorial should put mission developers and congregations (often in historically marginalized communities) on par with their (usually white) counterparts in established churches with adequate funding, support, and access to resources.<\/p>\n The case of Rev. Nelson Rabell exposed many problems with ELCA governance that allowed for the abuse of power by a bishop and the use of a double and triple standard<\/a> when applying discipline.\u00a0 Not to mention the lack of due process<\/a> for a clergyperson from a marginalized community.\u00a0 It also exposed what I call the Corporate Captivity of the ELCA<\/a> and the need to restructure the denomination.<\/p>\n In response, there was a movement to restructure the governance of the ELCA that resulted in the passage of Memorial B4.\u00a0 This memorial calls for the ELCA Church Council \u201cto consider statements of purpose for the church and its organizational structure and to present its findings and recommendations to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in preparation for a possible reconstituting convention.\u201d Ideally, what will emerge is an ecclesial structure that untethers itself from the model of corporate America and creates a system of governance based on its Lutheran theological foundations and gospel values.<\/p>\n While these memorials are right and salutary for the denomination to reform itself, Rev. Nelson and the congregation of Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina continue to wait for justice.\u00a0 Once again, a Latin\u00e9 congregation \u2013 one that has been told to wait <\/em>over and over \u2013 is being told to wait yet again.<\/p>\n This means that, despite increasing worship attendance, the congregation is hindered by having to worship in the dining room of a church. They languish in their ability to engage in outreach, and cannot afford to pay their pastor, let alone cover the basics of ministry such as musicians, worship bulletins, or hymnals.\u00a0 And for Rev. Nelson, there are still bills to be paid and ongoing mental health care expenses for his traumatized family<\/a>.<\/p>\n Would that the powers that be at CWA had given a check to the congregation in good faith, as a kind of a down-payment on the promise of restitution. They also could have taken up an offering for the congregation during the Assembly.\u00a0 Instead, the delegates got nothing but . . . ribbons.<\/p>\n After the apology, Bishop Eaton invited those at the assembly to write their laments and prayers for the church on ribbons and tie them to a cross.\u00a0 That gesture was about as substantial as those flimsy pieces of fabric.<\/p>\n By the time of the CWA, there were more than 160,000 hits on the different blog pieces that I\u2019ve published about Rev. Nelson and his congregation over the last eight months.\u00a0 Sr. Carvajal hopes that as more people are aware of their congregation\u2019s plight, they will pressure the ELCA to make things right with his church.\u00a0 \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have gotten this far without people sticking up for us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While their future is uncertain, the people of Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina remain strong in their faith.\u00a0 They look forward to a just resolution to their plight and an end to their pilgrimage by the time they gather once again to celebrate El D\u00eda de la Virgen de la Guadalupe.<\/em><\/p>\n On that day, no one will ask, \u201cWhere is Pastor Nelson?\u201d\u00a0 Because he will be right where God has called him \u2013 leading worship, caring for his congregation, inspiring his community, and strengthening them to be a blessing of hope for all who stand up for justice.<\/p>\n While we wait for the investigations to reveal the truth, and while we wait for the ELCA to help Rev. Nelson and his congregation, there are things that individuals can do to show their support.<\/p>\n Call or email Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton (1-800-638-3522;\u00a0Bishop.Eaton@elca.org<\/a>) and ask for two things:<\/p>\n Email Interim Bishop Claire Burkat (bishop@spselca.org<\/a>) to express your support for the following:<\/p>\n If you would like to make a donation to support the ministry of the congregation, click here:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/paypalme\/ILSMP<\/a><\/p>\n If you would like to help Rev. Rabell and his family, you can donate using any of these links:<\/p>\n Cash App:\u00a0 https:\/\/cash.app\/<\/a>\u00a0 $NelsonRabell.<\/p>\n PayPal https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/<\/a> @NelsonRabell.<\/p>\n Venmo: https:\/\/venmo.com\/<\/a>\u00a0 @Nelson-Rabell.<\/p>\n ** The original version of this article relayed incorrect information about Memorial B11.\u00a0 My apologies to Rev. Foss, and my thanks to her for providing the correction.<\/p>\n The ELCA Apology to Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina: What Have We Learned?<\/a><\/p>\n Unraveling Rohrer\u2019s Big Lie: New Report about Rev. Nelson Rabell<\/a><\/p>\n Bishop William Gohl: Bishop Megan Rohrer\u2019s Actions Warrant Discipline, Removal<\/a><\/p>\n The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/strong> is<\/em> ordained in the ELCA. She does not speak for the ELCA; her opinions are her own.\u00a0 She is the author of <\/em>Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019)<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit<\/a>\u00a0(Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of\u00a0<\/em>Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).\u00a0 Her latest book, co-written with Jerry Sumney is\u00a0<\/em>Apocalypse When?: A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts<\/a>\u00a0(Wipf & Stock, 2020).<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/em>@LeahSchade<\/i><\/a><\/p>\nThen he called out the question.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
They didn\u2019t know it then, but that moment<\/em> of standing up to injustice in the church would become a movement<\/em> for justice in the ELCA.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
From a moment to a movement<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Organized for justice and reformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Apology<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Where is Pastor Nelson?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Present through his absence<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Memorial B8 limits NDAs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Memorial B11 stops the misuse and abuse of On Leave From Call status<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Memorial B9 reforms the Mission Development process<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Memorial B4 calls for a study of restructuring and reconstitution<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Things are moving in the right direction, but they are not happening fast enough.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The pilgrimage continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How can you help?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Contact the ELCA Churchwide Office <\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Support Rev. Claire Burkat, Interim Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod <\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Support Iglesia Luterana Santa Mar\u00eda Peregrina and Rev. Nelson<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nRead also:<\/h4>\n
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