New Grant-Funded Project to Support Women and BIPOC LGBTQ+ Leaders
By Pastor Kim Truebenbach
During the fall of 2024, the ELCA made available donor-funded grants to improve the quality of call for women in ministry. The email was forwarded to me to see if this was something I would be interested in pursuing. I reached out to the grant coordinator, Shannon Johnson, and after a conversation, she connected me to Upstate NY Synod transition person, Deacon Candidate Rachel Sosebee. Together, we mapped out a plan to invite congregations in transition and their leaders to participate in a learning experience that would highlight some of the issues women and BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals face in congregations. The goal of these meetings is to start difficult conversations and train interims on how to have these conversations before a new pastor arrives. The project has several phases and will be tested by congregations and leaders willing to participate. The goal is to create material that can be used by congregations in transition or by lay leaders who wish to encourage congregants to be more aware of inherent biases in our congregational systems. Our project runs from April 2025 to December 2026. We will be issuing invitations to congregations in the fall of 2025 for a first series of learning opportunities, online and in person, to start learning about issues women face and how congregants can be allies to their newly called pastors.
We celebrate Pastor Kim Truebenbach from the NEPA Synod and Deacon Candidate Rachel Sosebee from Upstate NY Synod for receiving this grant and launching an important initiative! Their work will help equip congregations and leaders with the tools to engage in vital conversations about inclusivity and bias in ministry —work that aligns with our values as a Reconciling in Christ Synod. As they begin this journey, let us hold them in prayer, asking for wisdom, courage, and guidance in this important ministry.
