FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: The Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer
Cell: (415) 827-2587
Email: pastor@gracesf.com
Website: Ref500.info
Lutherans
Celebrate the 500th Annivesary of the Reformation with Sanctuary
Pledge
Bishop Dr. Victoria
Cortez of Nicaragua preaches
(San Francisco) Northern California Lutherans
will announce their sanctuary pledge and celebrate the 500th
Anniversary of the Reformation with a festival worship service at Grace
Cathedral on October 29, 2017 at 3pm. The
Bishop Dr. Victoria Cortez of Nicaragua will be preaching at the
service.
“On the 500th Anniversary of the
Reformation hundreds of Lutherans will be worshiping together, celebrating the
past and committing to a more just future,” said the Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer of
Grace Lutheran Church in San Francisco’s Sunset District. “Here we stand, we can do no other.”
The Reformation is believed to have started
when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the doors of a church in Wittenberg
and resulted in a schism between Protestants and the Catholic Church. On October 29th, Bishops Mark Holmerud
of the Sierra Pacific Synod (Northern California and Nevada), Dr. Victoria
Cortez of the Nicaraguan Lutheran Church and Marc Andrus of the Episcopal
Diocese of California will worship together in unity.
“Lutherans have quietly and humbly been
worshiping, serving and supporting the city of San Francisco for over 200 years,”
said Rohrer. “You might be surprised to
learn how Lutherans shape our city from seats of power in the Board of Supervisors to the formerly homeless,
who feed others in thanksgiving.”
Lutherans held their first worship service in
San Francisco on September 2, 1860.
Since then, Lutheran’s have been a vital addition to San Francisco:
educating and caring for children, feeding and sheltering the homeless, hosting
community meetings, providing sanctuary for refugees, responding to disasters
and advocating for justice and safety through philanthropy and Interfaith
partnerships.
Notable services provided by San Francisco
Lutheran congregations and organizations include:
- · During the 1906 earthquake, St. Paulus Lutheran’s social and school rooms were transformed into an emergency hospital, where for two months the Red Cross provided medical care to over 10,000 individuals.
- During World War II, St. Matthew’s Lutheran (a German speaking congregation) counseled and ministered on a weekly basis to some 5,000 German prisoners of war held on Angel Island, Treasure Island, and at the Presidio. After the war, the German Relief Society centered at St. Matthew’s sent $100,000 and 220,000 pounds of clothing to the Evangelische Hilfswerk (Lutheran Relief Society) in Germany.
- · Martin Luther Tower at St. Mark’s Lutheran, which was constructed during the urban renewal of the Western Addition, houses seniors.
- · In response to the AIDS epidemic in 1990, First United and St. Francis Lutheran called three gay and lesbian pastors in defiance of national church policy. Expelled by the ELCA for 16½ years, both congregations advocated for change, supported the education and ministry of LGBT pastors and worked to help the larger church affirm the life, faith and ministry of LGBT people. In 2009 the ELCA changed their policies regarding LGBTQ pastors and both First United and St. Francis held services of reconciliation to officially rejoin the ELCA.
- · Lutheran Social Services Northern California currently serves nearly 3,000 clients in Sacramento, San Francisco, Contra Costa and San Joaquin Counties. Their programs include money management services, case management in transitional and permanent supportive housing sites, case management and housing services for emancipated former foster care youth, disaster preparedness training, and long-term disaster response services in the event of a local disaster.
- · SF CARES a collaboration of the Welcome Ministry, the San Francisco Night Ministry, St. Paulus, St. Francis, Santa Maria y Santa Martha and Grace Lutheran churches works together to advocate for homeless and low-income San Franciscans. Their work includes providing chaplains from 10pm-4am every night, feeding the hungry in the Polk Gultch and Castro, helping to create an interfaith community chaplaincy for the SFPD and providing free prescription eye glasses for homeless San Franciscans in partnership with Project Homeless Connect.
October 29th
Timeline
·
2-2:30 Sanctuary Press Conference on the steps
of the Cathedral
·
2:15-2:45 Bach Contata prelude inside
·
3pm Festival Eucharist inside
o
Preaching: Bishop Dr. Victoria Cortez of
Nicaragua
·
abt 4:30 Reception following the service will
be in the courtyard in front of the cathedral (or downstairs if there is rain
expected). We will have a fiesta with kid friendly games and activities.
Refreshments include non-alcoholic drinks, wine and beer brewed by Middle Circle.
·
abt 4:30 Exhibition of photos from Palestinian
Youth, downstairs inside the Cathedral
