Lutheran bishop issues public apology to Latino congregation

Source: Associated Press

Lutheran bishop issues public apology to Latino congregation

By DEEPA BHARATH and HOLLY MEYER
August 9, 2022

Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, issued a public apology Tuesday to members of a majority Latino immigrant congregation for the pain and trauma they endured after the predominantly white denomination’s first openly transgender bishop unexpectedly fired their pastor.

Speaking during the 2022 Churchwide Assembly being held in Columbus, Ohio, Eaton delivered the apology to members of the Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria Peregrina in Stockton, California, describing the events that transpired as “a sharp assault on your dignity.”

The series of events that led to the apology began on Dec. 12 when the Rev. Megan Rohrer, the denomination’s first transgender bishop who oversaw one of the church’s 65 synods, announced to the congregation that their pastor, the Rev. Nelson Rabell-Gonzalez, had been removed over allegations of verbal harassment and retaliation. Rohrer oversaw nearly 200 congregations in northern California and northern Nevada.

Rohrer’s shocking announcement upended the congregation’s much-anticipated celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The community had planned an elaborate program that day with mariachi singers, traditional dancers and performances by children, all led by their pastor. After the pastor’s firing, the congregation lost the denomination’s financial backing and were forced to vacate their building and worship in the parking lot.

Rohrer resigned in June and the next day became the target of a church disciplinary process.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-religion-ohio-california-2fac3708129f8064080d26fb5633d67d