Sometimes church leaders are obvious: pastors, council members, the regular volunteers, etc. Sometimes our leaders are Lutherans living out their values in their daily lives: their vocation, their community roles, etc. We want to use this year to lift up and honor the many diverse and exceptional leaders in our synod. Follow along with us to celebrate some of the remarkable members of the body of Christ! – Brenda Blackhawk, Congregational Organizer for Racial Justice

 

What role(s) do you take on in the synod and beyond?

  • I am a queer identified vocalist, recording artist, composer, worship leader, and voice teacher/coach working with individuals, churches, and organizations locally and nationally.  I am the Music Director at Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis and also coordinated the music for multiple pre-recorded worship services that the synod provided during the pandemic.

What identities are important to you to highlight?

  • I am called to nurture the talents and gifts we all have within us. I believe everyone has a gift that is important and vital to the community. I offer space and support for individuals to find their voice and use it in ways that help them feel embodied, emboldened, and empowered. It is in my ethos to lift up diverse voices and find and name the intersectionality within our voices.

Which, if any, congregation do you belong to?

  • I belong to Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis.

Thinking about the ELCA or the Minneapolis Area Synod, what part of its mission resonates the most with you/your work?

  • God’s work. Our hands. This statement resonates with me because it reminds us that we must do the daily work of anti-racism, inclusion, and the importance of intergenerational intersectionality within all communities and identities.  It reminds us to acknowledge the ways we have created systems of oppression within this church and the daily act of undoing said systems and moving into healthy functioning inclusive systems that lift the voices, the expertise, the wisdom, and the invaluable perspectives of marginalized communities. God’s work. Our hands. That daily commitment to the work that can only broaden the church’s understanding of God’s all encompassing love for us all.

Is there anything else you want to add or emphasize?

  • It is June – Pride month. To my fellow lgbtqia+ identified community members, I love you for all that you are and all that you question. I see you and what you fight for daily to exist authentically. I acknowledge your resilience and ability to create community and family. I hear the struggle and sense the fear and disappointment in a church body that is working toward, but has not yet caught up to supporting us authentically and unequivocally.  You are exactly who you are supposed to be. I celebrate you today, this pride month, and always.