ELCA EmblemThe Lutheran is the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.


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November 2009 issue

Cover story
Sue Gamelin
Dismantling patriarchy
One woman's journey

When I open the King James Bible that sits on one end of my shelf of Bibles, I’m “beamed back” instantly to my childhood in the church.

I just loved going to church. Still do. And I loved this Bible, although I didn’t understand it. I carried it to church and watched with awe as our pastors led worship. I sat at their feet as they prepared us for confirmation, which I took twice at my earnest request — at 13 and again at 16.

Scott streble

Some girlfriends and I wanted to be nuns. Not an easy journey for us Protestants, but it seemed like it could get us as close as we girls could to doing what our exclusively male pastors did. After all, only boys were allowed to be acolytes in those days.

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