April 2022
We honored our foremothers of faith during Women's History Month
We celebrated Women’s History Month with a three-part series on bold women of faith from our collective history. We explored the life of Emmy Carlsson Evald (1857-1946), the founder of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Augustana Synod, by talking with her great-granddaughter Sharon Wyman who recently published a biography of Emmy.

We examined the life of Sister Emma Francis (1875-1945), the first woman of color to serve as a Lutheran deaconess. Sisters Noreen Stevens and Megan McClinton led the conversation and shared photos of Emma's life as a deaconess.

Our last segment covered the contributions of women in biblical interpretation who have been overlooked or ignored. The authors of Voices Long Silenced: Women Biblical Interpreters through the Centuries, Joy A. Schroeder and Marion Ann Taylor, shared the significant contributions of Sarah Trimmer, Maria Stewart, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Argula von Grumach, Walatta Petros, and Jarena Lee.

You can view all of the videos from the series on our YouTube channel. While you're there, look around at all the other great recordings Women of the ELCA offers.
Join the next Cafe's B.Y.O.D.
Our next Boldcafe Monthly Dinner, Thursday, April 7 at 7 pm (CDT) is hosted by the Rev. Kristen Kuempel. Kristen serves as the bishop of the ELCA Intermountain Synod. She will lead the conversation based on her popular article about loving ourselves as God loves us. Join us!

Training events begin April 23rd
Five online training sessions will be held in April and May, helping to equip women to better answer the call to elected leadership in Women of the ELCA.

Sessions are scheduled for synodical presidents and vice presidents; synodical treasurers; synodical secretaries; synodical board members; and conference/cluster leaders.

Whether you are currently serving in such an elected position or are considering such service, you are welcome to participate.


To learn more about servant leadership, see the materials and videos from For Such a Time as This, the 2022 leadership event.
During Lent, we have been answering questions
“The Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent” is an acknowledgment of the church’s complicity in slavery and the perpetuation of systemic racism. Now Is The Time: A Study Guide for ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent focuses on deepening understanding of that history and engaging white people in conversation on the meaning and impact of slavery and systemic racism. Participant materials are available in addition to the study guide.

During Lent, writers from Women of the ELCA networks are offering personal reflections on some of the questions in the study. You can read the sessions on our blog. Reading and discussing these reflections is one way to accomplish education and awareness. Whether you engage the study itself or not, you could use the blog posts as starting points for discussion in your congregational unit.
Gather wants to hear from you
This summer Gather will explore the relationship between faith and action.

Have you seen how faith and action each lead to the other? In 100-150 words, share a true story about how you’ve seen this happen in your own life, community or congregation at gather@elca.org, and you might see your story in the magazine!
Sign up for Daily Grace
Daily Grace is an on-the-go companion for your spiritual journey, offering a faith reflection every day. Encounter God’s extravagant, boundless, and often surprising grace by signing up for a daily email message. You can also download the app for your IOS and Android devices. Learn more at welca.org/dailygrace.
Last month's most popular blogs
Women of the ELCA | 773-380-2730 | women.elca@elca.org | welca.org