OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Augustana Lutheran Church, through a new venture, hopes to support and encourage congregations towards full acceptance of LGBTQIA+ members.
Since 2004, Augustana has been a Reconciling in Christ Congregation. RIC churches support and practice the full welcome and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ members. In 2016, the church began an internship program for seminary students who are LGBTQIA+. Recently, Augustana created a Center for Reconciling Action, the first of its kind in Nebraska.
The center's mission is to provide education and training for congregations to help them build inclusive and welcoming church communities for individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+. The initial focus will be on churchs in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa that are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Only four of the 240 ELCA churches in Nebraska are RIC congregations.
