By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

The South Loop-based Christ the King Lutheran Church commissioned Tana Kjos and Kelly Fryer May 11 as co-pastoral leaders. The two women, who have been a couple for several years, are taking up duties normally assumed by a minister and leading the congregation through a large-scale renewal effort.

Christ the King “had been at a pretty down point,” according to Fryer. After its former pastor resigned, the congregation was told it would be losing its space as well—the Catholic church they were renting from asked them to vacate by June.

Kjos and Fryer run a consulting business called A Positive Change, which was called in to assist the congregation’s transition, and were asked to assume pastoral duties. Beginning June 1, Christ the King holds services at HI-Chicago, 24 E. Congress Parkway.

Fryer said one of the things that first attracted her to the Christ the King community was that “they very explicitly stated that they welcome everyone. It’s in their DNA.”

She said the congregation envisions an idea of “radical inclusivity,” where “people could come together to make a difference to people in their neighborhood” and there “are no lines between ‘us’ and ‘them.’”

The church serves a number of gay and lesbian members and Fryer expects, given their new home in the South Loop, there will be more.

“We see increasing numbers of gay and lesbian couples in the neighborhood,” Fryer said. Services, she added, usually bring in about 50 participants.

Christ the King is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which Fryer said is “the most progressive of the Lutheran congregations.” But she added the movement “is still divided” on its attitudes towards homosexuality.

“We spend so much time fighting,” Fryer said. “But change is coming. Every time we have a national assembly, we move a little closer.”

“So many churches have struggled to connect,” she added. “They all do good work, but I’d like to see a congregation that is radically inclusive (that is) the size of Willow Creek.”

For information on Christ the King Lutheran Church, visit www.chicagolooplutherans.com.