John Carrier

This stole, with the conjoined circles beneath and intertwined with the cross, is a wedding stole. It was an ordination gift to John Carrier in 1985. Until November 1998, Pastor Carrier wore this stole at every wedding at which he presided, including the blessing of a lesbian couple’s life-long commitment to faithful life together. As part of a growing movement of ordained heterosexual colleagues who wish to stand in solidarity with the GLBT clergy, on Reformation Day, Pastor Carrier wore this stole in worship with his campus ministry community, and pledged to retire this and all other liturgically colored stoles in worship and weddings. He invited others to sign this stole as a statement of support for changing church policies in regards to blessing same-sex partnerships and the ordination of GLBT clergy. The following Friday, the stole was displayed at the “Open Door Conference” in Rochester, Minnesota, and participants of the conference were again invited to sign the stole. Then on November 3rd, at the Southeastern Minnesota Synod Theological Conference, Pastor Carrier preached on the subject at morning worship. At the conclusion of the service, he removed the stole for the last time and made it available for the Pastors and Associates in Ministry to likewise sign.

Pastor Carrier now wears only a rainbow stole whenever he vests, pledging to continue to do so until the Church’s policies have changed to include GLBT clergy who live in blessed union with a life partner.

Originally a part of the collection of stoles housed by ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation, this stole was donated by them to the Shower of Stoles Project in 2015.