Lutherans in Walz's Minnesota put potlucks before politics during divisive election season

Midwest Lutheranism has entered the national political limelight since Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz became Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. But how Lutherans live their faith in the public sphere, especially on hot-button issues, can be as varied as marshmallow-topped hotdish and prickly pear cactus salad that are served at congregations across Minnesota. The faithful in the pews are far more conservative politically than most clergy even within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest and more liberal Lutheran denomination in the United States. That can create tensions, and congregations from the farmland to the inner city are responding with a hefty dose of non-judgmental tolerance.