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Video Interview: Randy Wicker with Robert Mary Clement (1971)
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Title
Video Interview: Randy Wicker with Robert Mary Clement (1971)
Description
Watch Randy Wicker’s 1971 interview with Robert M. Clement, in which Clement discusses the Church of the Beloved Disciple’s ministry and explains why Holy Union was understood as a spiritual and religious rite rather than a legal marriage.
Transcript: timestamp 1:04-2:53 [edited for clarity]:
Wicker: Hi I'm Randy Wicker, today we're talking to Father Robert Clement of the Church of the Beloved Disciple. Father Clement, what type of church is the Church of the Beloved Disciple?
Clement: Like all churches, it's basically first a church for everyone, but our congregation is primarily gay, I'd say 90%.
Wicker: See now I understand that some of the services you perform, namely the service of Holy Union came under a great deal of criticism and attack recently.
Clement: Well it caused some consternation, surprisingly to us because this is a church rite in the sense of, I mean a church ceremony that's natural and logical outgrowth of our own people, our community that we serve. People are in love and they have a right to the expression of this love and the church acknowledging it is a beautiful thing.
Wicker: Well is this a gay marriage?
Clement: No, we don't use the term marriage because that implies a legal concept and a marriage certificate and Bureau of Vital Statistics and we are interested in a church concept which is spiritual. People pledging their love together in the eyes of God and asking the blessing of God and that's what we're all about. But this was misinterpreted and when publicity came out in the New York Post, the article said about gay marriages which is not our concept, but I understand how it caused this confusion. Then the city clerk got into it and started saying we were performing illegal marriages and so on, which was rather far from our minds, but did get into some confusion. Of course we believe this is something that is valuable for all mankind to affirm their love and especially for gay people in our community
Wicker: Okay thank you Reverend Clement and now we’re going to go to the GAA Firehouse pick up with the GAA people and continue to the marriage bureau where I understand an engagement party is due to be held this is Randy Wicker.
Transcript: timestamp 1:04-2:53 [edited for clarity]:
Wicker: Hi I'm Randy Wicker, today we're talking to Father Robert Clement of the Church of the Beloved Disciple. Father Clement, what type of church is the Church of the Beloved Disciple?
Clement: Like all churches, it's basically first a church for everyone, but our congregation is primarily gay, I'd say 90%.
Wicker: See now I understand that some of the services you perform, namely the service of Holy Union came under a great deal of criticism and attack recently.
Clement: Well it caused some consternation, surprisingly to us because this is a church rite in the sense of, I mean a church ceremony that's natural and logical outgrowth of our own people, our community that we serve. People are in love and they have a right to the expression of this love and the church acknowledging it is a beautiful thing.
Wicker: Well is this a gay marriage?
Clement: No, we don't use the term marriage because that implies a legal concept and a marriage certificate and Bureau of Vital Statistics and we are interested in a church concept which is spiritual. People pledging their love together in the eyes of God and asking the blessing of God and that's what we're all about. But this was misinterpreted and when publicity came out in the New York Post, the article said about gay marriages which is not our concept, but I understand how it caused this confusion. Then the city clerk got into it and started saying we were performing illegal marriages and so on, which was rather far from our minds, but did get into some confusion. Of course we believe this is something that is valuable for all mankind to affirm their love and especially for gay people in our community
Wicker: Okay thank you Reverend Clement and now we’re going to go to the GAA Firehouse pick up with the GAA people and continue to the marriage bureau where I understand an engagement party is due to be held this is Randy Wicker.
Source
https://youtu.be/Z7NU8B1EGnU?si=WPg6_eyijgfACxpg
Identifier
LINK_01
YouTube Video Item Type Metadata
Embed Code
Citation
“Video Interview: Randy Wicker with Robert Mary Clement (1971)”, Queer Sacramentality: The Church of the Beloved Disciple, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed September 13, 2026, https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/cbd/item/2656.
