Second Stone #53 - July/Aug 1997

Second Stone #53 - July/Aug 1997

53

1997

July/Aug 1997

THE NATIONAL ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN NEWSPAPER FOR GAY MEN. LESBIANS, BISEXUALS, AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE 2.95
MarkD . Jordan, Professor of Medieval Studies, University of Notre Dame,
offers a new take on gay and lesbian Christian history.
~WtRW2Ns, LA 701a2 ( J ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED ·
TIME DATED
MATERIAL -------------,-------
ISSUE#53
"The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology"
Young author
differs with
trusted historian
BY GIP PLASTER
SINCE JOHN BOSWELL'S Christmas Eve death to AIDS in
1994, no one has risen to fill his position as the foremost scholar
on the history of lesbian and gay Christianity.
Mark Jordan may be one candidate fo fill that void. While
Jordan recognizes Boswell's contribution to his field, he is not a
disciple of Boswell, who opened the field of lesbian and gay
Chri s tian history with the publication in 1980 of
"Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality."
"Boswell took a lot of risks personally and professionally in
writing that book and it nearly cost him tenure at Yale," Jordan
told Second Stone. "So, I have a lot of respect for his courage,
but I disagree almost entirely with his conclusions . Almost
everyone uses [the book], and almost no one buys its conclusions."
Jordan's new bo_ok, "The Invention of Sodomy in Christian
Theology," is every bit as controversial as a Boswell book.
Jordan writes that he found the first time the category
"sodomy" was used and draws his own conclusions about the
legitimacy of the term's use - since it did not appear until the
year 1050, a~cording to Jordan.
SEE AUTHOR, Page 4
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•Prayer •The Bible •Words & Deeds
Oown uses hmnor to
spread the g~l message
By Don Ahern
St. Paul Pioneer Press
MINNEAPOLIS - Dr. Dick Hardel is
an ordained Lutheran minister with
an important academic job at
Augsburg College.
But he keeps bumping into doors,
tripping over his feet and getting a
plunger stuck on things . And he has
this odd penchant for driving around
in his electric-blue Plymouth Neon
talking to a big Raggedy Ann doll in
the passenger seat.
His Augsburg business card lists him
as "execuhve director Youth and
Family Institute ." But his ID tag
says, "Dr. H." And his outfit - red
plaid coveralls, a brilliant chartreus
e shii·t and a white Homburg
that keeps falling off his head -
identifies him as a clown.
A big yellow button on his bib sums
up his attitude and his philosophy:
"Life in Christ (s a Circus ."
Hardel, 52, lives in Eagan and
teaches the art of Christian clowning
at Easter Lutheran Church as the
founder and one-man faculty for his
free Christ Clown College. In the process,
he is bringing the belly laugh
into the church sanctuary .
H e demonstrated his quirky theol- ·
ogy recently ar a seniors group meeting
at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran
Church in St. Paul. As he made his
entrance before the prim group to the
accompaniment of_ raucous circus
music, he tripped over his size 30 redand-
yellow shoes. Then he promptly
got the plumber's helper he had been
"I didn't choose it. God chose me." . .
-balancing on one finger ''st uck" to the
floor. Exaggerate d attempts to get
the thing unstuck provided five
minut es of titters and smi les. And, as
the Bible promi sed, it took a child ·
4-year-old Nina Jackson, who was in
the audience - tu lead the hapl ess
buffoon out of his troubles.
He made a big show of moving
through the audience with a broom
_and feather duster, brushing "sins"
from white heads and sweeping them
into a dustpan .
With gestures indicating a huge
pile of refuse on his pan, the clown
looked for a place to discard it. At
apparent wits' end, he put down the
dustpan and pulled something from
his satchel. Then, ·holding the dustpan
in one hand high above his head-,
he "poured" the load of sins in the
wooden cross in his other hand . And
the cross obviously absorbed every
one of them.
In his early years as a church pastor,
Hardel found himself in "clown
heaven" - the Orlando area, near
winter headquarters of two circuses .
"l always loved the circus, and I
notked that clowns could communicate
effectively just by movements,"
Hardel said. "And I wondered if I
couldn't use that in church."
So he started to hang out at Ringling
Brothers and "interview every old
clown I knew. They taught me how to
be a clown ... I created the theology of
it. I wondered: Is there -a legitimate
way of focusing on the Gospel through
the power of laughter?
"So I started doing it personally.
Others from my congregation asked if
1 wou ld teach them. And that's how l
st arte d Christ Clown Coll'ege," h e
says. The free coll ege he founded jn
1977 has followed him .around ·the
cou ntry, existing wherever he happened
to be at the tim _e.
One student, "DJ,'.' otherwi se known
as Darlene Lund, said she decid.ed to
■
A big yellow
button on his
bibsumsup
his attitude ari4.
his philosophy: ·
"Life in -Christ ·
is a Circus."
• become a clown when she w.as-volunteering
at an area nursing home:
"There had been a woman there in
the Alzheimer's unit - who had not ·
responded to anything for a couple
years. But 'this clown g.ot down-in
front of her wheelchair almost -in her
face. And this woman saw th e down
and reached out and started laughing
and crying. It was kind of a miracle.
And I thought, 'I could do that ."'
Presbyterian Church honors first female pastor
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -The women
in Margaret Towner's family never
let convention stand in their .way.
One aunt worked her way up to
become the first superintendent in an
Iowa school district. Her mother pioneered
a special education program in
the Syracuse city schools. ·
So it wasn't surprising that _ Miss
Towner followed her heart in the
mid-1950s and plunged into a previously
all-male profession to become
the first woman ordained in what is
now the Presbyterian Church USA.
"What I keep telling people when
they ask me why I chose the ministry
is, 'I didn't choose it. God chose me,"'
said the Rev. Towner.
was then the First Presbyterian
Church.
"I can remember reading about Margaret
Towner just before I went to
.seminary," said the Rev. Jeanne
Radak, pastor of Elmwood Presbyterian
Church in Syracuse. "I remember
thinking, 'Wow, _ this is great.' She
was a role model because she was the
first one."
After she donned a clerical collar,
· Miss Towner found that a woman in
the ministry faced challenges as well
as joys. Early in her career, she was
excluded from important meetings by
some male colleagues and denounced
by some lay people.
One man who read about her ordina-
Towner, 72, was honored during the tion in a magazine wrote her with a
church's 209th General Assembly in marriage proposal "so he could rescue
Syracuse. me from my predicament, otherwise
It was just a year after the Presbyte- I'd continue to be a sinner because I
rian chur.::h decided to allow women was preaching in the church,"
in pulpits that Miss Towner made recalled Miss Towner, who now lives
headlines Oct. 24, 1956, when she in Florida .
was ordained in Syracuse at what Today, the 2.7 million-member
PAGE 2 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST, 1997
denomination boasts a little more
than 3,000 females minist ers, about 20
percent of all Presbyterian clergy,
said the Rev. Elisabeth Lunz, author
of "Celebration/Witness," a book on
women .and the ministry.
However, if one counts the number of
women who are senior or head pastors
of their own church, the percentage
drops considerably, said Miss Lunz,
interim pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church in Jonesboro, Ga.
The ministry wasn't something Miss
Towner immediately thought of
when she graduated from Carleton
College in Minnesota in the late
1940s. Instead, she worked as a medical
photographer in the Mayo Clinic
after college, then enrolled in Syracuse
University in 1949.
In her spare time, she immersed
herself at the former First Presbyterian
Church, helping with the congregation's
education programs and
single adult groups.
Impressed with her work, the
church's minister, the Rev. William
H. Conaghy, ask ed-J1er to assist.him.
In the process, -he ;isked her _if she
had ever considered the ministry.
The church awarded her .a.scholarship
to what is now Unio,n.Theological
Seminary in New York . City. She
entered in 1951 and graduated three
years later.
It changed her life.
"That's where the doqrs op_ened.
That where I belonged. I fo1Jnd that
whenever I worked in the ministry,
the doors opened, but when I did
something else, the doors closed/' she
said.
Since that time, Miss Towner has
served at churches in Allentow n,~a.,
and Kalamazoo, Mich.
Miss Towner ' s advice to other
woman who want to work in the ministry,
regardless of their denomina-
- tion, is straightforward, like the
retired pastor hers elf,
"If you really feel called, you've got
to follow your heart," she said .
U·!·······:·t·:·!l•:•.•······· :· ·····:····:;;-;-··t·:·······•·j····•:•:l:J: :;:·=·==·=·=·=•:•:•:•:t.·:· ••• · •• ; •• ;.;.; •.. :.;.·.·.•.;.·.;.:.:.·.:.:.·.:.J.'.·:· ....... · ... •.•.•.··········1 Faith in Daily Life
Finding a "gay is okay" church is not enough
Many ex-ex-gays continue drift toward abusive religion
By Dr. Rembert S. Truluck
Contributing Writer
BOBBY SPENT TWO years as a resident
in a house tun by an "ex-gay"
program in Marin County across the
Bay from San Francisco. He had been
rejected and abused by his religious
parents. He fled from them and his
oppressive rural home to find help in
the prog,ram Jhat ,had promised to
change him from gay to straight.
After two years of learning to reject
and hate himself, he finally bailed
out and moved into the city.
Bobby now accepts himself as okay
to be gay and_ Christian, but what are
the long term effects of:the religious
brainwashing that he .endured?
Why has he sought out a legalistic
and judgmental church to attend?
My experience with people who
have survived the ex~gay movement,
both in San Francisco and in Nash.
ville, Tennessee, where I served as
·pastor of MCC congregations, is that
the lasting effects of abusive religion
are as complex as they are
unhealthy.
In teaching recent study groups on
''Steps To Recovery From Bible
Abuse," I have realized that the first
step to "Admit that you have been
hurt by religion" is far more difficult
that it seems.
Admitting that your religion has
hurt you is like criticizing your
grandmother. You have an emotional
resistance to rejecting your childhood
religion as abusive and you therefore
develop patterns of denial and
become defensive about it.
Remember the reaction when Jesus
told the people that "You shall know
the truth and the truth will set you
free" in John 8:31-59. The people said
they · were already free and had
never been slaves to anyone. Yet they
had been slaves in Egypt, exiles in
Babylon; the subjects of Greek rule for
many years, and were under the
oppressive control of the Roman
army: . They · also were controlled by
in oppressive and abusive system of
religion that _ never let up in its pressu"
res ·and demands of absolute conformity
·and blind obedience to "the
law."
· The er1d of the discussion came when
the people took up stones to kill Jesus
because he pointed out that they
\Vere being hurt an·d destroyed by
their own religion.
· Recovery from any addiction begins
· \Vith · admitting that you are being
controlled by something that is hurting
you whether it is alcohol, drugs,
~a-dependence, or religion. Many of
the people whom I have seen get out
of the ex-gay movement still have
difficulty staying out of abusive
forms of religion and judgmental
legalism. Like the child who
defends abusive parents and hides
their abuse or the gay /lesbian person
who repeatedly goes back to an abusive
partner, the abused gay Christian
can develop a fatal attraction to
abusive religion to embrace and
defend .
This vicious cycle of the death and
rebirth of sick and destructive relic
gion deserves far more attention and
careful study than it has received so
far. Just finding a church that says it
is okay for you to be gay is not
enough!
The whole system of church and traditional
religion demands radical
reexamination in the light of the
truth of the good news of Jesus Christ
who sets us free from all slavery and
abuse by religion, ourselves, our socie-
-ty, and our past.
· What are the long term effects of
religious brainwashing both in and
outside of the ex-gay movement? We
don't know yet. Some of the results
seem .to me to be an ongoing uncertainty
about spiritual life and values
and a tende11cy to revert to legalistic
and judgmental attitudes that are
destructive of the self and of other
people ,
The dynamics of oppression usually
lead the oppressed to become the
oppressors whenever they can gain
the upper hand over others . Oppres sion
is a "crazy making" environment
and warps our perception of reality
and the truth. Extreme, long term,
and dedicated attempts to cast out
the evil and unclean spirits of sexual
orientation from gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transsexual people leaves
deep invisible scars that we have
only begun to recognize and try to
heal.
Paranoid delusions emerge as
unhealthy. and self depreciating
forces at work on individuals who
have been convinced that something
is desperately wrong within them.
When these delusions and fears are
projected on other people, they create
barriers and lead to fear, isolation,
loneliness, and a retreat from the
freedom of Christ.
All too often new legalisms and a
fresh set of judgmental demands
spring up to control and abuse the
individual who has broken out from
the ex-gay grip. Internali z ed and
horizontal homophobia are powerful
destructive forces in th e gay world
and especially when they take self
destructive religious forms ·and
expressions.
Compassion, love, acceptance,
patience, gentleness,.kindness and all
of the rest of the fruit of the Spirit of
Christ give hope for healing and
peace even for those whose greatest
torment has been religion itself .
My experience with small groups
who share regularly in a home set-
■
Perhaps the main thing that I have
learned so far from my own experience
and the struggles of others is that
God loves us all the same and we can
trust God completely. We can trust
God completely only by letting go of
everything else, "forsaking everything,
including religion," and . following
Jesus. To follow Jesus you have
to keep your attention on Jesus and not
on people or the organizations or the
. The dynamics of oppression usually
lead the oppressed to become the
oppressors whenever they can gain
the upper hand over others.
ting and who create an environment of
non judgmental acceptance has convinced
me that such home groups
offer one of the best settings for recovery
and healing from sick and abusive
religion.
Recovery, healing, learning, and
growing take time. The peopl e who
have suffered a lifetime of religious
abuse and the dedicated ignorance of
the ex-gay movement do not recover
instantly or without help. We all
need ,; a little understanding."
We also need more research and
understanding of why sick and abusive
religion has replaced the simplicity
of the gospel of Jesus Christ in
all traditional forms of the church.
Jesus was murdered by totally committed
religious legalists. The virus
of legalistic judgmental religion is
always fatal. It killed Jesus and will
kill you and your group if it is not cast
out by .the clear pure truth of Jesus
plus nothing . Jesus made only one
demand: "Follow Me!" Everything
else flows from that offer.
■
system or anything else. Read the
last seven verses of the Gospel of John
for a plain declaration of the
ultimate truth of Christ. How would
your view of being a Christian change
if you took the time to memorize the
Gospel of John?
For further stu~y, see how Paul
viewed the abusive religion of his
past compared to his present hope in
Christ in Philippians 3 and 4 and
meditate on what Romans 15:1-7 has
to say about our acceptance of ourselves
and each other.
You can get information about my
book on recovery from religious abuse
at Chi Rho Press, P.O. Box 7864,
Gaithersburg,'MD 20898 or visit my
web site at www .slip.net / ~rembert.
Please let me know what you learn
from sharing in a small informal
home spiritual recovery group if you
have the opportunity to attend one or
to start one yourself. If you want
materi~'s to help you start a group,
contact me and I will send them to
you.
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PAGE 3 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST, 1997
Faith m Daily Life ii···i·i·l·i·i·l··i·············•:i•··············•:•:•:-:,:•.-:-:•:•.•····••:-:•:.:-:-:-:-:-:,:-:,:;:;:·;•i•\····•····•i•··.·········=···········•.•·········•t
Author offers new spin on gay and lesbian Christian histoiy
From Pagel
"The conclus ion tJ,
the category is ,,L: .. , . ,,. ,-., ;;·. :.s s
for serious theo l(\W," Jor,Lin said. "It
then becomes really odd that the cat-
1egory should be written into English
and American law as the main cate-
Presbyterians fc,t
Lesbian & Gay
Concerns
"For all Presbyterians
who care about lesbian
and gay people and their
full membership in the
Presbyterian
Church(USA)"
Boston/Northern New England
802-229-5438
Southern New England
203-442-5138
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908-249-1016
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716-663-9!30
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Philadeip: ccJ
215-699-4750
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410-254-5904
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804-497-6584
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216-932-1458
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713-440-0353
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510-653-2134
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503-652-6508
Seattle
206-859-5685
gory under which we .were persecuted ,
O f course, my point in writing this
l,ook is to take the category away
from the people who want to use it
against us, especially the people who
want to use it against us in the name
of Christian theology ."
Jordan said he . hopes his book will
reach people trying to recov er from
the spiritual damage the Catholic
church's condemnation has inflicted .
"Despite the fact that it has footnotes
in it, I wasn't interested in an
academic audience," he said. "I
intended the primary audience to be
people who are still being .wounded
by Catholic condemnations of homosexuality,
and I want to say there's no
reason to be wounded, because the
supposed arguments that are being
used are, in fact, incoherent."
Jordan, a tenured professor at the
University of Notre Dame, said that
writing the book changed his views
abou t his spirituality and his church .
"I know that in the course of writing
this book I've become more radical in
my consideration of alternatives,"
Jordan said in an interview . "I think
it's pretty clear to me that I no longer
want to regard myself as a Catholic,
and that my future as a teacher and a
writer may be in specifically gay and
lesbian Christian institutions."
Jordan said he can no longer be gay
and Catholic because of the church 's
denigration of homo sexuality .
"I don't think you can be gay and be
a member in good standing of th e
Catholic church as an institution ," he
said. "I think you can be gay and live
your !:hristian life from th e Catholic
tradition - a way of life that is sacramental
and liturgical and incarnational."
·
Jordan said Boswell was wrong to
assert that the Catholic church once
accepted gay people.
"His historical point in [his first]
book is that there had been a time
when the historical church condoned
homosexuality, and I don't think
that has ever been true," Jordan said.
While he rejects Boswell's conclusions
about the historical role of lesbian
and gay people in the church, he
does not minimize the contribution
Boswell made to gay and lesbian
theology and historical studies.
"He opened the field of gay and lesbian
Christian history. He made it
possible for me and . everyone else
who's publishing now on that topic to
publish the kind of books we do," Jordan
said,
Boswell's second book, "Same Sex
Union s in Premodern Europe," created
controve~sy because it claimed even
more strongly than the first that gay
people had once been accepted in the
church . The long-awaited book, published
only months before Boswell's
death, cited commitment ceremo,'lies
betwe en same-sex couples in the early
church . ·But Boswell misinterpreted
the primary document on which he
based his finding, accord ing to Jordan.
"I think he was so eager to find
same sex marriag ·e in the Christian
tradition, that he read over his one
crucial bit of evidence," Jordan said.
"He just saw something that wasn't
there - or to be more precise, he over looked
something that is there... a
line that separates the ceremony of
Jordan on McNeil!
HOW DOES THE author of "The
Inv ent io n of Sod omy" compare th e
work of the late John Bosw ell to that
o f Father John McNeill, a uthor of
"The Church and the Hom osexual, "
"Taking a Chanc e on God " and
"Freedom , Glori ous Freedom? "
"The contrast between Boswell and
McNeill is fascinating becau se it's a
generation a l contr ast and it' s a clerical-
lay contrast ," said Mark Jordan,
"With Bos well yo u hav e a younger
Cat holic layman who has the forc e
behind him of great academic pres ti
ge who \vas never anything officially
in th e Cat holic ch urc h. And
wi th McNeill you have an old er priest
, who very much comes out of the
Jesuits, the most rigid form of clerical
culture and who goes through thi s
extraordinary transformation over a
much longer per iod."
Boswell started early in life and
without much of the baggage
McNeill bring s with him to hi s writing.
"With Boswell, bang! - here's his
dissertation, published as his first
book, and it's all th ere , but with
McNeil! you watch over these fift een
years as he works . him self free of his
own training," Jordan said,
While Bosw ell contributed a great
de al of scholars hip and study to gay
Chri stian history, McNeill's contri buti
on is much more basic, according
to Jordan.
"The emphasis on free dom and
what it cost s and w hat is gives you, I
think, is McNeil's gre at contribution."
PAGE 4 • SECOND STONE • JUL Y/A UGUST, 1997
spiritual brotherhood from the ceremony
of the crown which is a marriage
rite of the Byzantine -church.
But John was so sur e that.he had the
goods that he just ignored that line in
reading the manuscrip ~." · ·
Jordan said that more careful ·and ··
deliberate examination · of- fads is ·
needed both in lesbian and gay Chris~ ·
tian studies and in gay studies iri general.
· · · · .· ·
"I think we are at a crucial momen·t
in gay studies," he said . '"We'.J1aye
made some pretty grand claiirii:. Now ,_
we .have to get down to the ·~err
meticulous work of scholarship - -
which means being very ·modest and'·
working slower - looking at a lot <?f . ·
things again in great detail and re~- ,
ognizing that for the sake of politics; ·
we've been guilty o( glos sing over'
things ." · -
He said he ca~ l?e gay '.and Cl1ristiar(
without relying on possible evidena;
of same csex tinions ·performed in .th e;·
early church. The oid Testa 'ment is
"this incredible .patchwork : .quilt of ·
human experience that . ha s almMi
everything in it, including, I think,
same sex c9tiples which to-us·Jooka1i
awful lot like homoerotic relation ~
ships, " although those ·gay and ' les- ·
bian identities were · not available i11
their time .
While Jordan said Paul condemned
same-sex unions in the Gre ek Scrip- ·
tures for rea so ns that were
"complicated and not e ntirely ·
Christian," there is more hope in
other parts of the New Testament.
"In the Gospels, it certainly looks ·
like there is a very different view - a
very favorable view ~ of homoerotic
relationships, one of the mo st famou s
being the naked young man who ·
appears in the Gospel of Mark, and
who, according to at least some ancient
source s had a much larger -role in
the earlier versions of the Gospel" of ·
Mark. And there are traces in the
Gospel of John of very ·· inten se
homoerotic feeling s," he said. ·
It is difficult to d etermin e, Jordan
said, how much of the Bil?le's tex ts,
whether condemnatory or supportive
of homos exuality, are relevant to 'us.
"The Bible is not on e book. It's a
whole library of books, spoke n in a
lot of di ffe rent vo ices with a lot of
differ en t relevance to us in th e
present," he said. "Th e Bible is for
th e sake of the Christian ·community
an d not the other way around ... The
most importa nt thing in Christianity
is not a text, it's people's relation to
God, and th e text is an instrum ent to
bring about that relation."
l , a
Methodist church blessed when it opened
the doors to gays and)esbians · . , , . Tue mirage to welcome
By ca ·ndace Chellew
Speci~l't6 Secdnd Storie·
THERE, WAS A parade on the first
Sunday Dr. Mike Cordle began his
tenure in the S\lmJ]ler of 1990 at Atlanta's'
St .",' Mark )Jnited , Methodist
Ch_u,r~h:., , _·, . ··. · · .· • . .
· '.'I. t,lipug~t,, ho~ nice, . t~ey're . ~el~
coining · us to Atlanta," he remembered,
".then I realized it was not. for
u~~ {t 'wa~ .th0e :g~y ptjde p!lfade:" .
That w,is pr.Cordie's first experieric;
e with , t)~,i ~ity'.s gay . a~d lesbian
popu ,lation; ~~t it. would no_t be his
la~t:,!~~ .parade_pas_sed right in fro.nt .
o~., hi_s. pJid~o"".n. · Atlanta church,
groqnd ,.zero;for .. a vast num~er .of the
cit}'.'~ .S~Y ,p'qj,_ulatipn. ,He found the
dfsp/ay _qf gay prjde fasdn _ating, and
the next year, made a point to watch
the parade with his wife and child.
"They gave my little girl balloons,
flowers and whistles as they went
by," he recalled. "As they walked
by, I realized they all looked · like
me, they weren't freaky or unusual,
they looked like my family and most
of my congregation."
It was that simple, but profound,
realization -that spurred Dr. Cordie's
next move.
"In the weeks that followed I felt
very clearly - no whistles, no bells, no
explosions, no burning bushes - but I
felt God very clearly say, 'so many of
those wonderful persons who walked
by deserve a church home."'
That calling was not easily ignored,
Artist.helps kids find outlet
for:: spirituality
By Steve Haberman
Portsm.outh Heraia·sunday
PORTSMOUTH,. N.H. - Artist Tobey
Harman . us.es her art to express her
- spirituality. Now she's trying to pass
on what . she has learned about her
spiritual heritage in her art to help
others, particμlarly children, create
works of art.
"Many of us, as we grow older, seem
to move toward rediscovering and
connecting to our heritage," Harman
said. '.'We spend a lifetime searching,
studying, trying and testing. Eventually,
we· take what we have learned
along the way and rekindle the
flame .that has been burning in us all
along."
· .Harman has channeled her extensive
artistic talents into the creation
of unique pieces that reflect Jewish
traditions. In. this way, she and her
students influence not only the present,
but the future, she said.
"We create ritual objects that will
be passed from generation to generation
to become family heirlooms," she
said. ") udaic art has become the perfect
assimilation of my art and my
spirituality."
Jewish tradition has within in an
enormous body of imaginative literature
that seeks to elaborate on . the
narrative stories of the Old Testament,
or Torah. That literature is
known as "midrash."
"M idrash" need not be limited to
the verbal, howev er. It is present in
song, dance and creative art. It is in
this creative art that Harman excels.
Recently, Harman led a group of
more than 100 students from the Temple
Israel of Portsmouth religious
school in just such an artistic
"midrash." Using diverse materials
as feathers, fur, paint and textiles,
Harman guided the group in the
development of six panels, each symbolizing
a different day in the story
of the Creation.
"They are a commentary on the first
chapter of the first book of the
Torah," Harman said. "We had a
wonderful time expressing our Jewish
heritage."
But Harman is equally interested in
giving children of all faiths an
opportunity to express themselves
through the artistic process. That is
why she and her husband, Don, have
established a non-religious summer
camp for children ages 6-13, based at
the Portsmouth synagogt1e.
Aside from artistic programs , which
feature theater arts, making jewelry
and batik and working with polymer
clay, paints and ceramics, the camp
also offers outdoor activities s.uch as
swimming, hiking, basketball, nature
walks and gardening.
But it is Harman's ability .to express
her spirituality through her art that
makes her a unique asset to the Seacoast
and its children.
"We are fortunate to have her here
to teach and inspire a love for Judaic
artistic expression to our students,"
sa id James Dricker, temple Israel's
religious school director.
As for Harman, that 's what it's all
about. .
"I love what I do and I cai1't wait to
start my next piece," she said. -AP
but it also came with a lot of fear and
trepidation. At the time, rto mainline
churches were taking any aggressive
moves to open their doors to gays and
lesbians, and Dr. Cordle wasn't sure
he wanted to ~ommit political ari.d
· personal suicide with his career.
After much prayer, and consultation
with his wife, he decided · to
approach the church board with an
idea. He wanted to pass out leaflets
to the marchers nexfyear and invite
them to come 16 church.
"I expected the board · to disagree
and ask the Bishop to move me," he
said. "But they said, 'we've been
waiting for someone to show us how to
do this."'
Dr. Cordle paid for two ads in the
local gay and lesbian paper and ran
off leaflets with donations, so none of
the church '.s budget would be
involved in the new ministry . He
recruited several volunteers and they
stood outside their church and
handed the leaflets to \.he marchers
as they went by.
"The marchers would stop and ask
us, 'are you sure you know who we
are?',,
Dr. Cordle and his congregation
knew well who they were inviting,
and they were sincere in their efforts
to open their doors. But, there is
always some fear associated with
llie unknown and St. Mark's was not
immune. They wondered how gay and
lesbian members might affect their
church, how the church would be perceived
in the community, how the
denomination might react, and what
might have to change in the church if
the gay people came.
In the next few weeks, several lesbian
couples visited the church and
word began lo spread that St. Mark's
was sincere in it's invitation to gays
and lesbians. They were an accepting
church that was not asking gay people
to change to part of the church.
Instead, they encouraged gays and
lesbians to worship in spirit and in
truth . More and more visitors came to
check out the church ... more and more
became members.
"Now on a regular Sunday, we'll
have about 200 visitors," Dr. Cordle
said. "We used to average about 100
people per Sunday, now that's up to
about 800."
That influx of people has brought
new life to an aging congregation.
Now th ey can do · the ministrie s they
hav e dreamed about. They can help
the h omeless in the area, start campus
ministries and support missionaries.
Faith in Daily Life
. ... s \
They also spent $700,000 to rehabilitate
and renovate their aging building.
, "Some older couples chose to leave,
but the great majority .have stayed
and have learned and are grateful for
the progress they have seen in -the
church." ·
The third year that the pa~ade
passed in front of St. Mark's, the congregation
. again passed out leaflets
and "we also did something very
basic and Biblical, we gave out
water." From there, St. Mark's commitment
to the gay and lesbian community
has grown. They now are a
fixture in every. gay pride parade.
Opening their doors to gays and lesbians
has helped St. Mark realize a
lot of dreams. It is · also remarkable
what did not happen. There has been
no backlash fwm the denomination.
While there has not been unanimous
support for them, "they are looking
at us and saying 'that congregation
must be doing something right."'
But, with the good comes the bad .
Gays and lesbians are recognized in
every way at St. Mark's. They are a
part of every committee, · fully
accepted as members and welcome to
be baptized. However, they cannot
have their unions recognized by the
church. Dr . Cordle is forbidden by the
church to perform any same sex marriages.
The restraint makes Dr. Cordle particularly
sad. "I see some very dear
friends and have seen their commitm
ent and their love for each other
and I would love to be able to participate
and offer them my blessings and
the blessings of the church. I'm hopeful
one day the church will listen and
learn and grow and allow us to do
that."
But, the day of the denomination
may be in danger. Dr. Cordle mused,
"Today people don't choose denominations,
they choose congregations. If
they find a place where they are
w elcome, they don't get hung up on
denominations."
That may apply mostly to gay and
lesbian Christians who are more in
search of a church home than a
denomination.
As Dr. Cordle observed, "They are
Christians who happen to be gay,
they don't want their sexuality to be
a part of the worship. They're not
worshipping the fact that they were
born gay, they're coming to worship
God."
PAGE 5 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST, 1997
Faith in Daily Life
lri that holiest place,
a ladder has been
let down. We can
get to God. God
can get to us.
ON HOLY GROUND ... We often
think of the stages of being raised to
holiness as incremental. They are
not. They are tension filled. They
are one step forward and two steps
back.
The third stage is hard won. Holiest
is knowing that God is near. That
God is near in the normal, in the
drowsy, in the alert, in the excruciating,
in the· simple and the complex.
What is holiest is knowing the presence
of God. Knowing that surely God
is in this place.
In the holy church we do what is
expected of us. We get by. We manage.
We do ~vhat we do the way we
do it because we do. There is nothing
unholy about managing. There are
many days when I would give a lot to
think I was managing. In the holier
church, we do more than we can
because we are dream driven. We
push. We pull . We struggle. We
micromanage our dreams. We sfrategize.
We head for the hallways and
complain to our friends about the
resistance the ubiquitous THEY have
once again raised. In the holier
church, the holier people are in tension.
They are halfway up the hill
and they know it.
But in that holiest place, a ladder
has been let down. We can get to God.
God can get to us. There are angels all
over the place. Even some of our
members look like angels. Even some
of our pastors look like angels. We
are in a kind of partnership that
makes us wonder why we ever worried
about anything at all. We are on
our way. To the promised land. There
is spring in our steps and in our hearts.
The bulbs have broken through the
hard ground. They are coming up in
our own garden. The excitement is
unbearable. God is with us. We are
not alone. And we know it.
It is my duty to inform you that this
ecstasy, this holiest of holinesses, is
more open than the Seven-Eleven. It
is available on a daily basis, 24 hours
a day, 52 per weeks a year. God is
always with us·. And we could
always be deeply aware ofit. But we
are not. We forget. We misconstrue.
We turn our eyes inside or down. We
miss the ladders that are set out all
over the place.
PAGE 6 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST, 1997
,,.1,.;
In the holy church, we do what we
can. In the holier church, we do what
we can't . And in the holiest church,
we do more than we can because of the
knowledge that we are not alone. Not
just the head knowledge but the
heart knowledge. Our eyes are lifted
up unto th.e hills. In the holiest
church, we care more than others
think is wise. We risk more than
others think is safe. We dream more
than others think is practical, and
we expect more than others think is
possible. (I found that on a coffee cup
and loved it.) In the holiest moments
and in the holiest places, we do not
doubt that God is with us. And taking
that doubt out of our bags makes us
light enough to climb the ladd er.
You can't get up the ladder with your
bags, right? .So you drop the bags and
next thing you know ascen t is the
motion of your mood, not descent.
If we become the
light in someone
else's clearing, we
may find more
light in our own .
WE COME TO A clearing in the great
forest of our days ... there is a glow ...
it is from God. We can meditate our
way to the clearing today . Then we
can see the rest of this day, and our
life, from its perspective.
In meditation we may not see what
we planned to see. We may find that
the person at the center of the clearing
in the forest is a friend, holding a
flashlight. Or a long lost relative
who is stringing lights on a Christmas
tree. Or a kitten with glowing
eyes. Or a wolf, strangely gentle.
Meditation is fun because it doesn't
announce its destination until we
arrive.
Meditation is often grabby. It wants
something "spiritual" for us. And
surely it delivers. We may just not
understand the depth of the spirit of
a kitten. We may find that our meditations
give us things that compel our
humor as much as our sobriety.
Many people think they have to
"learn" to meditate . Surely some
instruction helps us along the way.
But meditation is more getting out of
our own way so we can open the doors
of our hearts and imaginations to
God's way. God is on tlie other side,
eager to open the door to depth. W'e
are often the ones who think we have
the only key. Wedo not .'
One of the great zenny i~onies bf'Hfi'
is that we get what we glye away. If
we become the light in someone else's
clearing, we may find more iighf in
ourown. · · · ·. ·· ·
I like to come i~to · another's • life,
almost unannounced, and ~eally c011-
nect to the script the other person is
reading. I like to be their light. : It
makes me more confident that I will
find my own. ·
As the days hasten on towards 'the
end of this century, we have very little
to fear that deep waiting and
meditation with God cannot solve.
We are in a deep forest. There are
trees down everywhere. And. God is
at our side.
!'·'.·':t·:·t· =····'··;··'i·:•:'.:'.:t:t:::::·:t:':•:'.:•:'.:'.:t: =!='.=•:i='.=l=•:•=·=·=·=·=·:": =t=t=:=·:\: ==·,·='.·•:•·····•:·:'.:l:'.:\:;:;:::t: .·.•=•·············•t•:.·.;.:.;.j.:.; ............... J Faith in Daily Life
A little
bit of
calm goes
along
way.
HOW MUCH CALM is enough? We
need to rightsize the Advent promi ses.
Not down size but rightsize them.
If "all is calm," does that mean that
everything all the time is calm? 1 ·
think not. That would put adrenalin
out of business.
I put too much baking powder in cookie
recipes frequently. I don't mean to
trivialize the matter of scale by the
comparison so much as to acknowledge
the utter simplicity of going too
far, using too much. Excess is almost
ordinary i-n our society. We invented
the "allucaneat."
A little bit of baking powder goes a
long way . A little bit of calm goes a
long way.
If w e could be sure we knew how to
experience calm some of the time on a
regular basis, we could imagine salvation
. We could remember what we
know regularly - which is that Jesus
Christ has saved and secured us. We
don't need to know it every minute to
know it. We need to know that we
can know it when we need to know ii.
Like in a long line waiting for a ferry
we may not make . Or when waiting
for th e results of our cancer test. Or
~ur child's cancer test. We need to
know that we can know God when we .
.need to k·now God.
Then we will have enough cairn to
und erstand that a 11, at its depth, is
calm.
Calm waits
with me when
I wait for
others to
pass.
SOMETIMES WE JUST have to get
out of our own way .
I like to tell a story a friend told me
about Calvin and Zwingli. They are
on their way to a major confrontation
over the directions of their separat e
mov ement s . They are to visit the
very next day. Zwingli dreams that
two goats are circling two mountains.
Ambling. Walking in a deep calm.
All of a sudden it becomes apparent
that their paths are not only going to
cross but that they are going to cross
at a stretch in the mountain where
the pa ss is narrow and only one will
be able to go at a time.
The goats continue on their way and;
sure enough, they meet. One goat lies
down and allows the other to walk
through the pass . Then the goat gets ·
up and continues on the journey initiated
.
Zwingli wondered the rest of his
life why his God's eye view of the
goat's passage never told him which
goat was his. He feared that the
passing goat might have stepped on
the lying goat, but it did not. It did
not hurt his laying body in anyway.
This parable has helped me on more
than one occasion. Sometimes if I
remember how large the world is . -
and stay away from the narrowne ss of
my own violence - I see that there is
more than one way to cross a mountain.
Calm waits with me when I wait for
others to pass.
Calm slows things
down so people can
speak from their
depth and not from
their surface.
CALM WAITS FOR the truth .
E.M. Forester 's "Passage to India" is
a remarkable treatment of how
raci sm works through manners as
well as economics and politics. An
English woman accuses a Moslem
Indian of attacking her in a cave .
Then she repents her accusation . His
life is ruined anyway - or so he
thinks. Her life is also ruined by her
foolish, confused falsehood. The
point of truth seeking is to ruin as few
lives as possible - and to open the
pathways for confession, forgiveness,
r estoration, and a glimpse of truth.
Cairn slows things down so people
can speak from their depth not from
their surface . When we speak from
our s urface, or for the crowd, or the
quick fix, we do what this English
woman did. We say what we think
might have happened as opposed to
what did happen.
Lots of things are much more than
they appear. We need to slow down
our perceptions and look carefully
and calmly. Did my husband really
mean that cruel thing I thought he
said? What if he did? What if ·he
didn't? Do I need to respond now or
can I wait until I have reestablished
self-control?
Often a little calm allows us the
tirn~ we need to become calm enough
to deal with life's difficulty. "Slow
down" is never bad advice . Small
calm waits for large calm to develop.
"Good But Not
Perfect Mothers"
is a book title
I have sworn to
use some day.
MAGGIE SCARF"S book on "Families
in America" tells a story of family
typologies. She thinks there are at
least five kinds. Critical. Confirming
. Endorsing: Adoring . Neglecting .
She also thinks that we become the
kind of parents we hav e .
Most of us begin our parenting life in
utter rejection of this obvious fact.
We are going to be so much better
than our parents that it wasn't even
funny. In fact, it was very funny. Our
efforts to best our own parent s have
utterly failed.
The source of lightness her e for me
· has been to learn to love my mother
as my mother - she will never be the
kind I had exactly hoped for . I want
this grace from my children - and I
suspect the only way I will get it is to
have it.
My mother did the very same best
she could as I am doing right now . It
"ain't" perfect. Sometimes when I
realize what she was up against, I
put away my own list of particulars,
which I use w.hile driving to work on
· more than one occasion to explain to
myself the ' "real" reasons breakfast
was such a disaster.
My husband wa s parent ed critical
and he parents critical. . I was par ;
ented neglected and adoring, on alternate
Tuesdays, and parent the same.
My hopes to best my parents have
met failure.
Early teenagers (Why can't I get
Mortal Combat) have given us lots of
opportunities to show how our parents
parented us .
"Good But Not Perfect Mothers" is a
book title I have sworn to use some
day . Imperfection is not the only destiny
I have left in this vocatfon of
motherhood .
What would a calm family be? Cairn
anc\l[ itical. Cairn and adoring . Calm
and ·neglecting. Do you see the difference?
We add our salvation to our
pattern - and we begin being some of
the people we had hoped to be ; Not
people better than our parents but
people a bit more like Jesus.
The Rev. Donna E. Schaper is Associate
Conference Minister with the
·Massaclt11setts Conference of the
U11ited••1Cl1111<cl1 of Christ. Her _new
book is "The Sense In Sabbath: A
Way · To Have Enough Time," Innis•
free, forthcoming Sept., 1997.
PAGE 7 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST, 1997
........... . . · ....... ·: . .......... ·· ··· ...... · .......... · · · · ...... ··· .. ··· ...
Boycott gets little, no
SUpJX)rt from some Baptists
Walt Disney's boyhood town has mixed feelings
MARCELINE, Mo. - People in the
north-central Missouri town where
Walt Disney spent much of his childhood
are mixed over the decision by
the Southern Baptist Convention to
boycott Disney over what it called
gay-friendly policies.
"I think for years Walt Disney
stood for something good, but they
went to the way of the world, whatever
that is," said Janice Robinson,
choir director at the First Baptist
Church. "Walt Disney would roll
over in his grave right now, this (gay
policy) just isn't what he intended."
Others disagreed.
"The boycott is stupid, why should
they boycott it when _it's none of the
Baptist 's business?" said John St.
Lawrence. "They should stay the
hell out of it."
Disney, who wa; born in Chicago in
1901, lived in Marceline from 1906-11
before he moved to Kansas City . to
study art. After creating the . wellknown
Disney characters in the 1920s
and 1930, he got the now huge enter~
tainment company off to its start by
opening Disneyland in Anaheim in
1955.
"Walt Disney, typically a family
organization, is wrong in it's actions,"
said the Rev. Delmar "Gene" McCollum
of the First Baptist church .
"Sometimes people's strings can only
be touched by money. I support the
boycott, not out of hate, but out of a
sense of right and wrong."
But Gretchen Gregory said it was
wrong to pass judgment on people.
"I personally feel, as a Christian,
that I support all types of people and
their relationships shouldri't have
anything to do with it," she said. "I
think people need to be careful about
making judgments on other people's
lives." -AP
NebUIBka gay community not
bothered by ooycott
LINCOLN, Neb. - Member s of
Nebraska's gay and lesbian community
say they do not consider a Southern
Baptist boycott of Walt Disney to
be a major setback to the gay rights
movement.
"I expect other groups, particularly
religious groups, will try similar
things, but in the long run, I believe
most Americans are going to feel that
lesbians and gays require full civil
rights," said Barbara DiBernard, a
University of Nebraska-Lincoln English
professor, who is a lesbian .
John Taylor, a Lincoln attorney and
an openly gay man, said he did not
see the action as a sign of growing
anti-gay feelings in the country. More
and more businesses are granting bene
·fits to same-sex partners of employeesand
making those partners eligible
for company-paid health plans saves
the public money by keeping. them off
Medicaid, he said.
Pastors of Lincoln 's two largest
Southern Baptist churches said they
don't plan any sermons urging their
members to support the boycott.
The Rev. John Herrington of New
· Covenant Southern Baptist Church
disapproved of the convention vote.
He said he knows that some gay and
lesbian people attend his church, and
he did not want to turn them away.
"This action further alienates
wounded people in need of the healing
message of Christ, and will have
little impact on the mammoth Disney
organization," he said.
The Rev. Dan Cate of Southview
Southern Baptist was more supportive
of the resolution, but said he
would leave his congregation's .
response up to their own consciences.
Nevertheless, Cate said the church
should e mphasize helping people_
change rather than condemning them.
PAGE 8 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST, 1997
Florida churches choose
toignore boycott
"I won't tell our people to boycott"
says Orlando pastor
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Baptists in
Central Florida are divided over the
boycott of Walt Disney Co. by their
national governing body.
"I won't tell our people to boycott,"
said the Rev. Tim Wilder of the First
Baptist Church of Kissimmee. "I'll
let them decide. This church has
more than 100 Disney employees as
members, and we love them ."
The _Rev. Jim Henry of Orlando's
First Baptist Church said he :was
leaning in favor of a boycott e.arlier,
but had changed his_ mind.
"I don't think it's the right thing to
do," said the former .Southern Baptist
Convention president. "If we -want to
bring Disney to its knees, we ought to
SEE ORLAND◊,. Next Page
100 members of Baptist church
are Disney employees
By Mike Schneider
Associated Press Writer
WINDERMERE, Fla. - Many of the
congregants in Pastor Mark Matheson's
church work at ,Walt Disney
World. His congregation is in a
neighboring suburb. And the church's
choir has sung at Disney's annual
Christmas program.
So what's a minister to do when his .
denomination's governing bod}
decides to boycott ·the <;nte_rt-ain,men1
conglomerate? · ' ~ , ·-'
Ignore it. •
"It's just _not ,a •cu1°and, drr, -i·ssue,"
said Matheson, whose : congrei;ation,
First Baptist Church of Windc:rmcre,
sits in an Orlando · subu_rb !i.ve, mile!
SEE MEMBERS'. ~.'1$e 10
HRC: Baptists make false c;hqice
retweenfaithandfaimess·
DALLAS - By passing a resolution
calling for a nationwide anti-gay
boycott of the Walt Disney Company
and all of its subsidiaries, the Southern
Baptist Convention made a false
choice between faith and fairness,
said a leader of the Human Rights
Campaign.
" It is morally wrong for the delegates
of the Southern Baptist Convention
to punish a company for
simply refusing to discriminate
against gay Americans," HRC se11ior
strategist David M. Smith said at a
news conference after the vote at the
denomination's annual meeting.
"Most people of faith recognize that
religious disagreements do not justify
discrimination . For this reason, this
boycott is bound to fail."
Smith said that, while it would be
illegal for Disney to discriminate
against people based on their religion,
it remains legal to discriminate
against gays and lesbians - making
the company's voluntary policy of
equal treatment for gay people all
the more worthy of praise rather
than a boycott.
"The Southern Baptist Convention
is at odds not just with gay people,
but with the majority of people of
faith who , despite their differences,
are united in opposing discrimination
against gay and lesbian Americans,"
Smith said. "Unlike th e Southern
Baptist Convention, most - people of
faith realize that they can disagree
over gay issues and still agree that
discrimination against gay people is
wrong."
Smith pointed to recent polling data
showing that 70 percent of Christians
believe gay and lesbian peopl e
should be protected from discrimination
in the workplace, compared . to 23
percent who don ' t. Sixty percent of
evangelicals share this belief, while
34 percent do not.
The poll results come from a
national survey of 1,007 voters conducted
Nov. 5-8, 1996, for the Human
Rights Campaign.
"What the Southern Baptist Convention
delegates have said with
their vote for this boycott is that
they don't want even one openly gay
person on TV, they don't want us to be
treated fairly in the workplace, and,
after advocating that gay people be
discriminated against throughout
society, they don't even want us going
to Disneyland," said Smith.
"Thankfully, I think most Americans
would disagree."
l·N+N=i!O::-/· "i"i"i'."('.",·•:;,·;·m-:-r;:nn:-;aiThTi·:t:·;-;-pfr;:?:-:-:-h-:-iti".":1h·)T;T;-;-;-;:;·:·:·:·;·.······ ...... ,.,·•·;·:·:·;·;·;·;;-:1;-;1 National News
MoJerate Baptists disc~ ~~ oforg&Iization, not Disney
human rights. God loves us the same - '.'We're the pro-active Baptists," he By Kimberly Hefting
Associated Press Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The evolv'
ing role of the moderate Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship was the main
focus of attention at the organization's
general assembly, while the
Disney boycott urged by the Southern
Baptist Convention received relatively
little attention .
Some of those in attendance June 25,
who have been at odds with the conservative
Convention's decision June
18 to boycott everything Disney,
poked fun -at the boycott by sporting
Disney ties and other paraphernalia.
"I think it's ridiculous," said Faye
Shaw, a resident of Cocoa, Fla. "I
think we have more important issues.
''To me, thaes an issue of someone's
no matter who they are ." said.
But the main topic of conversation
at the three-day event tended to be
more about the fellowship's evolving
role. After all, the fellowship,
which has a $14.4 million budget and
1,600 member churches, is still young .
It was formed in 1990 at an organizational
meeting in Atlanta, but the
fellowship was formally created in
May 1991.
"It takes for some of us a different
way of thinking to understand CBF
because we're really different - we're
new," said the fellowship's coordinator,
Daniel Vestal, during a morning
workshop.
Joe Williams, a retired pastor from
Louisville, Ky., agreed:
About 4,000 people were in attendance.
During the general session on June 24,
Vestal told those in attendance that
with the help of the fellowship, he
had been able to transform his opinions
about the role of women in the
church.
Southern Baptist Convention leadership
has taken · a formal position
opposing women serving as senior pastors.
·
"In a pastor's meeting in Kansas
City I was asked the question,
'Daniel, have _ you changed in your
attitude and conviction about women
in ministry and particularly about
women as pastors?' Vestal said. "And
I answered, 'Yes, I've · not only
changed, but I've had to repent to ask
God to forgive me."'
Since then, he said he's been shown
grace by God and members of the fellowship.
''The spirit ofGod is blowing across
the world calling women and they
are responding," Vestal said. "This
feilowship will attract an increasing
number of Baptists because we believe
in that movement of the spirit."
And while the Disney boycott
might not have been the main topic of
discussion, that doesn't mean those in
attendance didn't have an opinion -
mostly negative - about it.
"It's upsetting," Williams said. "I
don't think that is the appropriate
response of people who profess to be
Christian."
UFMCC set to resJX)nd if Peny's home state fines
· clergy who ~tfonn same-sex ceremonies
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - · If Alabama
starts fining ministers for performing
·same-sex marriages, Rev. Troy Perry,
founder of the Universal Fellowship
. . of Metropolitan Community Church es,
plans to protest the law by conducting
a mass gay marriage at the
state Capitol.
Legislation to ban same-sex marriages
and fine ministers $1,000 for
performing the ceremonies died when
the Legislature wrapped up its regular
session May 19, but the sponsor,
Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville,
said he will be back with it in any
special session called this summer by
Gov. Fob James.
Perry condemned the
"unconstitutional religious bigotry" of
S.B. 1, the bill. that has come before
the Alabama State Senate in each of
the last two sessions.
"Let me make one other thing
dear." Perry said. "I will never pay
so much as one penny in fines to any
ORLANDO,
From Previous Page
spend time on our knees, praying for
them to do the right thing."
Pam Billingsley of Lake Mary, a
member of Westview Baptist Church
in Sanford, said since the New
Orleans convention she no longer buys
videos, attends theme parks or buys
any of Disney items.
Carolyn Riley of Deland, a member
of First Baptist Church of Deland,
said she would not boycott Disney
(
government as penalty for our right to
perform same-sex marriages. Holy
Union and Holy Marriage are rites
and sacraments of all UFMCC congregations.
I will serve time in jail
before I will allow the government to
dictate our religious practices.
"The day any such bill passes the
Alabama Legislature , I will be on a
plane for Montgomery where I will
invite all of our pastors, as well as
enlightened clergy from any other
faith community, to join me on the
steps of the Alabama Capitol for the
largest mass wedding for the gay
community ever seen in Alabama ,"
Perry said.
"The members of UFMCC stand in
solidarity with the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered communities
of Alabama," he said. "I find
myself amazed that an elected official
who is sworn to uphold the Constitution
would endorse and introduce
legislation that so obviously violates
World.
"I still think if's one of the cleanest
parks around . It's a family place,"
she said.
It is hard for many Baptists in the
area to oppose Disney despite disagreeing
with the company on
important issues. .
"I feel like Disney is an old friend
that's slipping away," Wilder said.
"I definitely agree that there are
proble.ms out ther e."
the constitutional separation of
church and state, and which curtails
~he free exercise of religion."
Perry spent part of his childhood
in Alabama and attended junior high
and high school in Mobile. "A formative
part of my life was spent in Alabama,"
he said . }le later founded the
■
am totally opposed to holding up
their alternative lifestyle as a
proper and normal lifes\yle to the
children of Alabama," Bedford said.
· Views on same-sex marriage vary
within some of Alabama's denomina tions.
The Rev. Jim Norris, pastor of
"I will never pay so much as one penny
in fines ... I will serve time in jail before
I will allow the government to dictate ·
our religious practices."
■
UFMCC which now has more than Huntsville's United Church of
42,000 members in 300 congregations in Christ, said the ·proposed ban on
19 countries, including five congrega- same-sex marriages appears to step
tions in Alabama: Birmingham, over the line between separation of
Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and church and state.
Tuscaloosa. ''The main concern I would have is
''The struggle of same-sex marriage that it would certainly serve to open
recognition is a matter of simple up some doors to other legislation.
justice," Perry said. "We do not seek The state is not supposed to dictate to
special rights, only equal rights. We the church, and the church is not supbelieve
that the rights of marriage pose d to dictate to the state," he
should be open to all citizens as an said.
expression of love, fidelity and com- But Baptist minister Dan kcland,
mitment." executive director of the .A fiw;m,a
Bedford offered his proposed ban on Citizen Action Prog_ram- Iob'bying
same-sex marriages this session after group, said if the . legisfation passes,
a similar bill · by Sen. Bill Armistead, no minister- should be performing a
R-Columbiana, died in last year's marriage in violation of state law .
session. "It's illegal and it shouldn't matter
"I thin~ it is morally wrong. I don't whether it's a minister, priest or
think you should persecute gays, but I probate judge," Ireland said.
PAGE 9 • SECOND STONE • JULY/Al/GUST, 1997
National News ti···l-i-•:). -i·I·l•i•t:;:;,::;.;.;.;=i= .;./.;:;::=i:i: =·=·-·=·=·=•=❖ =•:•=·:?I=i= :::;:;:;:-:•: :t:·=M=I:t: ❖:•:•: :;: :-:f:i=i=·Ud* :;:•: 4 >=❖-•,•······•i;····fr···•il
Madison area clergy promise sup!X)rt of gays, lesbians
By William·R. Wineke
Wisconsin State Journal
MORE THAN 60 Madison, Wisc.,
clergy issued a statement promising
church support of gay men and lesbians.
Although the statement stopped
short of endorsing same-sex marriage,
it did promise that the clergy
"commit ourselves to the encouragement
of relationships that meet the
test of fidelity and loving nurture."
It said "we often find the term
' family values' applied to only some
Christian families."
The statement was signed by clergy
of the American Baptist, Episcopal,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, Quaker, Moravian,· United
Methodist, Presbyterian Church
(USA) and United Church of Christ.
Unitarian-Universalist and Jewish
clergy also signed.
The action was taken as a result of a
"Full communion" agreements
now down to Lutheran vote
Episcopalians approve
agreement with ELCA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Episcopalians
and Evangelical Lutherans
moved a step closer to a long-awaited
alliance when Episcopalian clergy
and their lay leader ship approved a
key agreement July 18.
"This is the major ecumenical event
of this century," said the Rev.
Richard Jeske, a Lutheran pastor
from California who co-chaired the
committee which drafted the agree ment
.
The agreement would establish full
communion between the churches but
not a merger. It would allow clergy
from .either church to lead services
and to administer sacraments in both
churches - a popular prospect in small
communities.
The approval from th e Episcopalian
church l eaders represents the
first major step in a lengthy legislative
process started after 30 years of
Episcopal-Lutheran discussion.
During their August meeting, Evangelical
Lutherans also will vote on
similar agreements with the Presbyterian
Church of the United States of
America, the United Church of
· Christ and the Reformed Church of
America.
Reformed Church vote
overcomes fear of
gay ordination
MILWAUKEE - A plan to unify four
Protestant denominations after a 450-
year rift survived a heated debate
over homosexuality and gay clergy as
the smallest church became the first
to approve the agreement.
The Reformed Church in America on
June 18 overwhelmingly urged full
communion with the 5.2-million
member Evangelical Lutheran
Church of America, allowing joint
congregations, minister exchanges and
shared sacraments for the first time
since the 16th century .
"This will be heard around the
world," said Wesley GranbergMichaelson,
general secretary of the
nearly 400,000-member church. "It is
a historic moment, a faithful step
towards the unity that already exists
in Christ.''.
The division in the churches
stemmed from disagreements among
leaders of the Reformation, when the
Protestant denominations split from
the Roman Catholic C hurch in the
16th century.
Some delegates worried that the
agreement gave indirect support to
the United Church of Christ's policy
of ordaining gay and lesbian mi11-
isters.
"Historic moment,"
says UCC leader
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The
Unit ed Church of Christ decided July
5 in favo~ of an agreement that will
unite four Protestant denominations.
"This is a historic moment," said
the Rev. Paul Sherry, president of
the Cleveland-based United Church
of Christ. "It is a moment we truly
share in our oneness with Christ
Jesus."
More than 700 delegates, representing
1.5 million members, overwhelmingly
voted to accept the plan for full
commwuon.
"This is an encouragement to look
beyond congregational isolation,"
said John Thomas, assistant to Sherry.
Bishop Stanley Olson of Redwood
Falls, Minn., represented the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America
at the convention. "We have to work
around some of the separateness," he
said.
More than 3,000 people from the
. church's 39 regional bodies met July 5-
8 at the Greater Columbus Convention
Center.
PAGE 10 • SECOND STONE• JU LY/AUGUST, 1-997
meeting held in April with author
and activist Rev. Mel White.
"At that meeting I suggested they
create a declaration that would set a
new direction for these endless
denominational discussions," White
said. "What they did in Madison is
an . e~ample of what we -hope will
happen across the country."
The statement began by declaring
"As Christian clergy we embrace gay
and lesbian persons as our neighbors.
From our reading of scripture and from
our pastoral experiences, we believe
there is sufficient evidence to conclude
. that homosexuality is neither
sickness nor sin ."
The clergy said they "strongly
uphold the family as th e basic social
unit in which we are called to live
together and to give and receive nurture
and support."
They said they are "saddened and
concerned by the breakdown of the
family that stems from various forms
of infidelity , violence and failure to
maintain long-term loving commitments
a mon g both het erosexual and
homosexual communities."
Therefore, the clergy said, "we
believe it is time to eliminate all
policies and practices wh ich create
barriers and rest(ictions to the full
participation of gay and lesb ian
Christians . in all of the privileges
and responsibilities of church membership."
MEMBERS,
FromPage8
from Walt Disney World. "Simple
answers to complex questions are
almost always wrong."
In a community such as Orlando
where 42,000 people work at Disn ey,
the area's largest employer, saying
"no" to the entertainment giant is just
too hard for a congregation like First
Baptist Church of Windermere.
"There are a lot of good Christians
out there at Disney," said Walt
Hall, a church member who worked
in resort sales at Disney until last
March. "It's a little embarrassing to
have the Baptist denomination calling
for a boycott."
Matheson has officiated at weddings
at Disney 's Wedding Pavilion,
including one that was televised on
Disney-owned "Live! With Regis and
Kathie Lee."
About 100 of the church's 1,700 members
work for Disney, from hourly
workers to top manag ers.
The boycott is nonbinding and each
church can decide for ifself whether
to adhere to it. In a church newsletter,
Matheson told his con.gregants
"We hope and pray that
those who have left our churches _
will in God's time return to full and ·.
unqualified membership in the
Christian community and by their
presence help us to be renewed as the
church of Jesus Christ," the statement
concluded.
The statement was released at a
press conference in the First Congregational
United Church of Christ.
The Rev. Paul Kittlaus, senior minister
of the church, said the initial
statement was drafted by local
Christian clergy because most of the
debate about homosexuality takes
place within Christianity .
Lay people and clergy of nonChristian
organizations were invited
to sign as a symbol of their support,
however.
Among the pastors of larger congregations
signing were the Rev. John
Fetterman, rector of Grace Episcopal
Church; the Rev. Harvey Peters, pastor
of Luther Memoria l Church; the
Rev. David Lyons, pastor of the First
United Methodist Church; and th e
Rev. David Michael, pastor of Lake
Edge United Church of Christ.
The Rev. Frederick Trost, minister
of the Wisconsin Conference of the
United Cl;urch of Chri st; the Rev.
Michael Schuler, pastor of the First
Unitarian Society; and Rabbi Jan
Brahms, of Temple Beth El, also were
among the signers.
that they should make up their own
minds on whether to follow the boy cott.
"There are people at the church
who back the resolution. We back our
pastor," said Patti Andreone, who
teaches Sunday school at the church
with her husband, Dave, and used to
own a family pass to the theme park.
Located in one of Orlando 's most
affluent suburbs, the First Baptist
Church of Windermere's sprawling,
stone-facade building sits on 6 1/2
acres. Its spacious, semicircle sanctuary
is lined with stained -glass wind ow.
Each Sunday, the church offers 39
Bible study classes and three morning
services. It has lounges for seniors,
singles and adolescents.
"When you make a resolution to
boycott in Dallas, and then go home
to Missouri or Oklahoma, or even
stay in Dallas, that's one thing,"
Matheson said. "But when you have
to come back to Central Florida and I
see the people at my church who
work at Disney , good Christians who
attend church and Bible studies ... it
puts it in a whole different light."
National News
Presbyterianpsp rovme ajorr evisioonf
fonner'f idelitayn dc hastitya'm endment
. . SYRA,CliSE - By an even greater mar.
gin than last year's Presbyterian
· Churc _h (USA) General Assembly
pa~ed Amend111enBt - the commonlycalled
"fidelity and chastity"
amendment - the 209th General
Assembly voted to send a far less
restrictive amehdment to the presbyteries
that would replace the contro-.
versial measure.
"This is a way into the future. It's
an interim step," said the Rev. John
Lohr of Palisades; N.J. "It doesn't
resolve the issue ... but it gives us
space for grace."
The vote on the proposed revision to
what is now G-6.0106b was 328-217, or
60 percent to 40 percent. After the
vote, many delegates hugged and
shook hands. Some walked out of the
convention hall obviously displeased.
Amendment B passed last year 's
Assembly by a 57 percent to 43 percent
margin. It was adopted after the
Assembly rejected by a 309-227 vote a
minority report from seven members
of its Assembly Committee on the
"Book of Order" reaffirming the pas0
sage of Amendment B and pledging
Presbyterians "to walk together
through the grief which is felt by
many in the Presbyterian Church and
do all we can to embrace each other
with the grace of Jesus Christ."
The new amendment, which now
goes to the presbyteries for their
affirmative or negative votes during
the coming year requires church officers
to "lead a life in obedience to Jesus
Christ under the authority of scripture"
rather than in Amendment B's
"in obedience to scripture;" requires
them to "be instructed by the historic
confessional standards of the church"
rather than Amendment B's "in conformity"
to them; requires them to
"demonstrate fidelity and integrity
in marriage or singleness, and in all
relationships of life" rat her than
UFMCC welcomes Presbyterians
to Eucharistic table
LOS ANGELES - The Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitan Community
Churches (UFMCC) has extended an
invitation for gay and lesbian Presbyterians
to receive communion at any of
UFMCC's 300 local congregations.
The invitation was extended by the
Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, vicemoderator
of UFMCC and a long-time
ecumenical activist, in response to the
recently issued "Call to Eucharistic
Fast" by noted Presbyterian author,
speaker and activist Chris Glaser.
Glaser has proposed the fast to
embody protest against Amendment B
of the Presbyterian Church (USA),
which denies foll church participa tion
to gays and lesbians.
"I have known Chris Glaser for
many years," said Wilson. "I have
observed his ministry and his spiritual
devotion, and benefited from his
friendship and wise counsel. As I 0read
his "Call To Eucharistic Fast," I
found myself deeply moved by the
plight of my Presbyterian sisters and
brothers ."
In his "Call To Eucharistic Fast,"
Glaser wrote, 'Tm so glad so many of
you share the same passion for communion
that I have, a passion that
will prompt me to seek it out among ...
other lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered Christian groups and
congregations , as well as Christian
communions that do not forbid full
membership to us."
Social worker to lead Presbyterians
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A 52-year 0 old
social worker who vowed to push
hard for multiculturalism was
elected moderator of the Presbyterian
Church (USA) on June 14.
Patricia G. Brown, a member of Kennedy
Heights Presbyterian Church in
Cincinnati, easily defeated Rev.
Louis Zbinden, Jr. of San Antonio,
Texas, 287-180. D. Eugene Sibery
received 72 votes to finish third.
Brown elicited the most enthusias tic
response from the approximately
3,000 in attendance with her firm
pro-choice stance on abortion. But she
said multiculturalism would be the
center of her agenda.
"It's going to be fellowship, it's
going to be getting people together to
have conversation, to have fellowship,
to do spiritual discernment,"
Brown said. "We have to lay the
ground immediately, the common
grow1d."
Brown succeeds Rev. John Buchanan
of Chicago, a moderate who did not
object to the ordination of gays and
lesbians. -AP
living "in fidelity within the covenant
of marriage of a man and a woman
or chastity in singleness;" and states
that "candidates for ordained office
shall acknowledge their own sinfulness,
their need for repentance, and
their reliance on the grace and mercy
of God to fulfill the duties of their
office" rather than Amendment B's
"persons refusing to repent of any selfacknowledged
practice which the
confessions call sin shall not be
ordained and/or installed" as church
officers.
Debate on the proposed amendment,
which during the Assembly received
the moniker "Amendment B-plus,"
was dignified, thoughtful, passion ate
and long. Scores ofcommissioners
were still lined up to speak when
debate was ended.
Assembly Committee on the "Book
of Order" chair the Rev. Laird Stuart
of San Francisco Presbytery insisted
thaf the new amendmrnt "affirms
authoritative interpretation [barring
the ordination of sexually-active gay
and lesbian Presbyterians] ... and
affirms the right of the denomination
to set ordination standards." However,
Stuart continued, "Out of what we
have heard came our conclusion that
something needs to be done. The turmoil
and discord [following the passage
of Amendment B] is not going to
go away and our only way forward is
to find something more healing and
reconciling."
bytery said, "People are leaving the
church already [because of the passage
of Amendment B]. And the Rev.
Judy Hoffhine, a pastoral counselor
who works with persons with
HIV/ AIDS, said that since the passage
of Amendment B "I have had to
work three times as hard to convince
them that my church cares ."
The Rev. Steve Stelle of Maumee
Valley Presbytery, . arguing against
the new amendment, pleaded for
■
"The amendment
goes to the heart
of the gospel,
honoring marriage
and other relation ships
and offering
dignity to all
Presbyterians while
we continue to
discuss and discern
God's will on
this issue."
■
peace. ''The church will suffer if this
The Rev. Dale Depue of Indian fight continues - can't we have one
Nations Presbytery, an author of the year of peace?"
minority report, disagreed. "We The Rev. Christine Chakoian of
have been studying this issue for 20 Chicago Presbytery countered that
years and the passage of Amendment peace is not possible as long as
B was carefully and prayerfully Amendment Bis on the books. "I had
made," he said . "The church has hoped that Amendment B would setspoken
clearly and definitively." tie the issue, but it has only deepened
Then, reading from the text of the the turmoil."
minority report, Depue said, "Rather The Rev. Breck Castleman comthan
trying to amend G00106b, it is plained that the language of the new
imperative. that we find a way · to amendment is too vague. ''The meanlove,
support and promote healing ing of 'fidelity in singleness,' for
among those who have faithfully example, is unclear," he argued.
followed the leading of the Holy "This amendment will not lead us
Spirit in their lives and found them- into the light but into the fog."
selves holding strongly conflicting But the Rev. Sylvia Edwards of
positions." Pueblo Presbytery called the new
Robert Hammock, a Theological amendment "grace-filled." The
Student Advisory Delegate from amendment, she replied, "goes to the
Princeton Theological Seminary, heart of. the gospel, honoring marechoed
Depue's concerns. "Do we trust riage and other relationships and
our presbyteries?" he asked. ''Their offering dignity to all Presbyterians
will be greater division in our church while we continue to discuss and disif
we don't respect the vote Ion cern God's will on this issue."
AmendmentB]." -Presbyterian News Serv ice and
. But Margaret Elliott of Salem Pres- Associated Press
PAGE 11 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST. 1997
NationaNl ews
EmoryU, nitedM ethcxiCisth urcdhi sagreoen ownership
ATLANTA (AP) - A dispute over
whether a gay couple should be
allowed to marry at an Emory University
chapel has prompted a new
debate over who actually owns the
school.
"We have absolute unrestricted
ownership of our land and facilities,"
Emory spokeswoman Nancy Seideman
said June 16.
But North Georgia United Methodist
leaders asserted that Emory "is a
United Methodist university, owned
by the Southeastern Jurisdiction of
the United Methodist Church."
"I think that neither side understands
what the stakes are for the
other," said the ·Rev. Tom Laney,
pastor of Druid Hills United Methodist
Church and son of James T.
Laney, a former president of Emory .
"l don't want 80 years of a relationship
to go down the tubes."
The con troversy began when the
dean of Emory's Oxford College,
located 30 miles east of Atlanta in
Oxford, refused to allow Chris
Hamilton to celebrate his union with
male partner Jack Hamilton at the
Oxford chapel May 24. Chris Hamilton
is the school's director of student
development.
Gay rights activist not upset
by Methodist declaration
BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (AP) - A
gay rights advocate has turned the
other cheek after a Methodist conference
called her lifestyle a sin and
said it would try to help gays and
lesbians change their ways. ·
The anti-homosexual resolution was
adopted in mid-June by a statewide
conference of 1,400 delegates of the
United Methodist Church meeting at
West Virginia Wesleyan College at
Buckhannon.
Barbara Steinke, co-chairman of
the West Virginia Lesbian and Gay
Coalition, was not critical of the resolution.
"I appreciate the United Methodist
Church's commitment to human
rights and nondiscrimination,"
Steinke said.
Steinke said she hopes the Methodists
and other denominations will
eventually "embrace all people,
including gay and lesbians, and
oppose any form of discrimination."
"One basic human right is the right
to be in a relationship with whom
you choos_e and love," she said.
The resolution declared homosexuality
a ·sin and promised the church
would offer love and compassion to
those who want to "escape a homosexual
lifestyle."
Methodists to require racial
sensitivity training
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) - The
Rev. Norman A. Brown grew tired of
the continua l racial slurs he had
heard from some state United Methodist
organizations.
So he is especially pleased that
clergy and church members will
rece ive racial sensitivity training;.
The resolution was passed May 28 on
the last day of the state's annual
meeting.
next four years on a state office aimed
at strengthening black churches .
That resolution states that
although the black population in
South Carolina increased by 11 per cent
between 1980 and 1990 that the
most recent figures show a decline of
15 percent in black membership and a
32 percent decrease in the number of
black churches since 1974.
"Let us start fresh again to stamp The delegates overwhelmingly
out prejudice so God's spirit can lead opposed a proposal by Bill Tanner of
us to the future," he said. Charleston that the church discon-
More than 1,800 ministers and tinue participation in a Columbia
church delegates from the state's sec- interfaith group.
ond -largest denomination said their "When we sit down with people
boards and agencies should provide who do not worship the same God
cultural diversity training and that we do, we are by inference and
encourage dialogue on all levels of by appearance and in fact making a
the church. statement that we endorse" worship -
In a separate action, delegates ing more than one God, he said.
voted to further study a measure that Tanner's suggestion was quickly shot
would have spent $250,000 over the .down by the delegates.
PAGE 12 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUG UST, 1997
Emory President William M. Chace
later said the dean's decision was
wrong and in violation of the school's
non-discrimination policy . Chace
apologized to the couple, who had to
make last-minute plans to change the
ceremony to another location.
Chace said that although religious
ceremonies are conducted at the chapels,
they aren't churches in the sense
that they have a minister and a congregation.
The chapels are used for
functions not related to the Methodist
religion and therefore are not always
governed by church policy, he .said.
'Tm quite sure when there·s ·a Jewish
wedding (at the chapel), it's not
functioning as a Methodist church,"
Chace said.
Chris Hamilton, whose name was
Chris Hightower before the ceremony,
said he was not surprised by the
church's position.
"I think we would probably get a
wider margin of support from everyday,
average Methodists," he said.
Hamilton said Chace had planned
to go to the couple's Forsyth County
home to apologize but called five
minutes before he was due to arrive to
say he could not be there.
"He told me he was personally sorry
for what had happened," Hamilton
said . "He wanted to come out himself
and tell us that in person, but he had
wanted it to be a private affair. He
didn't like that there was publicity
about it."
Emory University, founded in 1830,
was named for a bishop . In the early
1900s, conservative Methodist
bishops put the school under tight
church control.
Bible Society scraps genderneutral
translation
RALEIGH (AP) - Conservative
Southern Baptists scored a major victory
when the International Bible
Society announced it would kill a gender-
neutral translation of the Bible
most trusted by evangelical Christians.
"Do you make one translation for
consetvatives and one for liberals?"
asked Bill Merrell of the Southern
Baptist Convention in Nashville,
Tenn. "The suspicion was that the
translation was driven by political
considerations . The Bible's meaning
ought to be made as plain as possible."
Southern Baptists, the largest Prot estant
denomination in the United
States, attacked the gender -neutral
translation of the New International
Version of the Bible with a passion.
Once they heard of plans to change
,vorc:is such as "men" to "human
beings" or "people," they wrote letters,
made phone calls and flooded
the International Bible Society and
Zondervan Publishing House of Grand
Rapids, Mich., with faxes.
The International Bible Society
sponsors translations of the NIV the
most successful modern English Bible
translation sold in the United States .
''The very vocal reaction from the
evangelical constituency was: 'Do not
take this step. Our churches will not
receive this ,"' said Eugene Rubingh,
vice . president for translation at the
International Bible Society in Colorado
Springs, Colo.
Although most bookstores already
carry gender-inclusive translations of
the Bible, evangelical Christians
were dismayed that the translation
they most trust - the NIV - would be
subject to the _same cultural wars that
have raged in society at large.
"We were concerned with the criticism
coming from the Southern
Baptists," said Jonathan Petersen,
director of corporate affairs for Zondervan
. "We've gotten hundreds of
letters, e-mails and phone calls."
Even in scrapping the new translation,
the society said some of the
changes would have rendered the
original biblical texts, written in
Hebrew and Greek, more accurate.
The proposed translation's principal
aim was to add or substitute
inclusive language to generic masculine
references . For example, instead
of saying "God created man in his own
image ," the new translation would
have read: "God created human
beings in his own image."
The new translation would not have
changed the masculine gender in references
to God, Jesus Christ and the
Holy Spirit.
Moderate pastors said the new
translation, originally scheduled for
publication in_ 2001, would have been
no less accurate than previous translations.
"When you 're reading .the King
James Version or the NIV, you're not
reading what was originally said .
You're reading a translation ," said
Becky Albritton , pastor of Millbroqk
Baptist Church in Raleigh . "We lo~e
sight of that. Somehow we think if
it's not this war, it's not the Holy
Word."
RICHMOND, IND!ANA
I Other Sheep '
AN ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
WITH THE SEXUAL MINORITY COMMUN ITY
JOIN US FOR WORSHIP!
July 27
August 24
September 28
October 26
P.O. Box 2448
Richmond, IN 47375-2448
765-966-4458
email: crameba@earlham.edu
01STRIBUTION OF THIS ISSUE MADE POSSIBLE BY
PAGES-THE BOOKSTORE. OLD RICHlvONO COURT
211 S.5TH ST. RICHMOND 765-93 5-6945
MEMPHIS. TENNESSEE
HOLY TRINITY W COMMUNITY CHURCHES
· IN TENNESSEE
. MEMPHIS--
I 559 Madison Ave.
90 I /726 -9443
Sunda'y: IO a.m. Sunday School
I I _a.m. Communion
Rev. Timothy Me,dows, M.Div., Senior Minister
NASHVILLE--.
3028 Lebanon Rd. (In the Unity Center)
61 5/837-2424
Sunday: 6 p.m. Worship Service
Rev. CynthiJ Looper, M.M.
Proclaiming God's love For All People
KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI
Come share your ministry with us
at. ...
~
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church
5090 NE Chouteau Trafficway
KansasCity,MO 64119
(816)452-1222
· Caring for People and Creation
(Ncrth of the River)
Sunday Worship: 10:30 am
Sunday School: 9:00 am
http://www.sound.net/~pick.le
Distribution of Second Stone in some
communities is sponsored by our
Outreach Partners. We invite you to
visit them for worship.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
Third Lutheran Church
1864 Frankfort Ave nue
Louisville, KY 40206
' 896 -6383
Worship: Sunday 10:30 AM
Rev. Phil Garber
A Reconciled in Christ Congregation
Everyone is invited
You are invited
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Weary??
C::O:M.:E :HO:M.:E!!
~
110H Jfl~IH'tllOWJmr
•
or LONQ l'tl!CN
JJ,,..,. L. 171..,J, IP,J,,,.
Classes
Retreats
Counseling
Social Activities
12-Step "Bible• Study
HIV ·spiritual Support" Group
Mid-Week •Prayer & Praise" Services
Saturday, 6:00 PM "Worship"
North Long Beach Christian Church
1115 E. Market St., Long Beach, CA.
( 562) 435-0990
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA
Faith
Full Gospel
Fellowship
Worship: Sunday Sp.in .
22294 City Center Dr. #5108
Hayward CA 94541-2810
(510)886-7332
E-mail: itsame@ix.netcom.com
web site:
htlp: // www2 .netcom .com / -ilsame /failhfei
teowship.html
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
You are welcome at
Lisl1tl1o\.fsc
Apostolic
Cl1\.f-rcl1
38 Columbia Street, 2nd Floor
Schenectady, NY 12308-3326
(518) 372-6001
Brother Carey, Pastor
Worship Service Sun. at 4:30 pm
Bible Study Wed. at 7:00 pm
A Jesus' Name Church!
National Gay Pentecostal Alliance
email: NGPA@concentric.net
visit our website at
http ://www.cris .co m/~N GPA
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
Come
Celebrate
With Us
The New
Life In
Jesus!
(lw15:32)
Non .. Denoniinational .. Bible Centered
Sunday Servic.e~ - 10:30 am
at The Billy DeFrank Center
175 Stockton Ave .. San Jose, CA .
Pastor David Harvey • (408) 345-2319
http ://www .lodsys.com/celebrate/
DAYTON, OHIO
COMMUNITY
GOSPEL CHURCH
P.O. rox 1634 • D\YTON, OH 45401
DISCOVER YOUR DESTINY!
AU ARE WELCOME
ml'etS: 546 Xenia.Ave.
Ulyton, Ohio
SundaylOam
E-MAl1; RevSamuelK@aol.mm
V!Si.t our Web Site
http://www.oorneaol.c.om/rev~unuelk
937-252-8855
REV. SAMUEL KADER,
PASTOR
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Safe Harbor
Family Church
A family that prays and plays together!
Serving the ChrishAn G,.y, Lc,hian,
Bi scs.ua.l, T rdnsgcndcr Communities
of J ackson, M ississippi .
2147 Henry Hill Dr, Ste 203
. Jackson MS 39204-ZOOO
P hone: 601-961-9500
A n AIM A ffiliate
Rev. James H . Becker
Senior M ini ster
601-825-8056
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
THE CHURCH OF
THE LIVING WATER
Bible Studies
Worship Services
Healing Ministries
Counseling
"God's Word to God's People"
Info: call (615)865-2679
Much of
Second Stone's
content is
available online.
To receive online
updates, just
e-mail us at
secstone@aol.com.
PAGE 13 • SECOND STONE• J U LY/A UGUST, 1997
About our
Resource Guide ...
The churches, organizations and publications
listed below are resources
for gay /lesbian/bisexual/ transg endered
Christians. Accuracy of an
organization's listing is the responsibility
of the organ ization. We
apologize for any omissions or errors.
Corrections may be sent to P.O. Box
8340, New Orleans, LA 70182 oremailed
to secstone@aol.com. In most
cases area codes are listed in the city
heading only.
National
~v,~~(9E g~~/f~~~~IN~~~\~f4)~1
;~7~a~~';, · ~;~~:
drecta.
AFFIRMATION/United Methodists for Gay & Lesbian Concerns,
P.O. Box 1021, Evanston, IL60204. (708)733-9500.
AMERICAN BAPTISTS CONCERNED, 13318 c1a,epoinle Way.
Oakland, CA 94619-3531. (5l0)<$5-8652. Voo, ol lhe Turt~
AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE (Quaker) 2249 E.
Bumskle SI., Portland, OR 97214. (503)230-9427. t:OJJ~?~;~0
~~~~~~~::ttii~r~ o~b':'!,i ft
81005, Seal.lie, WA 98106-1005. (206)763-2469. apcalx:h@aol.oom
hllp:1/memoers.aoloornlapcalrch.
ASSOCIATION OF WELCOMING ANO AFFIRMING BAPTISTS,
P.O. Box 2596, Attleboro Fal• , MA 02763-0894. V/F (508)226-0945.
WABaplols@aol.oom. httpJusers.aol.oom/Wabaplols. A network of
ctwrches, agarizatioos and inciviciJals who welcome and aOJ003te
lor lhe full partq,alim ol osb~n. gay. and bisexual pecple within
!he American Baplol Churches/USA.
BALM MINISTRIES, P.O.Box 1981, Gosla Mesa, CA 92628.
(714)641-8968. Marsha Stevens, singer/songmi!er. Suzanne
ti:i"i~~~w~ ·NONITE PARENTS OF LESBIAN/GAY CHILD·
REN, Box 1708, Lima, OH 45802.
BRETHREN/ MENNONITE COUNCIL FOR LESBIAN ANO GAY
CONCERNS, Box 6300, Minnea~is, MN 55406-0300. (612)722·
6906. BMCouncil@aol.com. h11pJ1www.""1xxxn.Oll!MlfTlc/ S<W>\
for Brethren and lv1ennonite g1y, lesbian, and bisexual pecple, and
their parents, spouses, relatM!s and !fiend;. Plblication: Dialogue
CHI RHO PRESS· A spec~I work ol lhe UFMCC Mid-Al~nli: Dis·
trict. Plblisher of re!gous books and materials. P.O. Box 7864,
8o~ml1iA~rj~1~Wv'.~~~~D~logue and Sll'!)Orl grcx.p
for gay and •sb•n Caltlolt c~r9'f and re190us. P.O. Box 60125,
ChicafP, IL 60660--0125. Poolicalim: Cornmunical~n
CONFERENCE FOR CATHOLIC LESBIANS, P.O. Box 436 Plane•
lari.Jm Sin., New York, NY 10024. (718)921-0463.
CONNECTIONS· SPIRITUAL LINKS· Seminars, wockstq,s, oonlerenres
on 9"iel and bereavement Rev. Adlard B. Glb!rt. drectcr.
1504 N. Caf111D811 St , Vaparaiso, IN 46383. (219)<$4-8183. ;oice
ardlax. .
DIGNITY/USA, 1500MassachusettsAve., NW, Ste. 11, Washingm,
DC 20005. (202)661·00l7, FAX (202)429-9808. Gay and lesbian
Cathoics and lteir lrie!'lm.
ECUMENICAL CATHOLIC CHURCH, P.O. Box 32, Vilkl Grande,
CA 95486·0032. (707)BB7·1020, FAX, (707)667-7083. The Mos! Rev.
Mark S. Shirilau, Ph.D. Poolicalion: Tl'eTatjet
ECUMENICAL ORC!:R OF CHARITY, PO Box 257, Des Moioos, IA
50301. (515)251·6254. An ecumenica\ inciusive relgous order ol
men aoo women mriisterirg on the cutting 00}! of the g:ispel. Website:
WYM'.~rramp.net/--charity. E-mail: bkinnov@ad.com.
EROSPIRIT RESEARCH INSTITUTE, P.O. Box 3893, Oakland. CA
94609. (510)428-wsJ. Ner.ork of g,; and lesbian ecs~lics <11ering
classes aOO vici!os in erotic spirituality.
EVANGELICAL ANGLICAN CHURCH IN AMERICA, 2401 Artes~
Bl'<i, Sle. 106-213. Redor<ll Beach, CA 00278. (310)798-6720.
EACA2AIACS@aol.com. National office of all EACA church communities.
EVANGELICALS CONCERNED, c/oDr. RalJli Blair, 311 EaS172nd
SI., New York, NY 10021. (212)517-3171. Pt.t;K:alions: Review and
Record
THE EVANGELICAL NETWORK, Box 16104, Phoeni<, AZ 85011.
(602)265-2831.
FEOERA TION OF PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS ANO
GA VS, INC. P.O. Box 27505, Wastington, DC 20038.(202)638-4200.
~~~rrr:Fir~;\fi~~~i
1
t,iy CONCERNS (Quakers) 143
Cami:oell Ave., llhaca, NY 14850. (607)272•1024, FAX. (607)272•
0801.
GAY ANO LESBIAN PARENTS COALITION INTERNATIONAL,
P.O. Box 50360, Washrnglon, IJC20091. (202)583-8029. P\.tJlicalim:
Netwcrk. .
GREAT lAKES DISTRICT of the Universal Fello.Yshp of Melr'l)Ole
Ian Ganmunily Churches. 1300 Ambrdg, Dr .. Louoville. KY <0207-
2410. (502)897-3821, voice and fax. Judy Dale, coordnator.
HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, 1101 141h SI., NW, Sle. 200,
~}~o11'ti~6~.2ttifNew York, NY 10185-5255.
(201)868-2485. Pt.t;icalion: The Vdce ol lnlegily
INTERWEAVE, 25 Beaoon SI., Bosloo, MA 02108. (617)742-2100.
A lay organization of Unitarian Universalists lor lesbian, bisexual.
B1Jt~~~~~~:~r~ 176, Coo::ord, CA 94522-0178. 6j.
r$~t=c'8':cERNEO I NORTH AMERICA, Box 10461, Fort
Oeaillorn Slalion. Chk:ag,, IL 60610-0461. Pl.dicalim: The Coooord
METHODIST_ FEDERATION FOR SOCIAL ACTION, a gayaflirmiog,
mul\I-issue oe!Y.Ork, 76 Clinloo Ave., Staten lslaOO, 10301-
1107 (7I8)273-MFSA. Ptblicalion: Social Questions Bulletin.
MERCY OF GOO COMMUNITY, PO Box 41055. Providm:e, RI
02940-1055. (401)722-3132. Christian, Ecumenical and inclusive
community ol sisters, brothers and associates.
MORE LIGHT CHURCHES NETWORK, 600 W. Fullerton Pkv.y ..
ChicafP, IL 60614-2690, (773)338-0452. Resruce paclcel, $12. Plb-
~{?c;~tt1£i1~~'c,~~'u'c"gfocESAN LESBIAN
AND GAY MINISTRIES, 433 Jetterson SI., Oakland. CA 9<$07.
(510)465-9344 . Newsletter and national conference.
~~:~i~NCIL OF CHURCHES, 475 Riverskle Dr, New
York, NY 10115. AIDS Task Force, Room 572. (212)870-2421.
Human SexualilyOttk:e, Room 708, (212)870-2151.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, WashiC9lon 01f~e. 110
Ma'7"ndAve., NE, Washingon, DC 20002. (202)544-2350.
NATIONAL GAY PENTECOSTAL ALLIANCE (abo Penlecoslal
BOie Institute (Ministerial training!) P.O. Box 1391, Schenectadj,
NY 12301 ·1391. (518)372-6001 . NGPA@concenlric.net
http://www.cris.ooml-NGPA Pi.tJIK:alion: The Aposloli: Voo,.
OPEN & AFFIRMING MINISTRIES, Gay, Lesbian and Alfinning
Dis~s Affiance, Rev. AUen V. Harris, clo 1010 Park Ave., New
Yor~ NY 10028-0991. (212)288·32<$. Nurture ande<i.<:alion lorcoogegatioos
and o!her ministries of the Chrislian Church {Distj:lles of
Christ) which seek to weloome and affirm lesbian, (Ja.Y, and bisexual
persoos.
OPEN ANO AFFIRMING PROGRAM, United Church Coalition lor·
Lesbia~Gay Concerns, PO Box 403, Holden, MA 01520-0403.
(508)856-9316. Pi.tJIK:ation: ONA Ganmuniq.,e
THE OTHER SIDE Magazine, 300 W. Apsley SI.. Philadeph~. PA
19144. (215)849-2178. Pl.dohes articles ol inleresl lo progessive
Christians.
OTHER SHEEP Multicultural Ministries with Sexual Minorities, 319
N. Fourth #902, SI. Louis, MO 63102·1936. (314)241-2400. FAX
(314)241·2403.E-mail:gherzog@aol.com. Theoklgcal and edJca· =r~k kxa:~:~~r!t~~:1~~%,i~;l~i,~
ORTHOWcATHOLIC CHURCH OF AMERICA, P.O. Box 1222,
lndana~ •. IN <$206-1222. (317)251-4526.
PRESBYTERIANS FOR LESBIAN & GAY CONCERNS. P.O. Box
38, NewBrunswick. NJ08903-0J38. (906)932-7501. (908)249-1016.
~~~~u;:r~~d~TION PROGRAM, 3801 N. Keeor
Ave., ChK:a!P, IL 60641. (773)736·5526. FX (773)736-5475. Ptillca·
lim: Open Hards
RELIGION WATCH, P.O. Box 652, North Bellmore. NY 11710. A
'!TI'o":!t1~~~~/~/,1'1~1:i;f~l:'~;ii9r.10 Church, VA
22043. 560-2680. Fax, 560-6015. tek:5min@erds.com.
SILENT HARVEST MINISTRIES, PO B<>< -190511, Oal~s. TX
75219-0511. (2141520-6655.
SUPPORTIVE CONGREGATIONS NETWORK, Mennonite and
Brethren, PO Box 6300, Minneapolis, MN 55406-0300.
SCNetwork@aol.oorn. A network ol Menoonile, General Con~reoo,
Menrmite and Cht.lch of the Brethren corgegatilxs which wek:ome
~Jr~=~ t":11=~iTif~r'}icE FOR LESBIAN/GAY CONCERNS,
25 Beacon SI., Bos1on MA02106. (617)742·2100.
UNITED CHURCH COALITION FOR LES8lAN I GAY CONCERNS,
18 N. College, Al.hens, OH 45701, (614) 593-7301. Publication:
Waves
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, Ottk:e lor ChU<ch i1 Sociely, 110
~m~s1'cic~tg~~"di~~oil6m~ -~LMUNITY
CHURCHES 8704 Sanla Monica BM!, 2nd Fr, Wes!Holly,,ood, CA
90069-4548. (310)360-6640, FAX (310)360-8680. Pi.tJIK:alion: K"I>
inginTouch
THE WITNESS, P\.tJlished l>j lhe Episcqlal Church Pl.dishi'9 Co.,
1249 WashngtonBMI., Sle. 3115, Delrol\ Ml 48226-1861!. (313)962·
2650
WOOOSWOMEN • Actvenlure travel for women, 25 W. Diamood
Lake Rd., Minneapolo, MN 55419, (800)279-0555, (612)822-3809,
FAX (6I2)822•38l4.
Alaska
PALMER (907)
Chl.<ch ollheCCM>nan\ P.O. Box2BB8, 99645. 746-11189. Ha,,ardH.
Bess, pastor. A Wek:omiC9 and AffirmiC9 American Baplisl Congre•
galim. .
Arizona
~~,V;~~1
:!:t~~l:\~1~~~4~~NifJ •!~; PHOENIX(602)
bers ol lhe Christian Church (Disciples of Chrol). Pt.t;icalioo: Casa De Crislo Evangekcal Church. 1029 E. Tumey, 85014. 265-
Crosst:)?ams. 2831.
GAYELLOW PAGES. P.O. Box 533, Village Sin .. New York, NY onve Tree Minolries, PO Box 47787, B5068-7787. 661-3424.
10014-0533. (212)674-0120. · h11p1/jvm.oomlolivelree.
PAGE 14 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST, 1997
TUCSON (5:!'.l)
Cornerslone Felk>vshp. 2902 N. Geronimo, 85705. 622-4626. Sunday,
9a.m., 10:3-0a.m., Weooesday. 6p.m. Rada Schall, pastor.
First Chrislian Church, 740 E. Speed,yay, 85719. 624-8695. Sun.,
8:1Sa.m., 10:30am. Pasb' Ncoi Kareko. ·
FAYETTEVILLE (601)
Resloralion Fello.Yship ITT Jesus Chris!, P.O. Box 3820, 72702. 444·
9692. Rev. Ekler JoseiiJ Pa~ Smnh.
California
HAYWARD (510)
Fai1h Felb.lls~, 22294CityCenter Or., Ste. 5108, 94541. 88&-7332.
itsame@ix.netcom.com.
IRVINE(714)
lr.ine United Church of Christ 4915 Allon Pkwy., 92714. 733-0220.
An Open & Affirming Congregalion. prooo~ prq,essive, inlenlim•
ally irdusive.
LONG BEACH (562)
F Church, 241 Cedar Ave., 90802. 436·2256. An
Coogeg.,tial of !he United Chtrch of Christ
L . EA(213)
Crescent Heiglts UMC, 1296 No. Fairfax Ave., West Holly,YOCld.
900<$. 656-5336.
United Church Coaition for lesbiawGay Calcerns, Southern Calif a •
n~ Chapler, 241 Cedar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802. Rev. Lib/
~rs;J~~(~1~n Brinc (562)436·2256.
~n=~l~~~~i~~~~ni~1 g~~~~f:~
E-ma~: lambdatcc@aol.com.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA (415)
Lulherans Concerned, 566 Val~jo SI. #25, 94133-4033. 956-2069
;t;:'1,SE(~)
Celebration or Faith Praise and Worshl) Center. PO Box 5765,
95126. 345-2319. Sun., 10:30a:m. al The Billy OeFrank Genier, 175
SloclctonAve.
FwSI Clllol~n Church, 80 s. 51h SI., 95112. 294-2944. Richard K.
Miller. pastor.
Gay, lesbian, ardAflirming Dis~s . c/o First Christian Church, 80
So. 5lhSI., 95112. 294-2944.
SAN LUIS OBISPO (805)
MCC ol !he Central Coast, PO Box 1117, Grover Cily, 93483-1117.
481·9376. Sunday, 10:30a.m. Rev. Rand/A Lesler, pasta.
WHITTIER (310)
Good Samaritan MCC, 11931 E. Washington Blvd. 90606-2607.
696-6213. Rev. Gina Chapman, pasbr.
District of Columbia
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (202)
Oiglily, PO Box 53001, 20009. 387-4516.
Florida
INTERLACHEN {004)
Bethel Evarg,loli: Ministr~s. Inc., PO Box 1778. 32148. 684-6479.
~~~~~::.,~SI.. 33040. ~4-8912. Sunday, 930, l1a.m, ·
Wed, 7p.m. Rev. StevenM. Torrence, pastor.
PANAMA CITY (904)
Family of GOO Worsh~ Center. 1139 Everitt Ave .. Cedar Grove,
32.«ll. 784-4851. Sun .. 10:30a.m. soo111oglc@aol.oom.
TAMPA(813) ·
Pentecostals of Tampa Bay, 2023 Cattleman Dr. Branoo<I, 33511.
651-1505.
Illinois
JACKSONVILLE(217)
SI. MaxfmiHan Kobe Catholic Church ol the· Americas, PO Box
1345. 62650-1345. 243-4539. Slit , 5:~. m.
Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS(J17) .
HolyEucharis!Church. 2070 E. 541h SI., Sia. 7, 46220. 251·4526.
Iowa
DES MOINES (515)
Word of God Ministries, P.O. Box 4396, 50333. 270-2709. Meels al
St Marl/s Episcq,al cturch, 3120 E. 241hSt, Des Mdnes.
Kansas
~~~ l:~776, 66604-0775. 232·6196. SE!nciare Ave al251h
WICHITA(315)
Wichila Praise and WorshpCenler, 1607 S. Broad.vay, 67211. 267·
6270. Chuck Brecl<anrnge, paslcr.
Kentucky
LOUISVILLE (502) .
Third I.Ulheran Church, 1664 FranklortAw., 40206. 896-6383. Sunclly,
10:JOa.m. TLCX2@ecunetorg
Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS (504)
First Jesus Name Church, P.O. Box 58362, 70158-6362. An Acts
2:38 oongegalon.
SL Thomas Aq.inas Calhol~ Church of !he Americas, 717 Patterson
70114.263-5412.
Massachusetts
Michigan
ANN ARBOR (313)
Gund House Campus Ministry, B02 Monroe, 48104. 662·5189. Rev.
Oiare Chrolopllersoo.
FLINT (810)
Redeemer MCC, 1665 N. Chevrolet Ave., 46504-3164. 238·6700.
Surday, 6p.m. Pub: Sooods of Redeemer
FT.GRATIOT(810)
All Souls' Ain,tolic Catholic Church, 4653 Desmond Beach, 48059
385-9224. HDry Eucharist Sun. 1 ta.m.
LANSING (517)
Digity, PO Box 1265, Eastlans1rg. 48826. 321-4841.
Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS/ST.PAUL (612)
All Goos Chikten MCC, 3100 Park Ave. S., Minriea!X)lis, 55407.
824-2673. Winct::m or Wellness Counseling Center offers posi!ive
affirming Christian counseling for homosexuals.
Lulherans Concerned 100 N. OXfordSI., SI. Paul, 55104·6540. 866-
8941.
Wing:,pan Miflstry, 100 N. Oxford St Paul, 55104. 224-3371.
Mississippi
JACKSON (601)
Sale Harbor Fami¥Churcll, 2147 Henry HHI Or, Sle. 203, 39204·
2000. 961-9500. Rev. James H. Becker, paslor. Wkday: 359-6604:
Eve: 373-0917. Sm , Sp.m.
Missouri
KANSAS CITY AREA (815)
Abidng Peace Lutheran Church, 5090 NE Chouteau T ratticway,
64119. 452- 1222. Caring for peq:>13 andcreaticn Maiy Gerken, COfr
lac! pe!SOO. A Aecoociled fl Ch1ist congegition.
Montana
LIVINGSTON (406)
Attimalim (UniledMelhaisls), 529 N. 81h SI., 59047. 222·4436.
Nevada
LAS VEGAS (702)
MOC, Il19S. Main St. 89104·1026. 384-2325
New Jersey
JERSEY CITY (201)
Christ Our Teacher Calhdic Church of the Americas. 219 1st St, #1,
07302-2868. 333-1094. bejcily@aol.oom.
NEW BRUNSWICK (SM)
PLGC, PO Box 38, 08903-0038. Plb: More Lighl
New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE (505)
MCC, 2404 San Mateo Pl., NE, 87110. BB1-9088. Rev. Or. FredC
Winiams, pastor. Sun., 10a.m.
River of Life Healing Ministries, 134 Quincy, NE. 87108.
LAS CRUCES (605)
Holy Family Parish of the Evangelical Anglican Church in America,
1701 E. Missouri Ave., 88001. 522•7119. An indusive parish cpen to
all. •
Koinona, 2162 Ooracb Dr., 66011. 521-1490. Gay and osbian spirn•
ualilygOLI).
New York
ALBANY/CAPITAL AREA (518)
Lg,lhouse Aposloli: Church, PO 9ox· 1391, Sohenecla<I;, 12301.
1391. 372-6001. Bro. W. H. Carey, paslcr.
NEW YORK CITY AREA
Manhattan/New York City.area (212)
Blessed Virgin Mary Mosron, 123 E. 15SI. 10003. 228-0898. Sun.,
1:15p.m.
Chrisl~nScience Grcxp, c/0444 3rd Ave., #4, 10016. 532-8379.
Gay, Lestian & Attirming Oiscpes Alliance, c/0 Allen Harris, 1453A ~~:~-;:-c~~:2
&::;l8to~s of Chro!), 1010 Park Ave.
at f¥>th SL, 1~6 . 268-3?46. A 1/Dranl, creatr:,-e, and ciYerse congegatm
comm1t1ed b exterdng lhe lo-le of Chnst to all pecple.
Pollt.ci<, cloAllenV. Harro. 1010 Park Ave .. 10028-0991. 2BB-32<$.
Fomh Friday, 7p.m.
UCCUGC, c/o Craig Hollman, 1453A Lexrnglon Ave., 10128. 289-
3016.
Queens(718)
Queens Lesbian & Gay Christians, PO Box 4154, College Point,.
11356. 353-3941. P\b: Tl'eGoodShep'lerd
NIAGARA FALLS (716)
~~rei:o~=z~.?"rch , 1646 N~gara Ave • 14305. 284·
PLA TTSBUAGH (518)
St Ma,ys Ecumenical Calholt Church, PO Box 159, Chazy, 12921.
t:tJ~~~(7~; FAX). Rev. Fr. Mm,~ R. Frost
PLGC, cloCarter, 111 Milum SI., 14607·2918. 271·7649.
North Carolina
CHARLOTTE (704)
Charlotte lnlertailh Network lorGayllesbian Eq.,alily, 5945 Reo:inan
Rd.,'205,28212-1664. -9 . GaroottE. Phtlls.ax,ladperson.
TRIANGLE AREA (919) .
'Pulon Memooal Baplol Church, 1801 Hilbborough St. Aaleg,.
27605. 82&-0697. M. Mahan Siler, Jr., pastor.
Ohio
AKRON (330)
Cascade Ganmunily Church, 1190/1196 Inman SI., 44306. 773-
~1~~(5~:ir Plb: Ca""'de Newsetter.
lnlagily, 4905Chale1Dr.,#l l ,452I7·1445. 242-7297.
~,1~~~~~,:~~1~~~A~~ cw':~~~~l:'t~e~~~:!:
A More Ligll ooogregalion.
COLUMBUS (614)
8l1'~6~~82Q01 ,43202 451-6528 .
Cornmunily Gospel Church, PO Box 1634, 45401. 252-8855, Spnl
filled, Christ cantered Meets Thurs., 5p.m., Sun. 10a.m. at 546
Xenia Ave., Dayton.Samuel Kader, pastor.
GRANVILLE (614)
. Firsl Baplisl Church, 115 W. Broad.vay, 43023-1179. 587-0336.
George Williamson, Jr., pastor. A Weloomingard AttirmiC9American
Baptisl Congegalion.
MANSFIELD (419)
Center for Pastoral Care, 3180 German Church Rd, 44904. 756-
297-7, 774-5377. FAX 774-9805. Sunday lilurg'f, 10:t5a.m. PaS10<al
<XlUnseling, retreats.
Oregon·
. PORTLAND (503)
Melarcia Peace CommunityUMC, 2116 NE 181h Ave., 97212-46ro.
281-3697.
Pennsylvania
ELWYN (610)
Pilgim FeilcNlshpChurch. P.O. Box 4306, 19063. 237-1367. Mee1s
Sun. a1 Philadeph~ Airport Comlor1 Inn.
LEHIGH VALLEY (610)
Grace Covenan1 Felkfflshp, 247 N. 10th Sl. Al~ntown, 18102. 740-
0247. Sunday, 10:45a.m. Bryon Raive, pastor. Thom Ritter, music
mirister. Serving the Lehgi Valley.
PHILADELPHIA (215)
• U~ted Church Coaition for Lesbiar/Gay Concerns, PO Box 6315.
19139. 724·1247.
Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE (401)
$1. Peters & St. Anctew's Epscopal Church, 25 Pomona Ave.,
02909-5255. 272-9649. Rev. Jan Nunley, recta" and oo-coovenor ol
lntegity/Rt'lcx:t! Island We are a "ralrtoN CCX'gegatiort of Christians
from all walks of Hie, With an active lntegity chapter, heafng and
AlOS minist,y. Se habla Espanol.
South Carolina
COLUMBIA (803)
MCC Columbia. P.O. Box 8753. 29202. 256-2154. Meets al 1111
eene.,,;,w Sl. 12.
Tennessee
CHATTANOOGA(423)
Joyful Sound Chrisl~n Felkfflship Church, PO Bc»< 8506. 37414.
629-0087. Rev. Ctu:I< D. T~ . pasb". Sun .. 6p.m. at the Unitarian
UnivefSattst Churdl, 3224 Navajo Dr.
MEMPHIS (901)
Holy Trinity Communily Church, 1559 MaOSon, 38104. 726-9443.
Proclaiming Gcds Jove for all pecple.
NASHVlLLE (615)
Church of the LMng Waler, PO Box 1312, Madson, TN 37116-1312.
865-2679. Sun .• 4p.m. .
~;~~rr.,~~:~~[i~~e2l8822 . 37221. 327-4551.
ln~gity, PO%';; 121172. 37212-1172. 333-7500.
Texas
AUSTIN (512)
Joan Wake10fd Ministries. Inc., 9401 Groose MeaOON Ln .. 78758-
6348.835-7354.
DALLAS/FOAT WORTH AREA (214)
Affirmation (United Melh<Xlisls), PO Box 191021, Dallas, 75219.
528-4913. •
Cathe<l"al of Hope MCC, 5910 Cedar Springs Rd .• Dallas, 75235.
351-1901. Sun.,9a.m, 11a.m
HotyTnnityCommooityChwcn, 4402 Roseland Ave., Dallas, 75204.
· · 827·5088. •A home-for fNery heart" serving the Dallas lesbian and
~y rommunity la 18 years. ·
Si~n1Harvestt.lnistr~~ PO Box 190511, 75219-0511, 520-6655.
GALVlESTON (400) .
Unita_rian Universa!ist Fe11oNh~, 502 Church St., 77550. 765-8330.
AU faiths accepted. Sexual OOmtation respected.
TYLEA(91Xl)
SI. Galxief CommunityChlNch, 13904CountyRd 193, 75703. 581-
6923. Pastor Donna R Canμ,ell.
Utah
LOGAN (801)
MCC. PO Box 4285. 84323. 750-5026. Sun., 11 a.m.
SALT LAKE CITY (801)
Sacred Lg>tcl Christ MCC, 823 S. 600E. 84102-3507. 596-0052.
Virginia
FAUS CHURCH (703)
Telos Ministries (Baptists). PO Bc»< 3390. 22043. 560-2680.
MANASSAS (703) .
Bull Aun Unitarian Universalists, PO 8a< 2416. 361-6269. A UUA
Welcomng Ca,gegation.
WILLIAMSBURG (SOI)
Foondatioos of Stooe Ministries, 149 Nelson Dr., 23185. 229-0832.
Teaching, seminars, retreats, revivals.
Heaven's Tableland Church. P.O. Box 2674. 23187. (757)887-3719:
Rev. Adel~ L. Barr. pas1c,. Meets Sun. Bruidary St Lilrary at 1 :30
p.m.
Resource Guide
Washington
SEATTLE (206)
ln~gity, PO Box 20063, 98102. 525-4668.
Unwersity Congregational United Church of Christ, 4515 161hAve ..
NE. 98105. 524·2322. 0penly!J!!ypeq,fe at all ~vels of ~adershp.
Wisconsin
APPLETON (920) ,
Angeoof Hopa MCC, 110S. L.ocusf St. 991--012S. Sun., Sp.m. Rev.
Ken Hull paSIOf.
GREEN BAY(920)
Angeis ot Hopa MCC, 614 Forest SL, Green Bay, 54302. 432-0830.
Sun., 11 a.m., 7p.m. Rev. Ken Hull, pastor.
MILWAUKEE (414)
LutooransCorcerned, PO Box 1676. 53201-1676. 481-9663 .
St Gamillus HIV/AIDS Minislry, 10101 W. Wisconsin Ave .• 53226.
259-4664.
Become a ·
Second Stone
Outreach Partner
in your community.
Get listed in our next
National Resource Guide
Churches and organizations with a specific outreach to gays and lesbians
will be listed free. Ministries not maintaining a current subscription
to Second Stone must update their listing every six months.
~ ........................................................................................................... .
HERE'S OUR INFORMATION FORT HE RESOURCE GUIDE:
ChtJrch/Group Name _____________________ _
Address---------,--'------------------Phone ..- _________________________ _
Other informatio,._ _______________________ _
Please contact us about [ ] advertising [ ]becoming an Outreach Partner
MAIL TO: Box 8340, New Orleans , LA 70182 OR FAX TO (504)899-4014
OR E-MAIL TO : secstone@aol.c:om
JULY/AUGUST 1997 OUTREACH PARTNER REPORT
Second Stone's Outreach Partner program helps local ministries make Christ
known in their gay and lesbian communities by providing free copies to distribute
at gay pride events, at P-FLAG meetings, in bars, etc. The local ministry
receives free advertising space in Second Stone, inviting everyone who reads a
copy to visit for worship.
It's easy to becon:.~ an Outreach Partner.
First, you detennine the number of copies you can distribute in your communi ty.
Most churches also place a flier or brochure for the church in every copy they
distribute. In detennining the number of copies you need, consider stacking
10-20 copies at gay pride events, PFLAG meetings, gay bars, etc. Multiply
every -location you think of by at least 15.
Next, you send us your camera-ready ad. ([here is no charge to run your ad.)
We need to receive your ad at P.O. Box 834-0, New Orleans, LA 70182. Ad size:
2 1/ 2" wide X 3" tall. Be sure to include . in your ad your logo, address and
phone, service or meeting times, and A CALL TO ACTION like "Come visit us
at..." or "Call for infonnation about..."
And finally, we '11 need a street address to which UPS can ship your copies.
Printing and shipping expenses are billed to the Outreach Partner Fund. You
can contribute .the amount of your expe nses - or more - or less - or nothing - to
this fund.
The deadline for the Sept/Oct issue is August 15.
The Outreach Partner program is a community fond ,t hich looks like this
right now:
JANUARY/FEBRUARY '97
MARCH/ APRIL '97
MAY/JUNE '97
EXPENSES
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church - 200 misc copies
Holy Trinity Community Church (Memphis) - 100 copies
Dayspring Christian Fellowship - 700 copies
Walker Tacoma WA - 60 copies
Holy Spirit Fellowship of Long Beach - 100 copies
Celebration of Faith - 150 copies
Third Lutheran Church - 50 copies
Heaven's Tableland Church - 100 copies
Community Gospel Church - 100 copies
Lighthouse Apostolic Church - 45 copies
MCC Las Vegas -100 copies
Mercy of God Community - 50 copies
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church - 250 copies
First Congregational UCC - 100 copies
Other Sheep (Richmond) - 150 copies
Welcoming & Affinning Baptists - 14-0 copies
Contacts with 100 new Outreach Partner prospects
Pastor Don Cota-Green - 100 copies
TOTAL 1997 EXPENSES
Balance forward - 1997
Lighthouse Apostolic Church
Outreach Partner misc
Celebration of Faith
Holy Spirit Fellowship
CONTRIBUTIONS
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church -
Dayspring/Living Water
Heaven's Tableland Church
Mercy of God Community
Christ Our Teach Cath Chur Americas
1997 CONTRIBUTIONS
FUND BALANCE
308.77
456.93
51.82
27.22
179.54
21.34
31.64
49.09
15.89
28.28
28.28
15.50
31.64
16.79
65.74
31.64 .
41.38
41.38
55 .89
34.32
1533.08
1117.06
30.00
52.10
100.00
50.00
127.56
50.00
30.00
16.79
20.00
1593.51
60.43*
(*Does not includ e printing and shipping expenses for the Jul/ Aug'97 issue.
$100 is designated for distribution in South Africa.)
Please support the Outreach Partner program fund in whatever way you are
able. If your church or organization would like to participate in this program,
please follow the guidelines above or contact Second Stone at (504)899-4014,
P.O. Box 834-0, New Orleans, LA 70182 or e-mail secstone@aol.com.
PAGE 15 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST, 1997
Welco me!
IF YOU FOU ND this copy of Second Stone at a gay
pride event, a P- FLAG meetin g , or some other event
or locati on, there's a Second Stone Outrea ch Partn er
in your area . The ir brochu r e i s enclos ed. They are a
Chris ti an chur ch or o rg anizatio n with a speci fi c outr
each to ga ys and lesbians. We encoura ge you to v isit
them for thei r n ext service or m eeting . In the meantim
e , you ma y be asking som e questions like the
ones that follo w .
When I told my church pastor I
was gay, I was referred to an exgay
program. What's that all
about?
Recent scientific research is indicating that sexual ori entation
is innate and cannot be changed. Ex~gay programs
are effective in redirecting a heterosexual person
who has e"perimented with homosexual activity
back to heterosexual relationships. For a gay or lesbian
person, however, an ex-gay ministry can only
teach one how to "act as if' heterosexual, often with
painful results. An ex gay program cannot change
your sexual orientation. Remember that most ex-gay
church counselors are heterosexual and cannot speak
from the exp erience of being gay. Also, any psychologist
or psychiatrist who offers "treatment" for homosexuality
is not following guidelines established by
the American P sychological Association or the American
Medical Association.
After all the rejection I got from
my church, why should I even care
about God?
Your church may have rejected you, but God neve r
has. God ' s nature is to draw you closer to Him, not
to reject you. The church is admin istered by pastor s ,
bishops, lay people, committees ; people like you and
me - sometimes connected wi th God at work among
us, and sometimes not. Sometimes the people .who
run the church, because of fear, selfishness or other
reasons, are not able to follow as God leads. In the
past. the church failed to speak out against the Holocaust
and slavery. At some point in the future, the
church's present failure to ;if firm gay and lesbian people
and its failure to speak out against the homophobia
that leads to discrimination and violence will be
seen as a terrible wrong. As Episcopal Bishop Barbara
Harris once said, the church is a follower of society ,
noi a leader.
Does this mean I shouldn't go to
church?
Absolutely not! (It means the church needs you probably
more than you need the church .) There is a place
for you in a church in your neighborhood. There are
many Christian churches and organizations around the
country that have a specific ministry to gay and lesbian
people. Even in the mainstream denominations
gay and lesbian people have prominent, although
sometimes closeted, places in the church as pastors,
youth leaders, choir masters, lay leaders, and so on.
Many mainstream churches across the country have
moved into positions of welcoming and affinning gay
and lesbian people.
How do I know that God doesn't
reject me?
Even if you've never set foot in a church or thought
much about God, you were created by a loving God
PAGE 16 • SECOND STONE• JU LY/AUGUST, 1997
I HADN'T 'DARKENED THE
DOOR,' AS THEY SAY, FOR
MANY YEARS. I DIDN'T THINK
GOD WANTED ME IN CHURCH
AND THAT WAS THE REASON
I ALWAYS GAVE FOR NOT
BEING THERE. THEN I MET
SOME FOLKS WHO
WOULDN'T ACCEPT THAT AS
A REASON - AND NOW l'M
'DARKENING THE DOOR'
REGULARLY.
who seeks you out. If there's a barrier between yourself
and God, it is not God's responsibility. Blackaby
and King in Experiencing God say there are seven
realities of a relationship with God: I. God is always
at work around you . 2. God pursues a continuing love
relationship with you that is real and personal. 3 . God
invites you to become involved with Him i~ His
work. 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the
Bibl e, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal
Himself, His purposes , and His ways. 5. God's invitation
for you to work with Him always leads you to
a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. 6. You
must make major adjusunents in your life to join
God in what He is doing. 7 . You come to know God
by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes
His work through you.
If you've never really believed in God, and
want to know more, ask a friend or pastor
to talk to you. He or she may be able to
r ec o mmend a r eadi ng· r eso u rc e, a v id eo, a
B ible stud y group or a church. And don't
b e afr a id or em ba rra ssed to ask. Such a
fri end or pas tor will be glad yo u as ked. It
is ho w God wor ks among us. If you ' ve
never r ea d th e Bib le before, sta r t with •
R oma ns 3 :23 ; 6:23; 5:8 ; 10: 9- 10; and
10: 13 .
But can I really be ga y and Ch ristian?
Sexual orientation - either gay or straight - is a good,
God-given part of your being. A homosexual orient ation
is not a sinful state. The Bible condemns some
heterosexual activity and some homosexual activiiy;
when someone gets used or hurt rather than loved.
The Bible supports commitment and fidelity in lov ing
relationships.
Doesn't the Bible say homosexual
activity is a sin?
Daniel Helminiak in What the Bible Really Says
About Homosexuality says : The sin of Sodom was
[not homosexuality .] Jude cond~mns sex with angels,
not sex between men. Not a single Bible text clearly
refers to lesbian sex ... Only five texts surely refer to
male-male sex, Leviticus 18:22 and 20: 13, Romans
1:27 and I Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy I: IO. All
these texts are concerned with something other than
homosexual activity itself... If people would still
seek to know outright if gay or lesbian sex in itself is
good or evil... they will have to look elsewher e for an
answer. .. The Bible never addre sses that question .
More than that, the Bible seems deliberately uncon cerned
about it.
I would like explore further. What
can I do now?
While there are many good books and videos available,
ther e 's something powe1fol in being "where two
or more are gathered." You may want to check out a
1ninistry in your area with a specific outreach to gays
and lesbians , including Second Stone's Outreach
Partner , 'The worship style may not be what you'r e
used to , bm the point is to connect with gay and lesbian
Christians with whom you can have discussions
about where you are. Or you may want to try a variety
of churches in your neighborhood, even those of
other denominations. (There is uo "one true church .")
There are gay and iesbian people in almost every
church and God, who is always at work around you.
will connect you to the people you need to know - if
you take the first step.
Wouldn't it just be easier to keep
my sexuallife a secret?
Some gay and lesbian people who are happy, whole
and fully integrated may have to be silent about their
sexuality because of their job or other circumstances.
(The day ·will come when that is no longer the case.)
·But a gay or lesbian person who cannot integrate their
sexuality with the rest of their being faces a difficult
struggle indeed. To deny one's sexuality to oneself
while in church or at work or with straight friends,
and then to engage in periodic sexual activity is not a
self-loviI1g; 'esteem-building experience . An inability
to weave)'our sexuality into the fabric of your life in
a way that1riakes you feel good about yourself and
allows ycinto -develop relationships with others is a
cause for concern and should be discussed with
someone skilled in gay and lesbian issues.
National News
Arology made to gays and lesbians
Episcoμilians continue study of same-sex unions
PHILADELPHIA - Bishops attending
the Episcopal General Convention
approved a resolution July 23 continuing
a study of the theological and
liturgicai aspects of committed relationships
of same-sex couples .
During the convention, more than
1,100 church leaders debated gay and
lesbian participation in the church.
A resolution supporting a rite for
same-sex ceremonies narrowly lost
July 19 in the House of Deputies,
which comprises priests and lay
leaders.
The Rev. Michael Hopkins of Integrity
said he was pleased that the
bishops v oted to keep the discussion
alive.
"Study and development were going
to occur underground anyway," Hopkins
said . "This makes it official.''
In adopting the resolution the
bishops removed phrases about compiling
and disseminating _ existing
rites. But they directed the Standing
Liturgical Commission to continue studying
the issue.
The commission must also report on ·
any rites, theological commentaries
and comments on committed same-sex
relationships submitted to it during
the study .
The _ bishops retained phrasing
affirming the sacredness of Christian
marriage between one man and one
woman.
The study is to be done by the end of
1999, in time for any reports to be
made to the 73rd General Convention.
The General Convention also formally
apolog ized on behalf of the
Episcopal Church to its members who
are gay or lesbian and to lesbians and
gay men outside the church for "years
of rejection and maltreatment by the
church."
While division remains within the
church over particular issues related
to sexual orientation, conservatives
and liberals joined together in this
resolution. The vote was overwhelmingly
in favor in both Houses of the _
Convention.
On the election of the Rt. Rev.
Frank T. Griswold, III of Chicago to
Presiding Bishop, Integrity said in a
statement: "We ... rejo ice in this election
because Bisho.p Griswold has
long been a supporter of the full participaliun
uf gay and lcsbi::m persons
in the life of the church . Although
we und erstand he must be the Presiding
Bishop of the whole church, we
look forward to working with him as
we continue to work toward the fulfillment
of the General Convention's
1976 resolve that gay and lesbian
persons have a 'full and equal claim
with all other persons upon the love,
acceptance, and pastoral concern and
care of the Church."'
A resolut ion to allow each diocese to
decide whether to ordain non celibate
gays and lesbians was dismissed
by the bishops without action.
However, both the House of Bishops
and the House of Deputies approv ed
a measure to allow ·each diocese to
determine whether to extend health
benefits to domestic partners of
chu rch employees .
About 40 of the church's 100 d ioceses
have already orda ined non-celibate
gays and lesbians, according to Hopkins.
"The peopl e are making the church
really deal with this because it's
happening," said Patricia Ackerman,
a New York lesbian who will be
ordained in December. "It's a matter
of the church catching up with the
congregation." ·
The convention passed legislation
requiring the ordination of female
priests. The church voted 21 years
ago to ordain women, but bishops of
four dioceses have refused to do so.
The new policy on female priests
won't force objecting bishops in Fort
Worth, Texas; Quincy, Ill.; San Joaquin,
Calif., and Eau Claire, Wis., to
perform the ceremonies, but they must
arrange for someone else to ordain
women and allow female priests to
serve in the diocese.
Some 10 percent of the church's
15,000 priests are women.
Gay Episcopal deacon ordained over priests' objection
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - When Episcopal
Bishop Edward Lee asked if
anyone objected to Thomas Brown
being ordained as a deacon, two priests
stepped forward.
The reason? Brown is gay.
"We believe that the Standing
Committee of the diocese and you
have erred in appro ving this ordination,
acting contrary to the Holy
Scriptures, the church's historic
teaching and the present official
position of the Episcopal Church,"
said a sta tem ent the Revs. Raymond
Bierlin and Richard Clark read dur"
ing the June 26 ceremony at Church of
Christ the King Cathedral.
Bierlin and Clark said the issue was
not Brown's sexual orientation, but
the fact that "h e is living, and
intends to continue to live, in a homosexual
relationship" contrary to
church teaching opposing sex outside
of marriage.
L-ee said he and others who
approved the ordination knew of
Brown's long-term relationship and
"duly considered this in their judgments
and decisions, and they do not
believe that i"n this case the candidate
is disqualified for ordination.
"Therefore, we shall proceed with
the -ordination," Lee said.
After the 90-minute ceremony, Lee
said it was the firs t time he has ever
presided over an ordination in which
an objection was made.
Lee said, however, that he found
nothing inappropriate in the objection
by Bierlin and Clark.
"That's why a place for that is built
into" the ceremony, he told the Kalamazoo
Gazette.
"The priests who made the objections
· ... are two of the best priests i_n
my diocese/' Lee said. "I know it was
hard for them to do what they did
and be respected for it, which I do."
But Lee said he strongly backs the
ordination of Brown and believes the
church is coming to a "new consensus"
on the issue of homosexual relationships
.
Ten bishops representing about 10
perc ent of all U.S. Episcopalians
hinted in May that they might break
away from the church because of the
ruling that allows the ordination of
gays.
The Episcopal Church of Christ the
King sponsored ·srown when he
entered the seminary in 1994. He
recently graduated from the Chu ~ch
Divinity School of the Pacific - in
Berkeley, Calif.
He will return to California to
become director of alumni and church
relations at the divinity school and
plans to work part-time at the •
Church of St. John the Evangelist in
San Francisco.
Brown refused to comment on the -
objection read by Bierlin and Clark.
"I couldn't listen to it," he said . "!
just prayed right through it." 'AP
Episcopal priest comes out to congregation
PORTSMOUTH, N .H. (AP) - Rev.
R·obert Stiefel had become known in
the community as priest of "the
church of the open door," a priest
who welcomed gay men and lesbians
and battled prejudice against them.
So Stiefel said it was only right
that he be open with his pari sh ioners
at Christ Episcopal Church and
his colleagues about _ his own homosexuality.
So at services on May 25, the 55-
year-old priest told his church community
he' was gay.
"As I began to speak out on matters
of prejudice, my own preaching led me
to recognize the contradiction inherent
in becoming a community champion
of civil rights for homosexual
people and remaining in the closet,"
he told the Portsmouth Herald.
"Life in the clo_set is profoundly
debilitating. I know because I have
endured it for some 50 years."
Before the service, Stiefel and his
wife, Jennifer, who is the church deacon,
sent out a letter to the congregation
saying they had built a good
marriage over 27 years.
"The resources that the society and
the church offered us were misguided
and hurtful," Jennifer Stiefel said.
"Through all of this, I came to understand
and to feel, more and more
deeply, how Robert was struggli ng,
both to affirm our relationship and to
find and accept his own center."
The Stiefels said they will sepa rate
soon and divorce by next year.
The Episcopal Church and the Covenant
of Conscience - a group of local
religio~s :organizations formed in 1994
to deal with race and gender issues -
have publicly stated their support
for Stiefel.
Chuck Ott, assistant superintendent
of Portsmouth schools .and a parishioner
of Christ Episcopal Church,
also called him a loving, caring priest.
"I think that's what people see," he
said. "I don't think they look at
Robert and see anything oth er than
that."
Despite the strong support, Stiefel
fears rejection.
"I fear the loss of some relationships
with people who won't understand,"
he said. "The fear is very
real. It's scary: It's not a safe thing
for anyone to come out."
PAGE l 7 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST, 1997
U-h·i········•i•·······•i·\·i•:•i•>·7fr··:·· +··-·····:···T · \T.:;:-:;:;:4;:.\;::: ;J:: i==i=l·l·=·· i··l·i·· •.•····=+i·-•i++f;.: ..;.•. •; .;++ ;::.;.;.;.;.1
Scottisbhi shospa ysh e
ordainegda yc lergy
A SCOTTISH bishop admitted June
22 that he had ordained clergy whom
he knew to be gay.
The retired Episcopal Bishop of St.
Andrews, Michael Hare Duke made
the admission as controversy raged
over a call to ordain gays made by
the head of the Scotland's Episcopalian
church, Bishop Richard Holloway
of Edinburgh.
Bishop Hare Duke said: "A person's
sexuality is not the issue, it is their
personality that counts. I have certainly
ordained people who were
homosexual, as did the former Archbishop
of Canterbury, Robert Runcie
and other bishops." Bishop Hare
Duke, who attended a church conference
on homosexuality in the 1970s at
Pitlochry, concluded that the issue
was not whether the person to be
ordained was gay but if they would
be effective in holy orders. "We have
been ordaining them for years," he
said.
"If someone is being made edgy or
upset because their sexuality is questioned
then their personality will
suffer. The key issue, which applies
equally to homosexuals or heterosexuals,
is whether someone is in a lasting
relationship, rather than rushing
about having ephemeral relationships
or one-night stands."
Bishop Holloway denied he was a
heretic after advocating that
churches should consider ordaining
gays and recognizing gay relation -
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PAGE 18 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST, 1997
Danissht atec hurclhik ~ltyo _
• approvsea me-sextn11.o ns
COPENHAGEN, Denm<).rk (AP) -
The State Lutheran Church in Denmark,
the first country to allow civil
marriages of gays and lesbians, is
expected to approve same-sex religious
marriages, a Christian newspaper
reported May 16.
The Kristelig Dagblad, an independent
paper which is close to the
church, said the church's 12 bishops
will be presented with a report by a
church-appointed committee on the
question.
The bishops are expected to approve
the report, which recommends allowing
same-sex weddings, the newspaships.
Bishop Holloway, Primus of
the Scottish Episcopal Church,
which is part of the worldwide
Anglican communion, says in his new
book that "church and state" should
recognize gay relationships and calls
for equal treatment of gays within
the church, including gay ordination.
But a leading conservative Church
of England cleric, the Rev. David
Holloway, said the bishop and others
who think like him should resign
their positions or be disciplined. In
his book "Dancing on the Edge," to be
published in September by HarperCollins,
Bishop Holloway writes: "If
we do argue for permanent''i:inions for
gay people, we must immediately
admit that both Church and State
will have to find mechanisms to
acknowledge these relationships
religiously and legally."
The bishop is annoyed that his
view, which he says is consistent
with sentiments he has expressed
before, has been made public three
months before the book is published.
"This is not about heresy," he said .
"It is a matter for legitimate debate.
I can see no alternative to that debate
because we can no longer bury this
issue. I fully expect to be opposed, but
I believe that in time, there will be
acceptance, within an understanding
of the Christian ethic."
On the ordination of gays, Bishop
Holloway said: "I see it as a matter
of equality. There are parallels with
the ordination of women priests - only
three years ago some would have
said that was heresy." .
Bishop Holloway said he did not
know whether he had ordained gays,
adding: "I do not interrogate people
about that sort of thing."
On the church permitting or solemnizing
gay unions, Bishop Holloway
said: "Practicing homosexuals in
stable relationships should be
per said without citing its sources; It
- said the decision is to be made ihis
autumn.
The church has been split over the
issue since 1989, when Denmark
legalized civil ceremonies for gays
and lesbians. ·
Some Lutheran ministers have performed
same-sex church marriages
and none have been reprimanded for
it.
The report recommends the homosexual
marriages be performed with a
different ceremony than heterosexual
unions, the newspaper said.
allowed to have their relationship
affirmed or whatever you want to
call it, the name doesn't matter to me.
What matters is that we should hold
gay people to the discipline of a·
faithful relationship."
Theoretically, the Scottish Episcopal
Church could libera lize its
policies before the Anglican Communion
considers the issues, with the next
debate likely ·at the Lambeth Conference
of all Anglican bishops in 1998.
However, Mr Holloway, from Newcastle,
attacked Bishop Holloway
for "sending the wrong message out to
the Church and to society in general."
Holloway, a leading member of the
Reform group of conservative clergy,
said: "This clearly is heresy. It is
quite appalling and has serious
implications for the Anglican Communion,
becau ·se he is the Primus of
his church and I do not see how a person
who holds these views can be a
bishop.
"We cannot have a bishop validating
irresponsible sexual activity
which is against the canons of the
church."
The bishop's views could have serious
implications for the ecumenical
movement. Bishop Holloway is convener
of the council of Action for
Churches Together in Scotland
(ACTS) and his views bring him into
conflict with the other denominations,
which generally tolerate people
of homosexual orientation but do
not condone the practice of homosexuality.
Bishop Holloway's views contrast
with those of Roman Catholic Cardinal
Thomas Winning who has said
that Christian unity was already a
"distant goal" because of the issue ·of
the Anglican ordination of women
priests. -The Scotsman
j-:j: :;:·:;: :f:•:•:•:•:{:i:'..W-!:(:!:):f: :(:'.:!:'.:!:!: :-:}:•:•:•:•:•:•:•::.::•:•:·:-:·:·::·~-=·:;:::-:j:·:.;;:.;(:,;'.:'.:(:j:j:j:·:'.;":"·!···:····::····)·:· ->·!·'.: :-:-;.:,:.;,;,:(:!:•:!: World News
Fonneril111oobwepresident,a ·Methcxli&trnini&er,denieshe's gay
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Canaan .
Banana, former president of a nation
that publicly reviles homosexuality,
has slammed allegations he raped a
male police aide.
Speaking in a British television
interview June 22, Banana said accusations
he had forced police inspector
Jefta Dube to perform homosexual
acts over three years were
"pathological lies" arid part of a
"malicious vendetta" against him.
"How many times am I going to
repeat that I am not a homosexual?"
the Methodist minister and diplomat
snapped in the British Broadcasting
Corporation interview.
Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe
and carries a possible prison
term.
President Robert Mugabe, who
appointed Banana titular president
for seven years after independence in
1980, has called same-sex partners
"lower than dogs and pigs."
He insists homosexuality is an "unAfrican"
practice brought th e continent
by foreign ers .
Banana wa s suspended in May from
his theology and philosophy teaching
post a t Zimbabwe Univer sity
pending the outcome of a police investigation
of h im .
Dub e receive d a 10-ye ar jail sente
nce in Februar y for shootin g d ead a
police colleague who taunted hiin.
about suspicions he had a homosexual
relationship with Banana between
1983 and 1986.
The High Court accepted evidence
Dube was suffering from stressrelated
illness caused by homosexual
abuse .by Banana and recommended
that police investigate .
Police later said they had received
■
"How many times
am I going to repeat
that I am not a
homosexual?" the
Methodist minister
and diplomat
snapped ...
■
complaints from other men and were
considering at least seven criminal
charg es against Banana . None has
been brou ght.
In Jun e, Banana charged through his
la wye r s that unid e ntified op ponents,
feari ng he had ambiti ons to reenter
First Lutheran woman bishop appointed
STOCKHOLM , Sweden (AP) - A
Luther an minister was appointed
Sweden's first female bishop on June
5, a mile s ton e in a country where
·equality of the sexes is a major
national goal.
The government's decision had been
expected after Christina Odenberg,
57, won the backing of ministers and
lay people in her new diocese of Lund
' in southern Sweden.
Conservative clerics have criticized
th e app ointment. Some th r eatened to
leave the church, or to regard the
diocese of Lund as vacant.
Sweden 's first woman church minister
was named in 1 %0, seven years
before Odenberg was ordained.
Odenb erg is well known for her wry
sense of humor and her fondness for
race horses. In addition to her church
duties, she is a member of the Swedish
Jockey Club.
Extremists call for anti-foreigner rallies
LUEBECK, Germany (AP) - Radical
right groups are organizing antiforeigner
demonstrations focused in
this northern port city where a weekend
blaze_ apparently set by
extremists gutted a Roman Catholic
church, police said May 29.
Police in Luebeck said they were
seeking a ban on the protests.
A call for nationwide demonstrations
by the right -wing National
Democratic Party of Germany,
"Church asylum, illegal and unjust,"
appeared to be a direct reference to
the blaze that investigators say targeted
a pastor who had given Algerian
immigrants shelter. The pastor's
name was sprayed on the church
wall, along with swastikas.
Authorities expected 400-500 members
of the Young National Democrats
. to try to rally in Luebeck. Likewise,
the right-wing Republicans were
planning to gather in the city.
Officials were taking steps to ban
the gatherings . Mayor Michael Bouteiller
said that any right - wing demonstrations
would be intolerable.
Investigators still have not identified
any suspects in the fire. ·
politics, had offered ·some of his· ,
accusers money, cars and houses to
discredit him.
Banana is the Organization of African
Unity's special envoy to Liberia,
where he is trying to help restore
peace and democracy after a sevenyear
civil war.
Church set to investigate allegations
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - The
Methodist Church has set up a leadership
committee to investigate allegations
of sexual abuse against former
President Canaan Banana.
Bishop Farai Chirisa confirmed
reports that investigations were
under way but refused to say what
action would be taken if the allegations
were proven. ·
"We cannot at this stage express the
views of the church or those of the
congregation until we get exactly
what happened," the independent
Financial Gazette quoted Chirisa as
saying .
Banana was long rumored to be a
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The Financial Gazette said revelations
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PAGE 19 • SECOND STONE• JULY/A UGUST, 1997
Meditatio·snp,iritueaxle rcises
).xlltofHIJVm ienrte treat
By David Kliqman
Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A side
effect of Paul Osowski's AIDS medication
is a symptom in his legs and
feet known as peripheral neuropathy.
The pain is excruciating.
"Take a Coke bottle, smash it up,
put the . pieces · of glass in your socks
with hot sand and then walk on hot
coals. That's what it feels like," said
Osowski, who takes about 50 pills a
day to fight the virus he was diagnosed
with in the early 1980s.
On June 22, Osowski took a step to'
quell the pain. This one had no side
effects, and involved no drugs - only
meditation and spiritua l exercises
designed to heighten life's simple
pleasures.
Jason Tokumoto, an AIDS doctor at
the University of California-San
Francisco, came up with the idea for
the "Spirituality and HIV" retreat,
attended by Osowski and 29 other
AIDS and HIV sufferers.
Four companies that produce protease
inhibitors paid for the cost of
the seminar.
"I think pharmaceutical companies
realize that in taking care of AIDS
patients, you have to take care of the
whole person," Tokumoto said.
"We're more than just a physical
being."
In the first part of the seminar,
patients were instructed in various
meditative exercises.
In one, patients walked in a courtyard
for 15 minutes without talking,
some of them with their eyes closed.
In another, the eating of a raisin was
intended to teach a deeper appreciation
of life's little moments.
es, spoke to the group. He told them
that it's not necessary to die in psychological
distress.
"The total focus of our medical care
is on the body," Goeway said. "But
we're much more than a body. We try
to tell them that their experiences
can be peaceful if viewed from a loving
mind, not fear."
Although it's not a cure, many say
spirituality-based therapy can help
patients reduce side effects from the
11 anti-vi rals being prescribed in the
United States. Cancer patients and
people suffering from back pain have
long used such stress reduction methods
to improve their health.
Even mainstream doctors say there
could be value to spiritual-based
approaches - as long as patients don't
abandon traditional medicine.
"I think a positive outlook on life
and taking control of your life and
being optimistic is very powerful. It
can't hurt unless they're ignoring
their doctors," said Jean Boyer, who
researches AIOS vaccines at the University
of Pennsylvania.
However, Tokumoto said many scientists
find such exercises
"hogwash." Unlike most clinical
studies, it's hard to accurately docu ment
the effects of spiritu al meditation
therapy, he said.
"Patien ts who have some spirituality
are in better control of their
lives," Tokumoto said. "They' re
empowered."
Tokumoto said he hopes to conduct
the seminar every year and also is
planning one for doctors and other
health care workers.
"What happens is when you really Daniel Ollis, who was diagnosed
give your full attention to the sensory with HIV in 1983, said he attended
experience of eating a raisin is that the retreat as a way· to eliminate
people find there's a lot more flavor some of the pain that his brother
and they have a richer experience,"' went through while dying of AIDS
said Ken Farber, who led the session seven years ago.
and teaches a program on meditation "Seeing a person waste away like
at UC-San Francisco. that really tells you something,"
Later, Don Goewey, the director of a Ollis said . "I look back at him and I
group that helps cancer patients and see myself. He just gave up. I'm not
others with life-threatening diseas- giving up. I'm a fighter."
PAGE 20 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST. 1997
., Homeo ffersso lacfeo rwomen
andc hildrewnit hA IDS
By Hanh Kim Quach
The Arizona Daily Star
TUCSON, Ariz .. - A Tucson couple
fighting their own battle with HIV
have opened their hearts arid new
home to fellow victims.
Johna and Ken Reeves' Casa Gloriosa,
which opened in April, may be
the first facility in Arizona to provide
housing for women with
HIV/ AIDS and their children.
Johna Reeves, the director, expects
Casa Gloriosa's 10 slots to fill quick-
1 y.
"Girls age 15 through 20 are the fastest
growing population with AIDS
but there is not one place that I've
found in Arizona that allows women
and their children to live together."
Ken Reeves, who heads the nonprofit
agency's board of directors,
said, "It's something we've been
wanting to do for more than eight
years ." ,
Ken was diagnosed wi.th the HIVvirus
five years ago. Johna continues
to test negative.
The eight-bedroom, five0bathroornhome
will provide the women a place
to share their experiences or just to be
alone .
Johna Reeves said a woman can stay
at Casa Gloriosa as long as she needs.
Rent for a room will be $100 to $200
a month to help cover utilities . But
Reeves said those who cannot afford
to pay will not be turned away.
When space runs out, Reeves said
she and her volunteers probably will
try to house the families in their own
homes until another facility is
opened.
"I believe this will grow and community
support will grow, too. Tucson
is a generous community," she said.
Five nurses and a social worker volunteer
to help patients in shifts,
while resident managers are present
full time.
Because of their situation, the
Reeveses are particularly sympathetic
to AIDS victims, Johna said.
When Ken tested positive, "it put
everything on pause," Johna said. But
the couple was determined to find
someth(ng positive from their predicament.
''To see him (Ken) suffering caused
bitterness, anger, grief and sorrow. I
could allow that to break me, or I
could allow that to be turned into
something useful.
"When you're given a difficult situation,
you just have to fall into it. It
hurts. But if you don't fall into it, it's
going to kill you," she said.
The couple's alternative was to devote
their energy to help people with
AIDS.
Seeing the growing need for facilities
to help women and children with
HIV, the Reeveses began educating
church groups about the disease and
asked for · help in putting together
their service.
Tucson churches donated money to
help pay for the old adult-care facility
and solicited furniture from the
community . Diane George, a registered
nurse who is helping to coor-
■
"I used to be
very fearful
of people with
AIDS ... Finally,
I just saw the
need and God
gotridof
my fear."
■
dinate the medical staff at Casa Gloriosa,
said, "I used to be very fearful
of people with AIDS and I felt that
that attitude was not bad." But her
contact with the Reeveses and other
HIV /AIDS victims helped George
become more compassionate.
"Finally, I just saw the need and
God got rid of my fear," she said.
George does not know what needs
the residents have. But depending on
the level of illness, volunteers may be
asked to help with laundry, take
patients to doctors or help feed them.
Resident manager Laura Reid, who
is d isabled and confined to a
wheelchair, said, "We know how
difficult it is to live with a disability.
There is a certain stigma attached
when you're different."
That is why she and her husband,
Dan, who is partly blind, volunteered
to help watch over the house.
"Many times, people with HIV are
ignored because once · family and
friends find out, (victims) are forgotten,"
Laura Reid said.
Ken Reeves said, "We just want to
inspire someone else to hope."
C:;:;:;:::;:;:;:;:;:;::::::;;:;:::::::;:::::;:;:;:;:;:::::::::::'.:•:'=l='.=:='.:'.=·=·=·=·==:=:=:=:=:=::::::::;:::·:;:::;::;::;:;:·:;:::::::::;:;:;:·:·:::;::::::=::;:-:::::\:::::::;:;:::;:-j AIDS Warriors & Heroes
Writing helps author cope with AIDS
By Madelyn Rosenberg
The Roanoke Times
ROANOKE - Joseph Sharp is dying.
No, it's OK to say that. Sharp does,
normal speaking voice, no whispers.
Because here's the thing: We're all
dying.
The only difference is that Sharp,
35, ha s been diagnosed with AIDS
and doctors have predicted how long
he will live - and how he will die .
Most of us don't know.
"I spent a lot of time trying to deny
my dying, to beat it," Sharp . said
recently, from a comfortable chair in
his Roanoke living room.
There is no irony in the words
"living room." Sharp believes living
and dying are "two sides of one coin.
We are always living and dying."
He believes, too, that the awareness
of dying can make living better.
"Imagine that for one day, everyone
recognized, on an emotional level,
that they were dying, that we were
all mor-tal. I imagine a lot of wars
would come to an end. It teaches us
really° that · we ha:ve this moment.
Now.'.'
Sharp's book on the subject was published
last year by Hyperion, the
same comp _a,ily that put out Oprah's
exercise book. "Living Our Dying"
was recently released in paperback
and will be released soon in German,
Taiwanese and Spanish.
Sharp said the idea for the book
- came from a phrase, a philosophy,
he had adopted for his own life,
"living my dying." Because that is
wha _t he began to do, every day, after
the denial phase ended.
Sharp wa~ diagnosed as having
AIDS in 1985. That was before peopl e
irnew about HIV, before drugs gave
patients the possibility to plan a
future. The doctor's prediction: "three
years."
And so Joseph Sharp began to prove
to himself that he w·as alive. He
went back to school and entered a
master 's degree program. He tried
new methods to retain his health, a
macrobiotic diet, positive thinking.
He became classified as a long-term
survivor.
Eventually, he began thinking more
about death and consciousness, and
took a job as an intern chaplain at
Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas,
working with terminal patients.
And then, in 1989, he got sick.
A year later, he got sick again. "I
remember I couldn't get to the front
porch to get the newspaper," he said.
''Then I realized I was dying." ·
Though he was already viewed by
then as a dying consciousness expert,
"all of my intellectual bravado - out
the door."
But only for a time. He decided that
he was going to live the rest of his
life honestly, and that meant making
dying a part of living. Or vice versa.
"When I realized I was dying ... life
got a lot more precious," Sharp said.
"I realized I had to take time to
smell the coffee, to call friends more
often."
He appreciates good food. And eye
contact.
When he was at his sickest, he
said, he learned to appreciate the
people "who had the courage to look
me in the eye - and there were very
few. Many of my friends did not want
to hear about dying."
In the city of Roanoke, there are 334
reported cases of HIV, 243 cases of
AIDS.
Sharp has had serious relationships
with four people; two of them
are dead.
Sharp has not always used the "D
words" as naturally as "please pass
the mashed potatoes."
He once whispered, like the rest of
us.
He stopped whispering after Guinevere
Grier, his trainer at Parkland's
chaplain program, told him euphemisms
helped nobody.
"It's a kind of way not to deal with
reality," Ms. Grier said. "The
'passing away' or '?oing on' or 'left
■
"When I realized I
was dying ... life got a
lot more precious."
■
us.' I wanted the resident students to
be totally aw are that the experience
they were dealing with was a reality.
'This person is dying."'
That is not to say that Sharp
always talks about death, or even
that he always thinks about it. But
he is aware of it, conscious of it, even
as medical breakthroughs are allowing
him and his partner of four years,
artist Barry Lewis, to plan more than
a month at a time.
If a publisher picks up Sharp's next
book, "Wonderfully, Fearfully
Human," they may buy a hou s e -
something many of their friends have
already done.
But for now, they are in their rented
space, a warm space, with hardwood
floors, colorful paintings an·d lots of
sunshine.
it is important, Sharp said, to be
someplace you like . Because when
you have AIDS, there are times when
you are too sick or too tired to leave
yourroom.
Part of moving to Roanoke, which
they did in October, was to step back
and slow down after Sharp's book
tour. "To get a little quieter, a little
stiller."
And to think about what to do next.
Along with writing his next nonfiction
· book and a novel, Sharp also is
thinking about speaking at colleges.
He saw a CBS news report that said
the No. 1 concern of American teenagers
is the fear that a close friend or
family member will die.
"You would think they would worry
about jobs or clothes," he said. "But
their No. 1 concern is dying."
Churches expect role in AIDS
prevention to grow
By Steve Farr
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - With AIDS
spreading fastest among blacks and
Hispanics, church leaders say they
expect to play a bigger role in preventing
the disease .
That's because many patients in
poor and minority communities don't
trust government . institutions or
health officials, said the Rev. Jesus
Rodriguez, a chaplain with the
AIDS Pastoral Care Network in Chicago.
"That is the major stumbling block
when-you try prevention," he said.
Churches will have to step in to fill
the void, Dr. Elaine Daniels of the
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services told about 175 ministers
and social workers at a meeting
onJune13.
"The heart of communities of color,
especially for blacks and Hispanics,
is the church," said Daniels, associate
director for science at the Office
of HIV/ AIDS Policy. "There's a tremendous
need for education and for
their involvement."
AIDS first took off in the U.S.
among gay white men, but now affects
mainly blacks and Hispanics. among them, while some Mexican
"I think it's going to be even harder immigrants fear that going to a hosto
get (white, middle-class churches) pital and being tested could lead to
to respond in the future," said the deportation, Rodriguez said .
Rev. Anthony Campolo, associate "They wait all the way until the
pastor at Mount Carmel Baptist end" before seeing a physician , he
Church in West Philadelphia. said.
Getting mainstream churches More than 15 years after public
involved with AIDS patients has health officials began warning of the
been enough of a challenge as it is, disease, myths linger, Campolo said.
Campolo said . Congregations that He blamed much of the misinformawere
quick to help those with cancer tion - such as the belief that AIDS
or other terminal illnesses often can be transmitted through kissing or
shunned people infected with HIV, shaking hands - on the religious
he said. media .
"The church has not fulfilled its "In some places enlightenment has
calling," Campolo said. taken place, but there is a significant
The two-day conference, titled proportion of the church ... that has
"Lazarus Comes Forth," was spon- called AIDS God's special judgment
sored by the Ecumenical Information on homosexuals," he said. "That
AIDS Resource Center and Congreso gives God a bad name."
de Latinos Unidos, both based in Campolo and other ministers argue
Phi lad el phia. that churches should get more
. EIARC, founded at Berean Presbyte- involved in caring for AIDS patients
rian Church in North Philadelphia by setting up hospices that offer a
in 1989, has become a key mediator more comfortable setting than hospibetween
low-income AIDS patients tals.
and health officials, said executive . "The church has to take a good look
director Guy Weston . at its role in healing," Campolo said.
"We are considered to be more cred- ''There's a whole host of studies now
ible because we are part of the com- that show when there's good spiritmunity,"
he said. ual counseling ... there are physiologMany
blacks believe the government ical reactions that hinder the prois
intentionally spreading AIDS gress of the disease."
PAGE 21 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST, 1997
?:/:
ii f§Ftifli1i.~t~~•1
Church & Or anization News
MCC Louisville
buys former Trinity
Lutheran Church
THE METROPOLITAN Community
Church of Loui sville will purchase
the Trinity Lutheran Church building
in Louisville. Rev. Dee Dale, pastor,
made the announcement June 22. With
93 present, the congregation voted,
with only one nay, to accept the
agreement for purchase negotiated
between the board of directors of
MCC Louisville and the c-0uncil of
Trinity Lutheran .
"This is an important day in the life
of our church," Rev. Dale said. "We
will now be able to facilitate multiple
programming and ministries in
this new facility. At our former location,
such was not possible . We will
also now have adequate space to offer
to our community for meetings and
other events. God has provided us
with a beautiful new home and ministry
center." .
The 104 year old structure is located
in the heart of Louisville's lesbian
Ecumenical & Inclusive
:, r.:.:'.,_.1'11;ii1'.i;f 1l.(-·; . ; "' _. ., .. ~ , . ,., .• •fi•• ,... . . .· .
. ;,, . +~.)~ , i '
,~,: j 1:n· .~
/, I I -~;
. ·, ,1.
We are a Christian community of men
and women from various Catholic and
Protestant traditions involved in minstries
of love, compassion and reconcili~
ation. We live and work in the world,
supporting ourselves and our ministries
anci are inspired by the spirit of St.
Francis and St. Clare. We are not
canonically affiliated with any denomination.
For more information or a copy of our
newsletter, Footsteps, please write us:
Vocation Director
Dept. 55, PO Box 8340
New Orleans, LA 70182
Mercy of God Community
and gay community. Its 9000 sq.ft.
include a sanctuary, a fellowship
hall with a full kitchen and steam
table, an auditorium with a stage,
and office and classroom space. The
Allen organ, the altar with a basrelief
of Leonardo DaVinci's The Last
Supper, the hand-carved pulpit and
baptismal font, pews, and other
accouterments remain with the.building.
New meeting place for
Nashville church
THE CHURCH OF the Living Water
has move<;! from the East End United
Methodist Church to the Unitarian
Universalist Church and is meeting
at a new time every Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
The church recently ordained two
new pastors, Tony Sirten and Linda
Kinnemer.
Living Water is active with Nashville
Cares, an AIDS ministry, and
hospital and nursing home visitations,
and the Gay and Lesbian Community
Center as part of the church's
outreach .
"We try to meet the needs of
oppressed people who either are or
are made to feel uncomfortable in the
traditional church format," said
Sherwood MacRae.
The church's oldest member, Mrs.
Ila Wilson, participated in the gay
pride parade this year, along with
other volunteers from the church.
The new meeting location is at 1808
Woodmont Blvd. For information
readers may call (615)650-1400 or
(615)865-2679.
PAGE 22 • SECOND STONE• JULY/AUGUST , 1997
'·, ::,"" ·t~k"'•{ N-•,.: » · €'⇒ ri J·N •l··
Evangelical Anglican
Church in America
ordains clergy
CLERGY, FAMILY and friends from
the Evangelical Anglican Church in
America (EACA) gathered in Los
Angeles in mid-April for their second
ordination of the year. Five men and
two woman were ordained to the
priesthood and one woman and four
men to the diaconate.
Presiding at the service was The Rt.
Rev. Craig Bettendorf, Presiding
Bishop of the EACA. He was joined
by The Most Rev. Charles Finn of the
Liberal Catholic Church and The
Most Rev. Steven Trivoli-Johnson,
Archbishop of the Central Orthodox
Synod.
The Evangelical Anglican Church is
a newly . emerging denomination of
the Anglican Catholic tradition.
One essential difference among the
EACA and other continuing Anglican
and Old Catholic Bodies is found in
its commitment to inclusivity. The
EACA's commitment provides a
method in which p ersons may answer
Christ's call to enter the priesthood
regardless of gender, marital status,
sexual orientation, perceived physical
challenge, race, ethnicity or age,
In addition, the EACA holds firm in
its resolve to embrace _diversity
within its membership.
The denomination has parishes and
mission parishes throughout the
country with numerous candidates in
the U.S. and some abroad. Information
may be obtained by contacting
the EACA, 2401 Artesia Blvd. Ste
106-213, Redondo Bead,, CA 90278,
Events
Announcements in this section are provided
free of charge as a service to Christian
organizations. To have an_ event listed, send
information to Seco11d Stone, P.O. Box
8340, New Orleans, LA 70182, FAX to
(504)899-4014, e-mail secsto11e@aol.com .
Gay and Lesbian Parents
Coalition International
18th Annual Conference
JULY 24-27, "With Liberty and Justice For
All" is the theme of th.e GLPCI and Children
of Lesbian and Gays Everywhere gathering
to be held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadel phia,
Pa. The organization invites all lo
experience the fellowship of families from
around the world. Workshops include 'Our
Families and the Schools" and 'MultiCultural
Families.' Guest speakers include
Dr. April Martin, author of "The Gay and
Lesbian Parenting Handbook .• Cost is
$350, which includes registration, accommodations
and seven meals. For information
contact GLPCI, P.O. Box 50360, Washington,
DC 20091, (202)583-8029 .
EACA2AIACS@aol.com,
http:/ /www .dircon.co.uk/ aglo/ evan
geli .htm.
Mercy of God
Community elects
new leadership
THE MERCY OF GOD Community, at
its · recent plenary meeting, elected
five members to its leadership council.
Those elected were: Br. Ronald
Francis; of Rhode Island, Community
Servant / President; Br. Thomas Jude,
of Vermont, Vice President; Br. James
Bernard, of Massachusetts, Treasurer;
Br. Peter Christopher, also of Massachusetts
, and Br. William Chad, of
New Jersey, Councilors. Br. Joseph
Gerald, of New York, continues as
Secretary. The meeting was held at
Emmaus House, Perth Amboy NJ, on
June 25 to 29, 1997. The community
Will celebrate its 10th anniversary
this winter.
Former Nazarenes
hold first meeting
THE INAUGURAL MEETING of a
group of former Nazarenes and others
from fundamentalist backgrounds was
held June 8 at Broadway Baptist
Church in Kansas City, Mo. The
group hopes to acquire and disseminate
educational material and host
lesbian and gay evangelical speak~
ers. .-
The next meeting was scheduled for
August 2 at l0a.m. at Broadway
Baptist Church, 39th Terrace and
Broadway. For further information
readers may write to P:o. Box 47534,
Kansas City, MO 64171.
Water of Life: Rites
of the Gay Male Spirit
AUGUST 1-3, Ken White and John Linscheid
facilitate this Kirkridge weekend . retreat for
gay men. The gathering is an ei,ploration of
the use of ritual to foster . gay spiritual
growth. For information contact Kirkridge,
2495 Fox Gap Rd .. Bangor. PA 18013-
9359, (610)588-1793.
Retreat:
.. "God's Amazing Gracel'
AUGUST 1-3, Holy Spirit Fellowship of
Long Beach, Cal., hosts its annual retreat at
Mt. Calvary Retreat Center in Santa Barbara .
For information contact Pastor Duane Moret ,
P.O. Box 91272, Long Beach, CA 90809,
(562)435-0990.
Sisters in a Strange Land
AUGUST 22-24, A retreat for Christian Lesbians
lo be held at a center near Lake Michigan
in southwest Michigan. Contact Leaven,
P .O. Box 23233, Lansing, Ml 48909.
(517)855-2277.
Christian Community News
Welooming oongregations adding two new church~ ~r week
THE GRASS ROOTS movement in
mainline churches welcoming the full
participation of lesbian and gay persons
has grown by 25 percent over the
past year, according to the Reconcil~
ing Congregation Program . As of
February 1, 1997, 735 congregations, 36
campus ministries, and 29 regional
associations in ten faith traditions
have publicly stated that they welcome
all persons, regardless of sexual
orientation. These welcoming communities
are in 46 U.S. states, the District
of Columbia, and Canada.
Welcoming church programs have
sprung up in different Chrisban
denominations over the past 20 years,
often as a means for local churches to
Events
Gay and Lesbian
Family Week
AUGUST 2-9, Gay and Lesbian Parents Coa-
1 ition Internationa l sponsors a week of
relaxation and .entertainment for gay and lesb
ian families in Provincetown, Mass. GLPCI
will host a beach barbecue and provide an
in[ormation sheet at the Provincetown
Chamber of Commerce Building suggesting
daily activities. No fee. For information call
(202)583°8029.
National Association of
Catholic Diocesan Lesbian
and Gay Ministries
Fourth Annual Conference
SEPTEMBER 4 -7, Sheraton Hotel, Long
Beach, Cal. Plenary and workshop sessions
on gay/lesbian and family ministries, youth
and campus ministry outreach, spiritua lity
· a!)_dcf1'treats. · Eucharist, reception and banquet
.w.ith Cardinal _ Roger Mahony of Los
;Angeles :' Fol ·info'rmation and registration
mate rials, call 510-465°9344, fax to 510-
451-6998, or e-mail to
NACDl.GM@aoI.com.
Parents, Families and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays 1997
International Conference
SEPTEMBER 11-14, PR..AG members from
around the country will gather at the Clarion
Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla., for "Love Takes
Action: The PR..AG Family Adventure . • For
information contact The Balcom Group,
3600 16th ·st: NW, Washington, DC 20008,
(202):234-3880, balcomgrp@aol.com .
t,.dvance '97
SEPTEMBER 24-28, The Alliance of Christian
Churches sponsors its annua l gathering
in Estes Park, Colo. "All Things ... New ... "
is this year's theme: The conference has four
.goals: to promote evangelism, to offer Bible
education, to support local and global missions,
,and foste r fellowship opportunities.
For ; information contact · the Alliance of
Christian Churches, 722 Tenison Memorial
Rd., Dallas, TX 75223, (214)320-0043, fax
(214)320-0098.
counteract denominational policies
anci practices that exclude gay and
lesbian persons. The growth of this
welcoming movement has accelerated
in recent years due to the beginning of
new welcoming programs in more
denominations. The welcoming
church movement is now growing at a
pace of two new congregations each
week. It may well be the fastestgrowing
grass roots movement in
mainline churches today, said a spokesperson
for the RCP.
Currently there are welcoming
churches/ministries in these denominations:
American Baptist, Brethren/
Mennonite, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal,
. Lutheran, Methodist, Presby-
Cultivating the Spirit:
21st Annual Quaker
Lesbian Conference
SEPTEMBER 25-28, A camp in beautiful
Bucks County, Penn., is the setting. Sliding
scale. For information contact QLC'97,
6906 Sherman St., Philadelphia, PA 19119,
QLC'97@aol.com.
Christian Lesbians OUT
4th Biennial Conference
OCTOBER 2-5, This gathering will be held at
a beautiful retreat center in the rolling hills
between Portland and Mt. Hood , Oregon.
"Called On The Journey: Sacred Spaces Of
Our Lives" is this year's theme. Promised;
worship, workshops, speakers and play! For
information call (503)281-5405 or e-mail
mamadyke@aol .com.
Beaver Farm Men's Retreat
OCTOBER 11-13, This retreat for gay, bisexual
and .transgendered Quaker men is held
every year at Beaver Farrn,·an old farm house
located in the Croton River Valley, about an
hour north of New York City. The retreat is a
time of talk, prayer, eating. rest and renewal
in an unstructured setting. There are a number
of opportunities for worship and worship
sharing. Cost is $ 185. For information contact
Grant P. Thompson, 1426 Jonquil St.,
Washington, DC 20012, (202)723-8282,
fax (202)291-i823, billstar@radix.net.
North American Lutheran
Conference on AIDS
NOVEMBER 6-8, "Hope, Help and Healing:
A Lutheran Challenge" is the theme for this
fifth annual conference to be held in Secaucus,
NJ. Sponsored by the Lutheran AIDS
Network (LANET), the conference will feature
interactions with ELCA Bishop George
Anderson, Dr. Mart in Marty, Sen. Paul
Simon, Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, and other
speakers. In addition there will be special
worship opportunities, formal workshops,
experiential learning through visits to AIDS
service programs, resource /information
exchange areas, and fellowship with companions
in HIV/ A IDS ministry. For more
information, contact Loretta Horton at
800/638-3522, ext 2404.
terian, Unitarian-Uni versa I ist, ·
United Church of Canada, and the
United Church of Christ.
The complete list of over 750 welcoming
churches and ministries is
published in the .Winter 1997 issu'e of
"Open Hands," a quarterly magazine
published by the Reconciling Congregation
Program . A copy of this issue
can be purchased for $6 from "Open
Hands," 3801 N. Keeler Ave., Chicago,
IL 60641.
Names Makin News
Wingspan honors
Bishop Olson
RETIRED LUTHERAN BISHOP
STANLEYE. OLSON has been honored
by Wingspan Ministry of St.
Paul, Minn. Olson's career in the
Lutheran church includes 45 years as
an ordained minister of the ULCA,
LCA and ELCA, half spent in congregations
and half as synod s taff. For
more than eight years he served as
bishop of the Pacific Southwest
Synod of the LCA. Olson served on
the governing board the The Network,
a national organization of pastors
and lay leaders who work to
promote the ordination of gay and
lesbian people in the ELCA. He was
the first bishop to ever preach at an
assembly of Lutherans Concerned.
Wingspan sponsored a reception for
Bishop Olson on June 28.
Independent Holy
Catholic Church
consecrates
three bishops
THE VERY REV. DENNIS FINNEGAN
of Vercon, Conn., ,THE REV.
JOHN N. RUBAR of New Orleans
and the REV. JAMES ALAN WILKOWSKI
of Chicago was ordained
bishops of the independent Holy
Catholic Church during the church's
summer conference in Chicago. The
announcement was made by The Most
Rev. Robert W. Martin, Presiding
Bishop.
Bishop Finnegan will assume pastoral
care of the Diocese of the
Northeast, Bishop Rubar will
assume pastoral care of the Diocese of
the Southeast and Bishop Wilkowski
will assume pastoral care of
the Diocese of the Northwest.
Bishop Martin will continue with
pastoral care of the Diocese of the
Southwest. Bishop Michael Frost of
New York will be Prefect for Religi()
U',,
The independent Holy Catholic
Church celebrates the sacramental
and liturgical traditions of Catholicism
. The church is a welcoming
faith community that welcomes all
unconditionally.
Southern California
Chapter of UCCL/GC
honors three
THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Chapter of the United Church Coalition
for Lesbian/ Gay Concerns presented
three awards at the UCC
Southern California Conference
Annual Meeting on June 14 . MS.
ELLEN KING received the Margaret
J. Jacoby Scholarship. King, a seminarian
at Dayton Theological Seminary,
is a student in-care of the Central
Association and the Arcadia
Congregationa l Church . THE FIRST
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF
LONG BEACH received the Eleonore
and Oliver Powell Award, which is
given to a UCC congregation in Southern
California that has demonstrated
a vision of inclusiveness in living out
the church's mission in local community.
THE REV. DR. HENRY HOYT
received the Howard and Donna Sell
Award. Hoyt was instrumental in the
ordination of Rev. Bill Johnson, the
first openly gay seminarian ordained
in a mainline denomination, in 1972.
Transitions
NORMANPITfENGER, an Anglican
priest who wrote a book that helped
ease gays and lesbians into acceptance
by the church, died on June 19 in
King's Lynn in Norfolk, England, near
Cambridge University, where he
worked for the last 35 years. He was
91. Pittenger published "Time for
Consent" in 1969. It used "process
theology" - which argued for a less
absolute God, one that constantly
sought to bring good out of evil - to
present a case for tolerance of homosexuals.
It sold 10,000 copies in paperback,
a best seller for a work of
theology.
Pittenger, who taught at New
York's Theological Seminary of the
Episcopal Church from 1935 until
1966, said his own feelings led him to
write the book.
"One of the things I had in mind
was that - if one feels as I myself had
felt when I was young, that I wasn't
interested in girls and I didn't care to
get married, it was perfectly all
right to be another kind of person,"
he told The Independent in 1989. -AP
PAGE 23 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST, 1997
Suffering a secret
BradDavisandAIDS
Books
By Amy Selwyn
Special to Second Stone
NEW YORK - In 1991, actor Brad
Davis was dying of AIOS and ortly
two people knew it: Davis and his
wife of 15 years, Su_san Bluestein
Davis.
Thro~gh the night sweats, the
weight loss and the realization that
in the end nothing could save him,
Davis and his wife kept the .secret.
Because, in the movie industry, the
word AIDS spelled unemployment:
As he wrote in a book proposal
developed in the final weeks of his
life, Davis said, "I make my money in
an industry that professes to care
very much about the fight against
AIDS but in actual fact, if an actor is
even rumored to have HIV, he gets no
support on an individual basis. He
does not work ."
Davis wanted the wotld to know ·
that he'd been HIV positive, he'd
had AIDS and ·he'd still worked -
and more important, he hadn't held
up production. Because, as he wrote,
"There are ·so many others like 'me,
who are healthy and working, but
who live lives of paranoia and fear
because they can't tell the truth."
So Davis extracted a promise from
his wife Susan to write · the book he
would not . live to complete. The
Davises kepi the secret until Brad's
death in September 1991. He was the
first heterosexual actor to die of
AIDS, and the hews made headlines
across America. Then it was time for
Susan to begin writing.
Last month, with the publication of
"After Midnight: The Life and Death
of Brad Davis" (Pocket Books), the
promise was fulfilled. For Bluestein
Davis, it has been an emotional fiveyear
journey.
Mom publishes journal remembering
son who died of AIDS
OGUNQUIT, Maine - It's been seven
years since Margaret Tyrus lost her
son to AIDS. But she hopes his memory
will be preserved by a new book
she is self-publishing.
"Journey to Freedom," combines journals
kept by Margaret Tyrus and her
son Gene as AIDS gradually claimed
his life.
He was 35 when he died on the
Fourth of July, 1990. In the book, Gene
is portrayed as a gay man reluctant to
tell his family the truth of his sexuality
and a loving son who threw his
Gene's father rush to the hospital -
arriving minutes after . their son's
death ..
Tyrus writes: "I do not think I will
ever get over not being at Gene's bedside
when he died. "
She and her husband John spent
"several thousand dollars" to print
500 copies. Several bookstores will
begin selling the $18 book, and Tyrus
will turn her home into a distribution
center for anyone wishing to order
through the mail.
arms around his mother and sobbed Most of the proceeds, said Tyrus,
when he told her of his diagnosis. will go to a foundation she is estab-
She decided to self-publish the lishing in her son's memory.
memoir after 23 publishers turned her She plans to direct the money
down. toward AIDS-related causes - per-
"1 can't begin to tell you how much I haps research or to defray expenses
loved Gene and how much he loved for individuals living with the disme,
" said Tyrus . "And I just wanted ease.
Gene to be immortal. " "The deterioration, the man he was,
The chapters slide from day-by-day that he was a good son, that he had a
entries of bed sores, dementia, night job with an insurance company, that
sweats and cancer to broad reminis- he once was a teacher, that he had
cences of devotion and regret. good friends - . I wanted people to
It begins with glaf!ces back to Gene's know all of it," said Tyrus. "I wanted
childhood and the memory of a people to know who Gene was. And,
mother rocking her infant son to you know, I needed to remember, too."
sleep. Th e book ends as she and -AP
PAGE 24 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST. 1997
;\W ; .;+i, t
. The couple met in New York in·t97-0,
She 'w 6rked · for a succes sful ·theater
agent; he was a fatal mix of Southern
drawl, sex appeal and raw talent.
"My mother had just been diagnosed
with terminal cancer," Bluestein
Davis said in an interview. "I had
lost my father a few years before . So
then this person comes in out of the
blue . He was childlike and very
sweet." . ·
Like a page from a Hollywood
script, the middle-class Jewish girl .
and the handsome descendant of Confederate
President Jefferson Davis
fell in love. They moved in together
almost immediately, married in 1976
and moved to California so Brad
could pursue a film career. Susan
Bluestein Davis became a casting
agent. Brad Davis became a star
when he landed the lead in · Alan •
Parker's 1978 hit "Midnight
Express."
Brad Davis was an overnight sensation.
And then, almost as swiftly, he
became an alcoholic and · a drug
addict . The phone stopped ringing .
Davis' career was DOA.
Peop"Je asked Bluestein Davis why
she stayed with someone so obviously
hell bent on destruction. "Because,"
she says, "I think women spend a long
time thinking that their guidance,
their Jove, their caring and their
patience can fulfill and fix the .most
desperate need. It tak es a Jong Ume to
be able to step back and .realize that
you have to take care of your own
needs."
Out of work, physically spent and in
danger of losing his wife, Brad Davis
decided to get sober . He joined Alcoholics
Anonymous in 1981, and began
the long climb-back.
"Hard as that was to go through,"
s he says, "it made a major change in
our life together. Really, it was like
a light went on. We started to grow ·
together and work on our relationship
. ·Things were really on th e
upswing," says Bluestein Davis.
In 1983, Susan gave birth to the coupl
e's only child, a daughter named
Alexandra. The future looked bright.
And then on Decemb er 5, 1985, the
letter arrived from Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center. Brad was HIV positive,
probably the result of intravenousdruguse.
''That was a blow beyond compare,"
Blues te in Davis says .. "We had
worked so hard to get pa st the drinking
and the drug s, all of the womanizing
. And he was trying to get back
on his feet with his career."
Only· weeks befor e, Rock Hudson
had died of AIDS. The media had a
circus with the n ews, and it was pr ecisely
the type of career-ending hysteria
that Brad Davi s could not risk,
his wife said.
.. ,._
· "To·Brad, -it :was. very clear .that h~,,t
had too much other 1baggage," sp.'e •
says. "It wasn 't about being sick. It
was about the fa~t H1aHhi~ 'i:i;iti@ -~ --i
serious ' ~~ !)ge ,(q ·ai'\,.,akea ~il'; , El4k~ >
ened career.",-::. · ::~ ··, :1, :;:.~j-:)::-~~fl;~-:,~7.-·
The decision to remain silent was a
mutual one, says Bli.iestein'. D·a,As,
The couple would pay for Br,ad's:,
treatment from their own checkbook. .
There would be no iifauraiice forks: .: . • "There are so , . .:;
many. others , . ' '
like me,.'vho ,a~e
healthy and .:
working, .but J:··: 1
who live·liyes r,· ,.,.,
ofparanoia ·an~ , •·-••! . )
fear because
they can't tell
the truth." · • Brad would agree to see a doctor only
if the visits could be done in secret, at
home.
But they really didn't know what
they were up against, Bluestein ·Davis
· says. ;'We really didn't . perceive
the new s as being a death sentence.
The doctors told us there was a
possibility that he could just be a carrier
and never contract the disease."
Though there was a ray of hope,
there was al so tremendous anger on
Bluestein Dav is' part. She raged
against the disease and, mostly, she
raged against her husband. ·
"The anger came on me like.a flood.
I thought, How much more can my
life be compromised? How much more
can I go to the wall for this per son?
What's going to be my return in the
end?"
She says now she doesn't want
anyone to think she was a martyr, or
a modern-day Job. "I was right down
in the · trenche s," she says. "I definitely
was challenged until the end
to try and get through it."
Through all tho se difficult years,
she had been the supportive one.
Now, the balance shifted. Brad
Davis became th e strong one, loving
and patient. Ironi cally, hi s emotional
strength grew in direct proportion
to his waning physical health.
"Brad faced my anger. He took it. I
don't know a lot of men who would've
st ayed under those circumstances. It
brought out a side of him I don't think
he even knew he had - that capacity
SEE DA VIS, Next Page
j:j:£:£:t:::j:\:i=i:::;:;:;:;: :::::;:::::.:.:::;:;:::::;:;:i=}:;: :):::i:(:;:;:::):j:j:j:(:(:i:i:)-'.:::}:):::::;:i:;:):5:i:;:i:;:::::::;:::::i:£:j:i:::_:::;:-:;:;:::::;:;:::::;:::::::::i:f::::::J .Gatherings . .
Spiritual truths aoout cats and dogs
Books
· By David Briggs
AP ReligionWriter
JESUS IS THE lamb of God. The Holy
Spirit is likened to a dove . The
faithful are flocks tended by a loving
shepherd.
So why is it that when you walk
into most churches today, human
beings are the only living things
inside? "
Because Americans have gotten so
caught up in their love of technology
and human achievement that they
have lost touch ' with the natural
world, says Christopher Manes,
author of "Other Creations: Rediscovering
the Spirituality of Animals."
In his riew book from Doubleday,
Manes asks readers to see animals in
a new theological light, one in which
lambs and doves - and cats and dogs -
are a '. source for discovering spiritual
values and essential religious truths.
"Animal imagery doesn't decorate
religion," Manes said in an interview.
"It's central to understanding its
message."
From the first chapter of Genesis,
when God creates "wild anima.ls of
the Earth of every kind" and saw
that it was good, animal imagery is
pervasive throughout the Bible.
Balaam's ass, a talking animal precursor
to "Mr. Ed," proves wiser than
his master in their encounter in
Numbers.
The biblical hope of a peaceful
world expressed in Isaiah 10 is one
where all God's creatures live in harmony:
''The wolf also shall dwell with
the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
down with the kid; and the calf and
the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead
them." ·
In early Christian history, the relationship
between the animal and
human world for centuries invigorated
the religious imagination of
popular culture, Manes writes.
Manes tells the story of how Paulinus,
one of the first bishops on English
soil, helped convert the pagan king
Eadwin to Christianity with a tale
How clergywomen have changed
the face of religion in America .
"IN THEIR OWN Right: The History
of American Clergywomen" by
authors Carl and Dorothy Schneider
is the first cross-denominational history
of American clergywomen, an
important contribution to church history
and women's history.
The authors describe the painfully
slow opening of the profession to
women from colonial days, when itinerant
Quaker women were martyred,
to the end of the 20th century, when
women crowd seminary ·classrooms
and challenge patriarchies in
churches and synagogues. They
DAVIS,
From Previous Page
to stay and love somebody through a
lot of ugliness. He was small but
mighty."
Brad Davis stayed . And so did
Susan Bluestein Davis. "Somehow we
managed to weather that storm," she
says.
Bluestein Davis admires her husband's
courage. "Brad became a very
mature and incredible man." Yes, he
was angry, she says, especially at
Hollywood's hypocrisy. He braved
telling the truth so AIDS would cease
speculate about the possible future of
clergywomen: How are feminism and
womanism affecting them? The backlash
from the religious right? The
controversy over ordaining lesbians?
The tensions in the Roman Catholic
church and other churches that deny
women ordination?
Carl J. Schneider, Ph.D. in political
science, University of Wisconsin, and
Dorothy Schneider, Ph.D. in English,
University of Nebraska, have written
several historical works, including
·• "Into the Breach" and "Sound
Off." They live in Essex, Conn.
being a dirty word, she says.
"So here I am," she says, 'Tm telling
the story. AIDS is a disease like
any other disease . People live with
it, and people work with it." Even in
Hollywood.
Brad Davis died at home Sept. 8,
1991, in an assisted suicide. Bluestein
Davis does not discuss the details of
the drug overdose, saying only that
she was by her husband 's side as he
ended his struggle.
'Tm only hoping that with awareness,
the perception that if you have
AIDS yoa have done something bad
will change,'' Bluestein Davis said.
about a sparrow briefly seeking
shelter from a storm.
"Lo, during the time the bird is
within, he·isn't touched by the storms
of winter. But that lasts only a little
while, a twinkling of an eye, before
he soon returns to winter from winter.
Just so this life of man appears only
for a short time: what weul before
and what follows, we know.not," Paulinus
tells the king in the story illustrating
the . transitory nature of life on
Earth.
Until the 14th century, pets regu- .
larly accompanied their owners to
church services, according to Manes, a
doctoral candidate in medieval liter.
ature at the University of Oregon.
The Renaissance and the Enlightenment
started the theological move
toward a more human-centered theology,
a movement that continues in
many churches today, where religion
has become a monologue about
humanity.
"Our theology has marginalized
animals and tried to point away from
them," Manes said. "We need to
emphasize how marvelous creation
is, and point to it."
There are notable exceptions. Some
churches, particularly in services
remembering the ministry of St. Francis,
will sponsor a Blessing of the
Animals on their grounds and in their
sanctuaries .
Manes is not suggesting installing
pens for farm animals outside
churches or allowing people to bring
their pets inside with them on Sunday.
But he does recommend that people
make it a point to interact with animals
other than through nature
shows on television.
"If animals matter in your life, I
think you have a deeper view of
creation," he said.
One way is by caring for pets. Manes
said he talks to his cat, as other people
do to their cats and dogs.
This type of behavior is not odd,
according to Manes. Rather, he said,
it shows that pet caretakers consider
the rest of the "nonchuman world" in
a meaningful, consdous way.
Spending time with nature, Manes
said, also reveals another essential
tenet of religion:
"You 're not the center of things.
Other people matter. Other things
matter."
The Erotic Contemplative
Reflections on the Spiritual Journey of the Gay/Lesbian Christian
By Michael B. Kelly
A SIX VOLUME STIMULUS FOR
LIVING, LOVING AND PRAYER:
1) Our Experience (75 min)
2) Revisioning Sexuality (80 min)
3) Exodus and Awakening (75 min)
4) The Desert and the Dark (88 min)
5) Liberation (84 min)
6) The Road from Emmaus (63 min)
The six volume video
set is $199.00
Order through:
EROSpirit Research Institute
P.O. Box 8340
New Orleans LA 70182
"The Erotic Contemplative is the
most powerful and insightful study of
gay spirituality that I know of. I have
watched "The Road From Emmaus"
(tape 6) three times and still find new
riches." -- JOHN J. McNEIL, PH.D.,
author of The Church and the
Homosexual.
"In my theology classes, both gay and
straight seminarians benefit from
Kelly's integration of sexua lity with
Christian mysticism." -- ROBERT Goss,
PH.D,, author of Jesus Acted-Up.
"An excellent resource ... a worthwhi le
investment." -·BONDINGS.a publication
of New Ways Ministry.
"The Erotic Contemplative video course
has helped gay men and lesbians who
grew up as Christians move toward
healing the wounds of the past." -JoSEPH
KRAMER, M.D1v., EROSpir it
Re searc h Institute.
"This work should be considered
essential to anyone serious about their
sexuality/spirituality and mandatory for
anyone who in any way acts as a
spiritual director for gay and lesbian
people." -- More Light Update.
I
More detailed infonnati on about eacli video is available upon request. Also available in Pal ~ the I
European/Australian fo rma t. California residents add 8.25% sales tax. U.S. shipping charge: $5.00.
International shipping charge: $35.00. © 1997, EROSpirit ~esearch Institu£e.
PAGE 25 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST. 1997
SINCE
1988, A
FRIEND
FOR THE
JOURNEY
Second Stone The National Ec umenical And
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Gay And Christian
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Baptist OOycottd~'t
go far.enough
Chica~o, illinojs .
Dear Second Stone:
HA YING BEEN REARED in rural
Alabama, · baptized Southern Baptist,
taught S\\l).day School, sang in
the chotr, • taught V a:cation Bible
School, even ·preached a few sermons
as a teenager, I am somewhat disappointed
that my "brothers and
sisters" dfdn't take the notion of the
Disney boycott all the way! In growing
up 1n the small south Alabama
town, . sitting in .church every Sunday
morning and evening, and even most
Wedn Eisday -nights for pr~yer meeting,
I saw firsf hand the Baptist version
of Christianity practiced in everyday
life.
On Sunday's, between Sunday
School and the morning worship service,
the front lawn of the church
would be filled with dozens of men,
many of whom were either past or
current deacons, ·lrnrriedly puffing
away on cigarettes, cigars and pipes,
snuffing them out in time to make
SECOND STONE Newspaper. ISSN
No. 1047-3971, is published every
other month by Bailey Communications,
P.O. Box 8340, New Or leans.
LA 70182. secstone@aol.com. Copyright
I 997 by Second Stone. a registered
trademark.
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ADVERTISING. For display advertising
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SECOND STONE, a national ecumenical
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newspaper with a specific outreach to
gay, lesbian and bisexual people .
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Jim Bailey
their formal entrance and sit on the
front row to hear another hell, fire
and damnation sermon on the evils of
tobacco. One Sunday, the fire
department disrupted the morning
· worship service ·to extinguish the fire
that the deacons' smoking materials
had set on the dry grass of the front
lawn of the church.
And then, there was the common
practice of the Baptist leadership
(Methodists and Presbyterians, too),
who would beat their chests on Sunday
morning about the evils of ako.
hol, only to be the prime patrons of
the local taxi service which could be
dispatched with a mere telephone
call to go by the "green front" state
liquor store to pick up the week 's supply
of .booze.
Disney is just the tip of the iceberg
that should draw the fire of the
Bible-beating Baptists. Why not rip
from the Broadman Hymnal every
song that has been authored by a gay
or lesbian composer or lyricist. Throw
out every gay or lesbian member of
the baptized body of believers, to
include the choir directors, church ·
musicians, deacons, Sunday School
teachers, and yes, the pastors of
many Baptist congregations. Remove
from the church buildings, the
stained glass, the pipe organs, the
pianos, and other artistic elements
that may have been designed and
executed by gay and lesbian artisans.
Throw off the fancy robes and other
attire that the leaders of the Baptist
denomination wear in their pulpits,
knowing full well that they had been
., ,
p)L' p . Ip ddl :/.,.\ . ontms . u e
touched by the hands ofgay or lesbian
crafts persons. Burn the millions
of pages of the Sunday School texts
that have been published by the Sunday
School Board, that were
designed and printed by gays and lesbian
s. Trash the scented bouquets of
flowers that adorn the altar each
Sunday beca .use they were planted,
cultivated, and arr .anged by gays and
lesbians .
Rip .from the pages of the Bible, all
references to same sex love and
respect. No more Ruth and Naomi, no
more Johnathan and David, no more
Jesus "and the disciple whom he
_loved." But, let's leave in, that passage
w hich th e "practicing Christians"
se ldom seem to r ecall when
they are in their pulpits and on television,
condemning those they don't
understand: "Judge not less thou shalt
be judged."
But the ultimate boycott should be
against the King James Version of the
Holy Bible. After all, it is the pro duct
of the agenda of a homosexual:
King James.
Sincerely,
James 0. Yeaman
God forgive them ... and me
By Ann M. Amideo amidst the wedding, painfully
reminding me I do not exist; utterly
Contributing Writer invisible.
IN THE MIDST of His agony, despair My sister who keeps her children
and humiliation, Jesus lifts His eyes shielded from their gay aunt, as to
toward His accusers and pleads protect them from harm.
"Father forgive them for they know The politician who caves into safe,
not what they do"(Luke 23:34). popular votes, rather than justice and
Lord, let these words abide in me, truth, against their .own conscience.
your gay child, that I may forgive ... My next door neighbor who warns
My mother and father who have their children to stay away from
forsaken their gay child, withdraw- "that house ."
ing their love and support. Myself, for the lack of courage and
My family and friends for their fear of humiliation, to spNk out in
careless and insensitive humor and situations that demand a voice.
ridicule of gay people. Myself, for misguided anger that
My co-workers who assume I am a have caused others hurt and sorrow.
lonely, single person because I lack a Myself, for desiring that my prelegal
marriage status. cious life would end, as I wallow in
My heterosexual friends who love self pity and despair.
me, but lack the empathy to feel the Lord, show us that forgiveness does
urgent need for public and legal recog- not pardon inj,qstice., _but rather,
nition of my family. releases our hearts froJl\·th~ roots of
My employer who refuses to grant bjtterness, that enly s_erye_.to cho~e.
me a family benefit package, thus out the blossoms of lo".:fJ eac e a~d
leaving us econoμiically ·vulnerable. . j<>y. ··
My minister who has refused to sef it : .
place. for us at the Lord's table, exiling
us to the lonely desert, to hunger
and thirst.
Those who hate me, but do not know
me.
My teenage students, who unaware,
hurl stones of hurt, insult, violence.at
the mere mention of homosexuality.
Those steeped in silence around the
table, in the church, at the job,
We welcome yo11r .
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BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
ENLARGING THE CIR CLE: Pullen's Holy
Union Process, the inside story of how a
Baptist chu rc h in Jesse Helms' hometown
decided as a cong regatio n to offer rituals of
blessing for gay and les bian coupl es . The
church's history with gay issues, discussion
wit hin the congregation, reaction from outside
rs, exp~lsion by fellow Baptist s, celebrati
ons of covenant, and consequences for
the church are shared by les bian Pal Long,
the on ly • out' deacon during the process.
Send $10 plus $1.25 postage to BOOK, Pullen
Memorial Bap tist Church, 1801 Hillsboro
ug h Street, Raleigh, NC 27605. TF
"WONDERFUL DIVERSITY ," 'Heartily recommended,"
'Ph ilosophi ca ll y intriguing,"
'Excellent.' Why do review er s highly
esteem CHRISTIAN*NEW AGE QUARTER LY
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Sub scribe for only $12.50/yr. Or
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QUARTERLY, P.O. Box 276, Clifton , NJ
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
BILLIONAIRE BOYS/ GIRL S Club: Looking
for motivated individuals lo make some extra
money. No telemarketin g or door to door.
Lots of fun, great people. Intere sted? Call
Jess or Mike at (703)370-7875 . 8 /97
EMPLOYMENT
THE OTHER SIDE, the Christian magazine of
peace, justice, and spiritua lity, seeks a Director
of Operations to coordinate overall management,
long range planning, person nel ,
and board development. Teambuilding sk ills,
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We offer exce llent benefits and work on a
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TOS.PA@ecunet.org. 10/97
GENERAL INTEREST
CAN'T GET TO CHURC H? We'll come lo you
b y audio cassette of ou r weekly worship.
Send request and donation to Holy Spirit Fellowship,
P.O. Box 91272, Lo ng Beach, CA
90809. 8/97
OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2000 -
Join us in our wonde rful Alpine Adventure
and Treasures of Italy tour now being planned
visiting •Innsbruck •l schgl •Liechtenst ei n
•Venice •Milan •Flore nce •Tyrolean Alps. 15
exciting days - Sep tember 20 to October 4,
2000 - departing from Detroit. Hosted by
Rev. Steve Weinberger. Call or write for
more infor mat ion :. 5 17-224-6 859, 200 E.
State St., St. Johns, Ml 48879. 8197
CHRISTI AN PILGRIMAGES - Meet new gay
and lesbian Christian friends from across th e
nation as you tou r one of the most sacred
places in the world : Christian Pilgrimage to
Israel including a stop in Amsterdam. Visitors
often remark th at this trip to Israel was
the journ ey of a lifetime! Thi s 12-day trip
through this ancient and holy land indud es a
2-night st op in deli gh tful Amster d am.
$2,469.00 per person. · Contact Secon d
Stone, P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans , LA
70182, secsto ne @aol.com
RE SEAR CH: Were you raised in a Southern
Baptist home, churc h? Are you gay , lesbian?
Yo ur help is need ed' Gay, lesb ian rormer
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PAGE 28 • SECOND STONE • JULY/AUGUST, 1997
are seeking churches, organizatio ns (e.g.,
Honesty) whose memberships includ e gay
former, c urrent Sout hern Bapt ists willing to
share personal stor ies for proposed boo k
seeking to initiate honest dialogue. with the
denomination. Information desired regarding
experiences growing up gay in such ho mes,
church es. Anony mit y, confiden tiali ty absolutely
guaranteed. Readers, please share
information with your church, organization.
GROUP . (the larger, the better) respo nd ents
will be interv ie wed and audiotaped indivi dually
in your town at mutua ll y acce pt able
time, date. INDIVIDUA L respondents will be
asked to complete mailed questionnaires.
Groups, individuals willing to participate or
w ho want more inform ation·, please contact:
Dr. Theodore W. Hayes, P.O. Box 687, Stone
R idge , NY 12 484 -0687 ; e-mail:
thayes9217@a ol.com; fax: (914)687-2143. ................................ , ;l'·,·· ........................................... .. Reauer
toReader IIIIIIIDIRECT CONNECTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
A section of profiles of activ e subscribers who want to meet other gay
and lesbian Christ ians across town or across the country - To have
your profile published simply send your information to Second Stone,
P.O . Box 8340, New Orleans , LA 70182 , e-mail to se cs tone@aol.com,
or FAX to (504)899-4014.
1. State, City· __________________ _
2.Name _____________________ _
CIRCLE: 3. Single or committed 4.Gay, lesbian, trans, bi, or straight 5. Male or female
6. Age__ 7. Religious affiliatio.,._ _______________ _
8. Occupation, _____________ -,- ______ _
NOTE: Select TWO of THREE ways to be contacted: Your mailing address, your e-mail
address, or your telephone number.
9. Contact informatior'-----------------------
. . .
10. Contact information . l --··. ---·········--··················--·····.. -· .•············· ·-··--------HOW TO READ R2R: Listings are in
alphabetical order by stat e, th en by
city. If a mailing addr ess is given in a
listing the zip code appea rs in th e
li sting . NNG = No name given.
S=single, C=c ommitted . G=gay,
L=l esbi an, T =transgendered,
B=b isex u al, S=straight. M=male,
F=female. Age, r eligi ous affili atio n,
occupation, cont act inf or mati on.
CALIFORNIA, DOWNEY
THEODORE CRANFORD, SGM, 67, UFMCC,
RETIRED, PO BOX 1307, 90240-0307. (562)928-
4489.
CALIFORNIA, PASADENA
BARRY DIXON, SGM, 40, WORLDWIDE CHUA
GOD, TECHNICAL WRITER, dec4th@aol.com
FLORIDA, PANAMA CITY
ROBB DOYLE, SGM, 38, CHARISMATIC ACC.
MEDICAL MESSAGE, 1139 EVERITT AVE 3240!,
mgay4jesus@aol.com
FLORIDA, BRANDON
ROBERT MORGAN, SGM, 36, PENTECOSTAU
APOSTOLIC, FLIGHT ATTENDANT/MINISTER,
2023 CATTLEMAN DR., 33511. 813-651-1505.
ITALY, NAPOLI
PAOLO LANNI, SGM, 39, PENTECOSTAL, PHYSICIAN,
PO BOX 11, 80100 NAPOLI, 39-81-7761534.
LOUISIANA, BA TON ROUGE
PAM GARRETTSON, SLF, 31, LUTHERAN, GRAD
STUDENT, xp2927@LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU
LOUISIANA, NEW ORLEANS
JIM BAILEY, SGM, 42, LUTHERAN, PUBLISHER,
secstone@aol.com
MICHIGAN, LANSING
NNG, SGM, 46, METHODIST, SELF EMPLOYED,
517-224-2415.
MISSISSIPPI, JACKSON
ALLEN SHIRLEY, SGM, 32, INDEPENDENT-AIM,
5136 GERTRUDE, APT A, 39204
MISSOURI, KANSAS CITY
JOSEPH STUCHEL, SGM, 36, CATHOLIC, COM·
PUTER PROGRAMMER, 4006 OAK ST., #6, 64111,
jgstuchel@aol.com
NEW HAMPSHIRE, MANCHESTER
ROD, SGM, 42, INSURANCE UNDERWRITER,
hotnho9258@aol.com.
NEW YORK, YONKERS
JOHN PRATHER, SGM, 71, EPISCOPALIAN,
COMPUTER SPECIALIST,? BELL PL., 10701,
914-964-0379. -- "
OREGON, FLORENCE
JOE NOLAN, CBM, 59, EPISCOPALIAN, GARDENER,
PO BOX2263, 541-997-1752
TENNESSEE,CHATTANOOGA
CHUCK THOMPSON, SGM, NONDENOMINATIONAL,
PASTOR, 3623 FOUNTAIN
AVE., #109 37412, 423-624-9824
TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE
MEL, SGM, 42, PROTESTANT, PUBLISHER,
bnamelman@aol.com
TEXAS, BEAUMONT
MICHAEL DAVID, SGM, 42, PAINTER, PARALt·
GAL, 648558 MARK STILES, RT, 4 BOX 1500,
77705.
TEXAS, SAN ANTONIO
AL EISCH, SGM, 53, CATHOLIC, SOCIAL SERV·
ICES, PO BOX 12754 78212,
MOCHICA@FLASH.NET
VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
MICHAEL KEITH HALL, SGM, 39, BAPTIST, PRO·
GRAM SUPPORT/SCREENWRITER, 2201
FOURTH AVE., 23222.
NO LOCATION GIVEN
NNG,CLF, 39, BAPTIST, gosep@aol.com