Anonymous ("A Pastor")

Little is known about the background of this stole, which tells a story with just two words, "A Pastor," and a red AIDS ribbon.The poignancy of this stole is felt by the honoring of a minister who must serve in silence, but apparently of one who must also bear the burden of AIDS in silence as well.  In the video, "So Great A Cloud of Witnesses: The Story of the Shower of Stoles Project," I said of this stole, "Sometimes the stoles that say the very least are the ones that speak the loudest..."

This is one of about thirty stoles donated to the collection over the years by the members of Rutgers Presbyterian Church in New York in honor of their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members, many of whom hold leadership positions within the congregation and in the Presbytery of New York City.  Established in 1798 in lower Manhattan, Rutgers has a long history of involvement in social justice and community development issues.  Rutgers is a More Light congregation, working for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the life and leadership of the Presbyterian Church.  Along with More Light Presbyterians, Rutgers is a sponsor of Presbyterian Welcome (an affiliate of That All May Freely Serve) and the Covenant Network in their common pursuit for the end of discrimination against LGBT persons in the Presbyterian Church.

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006