Ben Guess

THE REV. BEN GUESS
PASTOR, ZION UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST (1992 TO PRESENT)
HENDERSON, KENTUCKY

I was baptized, confirmed and ordained in the United Methodist Church.  A lifetime member of First United Methodist Church in Henderson, Kentucky, I came out as a gay man while a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School.  While at Vanderbilt, I placed my hope in the 1992 General Conference which was supposed to hear/act on a four-year study and recommendation that affirmed the gifts of lesbian and gay people in the church.  However, when this report was not even heard by the General Conference, I knew that any ministry I would possibly have in the UMC would always be filled with secrets and fear.  After serving rural parishes during seminary and one year after graduation, I decided that - in order to be the best minister I could be - it was necessary for me to find a congregation and denomination that wanted all of me.  I transferred my credentials to the United Church of Christ, finding a loving and accepting atmosphere for my successful parish ministry, now going on 8 years.  When I left the UMC, many many in my home church were surprised and frustrated and even angry with me for leaving the UMC as if I had any choice.  They felt like I had left them but I saw it the other way around.  Very few realized that, yes, this fear-based, flawed, and sinful policy in the Book of Discipline was impacting the whole church even our congregation in Henderson.  The time has come for a change.

This stole from Rev. Ben Guess was the first one we received honoring someone in the United Church of Christ.  Although the United Church of Christ welcomes LGBT persons fully into its life and leadership at all levels, UCC stoles now count as the third largest denominational subset of stoles in the collection.  The reason for this is reflected in Ben's story: the UCC has become a magnet for gifted, capable, faithful pastors who have left other denominations in search of a place that would welcome their service to God and the church.  The majority of the UCC stoles in this collection tell the larger story of a people in exile, searching for a place to call home that will honor their lives and their callings, bless their relationships, and embrace their families.

Once again, the UMC's loss is truly the UCC's gain.  Ben Guess is now the editor of United Church News, the largest news organization of the United Church of Christ.

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006