Nancy Lauder Brown

NANCY LAUDER BROWN
Ordained Elder

Downtown United Presbyterian Church
Rochester, NY

This is one of about two dozen stoles donated by members of DUPC in early 1996. 

DUPC was at the center of a pivotal moment in the history of the Welcoming movement in the Presbyterian Church.  In 1978 the General Assembly acted to bar the ordination of "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals."  However, an exception was added to the action which exempted those ordained before 1978 from future judicial action.  This clause allowed DUPC in 1991 to call the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr to become a co-pastor of the church; Janie had been ordained prior to 1978.  However, the church broke its trust and in 1991 the denomination's highest judicial body barred Janie from being installed.  In response, DUPC called Janie to be an "Evangelist," an formed That All May Freely Serve to allow Janie to preach, educate and challenge church structures at DUPC and throughout the country.

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006