Brent Bissette

Brent Bissette
July 30, 1989
I have called you
You are mine

Dear PCUSA friends,
My name is Brent Bissette. My family consists of myself, my partner Richard Lewis (an ordained Presbyterian elder), and my five year-old daughter Abigail.  We live in Cary, NC.  I was born August 21, 1962, baptized six weeks later, and many years later, ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament on July 30, 1989.  I served faithfully as co-pastor of the Calypso (NC) Presbyterian Church for over four years.  When I chose to "come out" to the Committee on Ministry of my Presbytery (Coastal Carolina), it withdrew it's support of my call to serve as a parish pastor within its bounds.  I now work in a painted furniture shop, and look feverishly for ways to use my gifts for ministry.  Not only have I been cut off from pursuing my calling "unhindered", but I lost the primary avenue I had for the economic sustenance of myself and my family.  The fear and prejudice I have experienced from the Church since my "coming out" has caused me deep pain.

Were it not for the joyful acceptance of my local church family, I could not have made it this far.  We attend the Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, North Carolina's only More Light Congregation, where I have experienced the Good News of the Gospel once again.  This stole was made by Liz Evans, an elder in that congregation.  She came to me and volunteered for the project saying, "Your story and those like it must be told!"  So we set to work.  The shell is an early Christian symbol of baptism, in which all our ministry is rooted.  The rainbow represents the permanence and inclusiveness of God's love.  That inclusive love is further symbolized by the material of the stole itself which was woven across the far reaches of the globe in Central America and Africa.  The words come from Isaiah's Servant Songs and proclaim God's call to service of those who belong to God.  On the back is the More Light Network logo, which takes the Nazi pink triangle, a symbol of derision and hate toward gay and lesbian persons, and places it upon the Cross, the greatest symbol of redemption in the Christian tradition.  My name and ordination date are found there as well in the redemptive shadow of the cross.

As I offer Liz's stole to God -- to the Church -- to you, I offer you words from the most reflective theologian of our household, my daughter Abi.  One morning as we were planting flowers together on the deck, Abi paused from her digging and looked up at Rich and me.  "Dad," she said, "you know, every flower is a little bit different, but they are all beautiful."  Then there was quiet as Rich and I dared not break what felt like a hallowed silence.  "And you know," she continued with all the assurance of a five year-old, "I think God loves them all!"

Sounds like the Gospel to me!  Your kingdom come, O Lord, on earth, even as it is in heaven.  Amen.

P.S.  The More Light button pinned below the rainbow is offered by my partner, Rich, on behalf of all those gay and lesbian elders who faithfully serve our denomination.

Shalom,
Brent

This stole was one of the original 80 stoles that were on display on Sept. 16, 1995 when I set aside my ordination before Heartland Presbytery (see stole #1 for details). 

Founded in 1967 with a commitment to racial reconciliation, inclusiveness and hospitality, the Church of Reconciliation is the only More Light congregation in North Carolina, working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into the life and leadership of the Presbyterian Church.  As the lone voice for the More Light movement in the Carolinas, the Church of Reconciliation has become a place of welcome for many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith who were exiled from their home churches or who, like Brent, were forced to abandon their careers in the ministry. 

Along with Brent's beautifully crafted stole, CoR donated a Signature Stole as well (stole #59).  Since sending these stoles for inclusion in that very first display in 1995, CoR has arranged to have a small display of stoles at every single meeting of New Hope Presbytery for the past eleven years, often including Brent's stole.

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006