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              <text>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;JOYCE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Park Slope United Methodist Church&lt;br /&gt;Brooklyn, New York&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am what I call a third generation Methodist.  I have very fond memories of going to a small church in a farming community in the Midwest with my Mother and Grandmother who both enjoyed singing all the various hymns.  They taught me to sing harmony and my Mother and I have always enjoyed singing together when I go home to see her.  My Grandmother was a religious person who practiced what she read in the Bible.  She spent her time simply by reading her Bible and working on her quilts.  My Mother and Grandmother taught me the very basic principles that guide me today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have lived in New York for over 30 years and until two years ago I was never able to find a church where a lesbian could worship without discrimination.  I then found my home at the Park Slope UMC, a reconciling congregation that has members who really practices the principles I was taught.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I find it disheartening to now hear that the general board of the UMC does not want to treat people like me the same as any other person.  The way I lead my life is no different than any other Methodist and I can't understand why we shouldn't be treated the same.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;At PSUMC, I am the treasurer, co-president of the UMW, choir member, reconciling committee member, fill in as an usher, and cut the grass and help in our garden in the summer.  I am trying to live my life the same as the generations before me and hope that the delegates at the General Conference will treat us as they would want to be treated; we are no different.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik,  With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One passing statement in Joyce's story takes my breath away.  Joyce is the sort of person that church membership committees dream of: a woman of faith with deep roots in the United Methodist church, one who is called to put her faith into action through service in a local United Methodist congregation, a leader who is ready and willing to step into positions of responsibility.  Despite all this, Joyce spent &lt;em&gt;twenty-eight years &lt;/em&gt;searching for a congregation where she would be welcome, simply because she is lesbian.  What a tragedy that one should have to spend so many years wandering in the desert, and what a loss to the church all those years.  And yet, if it weren't for Park Slope, Joyce might be wandering still, because the UMC fails to see the gifts of God before their very eyes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I was born in Virginia and have lived in Brooklyn, NY for 8 years.  I attend PSUMC with my partner Claire.  This past Christmas, I especially enjoyed participating in UMW events.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik,  With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I am who I am&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik,  With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I came to PSUMC over eight years ago.  In 1993 Rev. Finley Schaef co-ministered my wedding.  In 1995, my husband and I separated, as I began my personal journey out of the closet.  As our divorce concluded, my ex-husband discontinued worshiping at PSUMC while I remained involved with the children and youth programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I began teaching Sunday School almost immediately, and in 1998 was hired as the Sunday School coordinator.  I lead this role mostly by example of the many who come before me.  Throughout the years I have received love, friendship, support, nourishment, balance, serenity, growth, pride, acceptance, and most of all, community.  As a somewhat "quiet" lesbian here, I am happy I can tell my friends and family that I belong to a church that accepts and welcomes all people regardless of who we love.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik,  With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I am amazed at how much of a nonissue one's sexual orientation can sometimes be at PSUMC.  The congregation seems so much like a family that very often issues of health, parents, jobs, and current events displace talk of sexuality.  But if I ask for prayers for my life partner, Herb, people know him and join me in praying for him.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We have openly gay and lesbian members in the choir, on family retreats, and teaching Sunday School.  I am presently the chair of the Church Council, a member of the Finance committee, in the Choir, the Men's Support Group, and on the Reconciling Committee.  We have straight members on the Reconciling Committee, marching in Gay Pride parades, joining us at dances, and sharing the pain we all feel at the position the UMC takes on inclusiveness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am most amazed by our children:  Chris and John's son asking friends to leave his house because they were denigrating lesbians; Judy and Michael's son standing up for a classmate who was being teased for appearing gay, defending him with a wisdom beyond his age, saying "It's not being gay that's wrong, it's homophobia that's wrong."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I feel the presence of the Spirit in our congregation, and I hear it in the voices of our children.  If only all the members of our denomination could be like these children!&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik,  With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bert's description of Park Slope is, in a sense, an image of what LGBT folk pray the whole church will be like some day -- a place where one's sexual orientation and gender identity are no longer an issue, where all families are welcome, and everyone works side by side in service to God.  May that day come soon!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I was raised an Episcopalian but largely abandoned the church during college and the years after, because of a sense that there was an opposition between my faith and my sexuality and my politics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I was politically active in the gay, AIDS, and choice communities for years, but missed out on a religious life.  PSUMC has really changed that for me; I have pledged for two years, attended Social Action committee events, and have brought other lapsed churchgoers to the building to them how it is possible to integrate one's whole life.  I intend to be more active on the worship committee and with the Christmas pageant in the future.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik,  With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Although perhaps not the ideal some in the church may have in mind, Elise is nevertheless a model evangelist: one who rediscovered faith after drifting away from the church, and now shares her faith journey with others as a means of drawing them back into church as well.  Her evangelistic service to the church has undoubtedly brought a sense of renewal and hope to others -- and could even save the life of someone who has lost hope altogether.  May God bless her ministry!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I sought this church out because it was a reconciling church -- a church that embraced everyone.  In return, this Methodist community has given me love, support and kindness -- allowing me to serve in various ways.  Currently, I serve as an usher and will be serving as a worship leader.  In the future, as I have only been a part of the church for less than a year, I plan to be more involved in United Methodist Women.  As a woman of color, I also want to make this church a comfortable home for more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people of color.  I feel strongly that United Methodist churches everywhere should challenge themselves in this way -- personally and politically and spiritually.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik. With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I am so much more than a lesbian Methodist.  This process of analyzing and justifying my full participation in the UMC is very painful.  I am a child of God.  Nothing more should be said.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik. With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p&gt;For all of those who are afraid -- it's okay.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For all of those who never came out -- God Bless Them.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik. With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;Love is universal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Tolerance is not enough.  We seek justice, we seek equality and we seek human dignity and that is not to be had from the United Methodist Church in general, nor in my experience from PSUMC in particular.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik. With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;I was an active Methodist for twenty years, the last ten of which as a woman of trans-sexual experience.  After the first &lt;a href="https://www.lgbtran.org/Profile.aspx?ID=21"&gt;Creech trial&lt;/a&gt;, I felt I had to choose between joining the long slow process in the Methodist Church of over-turning the rejection of queer people, or resigning from the church.  I chose to resign.  I believe that if all people who accept queer people as full-fledged Christians in the Methodist Church would resign, it would bring home the implications of the issue with the greatest possible impact.  My good wishes go out to those people who are still struggling for queer acceptance within the Methodist Church.  We are allies in the broader struggle.&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland.  All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik.  With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: &lt;em&gt;Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth.  &lt;/em&gt;A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of Park Slope and many others, the UMC continues its discriminatory ways.  Rusty is one of thousands of LGBT people and their allies who have grown tired of waiting for justice, and have chosen to leave. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”.  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p&gt;Washington Square has long been a place of welcome to New York's LGBT community.  The Rev. Paul M. Abels, Washington's Square's pastor from 1973-1984, was the first openly gay installed parish minister in a major Christian denomination.  The church was also home to the Harvey Milk School of lesbian and gay youth and the Gay Men's Health Crisis Center.  Known as the "Peace Church" due to its antiwar activism during the Vietnam War, Washington Square hosted dozens of other activist groups over the years, from the Black Panthers to community housing development organizations and a variety of dance, theater and music groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2004, the congregation decided that renting space for worship and other programs would be a better use of their resources than maintaining their church and the parsonage, two old and decaying landmarks.  The buildings have since been sold, and Washington Square has merged with Church of All Nations and Metropolitan-Duane United Methodist Churches.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This stole was donated in advance of the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Cleveland, OH.  Members of Washington Square joined with Park Slope Methodist Church to contribute 35 stoles for display in Cleveland.  Washington Square's four stoles and Park Slope's thirty one are identically sized pieces made from turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik.  In addition to her own stole, Gayla Goehl made one for her friend Brad Shuttler (stole #682). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles.”  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;Washington Square has long been a place of welcome to New York's LGBT community.  The Rev. Paul M. Abels, Washington's Square's pastor from 1973-1984, was the first openly gay installed parish minister in a major Christian denomination.  The church was also home to the Harvey Milk School of lesbian and gay youth and the Gay Men's Health Crisis Center.  Known as the "Peace Church" due to its antiwar activism during the Vietnam War, Washington Square hosted dozens of other activist groups over the years, from the Black Panthers to community housing development organizations and a variety of dance, theater and music groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2004, the congregation decided that renting space for worship and other programs would be a better use of their resources than maintaining their church and the parsonage, two old and decaying landmarks.  The buildings have since been sold, and Washington Square has merged with Church of All Nations and Metropolitan-Duane United Methodist Churches.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p&gt; Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles.”  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;Compared to my friends, I came out relatively late.  I was in my mid-20's and going to a fairly large, established Methodist church on the influential west side of Los Angeles.  I only knew one gay person who went to the church and that was just a guess on my part.  I was very involved in a 20-something group and really felt like I belonged.  However, the more comfortable I felt with being gay, the more uncomfortable I felt in participating in anything at church.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The pastors with whom I felt most connected left not long after I started the coming out process and were, unfortunately, replaced by an older, conservative man with whom I felt extremely uncomfortable.  Gay issues were rarely, if ever, discussed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One day I decided I wouldn't go anymore.  The sad thing is that after going every Sunday for a few years, I never heard a word from anyone at that church.  If it weren't for the reconciling movement, I probably would have never again set foot in a Methodist Church.  After all, I'm already looked upon as an outsider and deviant by a sizable portion of the population, I don't need to feel that way in my own church!&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;In 2004, the congregation decided that renting space for worship and other programs would be a better use of their resources than maintaining their church and the parsonage, two old and decaying landmarks.  The buildings have since been sold, and Washington Square has merged with Church of All Nations and Metropolitan-Duane United Methodist Churches.&lt;/p&gt;
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              <text>&lt;p&gt;In Memory of Loving Friend Brad Shuttler&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-- Gayla Goehl&lt;br /&gt;Washington Square UMC&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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              <text>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Washington Square has long been a place of welcome to New York's LGBT community.  The Rev. Paul M. Abels, Washington's Square's pastor from 1973-1984, was the first openly gay installed parish minister in a major Christian denomination.  The church was also home to the Harvey Milk School of lesbian and gay youth and the Gay Men's Health Crisis Center.  Known as the "Peace Church" due to its antiwar activism during the Vietnam War, Washington Square hosted dozens of other activist groups over the years, from the Black Panthers to community housing development organizations and a variety of dance, theater and music groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2004, the congregation decided that renting space for worship and other programs would be a better use of their resources than maintaining their church and the parsonage, two old and decaying landmarks.  The buildings have since been sold, and Washington Square has merged with Church of All Nations and Metropolitan-Duane United Methodist Churches.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This stole was given to us in advance of the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Cleveland, OH.  Members of Washington Square joined with Park Slope Methodist Church to contribute 35 stoles for display in Cleveland.  Washington Square's four stoles and Park Slope's thirty one are identically sized pieces made from turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik.  In addition to his own stole, James Wesley also made one in honor of Chad Miller from Washington Square (stole #680).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April.  At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection.  We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend.  Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves.  In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference.  Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland.  Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested.  As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles.  Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth.  A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles.”  In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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              <text>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;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).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Rev. Carol Seaton made this stole to honor her former husband, Alan Snyder, an ordained Presbyterian Elder and school teacher.  Alan "came out" as a gay man in 1987.  He and Carol, who was on staff at Heartland Presbytery and also pastoring a small church, divorced a short time later but remained good friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Carol later served on the national staff of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Louisville, KY before finally moving to the Atlanta area.  She served on the local and national boards of More Light Presbyterians and was a founding board member of the Shower of Stoles Project, remaining one of the Project's most dedicated volunteers for ten years.  Carol also holds the distinction of having first introduced me to my partner, Tammy Lindahl, twenty years ago.  For that, we will be forever grateful!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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              <text>&lt;p&gt;This stole is sent to honor two of my lesbian sisters who are currently serving the church, from closets that are killing their very spirits and compromising their very beings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;YES!  Presbyterian Church, wake up, we are here with you, whether you know it or not, and it's OUR church, too.  I pray for the day when no stole will have to be anonymous and all God's people, including my beautiful rainbow sisters and brothers, will truly be able to freely serve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So be it!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lainey Rathgeber&lt;br /&gt;8/20/95&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;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).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By June 1996, just months after that original display, the collection had already grown to 350 stoles. We decided to pack them up and take them to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque.  We had no display space, so we handed out all 350 stoles to friends and allies, and told them, "Please be our display."   And they did -- wearing the stoles in meetings, on the street, on buses, in hotels and everywhere else.  As fate would have it, that General Assembly was the one that made the denomination's informal ban on LGBT ordination permanent, voting to make it part of the church's constitution.  The stunning impact of that vote made the presence of the stoles even more poignant; for weeks afterwards we received letters from people sharing with us how the wearing of the stoles had changed their lives.  Letters also started coming from people who had seen the stoles in Albuquerque and wanted to know if there was a way they could share some of these stories with their home congregations.  My partner, Tammy and I, were overwhelmed -- suddenly a spontaneous "display" had become a national movement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the November-December issue of the More Light Update, Lainey Rathgeber shared her thoughts about the Albuquerque General Assembly, including her experience of wearing a stole:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;"Throughout the week, we all had many encounters and chances to share our stories and the lives represented on the stoles we wore. It was a sacred act, an honoring of the names and faces and lives represented on those beautiful pieces of cloth. I wore Katie Morrison's stole all week. And it was both an honor and a privilege. By the end of the week, I was exhausted from telling her story, and only then, as her loving friend, do I think I truly felt even one tiny part of the pain she has experienced from this church. She and I have laughed and cried and screamed together over this church and shared many anguished hours wondering if she will ever be able to truly serve in the PCUSA as an out lesbian. But it wasn't until I wore her stole all week that I could even begin to comprehend the pain she lives with on a daily basis. And I couldn't help but think of the hundreds of others whose names marked the stoles that filled the assembly hall. I hope and pray Martha and Tammy know how much we all appreciate their hard work and commitment to the stole project. It was a powerful witness and will continue to be, throughout the church, wherever it is displayed This is why we do what we do. This is why we came to Albuquerque. This is why we go back home and continue our work -- educating and sharing our lives, telling our truth, demanding inclusion, screaming for justice. Let us remember, let us never forget. We want to see the Promised Land. We had a glimpse of it in Albuquerque and it's time to experience it fully. We're tired of dreaming, it's time to live it! So let us remember always, we are not alone in this movement. And this is about all of us. Let's pray for the day when we will truly walk hand in hand and the doors will burst open for all to enter and to serve. So be it!"&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;br /&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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              <text>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LETTYANNE "DEE" MILLER&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;"We All Belong"&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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              <text>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is one of about two dozen stoles donated by members of DUPC in early 1996.  Most of the stoles arrived without names or narratives.  However, we have been told that most of the donors are "out" LGBT persons, unnamed but not necessarily anonymous.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;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," and formed That All May Freely Serve to allow Janie to preach, educate and challenge church structures at DUPC and throughout the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2006&lt;/p&gt;</text>
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&lt;p&gt;This is one of about two dozen stoles donated by members of DUPC in early 1996.  Most of the stoles arrived without names or narratives.  However, we have been told that most of the donors are "out" LGBT persons, unnamed but not necessarily anonymous.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;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 Presbyterian 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," and formed That All May Freely Serve to allow Janie to preach, educate and challenge church structures at DUPC and throughout the country.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Martha Juillerat&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Founder, Shower of Stoles Project&lt;/p&gt;
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