Second Stone #35 - July/Aug 1994

Second Stone #35 - July/Aug 1994

35

1994

July/Aug 1994

OUR SIXTH YEAR JULY/AUGUST, 1994 ISSUE #35
Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like.an everflowing stream. - Amos 5:24
H O L Y C R O S S M C C , P E N S A C O L A, F L A
Artist's skilled hands
bring dream and
vision to reality
BY JIM BAILEY
A s a thunderstorm associated
with the remnants of tropical
storm Alberto passes over
Holy Cross Metropolitan
Community Church in Pensacola,
Florida1 church member Ralph Cahall
reclines at the end of one of the wooden
pews of the church. Towering
above his head and alternately dully
and dramatically illuminated by a
cloudy sky and bolts of lightning is
one of six magnificent stained glass
windows Cahall created for the
church.
Almost ten years ago, Holy Cross
MCC found itself outgrowing its sanctuary
on the west side of town and in
1985 the congregation purchased an
old church, much larger than its
previous building but badly in need of
repairs. A hurricane had blown out
some windows and the remaining
windows had been painted over. To
Ralph Cahall, an accomplished artist,
the three large openings on each side
of the church _ building were opportunities
for artistic expression . Over
the next seven years Cahall donated
his time and talent to create 66
stained glass panels for the six side
windows and 18 panels for a huge
altar piece.
Cahall's art is well known, particularly
in his home state of Florida.
His sculpture has won top honors
from the Florida Department of Education
and his work has been shown
SEE COVER SfORY, Page 10
BEGINNING ANEW
Church brings inclusiveness
to Catholic tradition
BY JIM BAILEY
A t the dose of the past decade,
an African American Catholic
· priest set about correcting the
problem he saw of the Roman
Catholic Church not meeting the
needs of African Americans. Knowing
and experiencing the unchanging
ways of the church, George Stallings .
did what he thought he needed lo do.
He started a new church, the Imani
Temple of the African American
Catholic Congregation, a church outside
the jurisdiction of the Vatican.
P. 0. Box 8340
New Orleans, LA 70182
Address Correction Requested
At about the same time the Imani
Temple came into being, two gay
men in California were working on a
vision of a Catholic church that would
meet the spiritual needs of Gays, Lesbians
and others who feel outcast by
the church.
"We saw the need for Catholicoriented
ministry to the gay community,"
says · Mark Shirilau, Bishop
of the Ecumenical Catholic Church .
SEE UPSTART CHURCH, Page 11
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T ·F ormtehE ditorT • • " • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • -· • • • • 0 • • •
Who pays the bills?
By Jim Bailey
I N THE PAST Second Stone has gone to press on the strength of good
circulation figures or, in a few rare cases, some good ad pages. I believe
this is the first time we've gone to press on the strength of prayer alone.
I appreciate the response from so many readers to the letter I sent out
shortly after we printed the May /June issue. The letter explained that
we had had a circulation slump for several months and, at the time, our
traditionally slow summer months were still ahead of us. Not a pretty
picture.
You've been incredibly supportive of Second Stone! I have J;teard of
requests for prayer coming up during worship services at churches
across the country. And your response with renewals and the purchase
of gift subscriptions )las jammed our post office box more than a few
times this month. Very empowering for us.
You are aware, of course, that Second Stone is different in content from
other gay and lesbian publications. What many readers do not realize is
that we're very different administratively as well. "I don't understand
why I can pick up a copy of a local gay newspaper twice the size of
Second Stone - and get it FREE and have to pay for Second Stone," says
one of our readers. The answer is simple. Almost all gay publications
that are distributed free are profitable through paid advertising.
Readers do not have to pay for a subscription or single copy because
advertisers have paid the publisher for readers to receive it free. Second
Stone carries very little advertising other than our house ads. This is an
unfortunate situation created by the fact that most gay and lesbian
businesses will not advertise with us because we are a Christian
publication. (Not politically correct.) And Christian advertisers will not
advertise with us because we are a gay publication. (Not politically
correct.)
So who pays for Second Stone to be printed and mailed? Our readers
do. Which explains why we are extremely sensitive to circulation
figures. As an example, say all but 50 or so readers who come up for
renewal this month do indeed renew . With a circulation in the
thousands, that might look like a good renewal rate, but if that trend
continues for six months, our loss comes to over $5000.
I hope this makes very clear just how important to us each individual
reader is - and how your support is vital if we are to continue to bring a
powerful message of affirmation to the gay and lesbian community.
Thank you for your prayers and support. I appreciate it.
SECOND STONE Newsjoumal, ISSN No. 1047-3971, is published every other
month by Bailey Communications, P. 0. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182.
Copyright 1994 by Second Stone, a registered trademark.
SUBSCRIPTIONS, U.S.A. $15.00fer year, six issues. Foreign subscribers add $10.00
for postage. All payments U.S. currency only.
ADVERTISING, For display advertising information call{504)891-7555 or write to
P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182. ;
EDITORIAL, send letters, calendar announcements, noteworthy items to (Department
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(etumed should be accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. Second Stone
1s otherwise not responsible for the return of any material.
SECOND STONE, a national ecumenical Christian social justice newsjoumal
wt.th a specific outreach to sexual orientation minorities.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Jim Bailey
CONTRIBlITORS FOR THIS ISSUE: Keith A. Miller, Bill Day, Kenny Dayton,
Andrea L. T. Peterson
W' Second Stone-July/August, 1994
THE NATIONAL ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN
NEWSJOURNAL FOR LESBIANS, GAYS AND BISEXUALS
Cotenns t ............ ..... " ....... .. . W From The Editor
.1w -9 1Co mmentary How one can be pro-life and pro-choice W Newsun ..
m One Who Was Saved l_!!_j Gay teen's life almost ended in suicide
,1[1ii0ll C over Story Artist's stained glass inspiration
1117 . The Upstart Ecumenical l!!J Catholic Church -
11'l7. LC. raps ~ Christian music never sounded like this before
[1 3I'E xiled, free and home ·. The Gospel of John has a special meaning for
· gay and lesbian people
T :Comment • • • t ••••••••••• . ••••••••••••••• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • .. .........
Give me a minute to explain
I'm pro-choice and I'm pro-life
By P. D. Sterling
Guest Comment I 'm turning 12!'.Q.· I've been an
amateur advocate of numerous
causes, not the least of
which is proper grammar,
diction, elocution and word choice.
I've been almost driven to a nervous
twitch over redefining of words or
terms in our language . So I've decided
to tum I!ffi,
Unfortunately, I'm uncertain if I
will be 12.[Q.fessional or simply, J2!_Q.
(Latin, for). As an optimistic, positive
person, I am I1ffi many issues. To my
surprise, I found out I was not prolife,
according to some people's
revised definition. Strangely, they
had appropriated this term and
redefined it to mean "anti-abortion."
Stupidly, I had thought I was pro-life.
With countiess others, I have been
battling AIDS in our community for
nearly 15 years. I've had low spots,
where I was despondent over the loss
of life, and have assisted countless
people in many ways . I have dealt
with numerous people, living with
AIDS, who were apologetic for needing
help and who were concerned for
my mental and physical health.
Quite humbling.
Why do we b·attle on? It is because
we are pro-life. We affirm life, and
want to continue living until we reach
agreement with our Creator that we
will accept other orders. I feel it is
incumbent on all members of the gay
community to view themselves as
pro-life ( old definition).
When I was a good deal more
naive, I was given only two options
for a certain political position, prochoice
or pro-life. When told the
second option meant government or
society dictating policy on abortion, I
quickly said, 'Tm pro-choice." I got
involved with like-minded people
who told me, "It's pro-choice or
no-choice."
Busy with other things, I never
thought this through . Lately, I did put
considerable meditation into choices,
and became quite upset at the notion
that many people put forth: "Agree
with me, or you are a bad person."
As a quintessential semanticist, I
kept flopping "choice" over and over,
like a piece of french toast on a
griddle. Suddenly, after hearing
Arby's commercial for the umpteenth
time, came the dawn, and I cried,
"Choices are good; choices are our
friends."
We are best served by making
responsible choices. We want the
right to choose where we live, where
we socialize, what we wear . If we
choose what others call an alternate
lifestyle, that's okay. And I decided it
is incumbent on all members of the
gay commμnity to view themselves
as pro-choice ( old definition).
This makes great demagoguery,
until you notice I didn't resolve the
political position on abortion. I
noticed that, too , for quite a while,
until a messenger was sent to me.
This messenger told me that our
opposing views on this subject were
Integrity member on anti-Catholic bias
No place for prejudice
By Nick Dowen
Guest Comment T he deaths of both Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
and Richard M. Nixon have
stirred the memories and
emotions of many Americans. Something
I remember from the 1960
Kennedy-Nixon presidential campaign
is the strong anti-Catholic bias
it aroused. In the small town where I
grew up a very prominent Democrat,
long active in local, state, and
national -politics (and a pillar of the
First Presbyterian Church), organized
a "Democrats for Nixon" campaign
solely because the I<ennedys were
Roman Catholics .
Anti-Catholic bias still exists in our
. -~
[,~ Pontius' Puddle
HOW CAN 6-Ot> O;>E"c.T
l)S TC fOLLOW \J,IS
CO~tJ\At-l0S Wl-lEN THE
i18LE USES WO~bS
T\-\~T \W,'E" ~\..L \NT
LOST THEI~ M£AN1Ntr
IN TOI)~'(~ WOR\.0?
country, and there is also a good deal
of anti-religious feeling in the lesbian
and gay community. While I think
all gay men, bisexuals and Lesbians
ought to deplore the Roman Catholic
Church's official teaching about us,
· we also need to recognize that a very
broad range of opinion exists in that
church, whether its leaders acknowledge
it or not. The task for us as
Episcopalians is less to criticize a
church from whom we have been
separated for centuries than to ask ·
whether our own church is really so
very much better and to do whatever
we can to improve it.
Relations between the Roman
Catholic Church and the Anglican
Church .used to appear warmer than
they do today. Pope Paul VI once
gave the Archbishop of Canterbury
his episcopal ring, and referred to the
Anglican Communion as "our everbeloved
sister." That would not
happen today, but as Integrity members
we are pleased to acknowledge
the several joint chapters of Dignity
and Integrity that exist, including
Dignity /Integrity Mid-Hudson, meeting
at Christ Church, Poughkeepsie,
in the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
Homophobia exists in the Episcopal
Church. Church periodicals regularly
publish homophobic letters. I wonder,
would they publish racist or antiSemitic
letters? In February the Wall
Street Journal published a homophobic
article bearing the name, among
WORt>S l.ll<E
Tl-\00 1 '{E 1 SHAL"'r, AND
i\.\ER'EO~~
NO, Lll<.E. M.Eelt.Y,
J"U5'TIC.E1 PE~CE 1
C.Ofo\~ASSION,
1-\l)('#I.\Ll'i"Y,
SERVICE···
endangering our relationship. Some
pillow talk!
Pained, I told this friend that I
thought our minds were as one, that
we couldn't be in disagreement on
this issue, and it took three to four
hours of non-stop dialogue to reach a
monumental conclusion: One's position
on abortion and one's position on
choice ( old definition) are separate
issues, ones that have been clouded
by demagogues and revisionists. It is
possible to be pro-choice ( old defini-
. lion) and anti-abortion!
It that's hard to follow, read on. I
now introduce myself as pro-choice
'and anti-abortion. This means : I will
never have an abortion, and I will
never decide if another person will or
will not hav:e an abortion. In retrospect,
it seems so simple.
How to implement this new credo?
When someone asks if you are prochoice
or pro-life, you answer, "Yes!"
Also, light a candle for me while I
start explain ing this to the Republicans.
others, of the Dean of Berkeley
Divinity School at Yale, an Episcopal
theological seminary.
A number of Episcopal churches
around the country welcome lesbian
and gay individuals and couples, and
provide meeting space for a wide
variety of lesbian, bisexual, gay and
AIDS related _events and organizations.
That is significant in our
church, with it strong parochial or
congregational emphasis.
To the lesbian and gay community
we say that the secular world can be
just as homophobic as the religious
world. Rejection of religion is not a
cure for homophobia. Lesbians, bisexuals,
and gay men, like everybody
else, have the capacity and the right
to take part in the marketplace of
ideas that is the American religious
scene.
Excerpted from Outlook, the newsletter
of Integrity/New York.
We welcome
your letters
and opinions
Write to Second Stane. All letters must
be original and signed by the writer .
. Clearly indicate if your na'.'le is to ~e .
withheld. We reserve the right to edit.
Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182 or
FAX to (504)891-7555.
S~nd Sto~~JuiytAugust, 1994:[[]
T NewLsin es •••• " ••• .••• ••••••••••••••••• !9. ••••••
Christialena derosp posaen ti-gainy itiatives
- MPPROXIMATELY 75 CHRISTIAN leaders who support civil rights for Gays and
Lesbians are working against anti-gay initiatives in Washington State. They are
members of People of Faith for Fairness, a task force of the Church Council of Seattle, and
Simple Justice, a statewide network of Christians. Michael Spencer, Simple Justice
co-<:hair, said the organization concentrates only on civil rights and has no position on
internal church issues such as ordination of Gays and Lesbians. "We take our lead from
denominational statements that are already in place by the six maior mainline Protestant
denominations. They all have very strong statements supporting avil nghts for all people
regardless of sexual orientation. We concentrate on the points oI agreement."
- Seattle Gay News
Ministerpsr oclaismu ppofrot rC obbC ountya'sn ti-garye solution
M GROUP OF LARGELY Baptist and Methodist ministers stood before television
cameras to supl;'ort the Cobb County, Georgia anti-gay resolution and ask the media to
drop the issue. It is time for the church and clergy in Cobb County to proudly proclaim
the gospel of Jesus Christ," said the Rev. Father David Monroe of the Church oHhe Holy
Trinity to the applause of the 200 supporters gathered just off Marietta Square. The
ministers read a statement, signed by some 150 Cobb County nurusters, supporting the
Cobb Commissions condemnation of the "gay lifestyle." The statement came m response to
another statement, urging that the Commission rescind the resolution,_s igned by 37 clergY,·
Not everyone in attendance at the press conference were supportive of the miruster s
statement. John Edwards, a member of First Baptist Church ofMarietta, said that he was
saddened by the latest round. "It's dividing people, that's what going on," he said. "Now
it's minister against minister." - Southern Votce
NewP resbyterlieaand ewr il"l avoiedx tremes"
t.FORT WORTH PASTOR Robert W. Bohl was elected moderator of the 2.7
million-member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) during the 206th Presbyterian General
Assembly meeting in Wichita, Kansas. "What I represent is the center position of the
church," said Rev. Dr. Bohl,-56, head of the pastoral staff at First Presbyterian Church in
Fort Worth, Texas and moderator for the Grace Presbytery, which includes churches
from 52 Texas counties. The communications director for Presbyterians for Lesbian and
Gay Concerns said he got a sense from gay and lesbian leaders that they had a good
relationshiJ? with Bohl. ''He seems to be interested in accomodating groups in the church
as part of 1:iise fforts to get the church back together," said JimA nderson . But same-gender
umons and -ordination of non-celibate Gays and Lesbians will not be on the agenda
during Bohl's term. '1 think that for the peace, purity, and unity of the church, it cannot be.
We just can't do it right now," Bohl saia. "What may happen in 50 years - even God may
be surprised." - Dallas Morning News
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE:
Helping Christians
Debate Homosexualtiy
Few other issues divide the
Christian community more
sharply than homosexuality.
In this new volume, writers
with divergent points of view
deal with questions at the
center of the debate between
pro-gay and anti-gay believers.
Edited by Sally B. Geis, director. Iliff
Institute, Lay and Clergy Education, The
Iliff School of Theology, Denver, and
Donald E. Messer, president, The Iliff
School of Theology.
· Order now from Second Stone Press
Quan.
□ CAUGHTIN THEC ROSSFIRE
By Geis/Messer$, 12.95,p aperbk ____ _
Postage/Handlin$g2 .90f irst book,$ 1.00e a.a dditional -----TOTALA
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ORDERFR OMS:E CONSDT ONEP RESSP,. O.B OX8 340N, EWO RLEANLSA, 7 0182
,(I] Second Stone-July/August, 1994
. ............................ .
Episcopaliarnesje cPt helpsm' essagoef h ate -
t.THE PARISHIONERS OF St. David's Episcopal Church, Topeka, Kansas, have drawn
the line against a brotherhood of hate that comes to visit them every weekend. Each
Saturday evening and Sunday morning, according to the Rev. Robert P. Layne, rector,
picketers surround St. David's, holdin~ up their hateful signs and shouting expletives at
anyone entering the church. "Faggot," 'sodomite," and "whore" (aimed at any woman with
short hair) are among the hateful words they shout. After enduring this for more than a
year, members of the parish now take to the sidewalks. Up to SO each week sign the St.
David's Mission Statement Against Hate, station themselves on the perimeter of the
church property, and confront the hate pickets with signs saying that God is-a "God of
Love." The anti-gay pickets are led by Fred Phelps, a disbarred lawyer and a self-styled
cleric who organized the Westboro Baptist Church in ToJ?eka 38 years ago. The church
has about SO members, most of them related to Phelps. "This cult has stated it is committed
to the condemnation of all who will not SUJ?port its position," Layne said. "Their hatred
is that for which they live. Their hatred 1s what gives them energy, and sadly, their
hatred has both silent and vocal adherents." - EpiscopLali fe
Pastoraclo unseldoer nieedn dorsemebnyBt aptisbto ard
t.THE COMMITTEE ON Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counselors of the American Baptist
Churches/U.S.A. has rejected \:he application of the Rev. Mark Crosby ofReading, Mass.
for ecclesiastical endorsement. Crosby, who is eminently qualified, was rejected because
he is an oeenly gay man. Ecclesiastical endorsement is a requirement for membership in
the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. His rejection is seen as fall-out from
an anti-gay resolution passed by the denomination's General Board in 1992. Crosby is
an active member of Old Cambridge Baptist Church and of American Baptists Concerned.
- Voice of the Turtle
GermaLnu theracnh urcohf fersg ayu nionb lessings
M LUTHERAN PARISH in the Rhineland has offered to bless unions of gay and lesbian
couples, according to Magnus Szene. Although a poll showed 80 percent of Lutherans in
the area are opposed to the plan, the press secretary for the regional church said the
action is long overdue as a dialogue to correct stereotypical views toward Lesbians and
Gays . - Outlines
Lutheranfosr mg ayo rdinatiocno mmittee
t.A _NATIONAL COMMITTEE of Lutherans has formed to provide _an alternative to
ordination and m1rustenal service for gay and lesbian ordination candidates reiected by
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Extraordinary Candidacy Committee
will review the credentials of gay and lesbian candidates, and present their
qualifications to congregations that want to hire them as pastors. - Outlines
Churcdhe leaatecsa lfl org ay/lesbicainv irl ightsp rotection
M RESOLUTION SUPPORTING the Sexual Orientation Anti-Discrimination Bill being
considered by the New York Senate. won overwhelming approval by delegates of the
New York Conference of the United Church of Christ. Delegates from tne 300 UCC
congregations from across New York gathered June 3-5 in Buffalo. The Rev. Craig
Hottman, presenter of the resolution, stated that "the overwhelming level of support for
this resolution sends a clear message to the New York State legislature that many
Christians view discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual persons · as
intolerable." The resolution itself reaffirmed tlie Christian concern for justice and civil
liberties, drawn from the Biblical tradition and from actions of previous General Synods
of the United Church of Christ, the national decision-making body of the church. The
resolution also affirmed the worth and dignity of every individual as a child of God and
emphasized that "Denial and violation of the civil liberties of the individual and her or
his right of equal protection under the law defames that worth and dignity and is,
therefore, morally wrong."
Campaighno petso g etU .N.p olicaym ended
t.THE U. N. POStCARD Campaign is petitioning the General Assembly of the United
Nations to demand e_qual rights for all lesbian, g_ay and bisexual people. The campaign's
goal is to have the U.N. amend Article II of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to
include the words "sexual orientation." The group hopes to deliver 1,000,000 petition
postcards to the U.N. General Assembly during its fall session. For information on this
campaign and to obtain postcards to distribute to community members contact the
campaign at 245 Eighth Ave., Ste. 217, New York, NY 10011, (212)966-5876.
Boycotct,o mplainstsq ueezinLgim baug·h
t.RlJSH LIMBAUGH may not be promoting Florida orange juice for much longer, if recent
signals from the Florida Citrus Commission are any sign. Stagnant sales anil a national
boycott have put the squeeze on the ultra-right-win& radio personality, hired for $1
million to promote Floriila orange juice last February. 'I have not seen any outstanding
results from Mr. Limbaugh's promotion," said William E. Owens, a citrus comm1ss10ner
who said he would not vote to renew Limbaugh's contract. The "Flush Rush" boycott
campaign is being led by the National Organization for Women and supported by many
groups including the NAACP. - Empty Closet
Maaazinfoer l esbiaann dg ayp arents
t.THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR, a national publication for lesbian and gay parents and
their friends, provides a wealth of information for gay and lesbian families. The most
recent issue includes the personal story of a young woman who finds her birth mother?
camping adventures for children, national resources available to gay and lesbian youth,
and a new column about cooking for kids and adults. A regular column by Dr. Tamar
Gershon, behavioral/ developmental pediatrician of the Rambow Health Clinic in San
Francisco, discusses the pros and cons of books on child rearing, and in their column
"Let's Talk About It," psychotherapists Valory Mitchell, Ph.D., ana Diane Wilson, Ph.D.,
continue their informative discussion on considering parenthood. For information on
subscribing to the Family Next Door, contact the publication at P.O. Box 21580, Oakland,
CA 94620, (510)482-5778.
·.N...e..w.L..s.i .n. es
Dignity/USsAu pportFsr .N ugenSt,r .G ramick
M CATHOLIC PRIEST and nun being investigated by a special commission of the
Vatican's Congregation for .Religious and Secular Institutes has received support from
Dignity /USA. The gay-affirming writings of Fr. Robert Nugent and Sr. Jeannine Gramick
are being · looked into by church authorities. "The commission's establishment and
operation seem to be extraprdinary a_nd sinful wastes of Church time and resources,"
leaders of Dignity said in a prepared statement. "AdditionallY.t, he commission's invasive
activities are disrupting a mmistry that has been incredibly effective in improving
relationships between gay, lesbian, and bisexual Catholics and other members of our
Church. Surely the work of these two religious is in the best tradition of pastoral
service." . The national organization of gay and lesbian Catholics says it strongly
supports the work of New Ways Ministry, its founders and staff, and are grateful for the
confributions they have made in the ministry's 17 years of service. "Their workshops,
publications, and one-on-one support have assisted countlessJeople struggling with
issues of sexuality and ethics," the statement said. "We are prou to consider New Ways
Ministry a partner in our mission."
TacomCa atholcich urcshh elteerv ictsg avf amily
LITHE EVICTION OF A gay couple from a Catholic she1ter for the homeless in Tacoma,
Washington has left the Tacoma Christian community divided and seething with anger.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Tacoma operates the homeless shelter that
evicted the gay couple and their three children. The gay family consists of Abraham
Valenica, his partner (whose name has been withheld in published reports), and
Valencia's three children. The eviction occurred in January, out the subseguent battle
only recently boiled over into the public spotlight. According to the News TribuneG, ail
Craft, coordinator of the shelter program at St. Charles, objected to the gay family
because they defied "the teachings of our church." Father Patrick Ritter, pastor of St.
Charles Borromeo, said the gay couple was evicted because they didn't fit tlie definition
of an "intact family." Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County, of which the St.
Charles shelter is a member, is currently preparing a formal policy that is expected to be
inclusive of Gays and Lesbians. - Seattle Gay News
Rev. TroyP erreyn dorseasn ti-CobCbo unteyf fort
LITHE FOUNDER OF the Universal Fellowship of Metrorolitan Community Churches
says the nation's largest predominantly gay /lesbian relig10us group supports the drive
to get Olympic events moved from Cobb County, Georgia. Rev. Troy Perry called on Gays
and Lesbians to spend no monei in Cobb County until commissioners there rescind their
resolution denouncing the gay 'lifestyle." Perry said he was concerned about the safety
of gay and lesbian Olympic athletes who venture into Cobb County. "It's a life-or-death
issue," he said, adding that he sincerely fears the possibility of violence at the Cobb
County site. The news that Cobb County would host the volfeyball tnals was met with
shock across the county, Perry said. "Why would the city of Atlanta agree to share the
games with a county (that promotes bigotry)?" Perry said. He said he was particularly
disturbed that.the resolution was adopted and supported in the name of Christianity.
- Southern Vozce
NewL ifeM CCc aser emanded
L'.NEW LIFE MCC, Matthews, North Carolina continues a battle with neighbors who
don't want the church in their community. At the church's request, the Matthews Zoning
Board of Adjustments has consented to revoke the variance they allowed for the church
in September of 1993. In a statement presented to the judi,e in the case, the zoning board
ad1TI1ttetdh ey did not follow their own procedures in notitying adjacent property owners
due to outdated tax records and, therefore, a zoning variance allowed for New (ife MCC
was invalid. The church's attorneys suggested this course of action in order to prevent a
judgment which would preclude the church from ever being allowed to use the property
they have purchased in Matthews. The church board was scheduled to meet to decide
whether to immediately repeat their request for a variance or wait for some time to pass
to let neighborhood tensions die down. Rev. Bob Darst continues to lead the church's ·
services at the Unitarian Universalist Church. During the course of the turmoil, the
church's membership has increased. -Q Notes
.G ay-supportiBvaep tiscth urchb urns
LITHE NEW HOPE Baptist Church in Seattle's Central District burned down on May 17
in a fire investigators say was sparked by wiring. The Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffrey, senior
pastor of New Hope, has been very active in social issues, building coalitions between
!:he African-American community, the Jewish community-and the gay71esbian community.
In the recent JJast New Hope has been vandalized, and Jeffrey has received death threats
for the church's activism, leading many people to express suspicion about the fire.
Hundreds of people, including a large number of Gays and Lesbians, turned out for a
candlelightvigil supporting the rastor and his congregation. Jeffrey told the gathering
that his congregation wou£d not be deterred from working together with Les5ians and
Gays and others against bigotry and intolerance. Donations to held rebuild the church
may be sent to Pride Founcfation/New Hope Fund, 2820 E. Madison, Seattle, WA 98112.
- Seattle Gay News
Two" riversw" on'ftl owi nA lbuquerque
t!.THERE ARE·TWO "River of Life" churches in Albuquerque, both described as
charismatic (Holy Spirit-filled) Christian churches. But Garry and Denise Martinez,
co-pastors of River of Life Church for about two years, do not want their church
confused with the gay /lesbian-affirming River of Life Ministries, a new work started by
former UFMCC pastor Pamela White. The Martinezes say the name "River of Life" came
to them in answer to prayer and they have contacted an attorney about exclusive use of
the name. When asked' what the other church should do about their name, Denise
Martinez said "They need to change it." Pastor White's River of Life Ministries meets at
10:30 a.m. on Sundals and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays at 134 Quincy NE in Albuquerque.
-AlbuquerquJeo urna
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SecondS tone-July/Augus1t,9 94 [[j
"Out of The Box and Into The Street"
Protestors demonstrate at lnterChurch Center
FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE joined
hands around the InterChurch Center
in New York City to pray for the end
of religious homophobia. The June 24
demonstration was part of the activities
celebrating the 25th anniversary
of the Stonewall rebellion.
'Today, 475 Riverside Drive [the
InterChurch Center, known as the
God Box] is our Stonewall Inn," said
Rev. Nancy Wilson, Chief Ecumenical
Officer of the Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches .
"We need to tum the tables on the
religious 'police' of our day, and fight
back."
Wilson said it was time to call the
church to repentance and conversion.
"Not the repentance that sounds like
an abusive spouse that keeps saying,
'I'm sorry• while continuing to repeat
abuse," said Wilson. "Tm sorry' isn't
going to cut it anymore. Change is
the only meaningful currency of
repentance . .,
Wilson charged the church and
other religious institutions with being
giant closets of shame, repression,
exclusion and rejection. "For 26 years,
MCC, and so many other religious
movements have lovingly confronted,
educated, loved, and prayed for the
religious establishment," said Wilson.
'We've been dialogued with, debated
about, been the objects of endless
studies, and many broken promises.
We've held their hands, cajoled,
pushed, and the results are allto o
often a continued silence."
Leaders hold first meeting of
national religious AIDS networks
THE FIRST MEETING of the Council
of National Religious AIDS Netwo rks
was held in Washington, D.C., May
23-25. The purpose of the meeting
was to increase cooperation and collaboration
among religious AIDS networks
and to suppo rt communitybased
AIDS ministries. The meeting
resulted in the establishment of the
Council of National Religious AIDS
Networks.
AIDS Network, "and we have long
needed a better method of talking
and planning among those of us
involved in religious-based AIDS
work. With ANIN's establishment of
the Council, community-based AIDS
ministries can be more confident that
their views will be heard, not only by
the public but by religious leadership
as wen:·
The three-day meeting focused on
developing strategies for expanding
AIDS pastoral care, social services,
education and prevention programs
serving the ever-increasing number
Hands Around The God-Box: Demonstrators encircle the InterChurch Center
in New York City Photo by Bill Tom/UFMCC
'The faith community has been
involved in providing compassionate
services to individuals with HIV and
AIDS since the beginning of the
epidemic," said the Rev. Charles
Carnahan of the United Methodist SEE AIDS NETWORKS, Next Page
· [][] Second Stone-Jnly/Angust. 1994
Fashion
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The pre,n/e,e national gay n,en •.s n,agazlne ..
Discussion of ordination of women forbidden
Dignity USA responds to Pope's letter
unimportant or tainted in some way." many on which he has taken an
unbending position and refused to
listen to differing perspectives. Our
church should be fostering dialogue
on issues which are of fundamental
importance to how people of faith live
out their lives. Instead, this Pope
seems determined to create a church
in which a tiny group of Stepford
wives submissively obey the· allknowing
leader. This kind of action
discourages the commitment of anyone
who dares to question. I am very
afraid for our future."
DIGNITY /USA, an organization of
gay, lesbian and bisexual Catholics
and their families and friends, is
"extremely distressed" by the recent
apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II,
according to a statement issued by the
organization. In a move that Dignity/
USA believes will drive more Catho.
lies of conscious away from the
' church, the Pope ordered an end to
all debate on the subject of the ordination
of women. 'This document certainly
seems to have been motivated
by political rather than piously religious
concerns," the statement said.
"Clearly, the ordination of wo.men
represents no threat to the power of
God, but it could offer a serious threat
to the monopoly on temporal power
enjoyed by the current male hierarchy."
Leaders of Dignity /USA
said that the current Pope has established
a new standard of authoritarianism
and that only an organization
AIDS
NETWORKS,
From Previous Page
of persons both affected by and
infected with HIV.
'The interfaith declaration on HIV
and AIDS renews our commitment to
continuing to speak with one voice as
people of faith in the presence of
AIDS, said Rev. Kenneth South, executive
director of the AIDS National
Interfaith Network, sponsor of the
gathering. 'The support of this declaration
by America's worshipping
community will be a constant reminder
to us of how AIDS demands that
we work together, even though we
come to this work with differences in
histories and theologies.
The interfaith declaration on HIV
and AIDS will be signed at a ceremony
at the United Nations on World
AIDS Day, December 1, 1994.
The Council is a project of the AIDS
National Interfaith Network. ANIN is
a private, non-profit national association
of AIDS ministries founded in
1988 to insure that people with HIV
and AIDS receive compassionate ,
non-judgment al care, sup port and
assistance.
Meeting attendees included representatives
from Lutheran AIDS Netw
ork , Union of American H ebrew
Congregations/Central Conference of
American Rabbis Joint Committee on
AIDS, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Chur ches AIDS
Ministry, The Balm in Gilead, Inc.,
National Episcopal AIDS Coalition,
United Church AIDS Network, National
Catholic AIDS Network, AIDS
Advocacy in African American
Churches, Unitarian Universalist Association
AIDS Resources Network,
United Methodist AIDS Netwo rk,
AIDS Ministry Network/Ch ristian
Church (Disciples of Christ) and the
Presbyterian AIDS Network. ·
afraid of the truth would attempt to
stifle discussion among its members.
"Both the content and the tone of
this pronouncement are very disturbing,"
said Marianne Duddy, president
of Dignity /USA. 'Through this
denial of the possibility of ordaining
women, the Pope claims to have a
lock on the truth. He is denying one
of the fundamental principles of the
Gospel - that the Spirit of God moves
as She will, speaking through the
powerless and through people who
are seen by those in authority as
Dignity/ USA has long been a
supporter of the Women's Ordination
Conference, and stands in solidarity
with all who are working to open the
official ministry of the Catholic
church. The organization believes
that women and men, gay and
straight, are called to ordination and
that through baptism all share in the
Priesthood of Christ.
'The Pope's attempt to cut off
debate is of deep concern," said
Duddy. 'This issue is only one of
FOR LESBIGAY CHRISTIANS AND THEIR FRIENDS
EACH YEAR BEFORE NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY.
We haue organized . ..
We haue marched . .
We haue lobbied ...
On October 10th , we encourage you and your group to be praying for:
* A FRESH TOUCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER ON YOUR CHURCH.
* CHRIST'S TOUCH ON THE LESBIGAY COMMUNITY IN YOUR CITY
AND ACROSS THE NATION.
* HEALING OF OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES FROM THE
WOUNDS OF HOMOPHOBIA.
If your group would like to participate, and would like posters and
teaching materials, please contact us:
Pastor Pamela White
River Of Life Healing Ministries
134 Quincy NE
Albuquerque , NM 87108
(505) 256-1891
(Donation For Materials Appreciated But Not Required)
Second Stone-July/August, 1994 (_Z.J
Work begins on second draft
Lutherans reject first draft of sexuality statement
not become the basis for judging a person's overall character ." THE JUNE 30, 1994 deadline for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
clergy, members and congregations to respond to the church's first draft of a
social statement on human sexuality passed rather quietly compared to the
uproar that accompanied the release of the document last October, when the
toll-free phone number at ELCA headquarters logged 22,000 calls in a five
hour period after a story about the draft social statement w as released by
Associated Press.
The writing team was scheduled to meet in mid-July to begin writing the
second draft. The church council of the ELCA has asked the writing team to
devise a means to gather opinions of the church's youth on the sexuality draft
statement.
As of Jun e 22, 1994 the tally of responses was 13,905, including 5,758
responses from congregations, church member s and clergy, and 3,363
signatures supporting the anti-gay Lutheran Commentator survey, and 4,784
signatures affirming the document authored by Professors Koester, Forde, and
Burtness of Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary. ·
RESPONSES TO LUTHERAN SEXUALITY STATEMENT
The reason most frequently stated for support of the document is that it is
time for the ELCA to officially speak on the issue of human sexuality and to
take p ositions represented in the first draft. The reason most frequently given
for objection to the document is that the draft statement, especially Section III
regarding homosexuality, is contrary to the teaching of Scripture .
Only 3.2 percent of the church's clergy responded to the statement. Less that
one quarter of one percent of the church's members responded. Among
clergy and church members, negative responses increased as time went by.
The highest category of responses, over 8 percent, came from. church
congregations. In this category, responses tended to become more positive as
time went by, although negative responses still outnumbered positive and
mixed responses by about 10 percent.
The draft statement, 'The Church and Human Sexuality: A Lutheran
Perspective," urges church members to challenge_ traditional_ condemnation of
homosexuality. "A church called to love the neighbor . begms with pastoral
concern for what gay arid lesbian persons experience," reads the document,
under a section entitled "Gay and . Lesbian Persons ." 'This is not an abstract
issue but an embodied human reality in our midst. Sexual orientation should
Total rostered ELCA clergy:
Clergy responding to the draft:
Positive responses:
Mixed responses:
Negative responses :
Total lay confirmed/communing/
contributing adults:
Laity responding to first draft:
Positive responses :
Mixed responses :
Negative responses:
Total ELCA congregations:
Congregations responding:
Positive responses :
Mixed responses:
Negative responses:
17,466
564
164
173
227
2,629,054
4287
638
882
2767
11,055
907
64
341
502
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37.6%
55.3%
The police report of the
accident would have read
something like this: "Victim's
pickup truck left the highway
at a high rate of speed striking a 40 ft.
tree head-on. Due to absence of skid
marks, actual speed was difficult to
ascertain, but is estimated to be in
excess of 75 miles per hour at impact.
Sixteen year old victim was the only
occupant in vehicle and was pronounced
dead at the scene." The
report from the medical examiner
would have probably been something
like: "No trace of alcohol or
drugs in deceased. No trauma indicated
prior to accident." With that
finding, the police would have closed
the investigation with an official
determination of "Accident due to
unknown circumstances and excessive
speed."
It would be written off as one more
teenager driving beyond his capabilities
and experience. The life of a
handsome young man, an excellent
student, a talented musician, and a
loving son who knew God would
have come to an end four weeks
before his 17th birthday . His dreams,
his hopes, his aspirations, and his
Jove would have ceased to exist,
along with the secret he had kept
hidden deep inside himself. There
would have been no more guilt, no
shame, no pain, no hate ... just peace.
He would never have to be "one of
those queers" he had heard about
from his family, friends, and co-workers.
He would finally be at peace
with himself.
Robert was one of the summer
workers our company had hired to
help in the warehouse during our
busiest months. The other men he
worked with ranged in age from 19 to
52. He listened to their stories, their
jokes and their opinions and he tried
to fit in. One prejudice that was overwhelmingly
present was a familiar
one ... one he had heard too many
times at home and from his friends ...
"damn faggots." The more he heard
the unjustified hate, the more guilt he
experienced as he tried to cope with
the ever stronger feelings he was
experiencing as he grew into manhood.
Robert didn't feel abnormal. He
didn't think anything was wrong
with him. He just wanted to be himself
and to find peace from the battle
that was raging within him.
· It was mid-summer of 1993. It had
only been a few short months since
the March on Washington. The flack
over Gays in the military was at a
crescendo pitch. The subject of homosexuality
was a constant topic, especially
in our warehouse where almost
everyone had served in the military.
Compounding the problem for Robert
Gay teens and suicide:
was the religious co-workers who
mimicked the hatred that was spewing
from so many pulpits at the time.
He had always had a strong faith in
God, but now he was hearing that
God couldn't love him ... not if he was
gay. It was more than he could take.
ONE WHO
WAS SAVED
In his early teens Robert was active in
the youth group of a Baptist Church and
l1e sang in the choir. At 16, he was considering
kj}Jing himself.
by Kenny Dayton
The condemnation kept coming at
him. Unknowingly, Robert's family
and co-workers were pushing him
closer and closer to taking his own
life. It wasn't intentional. No one
knew what was going on inside him.
The more he tried to fight the battle
within himself, the more homophobia
came at him, and the more difficult it
became to fight the battle alone.
Robert had no role models. There
seemed to be no place to turn ... and
no one to tum to. And now he was
being told that even God didn't care.
Secretly Robert had laid out a plan to
end his life and he felt it was time to
put the plan into action - the plan to
crash his pickup into a 40 ft. tree
close to the road near his home.
One of the reasons Robert had
heard so much at work about Gays
was because it had been assumed for
some time that I was gay. It was a
topic of discussion among the warehouse
crew on a regular basis. Within
his first week of working for us
Robert had heard several times
concerning me, "He's queer." Nothing
was ever said directly to me but
little innuendos and hinting comments
had become a norm around
me. I had finally learned to just
ignore them and do my job.
Regardless of how "accepting" my
co-workers were to my face, Robert
was hearing the real thoughts and
bigotry. 'This is my future too," he
thought. This was actually a mixed
blessing though, because the comments
that had pushed him to the
edge also gave him the courage to
approach me ... and hope the rumors
were true!
Fortunately for Robert, his thought
of suicide ended in the planning
stage. He didn't carry it through.
Not that he didn't want to. Not
because he "chickened out" or came to
his senses. A suicide hot line didn't
stop him. His plans were altered
because he took a chance and reached
out to me, and I took a chance and
gave him a hand and a hope to hold
onto . God had intervened in both of
our lives.
The Friday night that he had
planned to end his life, he chose to
take one last risk. He asked me if we
could talk. In a matter of hours, he
was pouring out his heart and soul
about his most closely held secrets,
his deepest feelings, and darkest
fears ... everything but the plan to run
SEE SAVED, Page 17
Second Stone-July/ August, 1994 [[]
Cover Story T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . ........................... ..... ........... ......
From broken windows to work of art
From Page 1
at the Capitol Rotunda in Tallahassee.
Cahall, 58, was born in Tampa,
Florida. After serving in the U.S.
Marine Corps he ended up in New
Orleans where he finished his business
education and graduated in the
second graduating class of .the University
of New Orleans, then Louisiana
State University in New Orleans,
where he met his life partner, Floyd.
The two have now been together for
34 years. On the ring finger of his
left hand, Cahall wears Floyd's
mother's wedding band, remounted
in a man's shank.
After a successful business career in
the Pensacola area, Cahall retired in
order to devote his full time and
energy to his art . His work includes
sculpture, oil paintings · and smaller
stained glass pieces such as Tiffanystyle
lamps.
The first window Cal1all installed at
Holy Cross, known as the "Holy
Spirit" window, includes a 7-foot tall
center panel that was actually created
about two years before the church
building was purchased. Cahall had
created the piece for his home.
Mysteriously, he changed his plans
concerning the size of the work,
downsizing from eight feet to seven
feet. After Cahall got the idea to
create stained glass windows for the
church, the "Holy Spirit" panel was
the first installed. Amazingly, it fit
perfectly into one of the windows
blown out by the hurricane.
Each of the six windows consists of
11 panels. Across the bottom of each
window is a foundation of three
crosses made of beveled glass and
across the top are panels containing a
"Crowrl of Glory." One of the
windows was created in honor of
Edith Allen Perry, mother of the .
founder of the UFMCC, Rev. Troy
Perry. Rev. Perry dedicated the Win"
dow in 1987 when he was in Pensacola
to consecrate the new · church
facility. Another window, the "AIDS
Memorial Window" recalls those who
have lost their lives to the disease.
A seventh window, a 12 ft. by 12
ft. work depictjng the ascension of
Christ from Mt. Olivet, hangs behind
the altar and is illuminated artificially.
The piece, entitled "Ascending
Christ" was created from photographs
of an original 19th Century window
housed in the first property ever
collectively owned by lesbian and
gay Christians, the Metropolitan
. Community Church of Los Angeles,
which was destroyed by an arson fire
in 1973.
Considering he came of age during
the pre-Stonewall days, Callall's closet tfilJ Second StoneoJuly/August, 1994 •
A 12 ft. by 12 fl work depicting the ascension of Christ hangs behind the altar
of Holy Cross MCC. It was created from photographs of an original 19th Cen•
tury window housed in the mother church of the UFMCC, MCC Los Angeles,
which was destroyed by an arson fire in 1973.
days were remarkably short. By the
age of 19, he was on the fast track in
the U.S. Marine Corp, eventually
rising to the rank of sergeant. But his
military days came to an abrupt halt
when he was outed by another
enlisted man. Even though authorities
were not able to cite a case of
sexual activity, Cahall was given a
dishonorable discharge from the
Marines. (He waited for 24 years for
the Marines to upgrade his discharge
to honorable, which they finally did
in 1980.)
Cahall, who was raised by
Methodist parents, did not have to
wait long after experiencing unfairness
in the military to encounter the
Cahall, his friend, and the
Baptist pastor's son,
who was also gay,
were all thrown
out of the church •
from the pulpit
and in front of
the congregation.
It was 20 years
before Cahall
attended
church
again.
same in the church. After his,,,discharge
from the Marines, he recalls
going to a Baptist church with a
friend. Cahall, his friend, and the
Baptist pastor's son, who was also
gay, were all thrown out of the
church - from the pulpit and in front
of the congregation. It was 20 years
before Cahall attended church again.
In 1978, he joined Holy Cross MCC,
where, in addition to his stained glass
labor of love, he served as treasurer
for 12 years.
"It's a different world now than it
was then," says Cahall. "'Back then,
you simply came out to yourself. We
were mainly concerned with protecting
ourselves from violence."
Cahall acknowledged his sexuality at
the age of 13 in a family environment
where the topic of sex was never
discussed. "'I did not have girlfriends,"
says Calla!! "and my family
should have realized that something
was amiss." Only when Cahall returned
home with his pink discharge
papers did his family acknowledge
his homosexuality and they did so by
banishing him from \he family home,
to which he did not return for ten
years, except for a few holiday visits.
Both of his parents are deceased now,
as is his bisexual brother, who was
killed in Viet Nam. He describes his
remaining sister as the "closest, most
endearing supportive person I know."
During the time Cahall was
working on his stained glass windows,
he began to volunteer his time
with Escambia AIDS Services and
Education: His good work received
attention and in 1989 he was hired by
EASE to work in minority outreach
AIDS educati9n. In March, 1992
Cahall collapsed at work and friends
rushed him to a clinic. He soon
became aware that he himself was
HIV positive. He retired later that
SEE COVER STORY, Page 18
Upstart Catholic church offers inclusiveness, tradition
From Page 1
Shirilau and his life partner, Jeffery
Shirilau, founded the ECC based
upon their shared vision. tMark
Shirey and Jeffery Lau became life
partners in late 1984 and in 1985 legally
took a common surname. Jeffery
passed away in 1993.)
The Ecumenical Catholic Church
maintains itself within the mainstream
of historical Christianity, both
in theology and liturgy. The theology
is firmly creedal, with the Nicene
Creed being accepted as the definition
of Christianity. The seven traditional
sacraments are observed, and
baptism and the Eucharist are celebrated
as the primary means by
which God's saving grace is received.
The liturgy is consistent -with the
modern liturgies of the Roman
· Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran
churches .
Tl'l anyone who
doubts they say,
"Ask a member of
the Orthodox Church
if it is necessary to be
subject to Rome in
order to be Catholic. "
The ECC was formed as a direct
result of the failure of the mainline
liturgical churches to deal promptly
and fairly with their homophobia and
sexual discrimination. At the time of
the founding of their church, the
Shirilaus felt that what was missing in
the Christian spectrum was a gaysupportive
church that maintained a
liturgical setting and held no orthodox
theology. The Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitan Community
Churches had developed since its
founding in 1968 as distinctly Protestant
in liturgy and polity and Christians
who came from backgrounds
with more traditional liturgies did not
quite fit in, according to Mark
Shirilau. The ECC was created to fill
this niche. In fact, when someone has
not heard about the ECC or its
ministry, it is often described as "the
Catholic equivalent of the MCC."
The canon law of the Ecumenical
Catholic Church defines the organization
as "a constituent member of
Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic
church which unites all Christians
throughout the world · and
throughout history,"
But can a Catholic church independent
of Rome and not subject to
the authority of the Pope really be
Catholic? Yes, say leaders of the ECC,
who say they are not Roman Catholics,
but still Catholics none the less.
To anyone who doubts they say, "Ask
. a member of the Orthodox Church if
it is necessary to be subject.to Rome
in order to · be Catholic ." The ECC
traces the apostolic succession of its
priesthood through both Roman Catholic
and Russian Orthodox lineage.
Mark Shirilau was raised Lutheran
and. converted to the Episcopal
Church. Both Mark and Jeffery were
active in the Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches
and the Episcopal Church. Both men
passed the UFMCC clergy credentialing."
We never felt like MCC was
liturgical enough and we we did not
feel that the Episcopal Church was
sufficiently gay supportive, so we
started wrestling with the idea of
starting something new."
The ECC moved beyond meeting
in the Shirilaus' home to getting in ·
touch with independent Catholic
churches who were interested in a
ministry with the direct support of the
gay community. Currently the ECC
has 12 churches in eight states. The
church grows as new clergy come in,
says Shriliau. ''We get clergy without
parishes and they go out a form one."
Some of the ECC's clergy are former
Roman Catholic clergy. There are 30
candidates for the priesthood, including
a woman candidate from Connecticut.
The ECC believes in cooperation
among Christians and therefore
recognizes the Bishop of Rome, the
Pope, as an important figure in the
life of the universal church. They do
not, however, recognize any sort of
infallibility of the Pope.
No formal relationship exists
between the Ecumenical Catholic
Church and Dignity/ USA, the nation al
organization of gay and lesbian
Roman Catholics . The organizations
have two different missions, according
to Shirilau. 'Dignity functions for
people who want to remain within
the Roman Catholic Church," he says.
'The ECC is for those who are ready
to leave the Roman Catholic Church."
And he says it is his personal
opinion that it is time for gay and
lesbian Catholics to do just that.
Although a few members have
come over from Dignity chapters,
sheep -stealing won't be a necessity or .
practice of the 'ECC. The ministry of
the ECC is directed to a large extent
to Gays, Lesbians and others who are
not currently involved in ,church or
church groups.
The Ecumenical Catholic Church
considers matters of both gender and
sexuality essentially irrelevant to
religious faith. As such, it provides
the sacrament of ordination without
regard to gender, celibacy or sexual
orientation. Likewise, marriage is
viewed as a commitment between
Christians, not something exclusively
heterosexual in nature. Because
sexism and homophobia are removed
from both the church's official
doctrines and its day to day eractices,
it is able to directly minister to the
Mark Shirilau, founder and Bishop of the Ecumenical Catholic Church
gay community as well as to others
who have been disenfranchised from
other churches because of their
gender, marital status or sexuality.
The ECC is therefore a divergent
body of baptised persons. Some
members are gay; some are straight.
Some are women; some are men.
Some of them have been divorced
and remarried; some are single .
Some are transgendered; some are
not even certain of their ultimate
sexuality. The bottom line, according
to Shirilau, is that thei.r Christianity is
a matter of their faith, beliefs and
baptism, not their sexuality or its
outward expression.
So is the ECC a "gay" church or not?
'1t is a gay church, a straight church,
a female church, a male church, a
black church, a white church, and the
list goes on and on," says Fr. Michael
Frost, who has written on the subject
of the ECC being a gay church. "We
have never stated that we are a 'gay'
church yet, in our prejudiced society,
to state that we are affirming and
accepting of Gays, Lesbians, bisexuals,
makes us, in the minds of some
people, a 'gay' church. No church
should be an exclusionist club that
accepts only those with whom we
happen to agree. And no church can
be such if it is truly part of the
Church of Jesus Christ."
But the ECC does feel a certain
responsibility to people who are most
often rejected by others. "We welcome
those who society and other churches
have rejected," says Frost. "By doing
so they have failed to live up to
Christ's command to love others.
Christ Himself is the perfect example
-0£ acceptance and inclusiveness."
Shirilau wants to include much more
than the gay and lesbian community
in the Ecumenical Catholic Church
and is now considering how the ECC
might move into ministry to all who
are disenfranchised with the church.
"In five years we can be a 'gay'
church with 2000 people," he says, "or
we can fill this vast, growing need of
p·eople who are fed up wit& conservative
churches and have 200,000."
So far the Ecumenical Catholic
Church arid grown steadily, slowly
and quietly and has been largely
ignored by the Roman Catholic
Church. That may change soon when
the little church that can does
somethinl;i that the big church that
won't cant. The ECC will be ordaining
its first woman priest in the near
future. .
Second Stone-July/August, 1994, '{Ii]
L. C. raps
Street-wise Christian brings a new style and
sound to the message of love and faith
by Jim Balley
bout two decades ago, a
young African American lesbian
Jiving in New York City
was ready to end the misery
of her life, one way or another. She
had been a victim of racism, homophobia,
a rejecting church, incest,
child abuse and even an attempted
rape. She had Jost two 18 year old
brothers as a result of heroin use. An
aunt had died of complications due to
AIDS, another aunt had been murdered
and her biological mother, a
substance abuser, had died of cancer.
As a teenager, she got involved with
drugs. Then she attempted suicide.
But in 1985, Christian rapper,
singer and songwriter L.C. (Lesbian
Christian) had what she described as
a "sincere little talk with Jesus." Since
then, the street-wise Christian has .
been evangelizing through her music
in schools, churches and prisons all
across America.
'The victory, the peace, the real
love which we all search for, at some
point in our lives, is inside of us and
has been since the beginning of
time," says L.C. "All we have to do is
activate it, push that button in us
called 'faith' and believe in Jesus, the
Christ, and God will give us big time
support, direction and confidence in
ourselves to move mountains in our
lives that may seem unmovable."
L.C. says her life was changed
forever as a result of her "little talk"
and she has been drug, alcohol,
cigarette and racist free for almost ten
years. "Positive or negative we all
reap what we sow, get back what we
put out, get out of something what we
put into it," she says. "What goes
around does come around, bad or
good."
LC. 's Inner City World Ministries is
based in Huntsville, Alabama. Her
performances this year have included
gigs at MCC Los Angeles, MCC Long
Beach, MCC Huntsville, Atlanta Gay
Pride and Southern Voice's SoVo
awards banquet in Atlanta . L.C. says
the larger gay and lesbian community
responds well to her music, although
the many Gays and Lesbians
.who are not Christian sometimes feel
a little uncomfortable. "You can't rm Second Sto~e-July/August, 1994
please everybody and you can't'reach
everybody," she says, 'The most I can
do is respect everybody and do what
I gotta do. I know what I gotta do."
She does, however, sometimes feel
unsupported by the gay and lesbian
community. 'There's still a feeling in
the gay community that you cannot
be gay and Christian because so
many of us have been hurt by the
Christian community,"she says. L.C.
closely identifies with the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
churches, is a member of MCC
Huntsville, and describes the Rev.
Troy Perry as the one individual who
has most influenced her spiritual life.
'1 am not ashamed of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, nor am I ashamed of
who I am in the presence of the Holy
Spirit," says L.C. In her song, 'This is ;
My Short Story," she raps "More gay I
Christians need to take a stand so
others will know they're in God's
plan." This song is from L.C.'s debut
ministry cassette, which she · released
on her own independent label called
Positive Message Music, which she
says is "doing fine" but needs to be a
wider outreach. L.C. says she
couldn't sit around and wait for an
established record company or distributor
to decide whether they want
to take on a hype but yet controversial
product. '1 don't have time to
sit by as gay youth and adults
commit suicide," she gives as the
reason for "jump-starting" her own
label.
Many people respond to Christian
rap with the same skepticism as they
do Christian rock, according to L.C.
Even though there is more airplay for
rock than rap, L.C. wants to continue
promoting Christian rap and feels no
temptation to ·drift toward secular
music. Actually her style does sound
secular, but the message is unmistakably
Christian.
Soon L.C. will be moving to
Atlanta, where she was headed when
she said the Holy Spirit settled her in
Huntsville, where she's been for the
past eight months. She sees a greater
opportunity for outreach in Atlanta, a
city she describes as "productive."
. 'That's where I need to be," she says.
1Christian rapper, singer and songwriter L.C. (Lesbian Christian)
L.C. considers herself living
testimony of what God can do and
she describes herself as "on fire for
Jesus and on a mission for all God's
children." 'The religious right has
created dysfunctional, rebellious,
bitter attitudes in many of us towards
God," she says. 'Talk about a hate
crime that should be against the law!
As a witness to what God can, will
and has done in my life, all I have to
say to those who condemn gay people
and specifically homosexuals that
want to serve God is 'Ain't no future
in you frontin!"
L.C. holds Michael Jackson up as
her hero in music, along with the
Winans. She repects Jackson for his
accomplishments in reaching out to
the world. The charges last year that
Jackson molested a young boy did not
diminish his work and what he's
represented over the years, L.C.
believes. ''Besides," she says, "you're
innocent until proven guilty and that
didn't happen."
L.C. says she believes that if you
strengthen your faith with strong
belief in God, strengthen your heart
with unconditional love and strengthen
your mind with diverse education,
most battles can be won without
violent confrontation. "We're all
sisters and brothers in God's sight,"
she says "so let those who can get
-wit- this understand it's not a black
thang, nor is it a white thang, it's a
Jesus thang!"
'Tm proud to be down with J.C. and
glad Jesus lives in all who believe,"
raps L.C." 'There's another soldier on
the battle field," she says. "I have not
been keeping silent nor do I intend
to ... God does not discriminate!"
Inner C:ity World Ministries may be
contacted at 9401 Roberts Dr., Ste.
7-K, Dunwoody, GA 30350, (404)
897-1288. .
l e lesbian and gay community
has pleaded and bargained
with churches for too
ong, waiting patiently for the
magical lime when the right commission
or the right study would accept
and affirm Gays and Lesbians. There
isn't a mainline protestant denomination
that hasn't created two major
biblical studies in the last 20 years on
the subject of homosexuality. These
studies arrived at the same answer:
there is no biblical basis for continued
discrimin"ation. Yet, they continue to
exclude and we continue to play the
victim's role, putting our hopes and
faith in our institutional church, feeling
guilty that we haven't been able
to make it all right somehow.
There is a model in the Bible for the
· lesbian, gay, bi, and transgender
community of a people who knew
open rejection and exclusion from
their religious institution. This community
faced a number of insurmountable
problems with an enthusiasm
that evolved not out of faith in
their tradition, but faith in God . This
What to do when
the radical right
comes to town
•FORM A GROUP to study and
research the groups and activists
in your area. Find out where
they stand on the issues, and be
sure to look for their national
connections.
•Build a coalition with other
groups with whom you can work.
Although you may disagree on
some points, 1tnite to oppose the
radical right.
•Slrare your findings with the
media. Give themfacts, not emotional
opinions.
•Start a newsletter to keep members
of the community informed.
Excellent articles are available to
reprint from The Freedom Writer,
P.O. Box 589, Great Barrington,
MA 01230.
•Encourage voter registration and
help get voters to the polls. Low
voter turnout is the radical
right's greatest strength.
•Run for an office for which you
are qualified. Find and support
other qualified candidates.
•Place advertising in local papers
about candidates whom you know
have extreme positions . Stick to
facts.
-The Freedom Writer
ree an
home
The similarity between the people who wrote the
Gospel of John and the lesbian, gay and bisexual
community today in their mutual exclusions from
their respective religious institutions is stri'/dng.
BY KEITH A. MILLER
God enabled them to see their
mission, not in avoiding conflict and
brokenness, but in facing these issues ·
and being responsible for their
resolution. God would be there in
their presence precisely when they
were engaged in making lives new
and whole.
This people can be found in the
community who told the story of Jesus ·
the fourth time, the Gospel of John .
There is a difference in -the storytelling
of the four Gospels. Not that
any one of them was more · correct.
Each were honed and given validity
in the experiences of the people
telling what Jesus' life meant to them
in their time, just as · we must do
today.
It was widely accepted that this
Gospel was composed in the seaport
town of Ephesus: an area known for
its diversity in race, culture and
religion. The community behind this
Gospel, written some 100 yearsA.D.,
knew that the return of Jesus was no
longer as imminent as they had
assumed. They came to terms with
living out their faith in the world, not
out on a mountain top. There were
welcome there because -of what they
believed and what they were about.
(16:2) " ... they will expel you ... and
indeed the hour is coming when
anyone who kills· you will think he is
doing a holy duty for God."
Today it is difficult for Christian
churches to express a minimum of
hospitality toward Gays and Lesbians,
''You are welcome within our
congregations." The few who do offer
the invitation are uneasy if not
unable to bless our faithful rPlationships
and won't accept us as their
priests or ministers unless we remain
celibate.
The similarity between the people
who wrote the Gospel of John and the
lesbian, gay and bisexual community
today in their mutual exclusions from
their respective religious institutions
is apparent. What is more helpful
though is to look at what the Johanine
Community focused on: not its exclusion,
but its purpose and mission as
seen in how and what they chose to
tell of Jesus and his work.
One of the primary concerns that
this people living within the multicultural,
multiethnic city of Ephesus
had was to recall the events of Jesus' ·
life that showed how inclusive he
was . In the first chapter of John it is
noted (and only in this Gospel) that
he crossed Samaria in order to go to
Judea. To cross into that land where
the most hated and unwekomed
peoples of that day lived was a strong
statement on inclusivity . Unless it
was an emergency there were other
routes to be taken if Jesus were to
remain faithful and not cause offense.
As if that action were not radical
enough, he broke several other serious
religious paradigms by engaging -
a woman in conversation, a Samaritan
SEE EXILED, Page 14
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I;,., no eyewitnesses left of the events
surrounding the life of Jesus. There
were growing divisions among the
followers, some believing that Jesus
had only appeared to be a man. ._,
They were no longer welcome in the
religious institution that had given
them birth. These were some of the
difficulties the Johanine Community
faced.
Bulk Copies Available
In the first chapter of John the
commentator says, "He came to his
own domain and his own people did .
not accept him ." In three references
(9:22, 12 :42, 16:2) this community
speaks of being "banned from the
synagogue," that they were no longer
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woman who was of questionable
character. This person he made His
messenger, "Come and see a man
who has told me everything I ever
did. Could this be the Messiah?"
Didn't God show a seem in gly perverse
sense of direction and purpose,
humor mayb e, by choosing those
who are excluded to reveal her purpose
and what she is about?
Th e imagery and symbols of the
Gospel of John also give us an insight
into how this people viewed their
relationship with Jesus and how 1t
influenced them in their task of
relating to their community and
times. They described His mission in
words of action and empowerment:
Bread of Life, Living Waters, the
Way, the Truth , Light - a life-giver,
but not a miracle worker . These were
not static terms but words that
s howed process, nourishment, _and
growth. His miracles were not signs
of majes ty and power as m the other .
Gospels when people stood around in,.
astonishment and awe. Rath er Jesus
· actions encouraged the faith of his
followers when they saw someone
crippled walk, someone blind see,
peopl e becoming whole . .
When the ch.urch authorities saw
that He did these things on the
Sabbath , they were blinded to the
new quality of life exhibited .by those
who were touched by Him and His
good work and would only d,efensively
quote the rules. (9:16) Tl11S
man cannot be from God, he does not
keep the Sabbath." Jesus sai d, "Why
are you angry with me for making
one who le or complete on the Sabbath."
(7:23)
There are too many stories told and
too much research already .done for
the church to deny the unspeakable
horror and pain tha t has been caused
when Les bians and Gays are
encouraged to deny their sexuality,
att empt to live their lives within the
confines of a heterosexual marriage ,
or deny themselves any intimacy
within committed relationships. The
destructive messag e of the church has
contributed to the isolation teenag~rs
feel as they face their homosexuality.
Tho se who comm.it suicide for thi s
reason are a terrible indictment on•
churches who choose not to lift up
mod e ls for them so that they can
know whol eness in their diversity .
Inst ead of attempting to understand
our orientation as a mirror of .the
wonderous spectrum of diversity that
is pa rt of God 's creatio n, what has the
church sa id to those who have
survived those fragile years? The
church's judgment has contributed to
their low self esteem, hop eless n ess,
and despair. This has prompted
many Gays and Lesbians in the pa st
to tum to alcohol, drugs and risky sex
which in reality is nothing more than
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another form of suicide. Shou ld we
blame the victim?
One of the conflicts facing the
Johanin e Communit y was th e denial
of some that Jesus was really human .
The length that the Gospel goes to to
establish that Jesus did become
human and did understand the brokenness
exhibited in that community
is worth noting. They mentioned that
"the word became flesh" . (1:14); he
was part of a family (2 :12; 7:3,5); he
tired in Samaria (4:6); he wept over
the death of his friend, Lazarus
(11:35); and that he really died on the
cross (19:34). This knowledge that he
was truly human and would not
tolerate religious rules and traditions
to detour him as he encouraged
people to increase in faith and
become whole is indeed Good Ne ws .
Jesus' followers
were encouraged
to have that faith
that would enable
them to have the
same quality life,
life that had such
value that it
would contribute
on forever and
that would enable
them to do the
san1e works as
their Lord.
Jesus' followers we re encouraged to
have that faith that would ena ble
them to have the same quality life,
life that had s uch va lu e that it wo uld
contribut e on foreve r and that wo uld
enab le them to do the same works as
their Lord . (3:16) " ... everyo ne who
believes in him may not be los t but
may h ave et erna l life." He did not
make empty promises but assured
them, "I tell yo u m ost sol em nly ,
wh oever believes in me will perform
the sa m e works as I do myse lf, he
will peform eve n greater works."
The Johanine Community itself was to
become a lif e-give r, crea ting ho pe,
wholeness, and life where ther e was
despair, brokenness and death . V. S. currency.
PAYMENf .
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Can we wait for the church to see
and und ers tand what it means for us
, to be whole, what it means for us to
have life? Will they eve r see the
quality of life, th e whol en ess exhib-
.[HJ Second Stone-July/August, 1994
ited by those in our co mmunity who
have been touched by Christ, who
have known self-acceptance in his
acceptance? Will th ey continue to
hang back defensively, having faith
in traditions that are time locked and
have no pr esent mea ning, which can
cripple us and even cause our death?
Will they not stop worrying about th e
Sabbath? (7:24) ''Do not k ee p judging
according to app ea rances ; let your
judgement be according to what is
right ." We grieve for tho se clergy
and laity who do understand but are
afraid of the consequences of their
actions and voices. They capture the
fear of thos e in the Gospel of John,
who had faith but could not act for
their fears (12:42) " ... of being expelled
from the syn ag ogu e: they put honor
from men before the honor that com es
from God."
SEE EXILED, Page 17
Keith Miller was ordained a
Lutheran minister in 1972 b11t
was asked to resign in 1976
when his sexual .orientation
became known. Miller and his
partner of I 4 years, Morris
Meador, are members of St.
Mattliews Lutheran Church in Fort Worth,
Texas, a Reconciled in Christ congregation.
Meat eating and
global hunger
NUMBER OF PEOPLE who could
be fed using the land, water, and
energy that would be freed up if
Americans reduced theu mtake of
meat by 10%:
10,000,000
Number of people who will die as a
result of starvation this year:
20,000,000
Amount of total U.S. grain production
consumed by livestock:
70%
Number of children who die as a
result of starvation every day-:
38,000
Ratio of livestock to people on
Earth:
Three to one
Amount of Earth's land mass grazed
by livestock:
One half
Amount of U.S. cropland producing
livestock feed:
64%
Amount of U.S. cropland producing
fruits and vegetables:
2%
Pounds of edible product producible
on an acre of prime land:
Tomatoes • 50,000
Potatoes • 40,000
Apples - 20,000
Green beans - 10,000
Beef· 250
-Daughters of Sarah
T lnPrint T . . . . . . . -· ............. . ......... ·• -• ........................... ~ ........... .
Birthings and Blessings II
opportunities to see what impact leaving her homeland,_ turned back
By Andrea L. T. Peterson scripture and the realities behind it f,or one last lo_ok and, srn~.ture tells us
Contributing Writer might have had m their own contexts became a pillar of salt, 1s v:1ewed
our experience of this?, with whom in
this passage can I relate?, what might
this mean now for us?, what is the
message and how are we called to
respond?, or by shedding new light
and discovering entirely new meaning
Birthings and Blessings II makes it
possible for many women to reclaim
their spiritual heritag e a nd the
traditional tex ts that go with it.
Gail Anderson Ricciuti and Rosemary
Catalano Mitchell, authors.
Crossroad Publishing; 1993; PB; 190
pp., $13.95 Going a step beyond the current
trend of preparing worship
servic es that are inclusive
of women, Gail Anderson
Ricciuti and Rosemary Catalano
Mitch ell have added to their earlier
volume 24 "mor e libera ting worship
services for the inclusive church" that
focus on women.
Ricciuti and Mitchell look not only
ill how women may or may not relate
to or interpret scripture, but in several
instance s at how things might
have been different · if the actors in
scripture had been women instead of
men.
For many this is a new perspective
on familiar passages which offers new
and in ours today. Likewise , it under an entirely unorthodox hght.
provides women the opportunity to In ord er to understand why God
see how the gender of those given might have punished Lot's wife for
... Birthings and Blessings
II makes it
possible for many
women to reclaim their
spiritual heritage and
the traditional texts
that go with it.
prominent roles in both the old anct'
new testaments might influence
women's response to those passages.
One traditional story in particular,
that of Lot's wife who when, upon
looking back, which is how th.is event
has always been understood, the
authors come to the conclusion that
"the text does not say that God
punished her ... Rather, · ... she became
a pillar of s alt."'
Exploration into why she might
have b ecome a pillar of salt led th e
two to consider the depth of sorrow
she might feel to say "goodbye to a
town that... had always been home"
and nev er "look back." It became
understandable that such a woman
could "w eep so strongly that sh e
became her salty tears."
Transforming th.is story, then , into a ·
metaphor of compassion, redeems it
from a tale of disobedience and punishment,
liberating women to interpret
it in a way that enables them to
both relate to and be edified by it.
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the impact of HIV on the mourning
process. It presents a reconst~ction
of the general range of experiences
of well and surviving partners of AIDS
diagnosed men from the y.,ell partner's
first susp1c1on that his partner
has AIDS, to caring for him, and
through mourning his loss.
-From The Hawotth Press
lished in 1991. Based on eight years
of research and self reports from over
1,000 individuals across the country,
informal counseling and support
group work, interviews with children
and therapists, and her own personal
experience, .the updated Coming Out
Crisis includes more information and
advice on issues concerning the entire
family, not just the spouse.
Families facing such a corning .out
crisis can be found in every neighbor- ·
hood, church or temple, school and
workplace. This book is the first to
present a longitudinal, naturalistic
picture of the coming m1~ crisis for
straight spous es and farruhes, including
the impact of AIDS. It is also the
first book to look at husbands of
Lesbians as well as wives of gay men,
and explores a variety of family
arrangements couples devise.
To present a balanced viewpoint of
this issue, interviews were conducted
with gay, lesbian and bisexual partners
as well as straight spouses and
their children . Also included in the
new edition is a story told by a wife
still married to a bisexual man, because
although most couples divorce
when a partner comes out, about 15
percent decide to stay together.
Amity Pierce Buxton conducts support
groups and counsels spouses and
former spouses of gay, _bisexual and
lesbian mates, and chairs the International
Straight Spouse Network of
Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
J. C ~ Y ill i II l S l I It ' \ 1 t O I Y
A moving and personal
account of an issue
that won't go away. A
best-seller in Canada
and soon to be a motion
picture.
It will mak e you think, it will make
you angry , and hopefully, it will
broaden your vision of what bolh
sexuality _ and Christianity at their
best can be
-Telegraph Journal,
St. John, New Brunswick
James Ferry has given a voice to
these voiceless ones and is himself
a visible incarnation of their invisible
presence.
.I .I \I I·: \ F E H H Y -The Rt. Rev. John S. Spong,
Bishop of Newark, New Jersey
Order now from Second Stone Press
Quan.
□ IN THE COURTS OF T1'lE LORD
By Jamea Fa,y, $22.95, hardcover
P~lng $2.90111'11 boot<, S1.00 N. l<fdjtional
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Second Stone-July/August ,.1994 ]ii]
• lnPrinf • • • -· ••••• ~-·· ~ .~- ~ • .••• . • -· •••• ·- !--.• ... • --~~....: - • . ............. , ...... .... ... ..... ·• ... .
Scholars seek to uncover what he really said
Researching the historical Jesus
By Bill Day
Contrtbuting Wrtter
The Search for the Authentic Words
of Jesus, Macmillan Publishing Co.,
New York, 1993, 553 pages, $30.00 Wh.at did Jesus really say? For.
some time, scholars have
known that the first gospels
.. .· _ ~•~ere 1:oti set fdow.kn: on p·~· - !~-:·,.~.
;-;,, ~"-'5~S~-,-·, '.< -·.,V / :- . · l ·'1.
'@'e
i j
;, I
GJlifJ ~h'ff t~i:r;:f I
' pool, hot tub, skiing and more.
until 30 years or more after the
crucifixion and increasingly they
have been testing the authenticity of
the words attributed to Jesus. They
take into account the times in which
Jesus lived, what is known about how
words and phrases change when they
are passed on orally, and how the
gospels agree with each other.
A notable effort of this kind is a
collaboration of more than 70 distinguished
academics who call- themselves
the Jesus Seminar. They have
. been meeting periodically at the
Westar Institute, Sonoma, California,
and after study and discussion have
been balloting on the ·authenticity of
the sayings in the four canonical
Gospels: Mark, the oldest gospel,
Matthew, Luke, and John, plus the
lost Thomas gospel. This last, written
in Coptic (the language of the early
Innkeepers Judith Hall and Egyptian Christian Church) was
Grace Newman invite you to
write or call for a brochure . .
i I rediscovered half a century ago.
!
P. 0. Box 118 SL
Bethle,hem,. NH 03574_
(603) 869-3978 .
A new translation of these five
gospels, written by members of the
Recent finding by top biblical scholars
off er a radical new view on
the Bible and homosexuality.
V']nat-U:i_ble
the lJ
Really Says
A.bout
floll'-osexuality
.
1
• 1-\elminia\\><n.,. Ooan,
e ,.,_
Daniel A Helminiak, Ph.D.,
respected theologian and
Roman Catholic priest,
explains in a clear fashion
fascinating new insights.
" ... will help any reasonably open and
attentive reader see that the Bible says
something quite different on this subject
from what is often claimed. 11
-L. William Countryman,
Author of Dirt, Greed and Sex
.the most thoughtful, lucid and accessible
summary I know of current biblical
scholarship relating to homosexual
issues ... eminently useful ... 11
-James B. Nelson,
Author and Theology Professor
Quan.
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WHATT HEB IBLER EALLYS AYS
ABOUHT OMOSEXUALITY
ByD anieAl . Helminia$k9, .95p, aperbk
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ORDERF ROMS:E CONSDT ONPER ESSP,. OB. OX8 340N, EWO RLEANLSA, 7 0182
'lli) SecondS tone-July/August,1 994
group and showing the scholars' ratings
of the authenticity of the sayings
and commentary thereon, appears in
The Five Gospels: The Search for the
Authentic Words of Jesus. The sayings
that a proponderant majority of the
scholars considered authentic are
shown in red ink, those with a lesser
majority in pink, others, still less
accepted, in gray and those not
accepted in black. For example, the
highest rating is given to the saying,
"turn the other cheek" (Matt. 5:39 and
Luke 6:29). But the scholars conclude
example, large segments of the
believers seem to set more store on
"natural law'" (whatever that isl) or on
the Jewish Scripture than they do on
the teachings of Jesus. Jesus said not
a word about homosexuality, yet most
church leaders take their cue from
Leviticus or Paul and consider
same-sex love to be sinful; refuse to
bless same-sex unions, and reject the
ordination of Gays or Lesbians to the
clergy.
The Five Gospels is a treasure of
information about how the gospels
vVilliam Tyndale, an early translator
of the Bible into English, was
executed by strangulation for
trying to give ordinary people what
the church at that time did not
want them to have.
that Jesus never said four-fifths of the
words attributed to him.
How is th is going to affect
believers? William Tyndale, an early
translator of the Bible into English,
was executed by strangulation for
trying to give ordinary people what
the church at that time did not want
them to have. Such an outcome is
unthinkable today, o{ course. But
how will the devout react? Hard to
tell, since many Christians don't seem
to take his words seriously. For
came to be written. Into its553 pages
are packed a translation (494 pages),
color coded as to authenticity, a roster
of the scholars with their credentials,
a mention of earlier iconoclastic
studies and events, e.g. the Scopes
trial and the Darwin uproar, suggestions
for futher study ( in effect, a
brief bibliography), and cameo
tables, such as Figure 9, p.128, that
show stages in the development of
early Christian tradition giving range
of dates for the writing of the gospels.
Uncommon Heroes honors
131 Gays and Lesbians
UNCOMMON HEROES, the offidal
publication of the Stonewall 25 celebration,
is a tribute to 131 gay and
lesbian contemporary role models.
The photo-essay anthology of gay
men and lesbian women honors
political and religious leaders as well
as artists, entertainers, teachers and
others from almost every walk of life.
Included is Dr. Mel White, the dean
of the Cathedral of Hope MCC in
Dallas, Texas. "Jerry Falwell and I
had just flown into San Jose, California,"
White is quoted. "We were
driving in our limousine to a church
when we were cut off by a huge
demonstration of gay people. They
were angry because Jerry had said
that AIDS was God's punishment on
gays. As we went through the
crowd, Jerry said, 'Thank God for
these gay demonstrators, If I didn't
have them to draw a crowd, I'd have
to hire "em. They give me all the
attention I need.' I wanted to be outside
demonstrating and there I was
sitting inside that car. That was my
point of shame."
Uncommon Heroes is the composite
work of well known writers and photographers
from across the country.
Each profile in this coffee table publication
has been written by an author
familiar with the honoree and is
accompanied by a compelling photograph
of the subject.
Exiled, free and home
From Pase 14
Are we, the lesbian arid gay
community , now at the same place
where that community was who was
responsible for the Gospel of John?
Shouldn't we also stop looking back to
our institutional churches for our
validity and let our focus turn to
mission - those who are eager to hear
the Gosp el? If we have learned
nothing else, we must not believe the
lies that the church has told us, that
we cannot minister. For the depth of
our spirituality and our faith ha s
grown directly in proportion to the
thousands and thousands of those
martyred for whom we have cared. If
our churche s cannot provide the full
Gospel to our communities, do we not
have that mission? And is that service
not enough affirmation for us?
Ther e are other interesting
. characteristics in that Johanine Community.
It exercised a great deal of
freedom as it went about its work . It
lifted up the r elationship of tho se
gath ered at the last meal rath er than
a prescrib ed set formula for a culhc
rite that required a pr esid er. This
gathering was offset like none of th e
SAVED,
From Page 9
his truck into the tree. (It was a few
weeks later before he told me he had
int ended to commit suicide that
night.) "You were my last hope," he
said. At that point, his faith was so
shaken by being told from the pulpit
that nobody loved him - not even
God - how was he supposed to love
himself? He was still to learn what
Romans 8:33-39 really means.
Most of u s who are ga y eventually
deal with our insecurities and learn to
love ourselves. We quit letting other
people heap on undeserved guilt.
We find pride in who we are . We
find that God does love us. Most of
us learn to cope with ignorance, stereotyping
and lack of acceptance. We
get on with our lived and find happiness
no matter what is said to or
about us . We learn to mature into
being gay and part of that maturation
is accepting that bigotry do es exist.
Some of us are brave enough to
totally accept ourselves and to try to
help others understand.
Unfortunately, many Gays,
especially teens, deal with their fears
like Robert had planned ... by taking
their own life. How many overdose
deaths are the result of "hoping to
find peace?" How many "missing"
young people could be found at th e
bottom of a secluded lake? How
many more auto fatalities do we write
off as "accidents?"
This is the true price of homophobia
- the loss of the young men and
women who never got th,e chance to
other Gospels with two stori es of
service , the feeding of the five
thousand and the washing of feet. .
Further evidence of this freedom
can be seen in their structure . Peter
was not given as prominent a role in
the Gospel. For example, he is the
second disciple to reach the tomb . In
fact it was a woman who saw the
tomb empty, who bore the message
to Peter and it was the same woman
to whom Jesus made his first appearance.
With no set formula at the
Eucharist, no specialized ministry is
emphasized and other developed
offices are not mentioned. Authority
and mission are only manifest ed in
the quality of service to others, people
given the opportunity to become
whole . A far cry from institutions
today who are so uptight that they
are given to strengthening the
authority of the hierarchy to protect
tradition at the expense of creating
life and wholeness .
What do we have for a vision and
model for ministry from the Gospel of
John? Some of its characteristics are:
1. Identity with and ministry to those
who are in any way broken and
searching for greater wholeness,
find th emsel ves . The ones who
ended it all before they found they
could trust themselves and God. The
ones whose lives were taken from
them by words and deeds .
Homophobia carries many price
tags : lost jobs and ruined careers,
addictions, fear, evictions, separation
from family, and loneliness . But the
most expen sive price is when it costs
a life ... a life that God hasn't had the
chance to totally mold yet. ·
Robert made it through a very
traumatic year.. H e survived being
outed to his family at Christmas . He
surviv ed hatr e d, ignoranc e, and lack
of compassion or understanding . He
lived through the "pulpit bigotry" to
find his faith in God again . He paid
many prices from homophobia this
past year, bu t with God watching
over him, he didn't have to pay the
ultimate price of his life ... in this
world or the next.
If as many people knew John 3:17
as well as they have memorized the
verse immediately in front of it, the
world would be a much better place
for us all... gay and s traight. If Christ
was not sent to the earth to condemn,
what right does anyone have to even
hint at condemnation? We were told
by our savior in Matthew 22:3640 to
love God and love thy neighbor and
that all other laws hang on those two
commands. Why do we insist on
making it so difficult? Jame s 2:10
tells us all... no matt er what "cross we
bear" ... how it really is!
When will we learn? Hopefully ,
before the price of homophobia gets
any higher. The true price we are
paying in lost lives i s already far too
expensive.
2. Structur e with authority that is
validated in how effectively it serv es
and offers "life,"
3. Vision that seeks quality of life
over death and brokenn ess,
4. Sees conflict as an opportunity for
growth and healing, action and
reflection, which is hop e not denial,
and
5. Rituals that sp eak of the celebration
of action s of healing and making
whole.
Indeed the Johanine Community
rejected th e stiff legalism of its parent
tradition and opted for the Spirit
which is such a prnminent theme
within this Gospel. (16:12-13) "I still
hav e man y thing s to s ay to you but
they would be too much for you now .
But when the Spirit of truth comes he
will lead you to the complete truth ... "
This people ex perienc ed this process
wh en they refuse d to b e hemmed in
by legalism and were freed to create
meanings out of the hardships and
conflicts they faced. Tradition and
s tructure w ere not treat ed as sacred
icons which provided all th e right
answers, but rather as resource s.
Their present day experience of conflict,
death, and brokenness provid ed
the Johanine Church the opportunity
to work toward new life and hope
that gave testimony to and a foretaste
of e ternal life.
Barbara Lundblad, a campu s pas tor,
spoke at a gathering at th e end of the
March on Washington a year ago.
She recalled how that community
through their mission and faith had
already come to know a taste of the
Kingdom of God. This direction
toward wholeness is what we as
Les bian s and Gays, bisexual and
transgender people are affirming for
ourselves and wish to offer back to
others as a gift. Lundblad declared
that the ; ·;· and lesbian community
underst ood the "already " but the
church was stuck in the "not yet."
• "Maybe We're •
Talking About a
Different God"
A half-hour documentary 011 the Rev.
Jane Spahr and her call to the Downtown
Church in Rochester, protested and
brought to trial.
Slwws how co1tfusio1t and fear ("What!
A woman and a lesbian ? No wayl ")
can be transformed into understanding
and compassion. ("Then I met Janie! ")
VHS Tape & Discussion Guide
■
SEND $32.35 TO:
Leonardo's Children, Inc.
26 Newport Bridge Rd.
Warwick.NY 10990
(914)986-6888
The goal was peacemaking
between evangelicals and
liberals. But then there
was a murder ... and a gay
Quaker activist is the
prime suspect.
"I never suspected a Quaker mystery
could be such a page turner. Great
fun. 11
-Mark Hulbert, Publisher
Hulbert Financial Digest
" .. . an intoxic a ting witche s' brew of
sexual politics and unfriendl y
intrigue ... Prophetic and scary!"
-Alan Pell Crawford, author
Thunder On the Right
■
Order now from Second Stone Press
Quan.
□ MURDER AMONG FRIENDS
By Chuck Fager, $13.95
Postage/Handling $2.90 first book, $1.00 ea. additional
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Second Stone-July/August, 1994 UzJ
Calendar • • • ... , •. • •.i.• -!....! .. ~ •••••• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ' ~
Lutherans Concerned
20th Anniversary
Gathering
JULY 14-17, "God's Own People" is
the theme of Lutherans Concemed/
North America's 20th anniversary
conference, which will be held on the
.campus of the University of North
Carolina in Charlotte. Rev. Barbara
Lundblad, pastor of Our Savior's
Atonement Lutheran Church in New
York City, ru1d a regular speaker on
the Protestant Hour radio program,
will be the keynote speaker . For
information contact LC/NA, P.O. Box
10461, Chicago, IL 60610-0461.
National Association
· of Black and White
Men Together
JULY 16-24, Over 200 people are
expected to attend this organization's
COVER STORY,
From Page 10
year and in early 1993 was diagnosed
with full blown AIDS.
Cahall attended last year's March
on Washington and marched with the
UFMCC. "I am not a radical activist,"
says Cahall. "I was living here [in
Pensacola] in 1969 and didn't even
hear about Stonewall at the time." But
Cahall praises the activism and
accomplishments of the generation
since Stonewall and comments on the
growing rights and freedom that the
younger generation of Gays and
Lesbians enjoy. 'The older generation
had no institutions, no role
models, no churches to look up to," he
says . "We had no guidelines."
When Cahall does write the occasional
letter to the editor, it probably
won't deal with the religious right. '1
don't think it's productive to try to
change their minds," he says. ''Matching
Bible-thumping with them is not
productive. I think that most people
are really interested in what kind of
person you are, not what you do in
bed."
Cahall says the turning point in his .
own personal liberationcamewhen he
joined the church. As to why more
Gays and Lesbians do not see the
church as a source of liberation Cahall
says, "Everybody has to come to the
well when they're ready to drink."
The slight-framed Cahall projects an
image of one who is content with his
accomplishment and contribution . He
takes long walks for exercise and is
feeHng good. And hardly a Sunday
passes at Holy Cross MCC when a
member or visitor does not look up
toward the stained glass windows
and marvel for at least a few
'moments . Cahall will take their ad,
mi ration and compliments modestly.
'To God be the glory," he says, "not
me."
[Is]; Second Stone-July/August, 1994 .
14th Annual Convention to be held ai
the Sheraton National Hotel in
Arlington, Va. The theme ''Breaking
the Chains of ISMS" will be addressed
via workshops, guest speakers, and
cultural/ social events. NABWMT was
formed in 1980 as a "gay, multi -racial,
multi-cultural organization committed
to fostering supportive environments
wherein racial and cultural barriers
can be overcome and the goal of
human equality realized," For information
contact NABWMT, 1747
Connecticut Ave. N.W., 3rd Floor,
Washington , DC 20009-1108,
(202)462-3599, (800)NA4-BWMT.
Evangelical &
Ecumenical
Women's Caucus
JULY 21-24, ~'Wind =d Fire, Spirituality
in Action" is the theme of the
EEWC Biennial Conference to be held
at North Park College in Chicago.
The group celebrates 20 years of
Christian feminist ministry with
presentations by Virginia Ramey
Mollenkott, Miriam Therese Winter,
Nancy Hardesty and others. For
information contact the EEWC
Conference Office, 6124 N. Byron,
Rosemont, IL 60018.
Wichita
Campmeeting '94
JULY 29-31, Wichita Praise and Worship
Center sponsors a retreat at the
Tabemacle, Camp Hiawatha, Wichita,
Kansas. For information write to P.O.
Box 11347, Wichita, KS 67211 or call
(316)651-0500 or (316)267-6270.
UFMCC conferences
AUGUST 2-4, Church Leadership,
AUGUST 5-7, People of Color Conference.
New worship styles that
reflect the emerging traditions of
women in leadership will be featured
at the leadership conference, which
will feature Dr . Mary Hunt. "Connecting,
Celebrating and Communicating"
is the theme of the People of
Color conference, which aims to stimulate
and inspire people of colors and
white people with a variety of activities
which include a presentation by
Dr. Elias Farajaje-Jones, associate professor
at Howard University School of
Divinity in Washington, D.C., and
Ms. Letticia Gomez of the Latino Lesbian
311d Gay OrgaJ1ization. Both
conferences will be held in Dallas,
Texas . For information contact the
UFMCC, 5300 Santa Monica Blvd.,
#304, Los Angeles, CA 90029,
(213)464-5100.
Gay Pentecostal
District Conference
/AUGUST 4-7, The Northeastern
District of the National Gay Pentecostal
Alliance holds its first district
. . . . . . . . . . . :, ..... .
conference at the Holiday Inn Holidome
and Meeting Center in downtown
Schenectady, New York. Pastor
Sandy Lewis of Casa de la Paloma
Church in Tucson, Ariz. is guest
preacher . The conference is being
sponsored by the Lighthouse Apostolic
Church of Schenectady. For
information contact NGP A, P .0. Box
1391, Schenectday, NY 12301-1391,
(518)372-6001.
1994 GLAD Event
AUGUST 12-15, 'The Wisdom of the
Body" is the theme of the 1994 gathering
of the Gay, Lesbian and Affirming
Disciples Alliance to be held at
Mercy Center in Burlingame, Calif.,
near the Srut Francisco airport. Facilitators
are Cynthia Winton-Henry and
Phil Porter . For information on this
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
event contact GLAD, P.O. Box 19223,
Indianapolis, IN 46219-0223,
(206)324-6231.
Second International
TEN Conference
SEYfEMBER 2-4, The Evangelical
Network will meet in Vancouver,
Canada on Labor Day weekend . The
focus of the conference, themed
'Together - We Belong," is on interpersonal
relationships. Presenters
include Sharon Busch, Rada Schaff,
· Elizabeth Storbo, Pastor Ronnie Pigg,
Bill Byrd, Ken Whatham, David
Trudeau and Pastor Fred Pattison. For
information contact Liberty Community
Church, #201 - 6380 Clarendon
St., VaJ1couver, B.C., Canada VSS 2J9,
(604)321-4633.
I
Morning Star MCC
Freedom Weekend
SEPTEMBER 9-11, In celebration of
20 years of ministry Morning Star
MCC, the oldest gay and lesbian
organization in Worcester County,
Mass. sponsors Freedom Weekend
· featuring Rev : Elder Troy Perry,
David Mixner; Karen Add Edwards,
Lynn Lavner and Heartsong.
Mechanics Hall, a prestigious concert
hall listed as a National Historic
Landmark, is the setting for the
banquet and rally. For information
contact Morning Star MCC, 231 Main
St., Cherry Valley, MA 01611,
(508)892-4320.
Conference for
Catholic parents of
Gays, Lesbians
SEYfEMBER 30-OCTOBER 2,
'Turning the Key," the first national
retreat for Catholic parents of gay and
lesbian children which will support
parents in their key roles of promoting
understanding and empathy in
the church, will be held at the
LaSalette Center for Christi _= · Living
in Attleboro, Mass. Facilitators will
· be Sr. Je annine Gramick, SSND, and
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Fr. Robert Nugent. The weekend will
involve story-telling, presentations,
film, discussions, communal _prayer,
quiet time, worship =d socializing .
For information contact Fr. Robert
Nugent, 637 Dover St., Baltimore,
MD 21230, (301)864-8954.
Brethren/Mennonite
Conference
SEPI'EMBER JO-OCTOBER 3,
"Celebrating Ourselves" is the theme
for this gathering of the Brethren/
Mennonite Council for Lesbian and
Gay Concems to be held in
Indianapolis, Indiana. The featured
speaker will be writer/ poet Emma
LaRocque, a professor in the Department
of Native Studies at the University
of M311itoba. There will be a
showing of the reGently released ·
video Body of Dissent: Lesbian and Gay
Mennonites Continue the Journey. For
· more information, write BMC, Box
6300, Minneapolis, MN 55406-0333 or
call (612)870-1501.
Unity Fellowship
National Gathering
OCTOBER 3-10, The Unity Fellowship
Movement sponsors its first
national spiritual fellowship in Los
Angeles. "Free to Move in the Right
Direction" is the theme . For information
write to Freda Lanoix-Owens,
5149 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles,
CA 90016 or call (213)936-4948.
Affirmation
National Gathering
OCTOBER 7-9, Affirmation: United
Methodists for Gay, Lesbian and
Bisexual Concerns meets in Los
Angeles. The theme is "Outing the
Bible" with Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson,
pastor of MCC Los Angeles, as featured
speaker. The Hyatt Hotel on
Sunset Strip is the setting. For information
contact Affirmation, P.O. Box
691283, West Hollywood, CA
90069-9283.
LGCM Retreat
NOVEMBER 11-12, England's Lesbian
and Gay Christian Movement
sponsors a retreat led by Helen
Loder, SSM and Rev. Malcolm
Johnson . This is a unique weekend
opportunity of meditative reflection in
an affirming community, during
which there will be talks, discussions,
some silence and lots of relaxation.
The Royal Foundation of St.
Katherine in London is the setting .
For information contact LGCM,
Oxford House, Derby shire St.,
London, E2 6HG, UK.
Annau~cements of interest to gay, lesbian
and bisexual Christians are welcome
and will be included free of charge.•
Send to Second Stone, P.O. Box 8340,
New Or/ems, LA 70182 or FAX to
- (504)891-7555.
Noteworthy
• • • e • e • • 8 8 8 It II 8 e 8 0 8 • 8 • • 8 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Integrity chapter
forms in Birmingham
t.INTEGRITY, the lesbian and gay
ministry of the Episcopal Church, is
forming a new chapter in Alabama.
Integrity's goal is "to be the Churd1 in
the lesbian and gay community and
to be the lesbian and gay community
in the Church." Chapters sponsor
worship, educational programs, fellowship
and service for the community
and witness to and dialogue
with the Church. The Alabama chapter
is meeting at St. Andrew's Episcopal
Church on Birmingham's Southside.
For information call Frank
(205)871-1815 or John (205)592-3150.
Covenant MCC moves
to new building
· L'.COVENANT MCC, Birmingham,
Alabama began worshipping in its
new facilities June 26. The new sanctuary
holds up to 300 people .. CMCC
is leasing the space but maintains a
building fund in hopes of one day
owning church property. Cliff
Morrison, longtime pastor of CMCC,
has recently earned his ordination.
The new church facility is at 5117 1st
Ave. N. in Birmingham.
Anita Hill installed at
St. Paul-Reformation Church
l\AFI'ER FIVE MONTHS and a nation
wide search, Anita C. Hill has been
installed as pastoral minister by St.
Paul-Reformation Church in St. Paul,
Minn. Hill had previously served St.
Paul-Reformation from 1983 to 1990 as
an openly lesbian ministry associate
for Wingspan Ministry, an outreach to
the gay and lesbian community. Hill
is also co-convener of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America Task
Force on Human Sexuality.
Jeanne Knepper honored
ii.JEANNE KNEPPER, convenor of
Affirmation's Witness Committee and
co-director of Shalom Ministries in
Portland, Ore., has been honored by
the Methodist Federation for Social
Action as one of six recipients of the
Lee and Mae Ball Award.
Lesbian/Gay alumni of
Notre Dame organize
Ii.MORE THAN 50 alumni of the University
of Notre Dame and St. Mary's
College gathered in South Bend,
Indiana, over the weekend of June 10.
Participants met to found Gay and
Lesbian Alumni of the University of
Notre Dame/St. Mary's College, an
organization whose purpose will be to
promote solidarity and friendship
among gay, lesbian and bisexual
graduates, former students and
' friends of Notre Dame and St. Mary's
College. In less than a year, the
organization has grown from approximately
60 members to over 350 members
and is still reaching out toward
gay and lesbian alumni of the two
schools.
Samaritan/CTS starts
dual program
Ii.SAMARITAN COLLEGE has approved
the implementation of .a dual
enrollment program with Chicago
Theological Seminary beginning in
late 1994. The program was
developed . by the academic dean of
Samaritan, Dr. Mona West, who
expects the program to become a
model of joint education between
Samaritan and other seminaries across
the country.
Oasiseeks director
L'.THE OASIS, a mission and ministry
of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
with gay and lesbian people, their
family and friends, is seeking a gay
. . .
ny on April 6. Construction of a 3200
square foot building and adjacent
parking lot began on April 7. The
church has counted on volunteer
labor pledged by many members of
the Huntsville community to create
their new worship facility. MCCH
hopes to occupy the building, 3015
Sparkman Dr., by the first of August .
For information on MCCH call
(205)533-6220
Rev. Terry Enloe passes
t.REV. TERRY ENLOE, pastor of
Grace Fellowship, New Orleans, died
on June 15, 1994 of complications due
to AIDS. A memorial service was
held at Holy Trinity Chu rch on June
18. Rev. Enloe was remembered for
his vision of "reaching the gay community,
their families and friends,
with the Good News of Jesus Christ ."
or lesbian Episcopal priest to serve as St J h th A ti MCC
its dire.ctor and chief missioner. In · 0 n e pos e
addition to the rastoral care of some appoints Rev. Shawver
350 members o the Oasis, the direc- L'.ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE MCC,
tor will also serve as ·an advocate and Fort Myers, Florida has announced
resource person to the larger gay and the appointment of Rev. Renne L.
lesbian community. Resumes and Shawver as pastor. Shawver previinquiri
es may be sent to Ms. Dale ously served as an associate pastor of
Gruner, Deployment Officer, Diocese King of Peace MCC in St. Petersburg,
of Newark, 24 Rector St., Newark, NJ Florida; She replaces Rev. James M.
07102. Lynch who was called to Springfield,
Illinois last year. The voting mem-
Rev. Lincoln bership of St. John's was unanimous
celebrates anniversary i in electing Shawver, who is accom-
AREV. GILBERT LINCOLN of Colurn- panied to Fort Myers by her partner,
bia, S.C., retired, has celebrated the Donna Clark.
40th anniversary of his ordination by
the Enid Presbyt ery of the Presbyterian
Church (USA). The church
knew at the lime of his ordination that
he is gay. He was ordained in the
UFMCC in 1977.
AIDS claims Chuck Vickers
t.CHUCK VICKERS, former music
director at River City MCC and First
MCC, Wichita, Kan ., and former
member of HeartSong, died May 25
of complications related to AIDS.
Pentecostal church opens
in Birmingham
L'.THE NATIONAL GAY Pentecostal
Alliance has announced the opening
of its newest church, Open Arms Apostolic
Worship Center i.n Birmingham,
Alabama. The church is pastored
by the Rev. Gerald Adams,
who is licensed as a minister by the
Southeastern District of NGPA. For
information on this ministry contact
Bro. Adams, (205)939-3804, P.O. Box
59408, Birmingham, AL 35259.
Huntsville church breaks
ground for new building
AAFTER THREE YEARS of preparation,
fundraising and planning, MCC
Huntsville 's dream of building its
own church is becoming a reality.
On April 5, the Alabama church
purchased almost four acres of land
and held a ground-breaking ceremo-
Ralph Masek dies
L'.RALPH MASEK, former public
relations director at Cathedral of Hope
MCC in Dallas, died May 21 due to
AIDS-related complications.
Chicago congregations
to merge
L'.THE CONGREGATIONS of Christ
the Redeemer MCC, Evanston, Ill.,
and Good Shepherd Parish MCC,
Chicago, voted with near unanimity
to unite in order to strengthen their
ministry to the lesbian/ gay community
in Chicago.
Atlanta MCCs join
church council
t.THE THREE ATLANTA MCCs have
been accepted into membership with
the Christian Council of Metropolitan
Atlanta. They are All Saints MCC,
First MCC and Christ Covenant MCC.
'Connecting Families'
retreat held
L'.CONNECTING FAMJLIES, a retreat
planned by and for the Church of the
Brethren and Mennonite parents of
Lesbians, Gays, and bisexuals was
held at Laurelville Mennonite Church
in early April. This effort, now in its
fifth year, was attended by 60 parti-
.................
cipants representing 27 families. The
facilitator was Deanna Brown, campus
pastor for Manchester College, North
Manchester, Indiana. A sixth Connecting
Families retreat is planned for
March 31 - April 2, 1995 at Laurelville.
For information contact Brethren/
Mennonite Parents, P.O. Box
1708, Lima, OH 45802 or Laurelville
Mennonite Church Center, Rt. 5, Mt.
Pleasant, PA 15666,
Pastor installed at All Saints
L'.REV. PAUL TURNER was installed
as pastor of All Saints MCC, Grant
Par~ Georgia on April 10. Rev. Troy
Perry presided.
MCC Las Vegas elects
pastor, considers move
t.REV. B. J. ''BEAU" McDANIELS
began her pastoral service at the
Metropolitan Community Church in
Las Vegas on April 1, 1994.
McDaniels has been a member of the
UFMCC clergy for 24 years, including
holding simultaneous pastorships
in Indianapolis, Indiana and Cincinnati,
Ohio, a 127-mile commute between
services. Plans are being
made for the churdl to share a worship
facility with Wesley United
Methodist Church. Rev . McDaniels'
spouse, Gloria Ann Weiss, is completing
school work in Oklahoma
City.
Welcoming and Affirming
Baptists adds congregation
t.SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY
Church in San Leandro, California
has become the 21st congregation to
join the Association of Welcoming and
Affirming Baptists . Said spokesperson
Chris Boisvert, "As the Association
of Welcoming and Affirming
Baptists continμes to grow as a voice
of inclusiveness and justice within the
denomination, I hope that the term
'Welcoming and Affirming' will
become synonymous with many
Baptist churches across the nation. "
The association may be contacted at
P.O. Box 2596, Attleboro Falls, MA
02763.
R. David Smith appointed
at MCC Baltimore
_L'.R. DA V1D SMITH has been appointed
as lay pastor of the Metropolitan
Community Church of Baltimore.
Rev. Arlene J. Ackerman, District
Coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic District
of the UFMCC, appointed Smith
in consultation with the Board of
Advisors of the local dlurch. Smith,
currently a resident of Arlington,
SEE NOTEWORTHY, Page 20
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NOTEWORTHY,
From Page 19
Virginia, until his appointment was
student clergy and Coordinator of
Ministry Support at the 300-member
MCC of Washington, D.C. He is
completing a Masters degree in Theological
Studies at Wesley Theological
Seminary in Washington and plans to
be licensed as UFMCC clergy at the
denomination's 1995 Biennial Confer-
_,. ence in Atlanta, Georgia, his hom e
town. Raised a Southern Baptist,
Smith has been active in the UFMCC
since 1985. MCC Baltimore worships
at Waverly Chapel at 3401 Old York
Road at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays.
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