Second Stone #59 - Jul/Aug 1998

Second Stone #59 - Jul/Aug 1998

59

1998

Jul/Aug 1998

SECOND STONE
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lssue#59 UVlNGINTHEEM8RACE0F A loVI NG ANDJUSTGOD July/August 1998
GayC atholicssa ye x-gaya ds
don'tr eflecct hurchte achign
Dignity /USA calle d the mid-Jul y advertising
camp aign supporting ex-gay ministries
"misleading and destructiv e, and
not representative of Catholic teaching ."
Full-pag e newspaper adverti sements
appearing in the New York Times . the
Washington Post and USA Today and
pai d fo r by conse rva tive Chri stian
groups say that homosex uals could
change their sexu al ori entati on by
accepting God's love.
"The message in this ad campaign is
mi sleading and wrong. These groups
arc telling lesbian s and gay men that
God's love is exclu sive. The truth is
that God's love is inclu sive and knows
no bounds," says Charl es L Cox, Executi
ve Dir ec tor of Dignity /USA . He
said , "Onc e again, we are seeing the
words and spi rit of Chri st's message
misused by the radical right , Their message
is plain and simple . You canno t be
a lesbian, a gay man, a bisexual or a
tran sgendered person and be a person of
faith. Like the advertisements and the
sponsors' campaign , they are wrong."
Dignity/USA President Robert F.
Miailovich said, "The ads stand in stark
contrast to the spirit and messageo f the
U.S. Catholi c Bishops' I 997 letter
Alw ays Our Childr en. The letter,
though imperfect , tells us: 'God loves
every person as a uniqu e individua l.
Sexual identity helps to define the
unique persons we are. One component
of our sex:ual identity is sexual orientation.
Thus, our total per sonbood is
more encompassing than sexual orienta-
SEE CATHOLICS, Page 9
Interfaith Working Group calls
f or religious response to ads
THE EX-GAY ADS that appeared in
mid -July in major publications were
called "the Normandy landing in the
larger cultural war" by Robert Knight of
1he Family Research Council.
The In terfaith Working Group bas
called on gay -affirming mini stries to
respo nd to the ex -gay ads . The group
hop,·11 10 enlisl 1,000 gay-friendly coogrcgatio
ns aro und the country to contribute
$63 each to take out a full page
ad in USA Today later this year which
would list all the congregations , with
contact numbers for gay and lesbian
people to call .
The group has a signup page at
http ://www.libenynet .org/iwg/conlllcl.h
1ml.
UCC minister says
ads ofter 'false hope'
CLEVELAND, Ohio - "fa -gay ministrie
s," promoted in national newspaper
ads placed in mid-July by the Christian
Coalition and other religiou s-right
groups. offer "false hope." says an
expert in lesbian. gay . bisexual and
transgender ministries with 1J1e United
Church of Christ.
In a statemen t released July 16, the
Rev. Dr. William R. Johnson of Cleveland,
a UCC minister with the United
Church Board fm Homeland Ministries ,
criticiz ed full-page ads that appeared in
the New York Time s on July 13, the
Washington Post on July 14 and USA
Today on July 15.
"Tens of 1bousands of lesbians and
gay men, and hundreds of fonner victims
of such 'therapies' who learned the
hard way, know that sexual orient ation
SEEF ALSEH OPE, Page 9
Perty:' Here'st het ruth... a nd
I'm nota fraitdo telli t'
REV. TROY PERRY of the Universal
Fell owship of Metropolitan C01mn unity
Chur ches issued a statement in
response to ex-gay newspaper and magazine
ads paid for by 15 far-right groups
including Alliance for Traditional Marriage.
American Famil y Associat ion,
Center for Reclaiming America. Christian
Coa lition, Concerned Women for
America, and Coral Ridge Ministries .
Perry said:
"I am today adding my voice to religious
leaders and human rights activists
across the US in condemning the false
and misleading full page ad in the July
13 edition of the New York Times promoting
so-called 'ex-gay' ministries.
"My 30 years of experien ce in ministcriug
to gay s, lesbi ans, bise xuals and
tran sgendcred persons have convinced
me beyond any doubt that God's creation
is filled with infinit e variety and diversity
- and that this variety and diversity
arc innate parts of God's plan. This plan
, includes every one of God's gay and lcsi
bian children.
"The ad carries a bold head line proclaiming
, 'I'm living proof that Truth
can set you free . ' As au open ly gay
Christian, I, too, can make that claim ,
as can hundred s of tl1ousa11closf deeply
spiritual gays and lesbians witl1 whom I
have ministered , served and worshiped
SEE TRtrrH , Page 20
.: :::::·:, ,::::.:: •:,:•·:» ..i•.:.~.:• ·■ ..•: •.:,:•·~:: ~·:::::::::,:,~::~::~~:::::
;:~.;.,~-~•;: ;>,~I.,'I,.:;:~■1 ~!;ttti;,i~
• Prayer •1'he Bible •Words & Deeds
It makes sense Prograinaitton fisn dg ay
An untold number of the state's
l1omeless adolescents are on the
streets because they've been
rejected by their families and are
reluctant to be placed in similarly
unsympathetic foster homes ...
foster{xlrenfotsr g ayy ouths
BY ALEXIS CHIU
WORCESTER . Mass. - Some are victims
of neglect. Others are abused. No
· child who circulates through the state's
Depart.me.at of Soci al Servic es has it
easy.
But teenagers who are gay, lesbian,
bisexual or confu sed about their sexual
orientati on have an especially tough
time, say those whose job it is to place
them in foster homes.
among the first of its kind in the nation:
activ e recruitment of gay, lesbian ,
bisexual and tran sgeuder men and
women along with "heterosexual allies"
- to be foster parents for gay kids.
"We agree I.here's definitely a need to
provide them with safe homes," Kuffour
said.
larly unsympathetic foster home s, said
Albert Toney III, 31, a former W orccster
police officer.
"Just because they 've come out, some
are thrown out and ph_ysically or verbally
abus ed on their way out the door,"
he said.
Toney should know. He and his male
partner of six years have cared for six
foster children , three of them gay teens.
One was a 16-year-old whose parents
adopted him through DSS - and then
kicked him out when they found he was
gay, Toney said.
Toney, director of the Safe Homes
project for gay teens, is working with
DSS to help them find home s where
tl1eir needs are understood .
"DSS tries to place African -American
children in African-American home s,
Hispan ic children in Hispanic home s,"
he said. "For gay kids. why not put
them in a gay hous ehold where sexual
orientation isn't an issue, where they
SEE GAY YOUill , Next Page
"Adole scent placem ent is the most
diffic ult placement in all of DSS," said
Benetta Kuffour, the department' s Central
Massachusetts foster care liaison. " If
you add gay . lesbian and transgender
youth, you're adding another whammy."
The program, which started in Boston
with a pilot program three years ago and
is getting und erway in Central Mas sachu
sett s, also offers a relevant twoweek
addition to an erjsting DSS training
course for prospective foster parents.
No one knows how many of the
young people in DSS custody face
issues rel ated to their sexuality . An
untold nwuber of the state's homele ss
adolesc ent s are on the street beca use
they've been rej ected by tl1eir families
and are rel uctant to be place d in simi-
'Chicken Soup for the Soul' books
were a turning point in ~riter' s life
That's why the department is expanding
a campaign they believe could be
CAMPBELLS PORT , Wis. - Writ er
Rochelle Pennin gton thinks the search
for inspira tion and insight drew people
by the millio ns to her works.
"Renewal • Restoration • Reconciliation"
Midwest SpiritQuest 1998.
September 4-6 • Ramada Inn• LaPorte Indiana
Pastor Randy Duncan and Dan Wright of host
church New Life Comm unity Church of Hope in
Michigan City, Indiana, in vite you to a Labor Day
Weekend of praise, worship, special music and
exciting fellowsh ip!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
7 p.m. Pastor Randy Duncan with evangelist Jeff
Ferguson, songwriter/minister from Nashville, Tenn.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
9 a.m. Dan Wright, raised Mormon, now a born-again
Christian: Pastor Gyongyi LuclVig, Hungarian lesbian
minister from Kalamazoo, Mich.; Jerry Montgomery from
Valparaiso, Indiana. a 80Cial worker and mother of a gay
man; Susan Duncan from Porter, Indiana, a singer/
musician and former wife of a gay minister; Rev. Dave
Farrell from San Antonio and Rev. Todd Farrell from San
Francisco. father and gay son; and Tony Teso from
Portage, Indiana, a Christian living with HIV.
'
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
7 p.m. Pastor Greg Coats from Chattanooga, Tenn.,
associate pastorhnusic minister: Pastor Dolly Hamby
from Hope For All Ministries in McDonald, Tenn.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
1 O a.m. Evangelist Doug Clanton from Casa de Cristo
Church in Phoenix, Arizona
SPECIAL MINISTRIES:
Rev. Bob Ellis, artistic expression
Gospel artists and musicians:
Glenn Baker
Derek, Denee and Jenny Duncan
Janice Lacount
New Life Singers
MSQChoir
Joe Johnson
Robert Morgan
and more ...
For further Information call (219)778-2803 or (219)778-9332 or write to
P.O. Box 9212, Michigan City, IN 46360·9212, lnnulife@netnitco .net
2 JULY•A tJOUST 1998
Pennin gton worked as a quot atio ns
speci alist and writer on the "C hicken
Soup for the Soul" series and "Life's
Little Instruction Book."
There appea rs to be an intensified
public hunger for meaning and awareness
as the tum of the century approaches,
Pennington said.
"We're busy. very fas t-paced and don't
have time to read the great big books.
We still like to be inspi red , but in a lit tle
bit of time," she said.
Pennington, who lives in Campbellsport
with her husban d Les Pennington
and their children, Nicholas, 16, and Erica,
12, said the Chicken Soup books
were a turning point in her life.
"They put powerful infonnation in
very short pieces of literature," she said.
She currently is working on more
"Life's Little Instruction" books with H.
Jackson Brown. One book is "Life's Little
Instruction Book of Quotations."
The other is "Life 's Little Instruction
Book for tl1e Loving Parent ."
The Reporter of Fond du Lac has ·
started publishing a new column by
Pennington called , "Insight and Inspira tion."
ft invites readers to take a break
from work and reflect on life, Penning ton
said.
She hopes the column will touch people
aod inspire tl1cm to send it to a
friend or family member. (AP)
t
I •.
GAY YOUTH,
From Previous Page
can have a role model and where it's a
safe environment?"
Toney said gay foster children often
are teased or abused by other foster
children in the same household. Studies
DAYTON , OHIO
CO:tvnv1UNITY
GOSPELC HURCH
P.OB. JX1 6.34• D\YIONO, H4 S401
DISCOVER YOUR DESTINY!
ALL ARE WELCOME
meets: 546X eniaA ve.
Dl)'tOn, Ohio
SundaylOam
E-MAIi.; RevSamueJK@aol.rom
V1Siot ur Web Site!
http:/ M\\W.oomeaoLcom/re.s'.lll1UeJk
937-252-88.55
REV. SAMUEL KADER,
PASTOR
NATIONAL
So[ufarity Sunday
October 4, 1998
"Let us work together to end
verbal and physical gay bashing!"
Solidarity Sunday - P. 0 . Box 701592
San Antonio , TX 782 70-1592
BruceSJ @AOL COM
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
Come share your ministry with us
at. ... r:s
Abiding Peace Lutheran Church
S090 NE Chouteau Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64119
(816) 4S2-1222
Caring for People and Creation
(Ncrth of the River)
Sunday Worship: 10:30 am
Sunday School: 9:00 am
blip :/ /www .sound.nct~/pickle
have suggested gay teenagers are more
likely than their straight peers to be suicidal
or to abuse drugs and · alcohol.
Toney now is recruiting applicants for
potential foster parents and mentors .
The 12-week training class will begin
this fall, and those who successfully
complete the course and pass a home
study will be eligible to take gay youths
into their homes.
It wasn't always so easy for non hetero
sexual parents in Massachnsctts.
In the mid-1980s, then-Gov . Michael
Dukakis banned state-sponsored gay
fo ster parenting after hearing a report
that a child had been placed in tl1e home
of a gay couple. After a heated public
debate, Dukakis backed down and the
policy was scrapped .
But the debate was still alive as
recently as last year , when a Belmont
man claimed his right to religious freedom
was violated when the state temporarily
placed his 14-year-old son in the
care of gay foster parents.
The man, whose name never was
made public, said his Catholic beliefs
were incompatible with the foster par ents'
homosexuality and took the case to
the U.S . Supreme Court. The court,
without comment, turned away the argu ment.
Toney, too, is quick 10· turn away
Distribution of Second Stone in s01ne
co1n1nunities is sponsored by our
Outreach Partners. We invite you to
visit thetn for worship.
SAN DIEGO , CALIFORNIA
fl.-,.,.,_
I~~\ l I \
l 1m~ . ·,s\ I 3960 Park B d, Suite E l
J San Diego,CA 92103 f
619-542-1ss1 I
Sunday Worship : 10:00am -
Thursday Study: 7:00pm
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
Come
Celebrate
With Us
The New
life In
Jesus!
(Luu 15:11)
Non-Denomlno1tlono1• IB ible Centered
Sunday Services - 10:30 am
at The Bflly Defrank Center
175 Stockton Ave .• San Jose. CA
Pastor David Harvey • (408) 345-2319
hltp://www.lodC?SYs.conv'celebrntc/
MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA
Pastor Randy Duncan
S1D1da y Service : 11 :30 am
...A caringc hurchf ora hurtingw orld
whereE VERYONE1s welcome!
• Full Gospel
• Chri31 centered
• Bible based
P.O. Box 92 12
Michigan City, IN 46360-9 212
(219) 778-2803 • (21 9) 778-9332
Email : inn ulife@nc:tnitco.nd.
NATIONAL
We can make a world of
DIFFERENCE!
Society of the Franci scan
Secvant s of the Poor
(Ecummical, lnclusiw)
113 Pavo nja Ave . - 335
Jt:rsey City NJ 07310
E-mail: sfsp@bellatlantic .net
Nearly 35 million Americans Jive in
hungry or "food insecure" households ...
There is still no cure for AIDS ...
HomO"...exuality remains a "hot-button"
issue in many churches ...
St. Fra11cis wrote i11 llis rule of 1221
"All the brothere are to preach by their works"
Consider joining us as an Associate
or Vowed Mem6er ... and help make
a difference !
criticism of the unorthodox program for
gay teens.
"If you can find them a safe place
where they can be themselves, then this
is a wonderful program," Toney said.
"For them to be derailed in life just
because of who they love, it's ridiculous."
(AP)
SAN BERNARDINO , CALIF
First Congregational Church
An Open & AHlrmlng Congregation
Unbed Church of Christ
Welcomlng Everyone. lncludlng
Lesbian. Gay, Bisexual,
and Transgendered Persons
established 1867.
Is theologlcally liberal
blbllcaffy based,
socially progressive,
and actively Involved In the communny.
Worship on Sundays at 10 a.m.
We are loeated at
3041 N. Sierra Way. San Bernardi/lo
(haff block north of 30th. St./Crosstown Freeway
909/886-4911
MEMPHIS , TENNESSEE
HOLY TRINITY
COMMUNITY
CHURCH
Sunday Olrfstbn Educ.idon- I 0:00 a.m.
Sund.iy Worship er Holy Commun lon-
11 :00 a.m.
Wednesday Program-7:00 p.m •
Come join us at the lord's tablewe're
savinga seat fory ou!
1559 Madison Ave. 9 Memphls, TN 38104
90 I / 726- 9 443
e-mail: holytrfnltyc c@Juno.com
The Rev. Timot hy Meadows, M. Div., Pastor
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
FIRST Cm.JGREGATIONAL CHURCHl
LONG BEACH
UNITED C HURCH OF CHRIST . . •
An Open and Affirming Congregation
We welcome you to Worship in a
nurturing environment,
241 Cedar Ave• long Beach CA 90802
562) 436 -2256 • Fax (562) 436-301
://users.eol.c;om/ revme k{index..html
SECOND STONE 3
FAITH IN DAILY LIFE
Spiriot fA mericang ospels ingingin spirinEgu ropeans
BY MA TI KOHLMAN
LONDON - By the end of the concert,
Anna Ludvigsen had worked up a good
sweat, clapping to the rhythms and
swaying ann-in-ann with her neighbor s
to the beat ·
It wasn't a rock concert this London
student was attending .
She was among 1,000 people dancing
in the ai sles to the gospel tunes of
Queen Esther Marrow and the Harlem
Gospel Singers .
"It was very participatory," Ludvigsen,
24, said. "It's very entertaining as
well as got a message across." .
Her words are musie to the ears of
Queen Esther, one of Ilic many singers
finding Ilic international scene a fertile
ground for music mote~ in Ilic Soutliem
black communities of the United States.
And just as jazz and blues did generations
ago, gospel is reaching beyond its
American roots of churches in big cities
and the South.
Not that gospel is suffering at home.
The entire gospel genre, which includes
Christian rock acts like Jars of Clay and
Bob Carlisle, is tl1e sixth-biggest musical
category, behind pop and ahead of
classical. The Recording Industry Association
of America said gospel accounted
for 4.5 percent of all music sales in
1997.
Gospel music has become so mainstream
that Queen Esther was picked as
the headline performer July 7 at the
Montreal Jazz Festival, where past acts
like Pat Metheny have played before
150,000 people .
Queen Estlier sings a traditional fonn
of gospel music associated with her
idol, Mahalia Jackson . Newer stars opt
for a more contemporary take. One of
its most successful stars, Kirk Franklin,
borrows from rhytlun 'n' blues and hip
hop to give his music a younger edge.
His protege, God's Property , went plati num
with a se lf-titled album that
debuted No. 3 in Billboard a year ago.
Whatever the form, gospel groups are
playing before sold-out audiences in
Man's faith will live on in
temple model he ~rafted
WINSTON -SALEM - Bill McGehee
raced against age. and cancer to find a
spot for the 240-square-foot model that
he built to teach people the importance
of Jesus.
McGehee, 7 9, invested his faith, five
years of his life and $54,000 to building
a detailed model of Jerusalem's Herodian
Temple Mount.
But he was ready to term his project a
failure because he couldn' t find a site
large enough to display it. Fully assembled,
it is as big as some small cars.
1n July, McGehee's search finally ended.
He will donate his model to GardnerWebb
University in Boiling Springs.
"He has really devoted part of his life
to what I think is a very significant
project," said Fred Horton Jr., the
Albritton professor of I.he Bible at Wake
Forest University.
McGehee didn't start on the model
until Ilic winter of his life.
Soon after McGehee and his wife
retired here, Virginia McGehee learned
that she had liver cancer. She died in
1986.
In 1991, McGehee learned that he had
cance r. first of the colon and lymph
nodes, then of the prostate . By then. he
had become fascinated with Temp le
Mount.
He 8aid he didn't focus on the temple
4 JULY•AUGUST 1998
to take his mind off his loneliness or
the cancer; it just grew out of his interest
in archeology.
During tlie next several years. McGehee
made more than IO trips to Israel to
study the ruins of the temple. He tracked
down Alec Garrard of England, who had
made his own model of the temple. Garrard
sold McGehee a copy of his blueprint
and pem lission to duplicate it.
McGehee began work on his own
model in 1993. He also absorbed
volumes of infom1ation about the temple
and ancient Hebrew culture.
"The guy has taught me as much as
any seminary professor I've had," said
tlie Rev. George Robinson, who retired
in June as senior minister at Centenary
United Methodist Church.
McGehee said the model is a crucial
teaching tool because the temple was
the site of so much of the action in the
Old Testament, as well as where Jesus
studied Judaism, had his bar mitzvah and
overturned the tables of ihc moneychangers.
"This temple isn't anything, but it
represented so many things Jesus said
and did and make s it easier for us to
understand Jesus as a hun1an," he said.
"The more you know about him as a
human, tJ1e more you Jove him as the
son of God." (AP)
concerts from Barcelona to Berlin. Even
Pope Jolm Paul II has tapped his toes to
tl1e soulful voice of Queen Estl1e.r, who
opened and closed a papal show last
October before 300,000 people.
"ln America, gospel music among the
African-Americans is part of their life.
It's like eating and sleeping," said Queen
Estbe r, which is her birth nan1e. "In
Europe, it's a tlclicacy for those that
don't hear it all the time. They like tlie
culture. They like the music . So they
appreciate it more."
She has firsthand knowledge of just
how much that appreciation has grown.
She started annual European tours in
I 992, sometimes playing before only a
few hundred people on small stages with
a sheet as a backdrop and 10 lights. The
smallest venue on her latest winterspring
tour was London's Hackney
Empire, where actor Ralph Fie1mes had
played Hamlet. Queen Estlier offered . a
cross between a rock concert and a
Broadway play, complete with rich
lighting, a colorful backdrop and a cl10-
reographed choir.
"This is a technical show. It's a level
above gospel shows," she said. "The
feedback from older people , they probably
would be saying, 'Well you're a
sellout to Ilic devil."'
Bitt it's not a churchgoing crowd
going to this gospel.
"I don't follow it religiously,'' said
Zen Saipaia , a 32-year -old Polynesian
man who lives in south London. "But I
think it's very entertaining and very
soulful."
Bob Garland, a 45-year-old British
percussionist, wanted to sample what he
called a tlierapeutic music style tbat had
even inspired a gospel singing group in
his town of Hemel Hempstead.
"It's another type of world music and,
iu a way, a bit closer to home than a lot
of those styles out there."
Crowds certainly find a lot of familiar
songs, from traditional melodies like
• "Yon Are My In spira tion" .to footstamping
pieces like "Sit Down You're
Rocltin' the Boat" and "Walkin' on
Sunshine ."
Queen Esther's roots are deep in traditional
gospel. She was disco vered by
Duke Ellington at the age of 22, and
toured with musical greats from B.B.
King to Bob Dylan .
An invol vemen t in the civil rights
movement introduced Queen Esther to
Mabalia Jackson. The two later sh'ared
the stage and Queen Esther even wrote
and starred in a short-lived Broadway
musical about Jackson.
After tlie Montreal performance and
another world tour starting in September
that will take her lo Japan, Queen
Esther may bring her act back to Broad -
way.
"I don't want to go back to the states
until it is really tiptop shape," she said.
"I don't find your mainstream American s
going to gospel musi~. fr~ mostly A~rican-
Americans. I tlunk 1f what we re
doing was presented to them, they
would like it" (AP)
"In America, gospel music among the
African-Am ericans is part of their life.
It's like ea ting and sleeping. In Europe,
it's a delicacy for those that don't hear
it all the time. They like the culture.
They .like the music. So they
appreciate it more."
FAITH IN DAILY LIFE
Something is missing
BY CATHERINE GROVES
FOR MANY MONTHS. increasingly
acute has become my knowing of what
I've known for years, perhaps the whole
• of my lifetime, and oftentimes with the
same sense of urgency: something is
missing in my life. That something is a
core element, key and basic to wellbeing
- and most decided! y a sbapeshifter .
Let me jump in quickly before any
might leap to my rescue. In the course
of my life, I've discovered my Higher
Self. channeled Divine Mind and dived
into the oceanic depths of the All. I've
found religion and the Good Book and
salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. I've
herbed. vitamined, fasted, feasted , and
even Shaklee'd. I've been romanced and
I've been married and I've mothered
children . I've launched myself into
social actions and climbed the ivory
tower. I've served and I've be.en served.
All these expe riences have broaden ed
who I am and, indeed , comprise my very
fiber. And not a one of them is 10 my
point - although, in a way, they make
it.
I suspect I am not alone in-sensing
something missing. In fact, I would say
it's common to most people, felt for
part or all of their lives. As with hunger.
gratification, sorrow or success, the
inte nsity of the sensa tion comes and
goes. One individ ual, quite dear to me,
is foreve r seek ing , almost desperately
pinni ng hopes on this answer or that
per son, this job or that place, but seldom
finds a moment's calm in the
achieving . Another has marked a single,
unattainable ideal as the thing missing
and never ceases clutching after it. Still
others seem oddly unto uched by any
sense of lack ; perhaps the wise ones,'
their inner life appears to be a simple
matter of extracting from the moment
whatever is needed to reestablish a comfortable
balance .
But I know my own shapeshift er best
and of it I will speak. At times it feels
as if the thing missing is freedom , the
fr eedom to str etch the wings of my
mind and spirit. I am clipped short by
many exig enci es and circumstances .
Simply . I do not find the time to spend
on deepe ning a pace of fre.edom. Im lead,
I snat ch moment s of a quasi-freedom
mar ked by i ts sense of fl eeti ngn ess.
Still. the time-loc k of my situatio n
seems equally true of others who choose
to live responsib ly. Even so. that what
seems missi ng is a mere conseq uence of
the facts of my life makes no less pressing
the plight.
At other limes, the lack takes the
shape of a belief - a central magnetic
truth to which my faith could moor. I
am deeply attracted to beliefs and ideas,
and so I study them minutely. Yet my
passion for understanding the ways and
means of belief tends to empty their
content for me, melt their spell upon
me. What entices another's mind leaves
, me unmoved . If others are captivated by
the fire of the conlent, I see only cool,
lucid waters of the process. But
sometimes, oftentimes, would that I
could trade clarity for the thrill!
The most fixed shape of my shifter in
recent months seems to be my lack of
connection to flesh and blood others, the
loss of any viable community . And it
has occurred to me that the exact form
of this shapcshifting phase could be a
significant other. Bluntly, my sense of
something missing might be most
neatly filled by someone with whom to
share my life .
It seems I buck against every natural
instin ct and societal nonn in my choice
to remain solitary . At times ii hardly
feel s like a choice at all. More often
these days, it smacks close to feeling
unwanted, uncho sen, left out. One
would think that having decided to be
solit ary, I'd be reliev ed to find that
indeed I am! Ironical ly. however, without
occasions for seeing a choice anew,
without the chance to choose what I
have already chosen, being solilary feels
more as if it were a condition that has
happened to me than an option I have
myself embraced . No, I am not wholly
content with the choice I've made, nor
do I know it to be one I will honor long
into my future.
It's longevity notwithsta ndin g. at
least for now my decision remains: I
will not partner again. I suspect part of
my logic has to do with wounds from
an anguish -filled marriage. I mistook
what shouted a11 signs of being hell on
earth for the hope of its opposite - and
that's one mistake I will not make
again . As I am unable to fully gra sp
how I was able to be that blind to all
portents of misery ahead, it is possible I
would make a simil arly sightl ess stum ble
again were I to allow myself the
occas ion to do so. And so, I have opted
for the obvious : if I refuse to endur e
an other rel ationshi p like the one I
endured and if I cannot wholly trust my
abil ity to disce rn the inner nature of
anoth er. I wi ll abstain from suc h
invo lvements entirely.
When I was younger, I responded to
loss quite differen tly. Then it seemed a
clearc ut, even if tremulous, course : out
SEE MISSING, Page 9
Since
1988,
a friend
for the
I Journey.
THANK YOU
FORA ·
DECADE OF
YOUR LOVE,
PRAYERS,
AND SUPPORT.
SecoSntdo ne THE STONE THAT THE BUIWERS REJECrED
BECAME THE CORNERSTONE- Mark 12:10
SECOND STONE 5
FAITH IN DAILY LIFE
After coming out
FonnerU nitedP entecostμali storfindns ewm eaning
THE REVEREND Randy Dw1can of
LaPorte , Indiana, thought when he
returned home after an eight month
period of time to "come out" and "find
himself ' in the gay Christian communities
of Phoenix and Seattle, tltat it was
to pack up and relocate .
Little did he know as he drove back to
his Midwest habitat.what God had waiting
on him iu Northwest Indiana.
"All of the exits seemed to be
blocked," Duncan said, and "the doors of
new ministry and opportunity in the gay
community began to open very wide!"
Duncan said he never dreamed that he
would be starting a church for people
like himself in North west Indiana .
"But, God secs the big picture and,
thank God, I hav e alw ays tried to
listen."
After being back in Indiana after his
divorce was final and he was all alone,
lite forme r Pentecostal mini ster ~ gan
meeti ng and talki ng with gay people in
lite area . A fellow who had once visited
the LaPorte church tltat Duncan once
pastored with hi s wife conta cted him
while Duncan was in Seattle and invited
him to minister to a small group of lesbian
and gay Christians meeting in the
Oak Park section of Chicago. But, upon
Duncan's arrival back in Indiana, he
found out that the man and his partn er
had relocated ju st 30 miles from Duncan.
These men began to pray about
God's will and on November 2, 1997,
t11e first service of New Life Community
Church of Hope was held in Pastor
Duncan's home near Michigan City.
"We started with seven guys and have
now grown to approximately 22
people," Dunc an said. "Some come
with skept ici sm, others come hopeful.
But, almost alw ays people le ave the
service having felt love aud acceptance
and greate st of all, the ~vonderful Spirit
ofGod ."
Duncan , who was rai sed in tlte ~rec
Will Baptist Church in Arvin, Califor nia,
becam e involved in tl1e Apostolic
Pentecostal church as a young teenager.
He was the only se lf-d e scrib ed
"Pentecost al-hol y roller" in his family
so he got te ased about that. Then, to
complic ate thin gs, he reali zed he was
gay and j ust knew unless he stayed
Ce lebra te Solidarity Sunday, Octob er 4, 1998.
J oin the more than I 00,000 who did last year!
· Wear the ribbon.
Pray the Soli darity Prayer
God , You are th e Creator and Lover of all. You wish us to live in
so lidarity with each oth er and to rejoice in our diversity. We pr ay
th at Your lesbian, gay, bisexual , transge nd er and strai gh t childr en
experience j ustice, enjoy peace and spr ead Your love th roughout
the world. We pray in the name of J esus, who welcomed all to His
circle of friends. Amen.
Let us work together to end verbal and phy~icaJ gay bashing!
For lnfonna tion on how to par ticipate :
Solidarity Sunday
A proje ct of Di gni ty / USA
P. 0. Box 701592
San Antonio, Texas 78270-1592
Brua:S.Jla AOL COM, MTDudd,✓a AOLCOM, Fax - (210) 545-6906
National Coordinators
Marwuic Duddy and Bruce S. J:in.tfcr. MD
Dignity/USA, 1500 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 11
Washington, DC 20005
www.dignityusa.org / e-mail: Dignity@aol.com
Telephone : (202) 861-0017 or (800) 877-8797
6 JlJLY•AUOUST !998
"delivered" he would bum in hell.
"For many years I hated myself and
had a hard time believing God really
loved me because of all the negative and
downright hateful things ministers
would say about homosexual s from the
pulpit," Duncan said .
After years of suppres sion and strug :
gling a seri es of events led him to Mel
White's book, Stranger at the Gate.
"I felt at times it was me telling lite
story as I read along," Duncan said. "I
felt every emoti.on and tears rolled down
my face as I read White's story of struggle
and finall y , reconciliation ... It
played a big role in my being able to
finally consid er that God made me i;ay
and that He might jn st love me as I
a:rn. 0
Now nearly two years after reading
that book and beginning to meet gay
Chri stians for lite first time, Duncan is
more happy and at peace with God titan
ever.
Duncan had been out of the church for
a period of time during his college years
and experienced "gay encow1ters" and
even had a couple of relati onships. But,
feeling all along that it was all sinful,
he said hi s hear t lo nged to return to
church where he wanted to use his musical
talents and sing in the cboir.
So, he returned to church and marrie d
a Pen tecos tal pas tor 's daughte r au<l
hoped the "gay thi ng" was all behind
him .
Duncan recalled a 11encli11g , al o ng with
his wife . a nati onal music ministry conf
ercnce in Jackso n, Mississippi, hosted
by Lanny W ~lfe and the Jackson CollcP,
e of Ministrie s. At the con fe rence,
buncan took note of the many gay people
involved as clinicians , musician s,
and singe rs. It tot ally baffled him .
On the way back home as he laid in
the back scat of the car while his wife
and mother-in -law drove, he asked God
for the first time, "Why? .. . Why hasn't
it gon e away ? ... Why, even after being
spirit-filled , haven't these feeling s left?"
Duncan said, "If God ever spoke to
me, He spok e to my heart and said,
'Someday , you will be able to help people
just like yourself." '
Duncan said he lived with that message
for many years during his struggles
wondering just what God meant.
He got involved witlt an ex-gay ministry
for a time in California and
thought that that might be what God
was speak i ng to him about. But, he
said, tl1at didn't work for him or the other
s seeking help.
But. now, Duncan says he knows
without any doubt that what God was
saying to him nearly 20 year s ago , is
coming to pass before his very eyes.
" I thought when I finally took tltis
last ma sk off and came out , that my
mini stry would be o ver," Duncan said.
"But , now I see clearly that it has only
ju st begw1!" .
Duncan says he is now partnered wtlh
a wonderful man he met al a church concert
in Phoe nil( during hi s coming out
time there. Dan Wri ght , a fonner Mormon,
who was excommuni cate d ~hi _le
servi ng his two year missionary sunt m
Ecuado r, has now moved to Indiana , and
is assistin g Duncan in the day to ~y
ministry of New Life Com murnt y
Church of Hope .
Ed. Note : This Labor Day week end ,
Sept. 4, 5 & 6, Pastor Randy Duncan
and New Life Communit y Church of
Hope will host Midwest Spirit Ques t
'98 at lite Ramada Inn Confer ence Center
in LaPort e, Indian a. For furtlt er
information reader s may conta c t the
church office at 219-778 -2803 .
GAYELLOPWAG Er
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FAITH IN DAILY LIFE
Lighten up
Monk has a ministry of mirth
BY JEFF DONN
PETERSHAM. Mass. - When Brother
Craig isn't praying in the hushed solemnity
of his monastery, he's often cracking
one-liners.
Though he prays and meditates five
hours a day as a monk, Brother Craig
Driscoll has found time to write a book
on the funny side of life and fashion his
own Roman CaU1olic "mirth ministry."
Just for laughs, he speaks at churches,
libraries and religious conferences about
Ute power of humor to elevate the spirit.
He recently began writing a humor column,
"Oh, Brother!" for Grit, a secular
family magazine.
"I just believe that God wants people
to lighten up," he said in a recent interview.
"People are so stressed and tense
and angry."
A native of Fitchburg, Driscoll has
been wisecracking since he was a like.
In high school, he gravitated toward
comic theater and dreamed of a career in
acting. But a religious retreat turned his
aspirations upward, and he eventually
studied theology in Rome .
Never ordained as a pries t. Driscoll,
39, founded the Monks of Adoration
monastery 14 years ago in Petersham, a
central Massachusetts town in the wilderness
of lhe giant Quabbin Reservoir.
A self-confes sed bad cook, he says his
~rotherhood never considered making
Jam or some other food, as some
monasteries do to help support themselves.
But he knew how to write.
. He started on aust ere, erudite topic s,
hke the life of soon- to-be -ca nonized
Edith Stein and "the coming chastisement."
But two years ago, he took a
more secular tum and wrote a book on
dieting, "Love Yourself So ... Hate the
Weight." Telling how he lost more than
110 pounds, it gained him a modest
celebrity and set him on the path of selfhelp
writing from a Catholic perspective.
His speaking jobs had long revolved
around "very Catholic topics" iliough.
Then, about two years ago, he was giving
a talk and felt high anxiety around
the room. OK, so it wasn't Saul on the
road to Damascus. But Brother Craig
bad his own vision: He glimpsed the
potential force of humor to ease troubled
spirits.
"I discovered after you say a few sentences,
what can you say? Then I started
using humor on them," he said.
''Humor Helps!: The Benefits of
Hwnor, Laughter and Being Funny" was
published in June by Woodbridge Press.
In the 159-page work, Brother Craig
preac hes that "God wants you lo laugh
and be happy."
He also lampoons everything from
game shows lo his own life as a monastic
yuckmcister: "My ambition is to be
the world's funniest monk. Okay, the
competition isn't tough, given all that
silence."
A fellow brother, John Raymond,
took goofy ·photographic portraits of
Brother Craig for the book. One shows
him in his monk's hooded habit, wearing
a Groucho Marx mask and holding a
banana like a cigar.
Brother John says that monastic life
can actually heighten comedy because it
stands out so boldly against a backdrop
of quiet, sobriety and rout ine.
"Probably, under the circumstances,
things become funnier," he says, adding
that "it's probably essential in some
ways to close living too."
Brother Craig says that be has shaped
many of his ideas of what's funny from
comic writings, like those of SJ. Perelman
and Woody Allen. He likes humor
columni st Dave Barry and sometimes
seems to echo his style of rapi d-fire,
throwaway lines. He tries not to let the
monkeyshines get too wild, though.
"I certainly don't do any risque humor.
I don't do any insu lting humor," be
adds. "I do humor on life."
He says that religions faith f recs a
person to laugh wholeheartedly, even in
the face of so much human suffering in
the world. "If you don't have faith, then
you're probably nuts to laugh," he says.
"Henny Youngman put it very well:
He tried being an atheist, but he gave it
up because there were no holidays."
Ba-da-bing and back to the chapel he
goes.
Here are some excerpts from Brother
Craig Driscoll's book, "Humo r Helps!":
When you pray, be cheerful, be
humorous, be funny. Tell God jokes and
funny stories ... Now don't tell me that
God already knows the punch line. I
know He does. But He wants lo hear the
joke from you, in your owo words.
I once got my habit caught getting on
a train. One woman suggested, "Why
don't you tie up your dress?" I told her
that if I did that all the time it might
become a habit.
Brother Contracticus ... bas a good
heart - by which I mean he's never had a
bypass .
Anyway. here I am - a monk and a
kneel-down comic.
And once, a young man in an airport
"When you pray, be cheerful, be
humorous, be funny. Tell God jokes
and funny stories ... Now don't tell
me that God already knows the punch
line. I know He does. But He wants to
hear the joke from you,
in your own words. "
said, "I just wanted to meet you. I've
never met a monk before. You're iu
such an unusual profession." So I asked
him what he did - he was a lawyer who
didn't charge!
In a way, being a monk is a lot like
being a comic. Both take a lot of faith
and prayer. I actually believe I'm funny,
and I pray that the audience will laugh.
My idea of trauseendental is an ocean
liner .
"Humor Helps" can be ordered from
Woodbridge Press at (800) 237-6053.
(AP)
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SECOND STONE 7
MANNA
BY REV. DONNAE . SCHAPER
~gourkeel
We need to be guided by something
more than the need for guidance.
WHEN JESUS CAME into people's live s, they felt appreciated. They felt
noticed. They felt like they mattered. He did not issue awards, or patronage, or
monetary gifts. He issued apprecia tion. He issued comfort. He issued a sense of
belonging lo life, and to God, and to living by a deep keel. A deep keel is what a
big sailboat needs: ii needs more tlianju st a little one.
Jesus did not belittle the need for wine at weddings, or com on the Sabbath, or
workers to get paid for picking grapes. He did not make nonnal life and food
look ridiculous on behalf of a large and grandiose spirituality. Instead he honored
"things" sacramentally: he showed tl1eir connection to a deeper keel. It is hard to
even imagine Jesus as tired. We know him as frustrated, and grieving, and angry.
But tired he wasn't. He simply rested in the one he called his heavenly Fatllcr . .
If we want to feel less tired, all we have to do is deepen our keel. We need to
be guided by something more than the need for guidance. We ueed to befriend
Jesus' message and his witness to rest in God.
It is important to remember how simple the appreciations are tJiat are our own
responsibility. It is not our task to save or appreciate tile whole world. We only
• do our small part. Heavy water becomes light, wit11 mauy hands and hearts.
Yoke: Easy. Burden: Light.
Weariness creeps us on us much too often.
FA TIGUE CAN BE a friend. It is also a part of our holy way.
When Julia Ward Howe wrote in the last century that she was "tired, tired,
tired, way down into tile next century," she was talking about the struggle to
abolish slavery . Now, many of us can identify with that statement but we are
not talking about so obviously grand a mission . We are talking about the
sl1rinking economy, lengthy commutes, and a near Sabbathlessness. My aunt
used to do 24 claims a day as an insurance agent; now she is required to do 70.
She is not alone in overwork.
Many just want to "get throu gh the day." We want to "make it" through the
day. Weariness creeps up on us much too often. Even at breakfast some of us are
tired. By lunch we need a nap. \Vhcn both men and women now start our second
shift at home, we are often quite bleary eyed. We let the children watch the television
because we know they want "off'' time as much as we do. We tum on to
tum off.
One good way to tum off is to remember the promises of God. We will get
tired! And we wilJ also get untired. We will get beyond weariness. Even tile
youtlis will faint But then they will walk again.
We do not become weary in well doing.
THERE ARE PLENTY of reasons for increased fatigue. The causes include the
need for two or more incomes to support a household, increasing stimuli for
more expensive lifestyles, a desire for college educations, and a myriad of oilier
interacting economic , political, social issues. None of lhese will be changed by
words. They can and should be humanized! We humanize ourselves and our
fatigue by using words.
Words are well doings. They are mighty beginnings for humanizing tile world
of work.
We can use wise words to befriend fatigue. In this strategy, we welcome its
waming . We accept our limits . We can' t do any more claims than we can do! We
are, after all, human beings, not human doings. Befriending fatigue as a welcome
warning is a way to live beyond tired into time. Now time is the destination.
8 J ULY •AU OUST 1998
Being tired is a result of packing too much into too small a unit of time. It is
like a size 14 woman wearing size 12 jeans. The fit is not quite right. Bulges
occur. the bulges cause fatigue.
When we move from tired into time, we wear tile right size day. We acknowledge
our limitation s. We sec tl1e overweight nature of our lives. We slim tliem
down. We w1clutter them. We forgive ourselves excess. We make plans for less
excess. We become comfortable again. We may not change the direction of the
economy but we change our own directions.
We do not become weary in well doing!
Whatever lies before me is not blocking
my next step: it is my next step .
MOST OF US LIVE in packed time. We are living on too many levels at once.
\V c are worrying about what we didu' t do yesterday or what we must get done by
tomorrow. We are not here . We arc not borne in here. We are "there,"in anxiety.
The anxiety makes us tired. If we accept our fatigue as a warning, we can make
fatigue our friend. If we listen deeply to it, we may even hear the call from God.
That call includes refonning our economy. and our own personal life. Both arc
implied when fatigue is our friend, not either. We may be tired now, but we
don't need to be tired forever.
Failure anal ysts say things fail from the interaction of difficulty, not just one
thing. Just as we will nol be less tired by onJy one strn tcgy. so we will nol be
released from fatigue if our job dehumanizes us. Some attention to tl1c economic
reality is necessary for the spiritual strategics to work. Also, we need to be part
of a commwlity of spiritual strategy. We can' t do it alone.
How do we bef ricnd fatigue? We slop doing some of the things that make ~15
tired. We remove some of the obstacles in our way. Maureen Brady says the sp1r·
itual strategy well when she says, "Whatever lies before me _is not blocki~g my
next step: it is my next step." We get beyond our fatigue usmg person-fnendly
strategies. We do not get over fatigue by making ourselves crazy gcttmg beyon<l
i I.
God can be counted on to show up at the bottom
of the bottom of the bottom of trouble.
T. S. ELIOT SAID, "You bring me news of a door that opens at the end of a
corridor, swtlight and singing, when I had felt sure tllat every corridor only led to
another, or to a blank wall." Those who have made friends out of tlicir own trou•
blc know what he means. We have come to know the dark places within us and
we have seen tlieir doors and windows. I have become intimately acquainted with
tl1e bottom of my stomach. It opens! But not until it is ready to open . Pain
takes its own good time. But God, whom Eliot is addressing here, can be
counted on to show up at the bottom of the bottom of the bottom of tile trouble
• and there to open a door.
Folk wisdom tells us that "God never shuts a window not to open anotlicr." I
remember being in a church once where all the windows were open and a service
was being conducted . A gusty wind blew up on both sides of the church . The
ushers shut all the windows, all very quickly. Air pressure opened one back up!
The whole congregation smiled . We knew tliat God uses air pressure to make a
point.
Even tile stress and pressure of our lives may carry God.
The Rev. Don11aE . Schaper is Associate Co11ferec1e1 Minister
with the Massachusetts Confere11ce of the U,rited Church of Christ.
fALSE HOPE,
FromPagel
cannot be changed," Johnson said.
"Indeed the more truthful 'ex-gay' counselors
privately tell their clients what
they rarely acknowledge in public - that
they cannot change a gay or lesbian person's
same-gender attractions."
He said the ads seemed timed to coincide
with a political effort to overturn
President Clinton's executive order banning
discrimination based on sexual orientation
in federa l agencies and to
oppose the Employment NonDiscrimination
Act.
"Such organizations cannot afford for
the fact of tl1e innate nature of sexual
orientation - be it heterosex~11. bisexual
or homosexual - to be widely accepted,"
"Indeed the more truthful 'ex-gay'
counselors privately tell their clients
what they rarely acknowledge in public -
that they cannot change a gay or lesbian
person's same-gender attractions."
MISSING,
FromPageS
with the old, in with the new; if you
fall off the horse, jump back into the
saddle; pick yourself up, dust yourself
off, and start all over again; when one
door shuts, another opens. Though nagging
was the inkling that I was not
pausing long enough to recognize how I
used replacement as a means of shoring
myself up against my shapeshifter,
replacing seemed inevitable, even necessary.
I could not bear that pause.
It seems , as I look around, that we
never quite leave the fairy -tale aura of
childhood. At times this looks cultural;
other times, psy chological; but, most
often, just plain human . Our social glue
is the assumption of a happily-ever-afte r
story against which we measure the pity
of lives that fall short of it. Yet the reality
of having attained a something once
missing seems to me much more gray a
matter , an uneasy tension between rainbow
promise and steel-toned fact. But
what else could one expect of a
· shapeshifter?
The dream of freedom to Wlfurl one's
inner wings pales with awakening to a
world where a true sense of freedom is
contingent upon a balance between
structure and soar . As in fine writing
the free flow of rich imagery, unbounded
in expressiveness and depth of meaning,
comes not in abandon but mindful of
fonn, so too in life.
Beliefs. too, are such that they rein
the power of psyche and spirit in a
directed focus upon a singular truth. But
how quickly they fall apart or , worse,
become those errors to which we cling.
when taken out of their conte,;t! Most
of us know, at least in the quieter
moments of our live s, that much of
what we believe is not so in all ways,
but nonetheless fiercely do we_ clutch
our beliefs to us, even in the face of
their poverty .
The freedom to e,;pre ss and e,;plore;
fresh ideas to stir the imagination or
ignite a sense of infinite meaning ;
human connections to make real our
heart's hope for a God who wears skin -
these are as much a part of being human
as breathing or eating. Without them we
are the less, poorer every bit as much as
if we were denied nourishment , sleep or
shelter . I do not trivialize their cruciaJ
role, even if a shapeshiftiog role, in the
very fabric of our lives, in my life.
Unquestionably , something is missing
in my life. But before rushing to
name this shapeshifter one more time,
prior to relinquishing this most acute
lack and embracing the balm of a named
focus, I think I will let this shapeshifter
just be. The discomfort is yet an easier
pill to swallow than the remedies I've
gulpedd own in the past.
Catheri11e Groves is editor of The
Christia 11 New Age Quarterly. from
which this article is repri11ted.
Johnson said. He noted that the American
Psychological Associa ,tion and the
American Medical Association have
repudiated the claims of ex-gay ministries.
Johnson, whose title is Minister for
CATHOLICS,
From Pagel
lion. Human beings see the appearance,
• but tlie Lord looks into the bean."'
Always Our Children goes on to say
"it is appropriate to understand sexual
orientation... as a deep -seated dimension
of one's personality and to recognize
its relative stability in a person."
Miailovich also said, "Always Our
Children reminds parents of homosexual
persons that they should respect 'a person's
freedom to choose or refuse therapy
directed toward changing a homosexual
orientation. Given the present
state of medical and psychological
knowledge , there is no guarantee that
such therapy will succeed. Thus there
may be no obligation to undertake it,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Concerns, has been an ordained minister
in the United Church of Christ since
1972. He was the first openly gay person
ordained to the Christian ministry
in modem times.
through some may find it helpful.'
"And that is the truth," Miailovich
said. "Too many people have gone
down the change therapy road only to
experience even greater pain than when
tl1ey first came out as gay or lesbian.
The groups supporting a change -campaign
instead of helping people · live
integrated lives are hurting women and
men who have struggled, in some cases
for years, to integrate their se,;ual orientation
witli their faith. To say that lesbians,
gay men, bise,;u,1.sl and transgendered
persons cannot have a relationship
with God is misleading and destructive.
To say that hom.ose,;uality is a sin is
wrong."
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SE CO ND ST O NE 9
Caliof mia-RlcifUicn itedM ethooists
declarec hurch' welcomingt'o all people
BY JIM JOHNSON
MORE THAN l,600 United Methodists
attending the 1998 session of the Califomia-
Pacific Annual Conference have
pledged to make tl1eir local churches
"welcoming" to all people without
regard to sexual orientation.
The conference's new directional statement
came after several days of spiritual
discernmen t in which delegates tried to
understand God's will regarding homosexuality.
The conference, which met
June 17-21, includes 407 churches in
Soutllem California, Hawaii, Saipan and
Guam.
The choice of the word "welcoming"
represents a new way of identifying how
a conference is approaching tlie issue of
homosexuality . More common terms
adoptedb yotberconferencaens di ndividual
churches are "reconciling" (accepting
all people into the life of the church)
and "transforming" (reflecting the t,elief
that homosexuality is a sin but that God
can "transfollll" gays and lesbians).
United Methodists in tl1e CaliforoiaPacific
conference have debated the issue
of gay and lesbian participation in tlie
life of the local church for several years.
Al the 199'7 conference session, delegates
agreed to a yeac-long study of
whether the conference would declare
itself "reconciling" or "transforming ."
What was different about this year's
action was that conservatives and liberals
, gays and lesbian s, lay and clergy, I
young and old stood up to affirm the
direction of the annual conference. People
on both sides of the issue felt they
could suppo rt the idea of havin g a
"welcoming" conference or congregation
. By not using the labels
"reconciling" or "transfonning," they
■
By not using
the labels
"reconciling" or
"transforming,"
they avoided
saying they
accepted or
rejected a
particular
sexual
orientation.
■
avoided saying tlley accepted or rejected
a particular sexual orientation.
Using the new approach of discemment,
conference members were asked to
commit personally to "affinning all
members as Christian in spite of individual
differences, and to consider all
members as a part of tlie body of Christ
while working to determine the will of
God.''
Creech back in North Carolina
OMAHA, Neb. - The Rev. Jimmy
Creech, who created a rift in his First
United Methodist Church in Omaha by
performing a union ceremony for a lesbian
oonple last fall, has left Nebraska
to return to North Carolina.
Creech, who was not reassigned to the
Omaha church by Nebraska Bishop Joel
Martinez, stepped down from the pulpit
June 7.
"It is important for me to step aside
and let tllc church go,'' Creech said.
Creech will take a leave of absence
from the Nebraska conference of the
United Methodist Church and spend the
summer with his family at a Ocracoke
Jshmd off the coast of North Carolina .
10 JULY•At/GUST 1998
He said he and his wife intend to clean
cottages and take other odd jobs while
on tl1e island .
Theo, he said, he will move the family
to Raleigh, N.C., where he lived
before taking the Omaha appointment in
July 1996. He said he is uncertain what
he will do while in Raleigh. Creech was
ousted from the Fairmont United Metliodist
Church in Raleigh after marching
in a gay rights parade in l 990.
Creech said he has no regrets about
pcrfonning the union ceremony or the
resulting fallout. He said he is proud of
the couple he united and the integrity
they have shown. (AP)
Creechr evealsre rnaikable
stoiy of' oourageouws' omen
NEW YORK - The United Methodis t
pastor who was subjected to a church
trial after pcrfonning a same-sex covenant
service said it was the two women
he blessed "who were Intl y courageous ."
As preacher at the June 28 Gay Pride
Sunday service at Riverside Church in
New York, the Rev. Jimmy Creech
spoke both about the women themselves
and his belief that "the church
needs to be with every couple who
choose to make such a commitment."
Creech received a warm welcome at
Riverside, an interdenominational, multietlmic
congregation with 2,400 members
and affiliates. The Riverside Church
Council endorsed same-sex civil marriage
in April 1997.
He described tlle ceremony he conducted
last September for the two
women he calls Mary and Martha and
the journey that brought tl1em to that
point.
Mary grew up in a Mon11on family,
married and had a daughter, and stayed in
tl1at unhappy marriage until "she could
no longer Jove and be true to herself,"
he said ..
Martha, raised a Roman Cat11olic, had
t11ree children with a husband she considered
her best friend but finally could
110 longer live with the internal conflicts
she felt about her sexuality. After she
left the marriage, she joined a support
group .and found friend ship with a gay
man who also agonized over leaving his
wife. They introduced tl1eir spouses to
each other and the spouses later married .
"The former husband has remained
very supportive and very affinning,"
said Creech about Martha's spouse.
Previously, "God had been to diem an
enemy , an opposing force in their
lives," he added. But after accepting their
sexual orientation, they learned tl1at God
had not rejected them . Mary and Martha
were ab le to cast off their self-hatred
"and embrace the gifts that God had
given tl1em," he said.
The covenant ceremony occurred after
Mary and Martlia had been together for
several years, once they had accepted
God's love for them, love for themselves
and their love for each other.
"It was a triumph of love over fear,"
Creech explained . (UMNS)
United Methodist Churc ,h
close to schism, many say
BY JULIA McCORD
IN THEIR 214 years in America, Methodists
have fought, separated made up.
The denomination was tom apart in
the mid-1800s over the great moral
issue of the era -- slavery. · The Southern
and Nortllem wings of the church
were reunited in the late 1930s. And in
1%8, a merger with the Evangelica l
United Brethren created today's United
Methodist Omrch.
Now the 20tll-century love fest is
threatening to unravel over a new issue,
homosexuality. The issue has deeply
divided the 8.5 million-member denomination
, so much so that as the millennium
draws near Methodists are talking
openly of schism.
Emotions over the issue were on
prominent display in Kearney, Neb.,
during the ecclesiastical trial of the Rev.
Jimmy Creech for conducting what he
called a covenant ceremony for two
women in his Omaha congregation in
September.
''To a lot of United Methodists
today, homosexuality is a very serious
issue," said Charles Yrigoycn, general
secretary of the General Comm.ission on
Archives and Ilistory at Drew University
in Madison, NJ . "I don't think it's
possible to say whether it will divide
the church. Some think it will, or
could. Others don't. . .. It's the most
serious moral issue the church has grappled
with in the last couple of decades."
The court's decision to acquit Creech
caused a sensation, but it has done little
to resolve the controversy over homosexuality
. Nebraska Metl10dists remain
in an uproar, as does Creech's church -
tlle 1,900-member First United Metl1odist
Church in Omaha.
The "s" word - schism - was openly
discussed by 23 theologians and bishops
from both the liberal and co nservative
wings of the church who participated in
two rec ent dialogues on theological
diversity.
Participants met in Nashville,
Tenn., on Nov. 20 and 21 and again in
Dallas on Feb. 19 and 20. Two of them
- the Rev. J. Philip Wogaman , President
Clinton's pastor in Washington,
and tlle Rev. Gregory Stover of Sharonville,
Ohio - attended the Creech trial.
Wogaman testified for Creech.
In a document titled "In Search of
Unity," participants said issues related
SEE SOIISM, Next Page
NATIONAL NEWS
TwoB aptisct hurchesst andf.i nn in acceptancoef g ays
BY SALLY MACDONALD
SEATTLE - Two of this city's most
historic Baptist churches - Seattle First
Baptist and University Baptist - may be
ousted from their denomination because
they welcome lesbians and gays in the
pews and the pulpit.
The American Baptist Churches of
the Norlhwest took steps toward doing
that by considering -resolutions that
w.ould limit approved sexual relationships
to "one man and one woman in a
monogamous marriage relationship" and
allow churches to be dismissed for
~ejecting "basic Christian beliefs and
practices or Baptist distinctives."
University Baptist has a gay copastor,
the Rev. Tim Phillips, and both
Seattle churches belong to a national
group of 31 Welcoming and Affirming
Baptist churches. The group pledges to
welcome lesbian, gay and bisexual
members, support same-sex partnerships
and advocate the same rights for homosexuals
as hetero sexuals.
·n1e congregations of the two Seattle
churches have voted in favor of tl1ose
SCHISM,
From Previous Page
to homose .xuality represent a fwtdamental
challenge "so deep as to harbor the
danger of explicit disunity or schism"
within the church, the group said. ,
Underlying the controversy, the group ·
said, is a basic disagreement over the·
authority of Scripture and divine revelation.
The group reached no consensus
about whether unity can be maintained
given such division s.
"Compatibilists," both liberal and
conservative, believe that the Methodist
umbrella is big enough to accommodate
sharply opposing points of view, the
statement said.
"lncompatibilists," it said, "do not
believe that these divergent judgments
can he housed indefinitely within the
same denomination. They believe that
the church is faced with a difficult
choice many will want to avoid but
which cannot ultimately be ignored."
The group recommended that the
Methodist Council of Bishops take the
lead in fostering theological dialogue
within the church and prepare a teaching
paper 011 the authority of Scripture and
divine revelation.
John C. Green, director of the Ray
C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics in
Akron, Ohio, said good leadership is
policies. If they are ousted from the
denomination - a process tl1at could take
years - tl1eir ministers could suffer financially
and, in an extreme event, the
churches could lose nonprofit tax status.
The two churches are among Seattle's
oldest. First Baptist was established
in 1872 by 11 pioneers who met in
homes at the start. Its building on the
comer of Seneca and Harvard streets on
Capitol Hill was completed in 1912.
The church has about 900 members.
University Baptist, established in
1902, has about 100 members.
The American Baptist regional board
pas sed a resolution last fall saying its
member churches would not recognize
the ordination of any pastor who is a
practicing homosexual. Phill ips, hired
in 1996 to pastor University Baptist
with the Rev. Anne Hall, said the resolution
litnits his ability to minister.
"This action is not one of love ," Hall
wrote members of the church afterward.
"It sounds like and feels like an action
of reprimand and insult."
"The momentum for Ibis is fear,"
paramount during decisive moments
such as these.
"When people have fundamental <lisagreements,
leadership is critical," he
said. "If the situation isn't carefully
managed, the conflict will spill over
into other issues."
Green and James L. Guth of Funnan
University in Greenville, N.C., recently
published a book, "People Called Methodists,"
that underscores the differences
in Mctliodist thinking about homosexuality.
According to opinion survey data in
their book , 51 percent of Methodists and
53 percent of Americans say gays
shonld have the same rights as other
people. But only 40 percent of conservative
Methodists agree, compared with
64 percent of liberal Methodists.
Other data suggest that Method ists
sup port preventing discrimination
agains t lesbians and gays in the workplace
but would balk at guaranteeing
them the right to marriage and ordination,
Green said.
'The church wants to be supportive
of all people, including gays," he said.
"The Christian lradition, on the olhcr
hand, identifies certain aspects of homosexuality
as sinful, and Methodists want
to support that, too."
If history is any guide, open debate
and a flex.ibility by church hierarchies in
Phillips said. ·'People are afraid of either
homosexuals themselves or what homosex
uality means. But I can't help but
believe if Jesus were here now , he
would be most present to people like
me who were most excluded from the
church."
Until now, the denomination could
· remove a church from membership only
if tl1e church requested it or was inactive
for two years. Resolution s such as tlie
ones considered pave the way for major
cliange in a denomination tl1at bas prided
itself on allowing congregations to
interpret tl1e, Bible as the spirit moves
tl1cm.
"We're alarmed by the fact lhat they
are putting together a credo to conformity,"
said the Rev . Rodney Romney, pastor
of Seattle First Baptist. "It isn't historical.
The purpose of the Baptist
movement was to allow for diversity
and autonomy to exist. We Baptists
have always lived with diversity."
Siit American Baptist churches already
have been rejected by regional organizations
over the homosexuality issue -
four in the Bay Arca and one each in
allowing for local and regional interpre'.'.
tations of rules can help avert schism.
For example, the Catholic Church
in the 1800s raised serious moral questions
about slavery and forbade participation
in the slave trade, but it stopped
short of banning slaveholding by mem-
. bers, said Bryan LeBeau, a religious historian
at Creighton University.
"As a result, it was able to survive
as ooe body," l..eBeau said.
In contrast, Methodist bishops of
the era were afraid that a public debate
over slavery would cause schism, said
Yrigoyen, the Methodist historian.
They successfully suppressed discussion
of the issue at the church's 1836 and
1840 general conferences, or legislative
gatherings. But at the next general conference,
in 1844, the issue boiled over.
In a general conference lasting three
weeks, the longest ever, abolitionists
targeted a prominent Georgia bishop
who bad never traded in slaves but had
inherited some through marriage. The
bishop refused to emancipate his slaves
because to do so would have violated a
Georgia law. As a result, abolitionists
forced the general conference to oust
him.
Soutberu Melhodisls immediate! y
drew up a plan of secession. The dissi -
Alaska and Ohio. And while none has
gone on to be dismissed by the national
organization - a process that could take
up to two years - the resolutions signal
deep divisions in the denomination,
• which has 1.5 million members nationally.
If a church should be ousted by the
national body, its ministers would 110
longer be recognized as ordained American
Baptists and be ineligible for the
denomination'$ pension plan. The congregation
would have no support in
finding a pastor and the church might
lose its nonprofit tax status.
On the other hand, Romney pointed
, out, the denomination would lose about
$80,000 a year that Seattle First Baptist
sends to the mission program - some of
which comes back to the Northwest
'region.
"l suppose I'm naive about this, but
I'm really not deeply disturbed by it,"
Romney said. "I would be sorry to see it
happen, but it will not change one bit
the way we do what we do."
(Seattle Times)
dents organized the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, in Louisville, Ky., in
1845. They elected two new bishops
and authorized a new hymnal and Book
of Discipline detailing the church's laws
and administrative guidelines, and they
immediately started arguing with the
Northern church over the division of
assets of a church publishing house, a
conflict that eventually was settled by
the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1939, the Northern and Southern
churches and the Methodist Protestant
Church joined to create the Metl1odist
Church.
On the issue of homoseitualit y, at
least, Methodists are talking and have
been for more t11an two decades, And
that fact counse ls against pushing the
slavery comparis on too far, said Green,
. of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied
Politics.
"We've had many votes on this issue
(homosexuality), 11 Green said. "The
issue has been aired regularly. One side
keeps losing. That's the difference.
One of the reasons for the slavery split
was that the issue wasn't discussed tmtil
no compromise was possib le.
"Methodist leaders hope discussion
and debate will lead to consensus . It
hasn't happened yet. 11 (Omaha World
Herald)
SECOND STONE 11
NATIONALN EWS
Presbyterialena deru rgesg aysl,e sbiantso persevere
BY JERRY VAN MARTER
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jack Stotts,
recently retired president of Austin Pres- .
byterian Theological Seminary, urged
tl1e Covenant Network of Presbyterians
to persevere in their efforts to make the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) more
inclusive during his keynote speech at
the organization's inaugural General
Assembly luncheon June 15.
More than 4.50 persons turned out for
the luncheon, including a dozen of the
17 foaner moderators who have endorsed
the Covenant Network's call to a more
inclusive church. Current moderator
Douglas W. Oldenburg also greeted tl1e
gatllering and indicated that he, too, will
sign on to the network's call.
The Covenant Network was formed
last summer to advocate in the presbyteries
for tile passage of Amendment A -
the commonly called "fidelity and integrity"
amendment - to "The Book of
Order." The amendment was defeated,
114-59, by the presbyteries, but Stotts
pleaded with the audience not to give
up. "I have had a lot of dreams tl1at did
not come tme," he said, quoting a favorite
author, "but I have had enough
dreams come true tllat I still believe in
the dream."
Stotts said the proper relationship between
unity and diversity "is a human
issue and promise ... and is symptomatic
of the same issues in American society."
He described the tension between
seeking unity and seeking diversity as
"an w1dergroW1d current that sometimes
creates turbulent waters on the surface -
like now." In such times, he added,
African-American Presbyterian
clergy vote to support inclusivity
BY JOHN GREGG
CHARLOTTE, N.C,. - In its annual preGeneral
Assembly Conversation, held in
Charlotte, N.C., on June 10-11, Semper
Reformanda (Always Being Reformed),
voted enthusiastic aJJy to endorse the
challenging open Jetter from AfricanAmerican
leaders in the denomination,
and to support Overture 98-65 from the
Presbytery of National Capital which
ask.s General Assembly to implement
the recommendations exth e open letter .
Specifically, the open letter and the
Overture ask the church to convene "a
special conference oo ~The Nature of the
Unity We Seek: in our Diversity,' to be
held within six months following the
adjournment of the 210th Gener al
Assembly (1998). "
The open letter and the Overture further
recommendth at: .
" (I) the conference include person s
who represen t the broad diversity of the
Presbyt erian Church (U .S.A.) a t this
point in time,
(2) the disc ussion foc us on an
info rmed analysis of the ~odem history
of ec clesi as tic al co nflict s within the
Reformed tradition and their resolution,
the nature of and need for j ustice in
church and society, the meani ng of the
love and grace of Jesus Christ in
Reformed theology, and the values and
contrib utions of our various diversities
io light of the unity already given to us;
ml
(3) the report from this conference,
12 J lJ LY • A U OUST l 9 9 8
with accompanying docume ·nts, be
pray,erfully received by the 211th General
Assembly (1999) as advisory and
ministerial counsel for all members and
congregations, We also call upon sessions,
presbyteries, synods, and theological
institution s to consider seriously
undertaking similar conferences prior to
the convening of the 21 Hh General
Assembly ( 1999)."
In the discussion before the vote,
memben of Semper Ref onnanda made it
clear that a conference on ''The Nature of
the Unity We Seek in our Diversity" is
exactly the topic for discussion that
should engage all Presbyterians who
would try to serve within the church
with creativity, integrity, and love.
Semper Refonnanda is an organization
of Presbyterians , which has four
emphases: Maturing in Gospel understanding,
appropriation , and expre ssion;
Working to correct systemic injustice in
church and society ; F.ncouraging com munities
of prayer /study/action/reflection;
and strategizing and action with
Pres byterian groups that share our mission
.
Gro up s tha t now participate in
SR(ABR) are: Chautauq ua Presbyterian
Renewal Group, Presbyterians for lesbian
and Gay Concerns, Presbyterian
Peace Fello wship, Presbyteria ns for
Restoring Creation, Voices of Sophia,
and The WitherspooSno ciety .
unity and diversity become "opposing
virtues."
Stotts warned tllat when the two virtues
are out of balance, "the dark side of
unity is exposed, which is imperialism,
. and the dark side of diversity is exposed,
which is the loss of identity."
He offered three theological principles
for finding balance between unity and
diversity: Unity precedes diversity -
Stotts cited Gal. 3:28 and said oneness
in Christ "is a costly unity because it
means giving up our enemies;" Unity
presumes diversity - Stotts said that
unity without diversity is uniformity,
which is static "and even worse,
boring." Unity in Christ is dynamic, he
added; Unity presupposes reaching out
to tl1e margins - Stotts said "being conscious
of our center is to be aware of tile
margin ... to draw from the strength of
the weak."
Fonner General Assembly moderator
Robert W. Bohl, who is co-moderator of
the Covenant Network with John M.
Buchanan, also a fonner General Assembly
moderator, was equally insistent that
those seeking greater diversity in the
church continue their struggle .
Saying he had "never borne the brunt
of so much vicious mail'' because of his .
support for Amen dment A, Bohl said,
"We must find a way lo be faithful...
We're the church, remember that, and we
will not allow ourselves to victimized
and villainized."
Growing more combative, Bohl said
"the issne here is not so much ordination
standards as it is control , domination
and ultimately, the destruction of
the church as we have known and loved
it. We must not let this denomination
become captive as the Southern Baptist
Convention has become captive to those
who systematically exclude and purge
from leadership those who disagree with
tl1em."
"I don't know how," Bohl said, "but
God will show us a way to be together
in this church, to be a church that is
open and inclusiv~ of all people ."
Covenant Network executive director
Pamela Byers of San Francisco
announced plans for a networksponsored
national conference, Nov. 5-
7, 1998, in Denver.
Rep. Barney Frank speaks at
Cathedraol f Hope MCC
DALLAS - Religion should not be used
to attack people for their sexual orientations,
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said Jtwe
21 at a gay and lesbian church service at
the stan of Gay Pride Week.
Frank, who is gay, gave his first public
response to reoe.nt comments by Senate
Majority Leader Trent Lott that les bians
and gays should be helped "to
learn to control that problem."
"You do have people who are trying
to use religion as a stick to beat other
people with - particularly, for 9001er eason,
gay men and lesbians," Frank, DMass.,
told a service at the cathedral of .
Hope Metr opolitan Community
Church. ·
Lott , R-Miss ., made his remarks
while taping an interview for "The Ann sbOng
Williams Show" on the America
's Voice television netw<Xk .
During their interv iew , Will iams
asked Lott if he consi ders homosexual ity
a sin and Lott replied , "Yeah, it is."
Lott added : "You should still love that
pers on. You should not try to mistreat
them or treat them as outcasts. You
should try to show them a way to deal
with that problem, just like alcohol ...
or sex addietioo ... or kleptomaniacs."
Asked about Lott's comments, House
~ajority Leader Dick Anney, R-Texas ,
said the Bible considers homosexuality a
sin and "I abide by the Bible." Ann ey
said he and his wife had read relevant
sections in the Bible that morning and
"I do not quarrel with I.he Bible on this
subject."
Frank said some people interpret the
Bible selectively .
"It also says that you're violati ng the
10 Commandments if you work on the
Sabbath or if you take the name of the
Lord in vain," Frank said. "It says that
if you're divorced and remarried. you're
doing something terrible."
Frank also said Armey and Lott were
respooding to frustrated religious conservati
ve s, who ha ve threat ened to dese rt
Republicans in the November congr essional
electiom and beyond .
"The y have said , 'We'll sit out the
next elec tion ; we'll mak e you lose , "'
Frank: told The Dall as Morning News .
"But the probl em is their agenda is one
that the general public does n't like."
Frank was introd uced by the Rev.
Michael S. Piazza, who drew la ughter
when he said, "All week long, we've
been given theological lessons by politicians
in Washington . We thought we
would give a politician from our side
his say." (AP)
NATIONAL NEWS
_G_ ayc ouple's union blessedI llF .pisco!cEe remony
BY DEEPTI HAJELA
FAIR LAWN, New Jer sey - In a state
that does not legally recognize same-sex
unions, Jon and Michael Galluccio came
as close as they could to getting married.
Standing before fami ly an d friend s
during a weekly worship service at The
Episcopal Church of the Atonement on
June 21, the men made the ir vows to
each other and exchanged rings.
"When we first came out 16 years
ago, first fell in love, this wasn't an
option ," sa id Jon Ga lluc cio, who
chan ged his name earlier this year from
Jon Holden.
The coupl e had alre ady taken a big
step toward family life by jo intly adoptin
g a 2-year-old boy, in a case that
prompted a landmark chan ge in state
ado ption la ws las t December. As a
result, New Jersey became the first state
in th.e country to allow gay or unmarried
couples to jo intly adopt.
A settlement reached after the two
brought a class-acti on lawsuit required
the state Divis ion of Youth and Family
Lutheran commission says safety
for women more than physical
CHICAGO - Conversatio n centered on
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) being a safe place for
women, particularly for lesbians, when
the 12-mcmber steering committee of
the ELCA Commission for Women met
here March 20-22.
"We took some time to look at our
focus area of safety and what that really
means," said the Rev. Ann M. Tiemeyer,
New York, steering committe, , chair.
The commission's mandate is to "assist
t~e ELCA to realize lite full par ticipallon
of women, to create a safe euvironment
for women and to advocate j ustice
for women in the church and in society."
For its 10-year history the commission
has been involved in harassment
and domestic violence issues. Tiemeyer
said the "safe environment" that the
commission works to create is more
tlmn a place of physical safety but will
give women the freedom to discuss their
theological perspectives. "It's the safety
of being able to have your whole being
recoguized as part of God's gift 10 the
world," she said.
"As we challenge the church to
cha nge, we don't necessarily create
safety," Tiemeyer noted. The sleering
committee concluded lliat it must risk
its own safety to "offer it as a gift for
others," she said.
Tiemeyer is pastor of St. Jacobus
Lutheran Church, Woodside, Queens.
The commission participated earlie r in
an exercise in "moral deliberation" in
which it convened about a dozen women
for a confidential conversation about
what it means for the ELCA to be welcoming
and hospitable to lesbians. The
steering committee reviewed a videotnped
report from tlial conference.
The steering committee can1e to the
conclusiou that the personal experiences
of Christians must be considered while
reading such sources as the Bible and the
Luthcrmt Confessions for dire ction. "If
we share our stor ies, we get at how
those sources become important in our
lives," said Tiemeyer. "Moral delibera tion
has to start with the stories."
Another focus of tl1e Commission for
Women is to enable the ELCA "to
foster parl11ersh.ip between women and
men." The steering committee continued
its discussion of Promise Keepers,
who recen tly sent letters to some
Lutheran congregations asking for contribu
tions.
"We want to find a way to hold up the
value of men experie ncing and discovering
spiritua lity and suppor t amongst
each other. We know that's incredibly
importan t," said Tiemeyer . She said
Lutheran Men in Mission, the men's
organizatio n of the ELCA. is providing
"similar types of experiences with a
theology and a community that we
support."
''The Rev. Richard Jensen, a professor
of homi letics at ll1c Lutheran School of
Theology at Chicago, gave the committee
a presentation 011 Promise Keepers.
He outlined the promises tlmt the organization
is asking men to keep to God,
their wives and to their families.
"If all men did this, the world would
be a better plac e," Jensen said, noting
that Promise Keepers has had a very
positive impact on millions of lives.
On the other hand, Jensen said,
Lutheran theology is based on the fact
that people cannot keep all U1eir promises.
"God keeps promises," he said.
"fhe nature of the gospel is at stake
in Utls conversation," said Jensen. The
love of God is not given on the condition
that we keep promises or live by
social structures described in the Bible,
he said. (ELCA News Service)
Service s to scrap its policy barring joint
adoption of its wards by gay or unmarried
couple s.
The settle ment talks began af ter a
judge approv ed a petition by the couple
to adopt 2-year-old Adam Gallu ccio, .a
foster child the two men had cared for
since he was 3 month s old . The Galluccios
also plan to adopt an 18-month-old
foster daughter.
Holden, 34, and Gal luccio, 36 , were
rai sed as Roman Catholics but became
Episcopalians four years ago , saying the
Prot es ta nt de nomination was more
acceptin g of thei r sexual ori entation.
(AP)
Second MCC is target
of bomb threat
LOS ANGELES - In late May, for the
second lime in a two month period, a
congrega tion of the Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitan Community
Churches was the target of a bomb
tltreat.
Metropol itan Commmtity Church of
Bournemouth, England received anonymous
bomb threats which are under
investigation by local police.
Fundamentalist religiou may have
played a role in the bomb threats.
According to the Rev. Neil Thomas,
senior pastor of MCC Bournemouth, a
local fundamentalist church recently
condeinned the MCC ch urch. Tensions
were further heightened when three
members of the fundmnentalist church
moved their membership to Metropolitan
Comm wlity Church.
The Rev. Troy D. Perry, founder and
moderator of UFMCC said, "These
llireats are still another reminder of the
impor!ant work we have yet to accomplish
on behalf of gays, lesbians, bisexuals
and transgcndered persons. This
marks the second bomb threat again st
UFMCC congregations in the past two
months . Over the past 30 years, more
than 20 of our churches have been victimized
by arson or firebombing."
"I caJJ upon all people of goodwill to
uphold the Rev. Neil Thomas and the
congregation of Metropolitan Commu nity
Church of Boumemoutl1 witlt their
love and prayers during this ,lime," Perry
oow1
In April, the 3000-membcr Cathedral
of Hope Metropolitan Comm unit y
Church in Dallas, Texas, the world's largest
predominantly gay and lesbian congregation,
Wi1s the larg~t of a bomb
threat posted on the l11teme1. Tbe threats
ue under investigatio n by tl1e FBI.
Lutheran organization decides
against gathering for gay youth
CHICAGO - The youth of tl1e Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) will "pursue a dynamic, interac tive,
open and welcoming ministry"
with gay, lesbian and bisexual young
people, but will "exclude the possibility
of a gathering" for homosexuaJ and
bisexual youth to precede tlte triennial
ELCA Youth Gathering in the year
2000. The board for the Lutheran
Youl11 Organization (LYO) met here
March5-8 .
At its 1997 convention, members of
t11e L YO passed a resolution to ask the
church to "investigate the feasibility" of
an event for gay, lesbian and bisexual
youth. Two other events that usually
precede the gathering are the Defiuitely
Abled Youth Leadership Event
(DAYLE) and the Multicultural Youth
Leadership Event (MYLE).
"We've found that planning this
gathering is not feasible because we
could not detcnnine how to create a safe
environment for gay, lesbian and bisexual
young people who decide to attend.
Because of this we felt that plann ing a
gathering like this may not be the best
way to do ministry," said Meredith
Lovell, board member from Elliwll
City, Md. Lovell is a member of the
task force organized to address the resolution
.
''The specific suggestion for a
gathering is not feasible but there arc
other things 10 do," said Jay McDivitt.
board member from Loveland, Colo.
''The intent of the resolution was to
,dck-start the youth organization into
doing ministry with gay, lesbian and
bisexual young people," he said.
"The youth organization is not
going to shut up about doing this ministry,"
McDivill said. "We will continue
to organize and re-envision how
we can pursue this ministry," he said.
At its meeting last fall the board
acted to designate l 998 as "A Year of
Prayer" for homosexual 1md bisexual
youth. (ELCA)
SECOND STONE 13
NATIONAL NEWS
Dignity/USAB:i shop;d ilutinga ffirmingm essageto gays
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Leaders of
Dignity/USA say they are "very concerned"
by the latest efforts of the
National Conference of Catholic
Bishops (NCCB) and its Committee on
Marriage and Family Life to dilute the
message and spirit of Always Our
Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents
of Homosexual Children and Suggestions
for Pastoral Ministers.
On October 1, 1997, the U.S.
Catholic Bishops' Commillec on Marriage
and Family Life released Always
Onr Children, and at that time
Dignity/USA stated that they "welcome
the pastoral le(ler ... it is a positfve step
and we commend the bishops for their
improved sensitivity to the issues which
confront parents and their lesbian and
gay children, but all is not perfect."
"Today, however, our hope has been
replaced with conccm and fear that the
pastoral sensitivity that once marked
Always Our Children may have been
replaced with a dogmatic, legalistic
approach in the Church's ministry to
homose xual persons," said Charles L.
Cox, Dignity/USA Executive Director.
"The original version of Always Our
Ouldren was not perfect, and the latest
revision makes it even more imperfect.
E.ach of the changes represents a capitulation
to the conservative voices in the
Church," he said.
D' gnity/USA President Robert F.
Miailovich said, "When Always Our
Children was first released, Dignity /
USA expressed our disappointment in
'the bishops' continued distinction between
homosexual orientation and activity.'
Today it seems that the bishops
have decided that a pastoral message that
encourages sensitivity and open dialogue
is too risky for our Church."
What makes the revisions particularly
distressing to Dignity/USA is the fact
that Always Our Children, now to be in
its third printing, has been well received
by the faithful and viewed positively by
many Catholic families with homosexual
children. Last November, the
bishops' office said they had over 500
letters in support of the state ment and
hardly any against. For years families
have struggled with the reality of their
love for their homosexual children and
the teachings of the Catholic Church
toward their children. Commenting on
the substance and spirit of the revisions
to Always Our Children, Miailovich
said, "It seems that the hand that had
once been outstretched to the families of
Florida-Catholicsl aunch
ministryt o gaysa mid·p rotests
BY DEREK L. KINNER
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - ln a major
break from traditional practice, the
Catholic Church in Northeast Aorida
launched a new ministry for gay men
and women - with the pope's approval.
While about 300 gays and lesbians
attended Mass inside Jacksonville's
Assumption Catho lic Church, a smaller
gathering prayed outside and held signs
protesting the event
The Diocese of St. Augustine became
the second Catholic diocese in Rorida,
and the 36th in the nation, to start a gay
and lesbian ministry.
The move doesn't mean the church
has changed its stance. The new minis
try is simply an outreach program,
Bishop John J. Snyder said during a
Mass to start the ministry .
Snyder said he broached the subject
during a recent 20-minute audience with
Pope John Paul II. He said he told the
pontiff he planned to follow the chun:h's
teachings but wanted to reach out to lesbians
and gays and lbcir families.
Snyder said the pope sat quietly for a
few moments, then said, "We all need ·
redeemingd,o n't wer '
14 JULY •A UOUST 1998
The bishop said the ministry's purpose
is to bring gays and lesbians back
to the church.
"I fully realize we are not going to
keep everyone happy, especially those
on either end of the spectrum," Snyder
said.
"We want brothers and sisters to be
part of the church and to have an active
role," he said, adding that he remains
"fully committed to upholding the
teachings of the church."
Kathleen Bagg-Morgan, the diocese's
spokeswoman, said the diocese, which
covers 17 counties in Northeast and
Central Aorida, has begun reaching out
to gays and lesbians in an effort to
,acrease understanding and compassion
tbroughont the community.
"We're not focusing so much on the
sexuality of this as we're focusing on
the human being," she said.
Snyder , during his homily, said the
church is making strides at reconcilia tion.
"We have taken steps," he said. "We
L,c: oot yet where we need to be.
"I believe that ultimate judgment
belongs to the Lord." (fimes-Union)
lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans gendered
persons has become less loving and
more threatening."
Miailovich also raised the question as
to why a document that in the words of
Committee chairman Bishop Thomas J.
O'Brien "was well received" was revised.
Miailovich said, "It is regrettable that
the American bishops, who only last
October felt free to release Always Our
Children on their own, now feel compelled
to consult with the Vatican's
Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith (CDF) on these matters. The sad
part is that the changes reveal the philosophical
and pastoral tensions within
the hierarchy. The document's new
tone of voice has the potential on the
one hand for dis suading some persons
who are in need of the Church's ministry
from approaching their local priest.
And yet on the other hand, the document
may be still viewed by some as not
strict enough to enjoy conservative support.
These conservative voices have
shown their power by getting the CDF
to intervene and pressuring the bishops
to make certain changes. Let us sec
now if they will make good on their
revised conunitrneut to ministry."
Dignity /USA leaders say they remain
committed to seeing that the original
message and pastoral sensitivity of
Always Our Children is retain ed · and
fully implemented. Their hope is that
the work started because of Always Our
Children by bishops, priests and pastoral
counselors will continue.
Dignity/USA has invited the U.S.
Catholic Bishops to recall their offer of
an "outstretched hand" and meet with
them to discuss how to proceed with
implementati ~n of Always Our Children.
California Catholics aggressively
courting gays and lesbians_
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The San
Dernardino Catholic Diocese is aggrcssi
vcly courting lesbians and gays in a
dramatic turnaround from years of condemning
a gay lifestyle as the surest
route to eternal damnation.
"We are telling them they are to~ly
welcome," said the Rev. Howard Lincoln,
spokesman for the diocese and a
priest at St. Catherine of Siena Church
in Rialto. "All forms of prejudice are a
fundamental act of disobedience against
the Lord who creates us .... II is profane
to assume God values the souls of
homosexuals less than heterosexuals. "
The diocese, which includes Riverside
and San Bernardino counties, set up a
special committee in February to examine
the needs of lesbians and gays and
now wants to establish a pennanent
office of gay and lesbian affairs.
"We think there are gay people sitting
in our pews suffering in silence who
don't feel part of the congregation," said
Joan Gonzales, chairwoman of the
diocese's newly fonned Ad Hoc Comrnittee
on Ministry to Gays and Lesbians.
"We want to open the doors lo every one.
We want support groups for gays
and lesbians. But we are going to go
slowly ," she said.
A committee member, the Rev.
Patrick Kirsch of Our Lady of the
Snows in Phelan , said: "If we don't
reach out, we are alienating a whole
population. "
The change came in September when
:the National Conference of Catholic
Bishops released a lengthy statement
snying people don't generally choose
their sexuality but arc given it by God.
"By itself. therefore, a homo sex ual
orientation cannot be considered sinful,
for morality presumes a freedom to
choose ;" the statement said. The
bishops called for compassion and love
for lesbians and gays along with an eud
to stereotyping.
There was skepticism.
Many priests tell homosexuals see~:
ing counseling "you don't belong here,
said Charles Cox, eitecutive director of
Washington-based Dignity USA, the
nation's largest organizatio n for gay,
lesbian and transgcnder Catholics.
For the past eig ht years, the Rev .
Peter Liuzzi has directed the Ministry
with Gays and Lesbians for the Los
Angeles Archdiocese . He frequently
counsels parents of gays who ask, "Will
my child go to hell?"
"I ask, does he feed the hungry, docs
he clothe the naked, docs he grow in
justice and compassion each day?" said
Liuzzi, noting most of his work involves
education about church teaching and
directing lesbians and gays to parishes
that are accepting of them.
"We have hundreds of gays and lesbians
attending church every Snuday, but
most gay people who are Cat1101ic are
alienated," Liuzzi said. "We try to tell
them that they can come back."
Lincoln noted that the church does
not support sex outside of marriage, and
since gays and lesbians cannot marry ,
celibacy is required. (AP)
C'hurch votes to
keep gay minister
MONTREAL - Members of a Presbyterian
congregation near Montreal have
voted to keep their gay mini ster despite
a threat of expulsion by the denomination's
national leadership .
The secret ballot was held Jooe 28 -
coincidental ly celebrated as Ga y Pride
Day acros s North America - at St.
Andrew 's Presbyterian Church in
Lachine, Quebec .
The brea kdown of the vote was not
di scl osed by the thr ee church official s
who count ed the ballot s - they simply
announced that a maj ority of the 90-
member congregation had voted to keep
Darryl Macdonald as their mini ster.
The Presbyterian Chur ch of Can ada
has re peat edly ordered the congregation
to fire Macd onald over the past three
years. Th e cong regation refused, insis ting
Macdonald was an effec tive, cari ng
preach er, and that his homosexuality
was irrelevant.
Earlier in June, the parish was given
a final ultimatum by tl1e church's highest
court to find another minister or be
expelled.
"When it came time to cast that ballot,
it was really difficult," said Suzanne
West, 34 , a St. Andrew's churchgoer for
six years,
"It was hard for me to look around
and see the people armmd me . People
were cryin g." .
Macdonald, who was not at the meeting,
had said pre viously tl1at the dispute
was about more than homosexual ity.
"It' s the que stion of tl1e Presbyte rian
Chur ch pulling more stock in its rule s
than it does in the membership's beliefs
and con viction s," he told The Montreal
Gaze tte. (AP)
Sexualitym ostv olatileo f toughi ssues
faci~g LambetCh onference
BY DA VIDSKI DMORE
WH EN NEARLY 800 Anglic an
bishops gath er on the grou nd s of the
Univ e rsi ty of Kent and Can terbury
Cathedr al this summer for the 13th
Lambeth Confe rence they will be bringing
more tbau their vestments . Most
will also be carting a satchel brimmi ng
with cultural , political and theolog ical
conce rns - some more volatile tlian others.
Al t11ough intema tion al debt has been
gi ven top bill ing by the co nfer ence
organizers, it is likely to be upstaged by
simmering issues o f fait h and orde r,
such as the role of gays and lesbians in
the church, es peciall y in the ordain ed
mi nistry . At the last conference in
1988, the ordination of women pushed
other issues to the wings, promp ting a
protest from African bishops who felt
their concerns over human rights, poverty,
debt relief and evangelism were
being shortchanged . Those issues are
back on tlie agenda , along with the keynote
issue of 1988 - structure and
accountability in the Anglican Communion
- but are just as vulnerable to
being shunted to tlle periphery as they
were in 1988.
Bishop Duncan Buchana n , bishop of
Joh annesb urg in the Church of the
Provi nce of Sou thern Africa, predicts
that sexuali ty could be the scene-stealer ,
Like the ordina tion of women to the
prie sthood and episcopate 10 years ago,
homosexuality "wi ll throw its shadow
pretty much over the present confer ence
," said Buchanan .
The pressure to put sexuality at center
stage is coming from several direction s.
The conservativ e wing of the Episcopal
Church in the United State s, represeut ed
by snch organizat ions as the Episcopal
Synod of America (ESA) , the American
Anglican Coun cil (AAC) and tlle lrenaeus
Fellowship of Bishops, is among
t11c mo5t persis tent. All thre e organi zatious
l,av•? endorsed the Kuala Lumpur
statement on sexual morali ty, which
opposes the ordination of non-celibate
gays and lesbians and the blessing of
same-sex unions.
The ESA also has called for the establishment
of an independent ''orthodox
province of the Anglican Communion"
within the bowidaries of the Episcopal
Church.
Siding with them are several primates
iwd bishops oflnird World provinces in
Issues concerning women, gays threaten
to tear apart global assembly
Church council splits
on' inclusiveness
ATHENS, Greece - A doctrinal rift is
threatening to pull apart the World
Council of Churches, the global assembly
formed 50 years ago to unite Christianity
.
Ironically, the di spute between the
council's dominant Protestant denominations
and its Orthodox Chri stian members
involves issues that touch directly
on the council 's mission of inclusion:
ordination of women and acceptance of
lesbians and gays and other ostracized
groups .
Orthodo x leaders, supported by other
conservative churche s, are demanding
the council backtrack on such liberal
reform s. The dispute threatens even
greater di vision s - including a closer
ecumenical bond between the Orthodox
church es and the Roman Catholic s, the ·
only major Christian church not a full
member in tlle 330-chur ch World Cowicil.
"Thi s is a clear signal that tlle Orthodox
are no lon ger satisfied ," said the
Rev . Hilar ion Alfe yev of the Russian
Orthod ox Chur ch's ex ternal relat ions
department.
The di vis ions also reflect the forces
reshaping Chri stiani ty as its nearly 2
billion belie vers prep are to celebrate
2,000 years since the bicth of Jesus.
"This is a real ity sweeping the human
famil y," said the Rev. James Morton ,
bead of the Inter faith Center of New
York. "The context has changed - people
are now in terested in a broader canvas."
But the Orthodo x churches , whose
350 million follow ers account for about
25 percen.t of the coun cil's membership ,
believe the group has already grown too
diverse and inclusive ,
They have decided to boycott World
Council -sponsored prayers and religiou s
celebrations and to abstain from voting,
They also threaten to snub some discussions
at the World Co uncil 's eight h
assembly, to be held in Decembe r in
Africa , Asia aud Sout h Ameri ca who
have advocated a strict biblical interpretation
of sexual moralit y and joined
ilieir North American coun terparts in
cal ling for grea ter accountability for
bishops operating outsi de "the historic
faith,"
Meeting at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
in February 1997, about JO bishops and
church leaders from the SOL ·1,em Hemisphere
issued a stateme nt calling for "a
clear and unambiguous" teaching of the
biblical wider.1tanding of human sexual
ity which . iliey said, prohibit s sc;,.ual
expre ssion out side of marriage, and
Harare, Zimbabwe.
The decisions - initiated by the Russian
Orthodox Church - were made during
a rare meeting of a number of
Orthodox churches in the Greek city of
Salonica on May 1. They have not been
fully ratified by the churches but appear
certain to be adopted .
"We don't want to dissolve the coun cil,
but to restructure it," said Father
Geo rge Tetsi s , envoy to the council
envoy for F.cumenieal Patriarch Bartholomew
I, tlle spiritual leader of the
world's Orthodox Christians .
A spokesman for the Geneva-bas ed
council, John Newbury, acknowledged
the Orthodox move would have "ve ry
far -reaching implications. "
The Orthod ox are not alon e. Conservative
African churches have also
threatened a boycott of the Hara re
assembly if the council all ows gay
groups to parti cipate,
The Orthod ox church es also are seeking
a greater voice in the council , which
they maintain is steered by Protes tant
values.
Many Orthodox churches, particularl y
in Russia and Eastern Europe, perceive
Prot estant mi ssionary work as a threat
to tlleir cong regation s, whose connection
with tl1e Orth od ox chur ch was
eroded durin g de cades of Comm unisr
rule.
Orthodox leaders also are wary of possible
Roman Catho lic encroachment in
the form er Sovie t bloc - so urin g
Patriarch Bartholomew's efforts to mend
a nearly 1,000-year division between the
two church es.
But tile cri sis in tile World Cow1cil of
Churches could help bri ng Rome and
the Orthodox closer. Rev . AJfeyev noted
a proposal for a "family of chur ches"
between tlle Orthodox and the Roman
Catllolic s, who par1icipa te in only one
World Council committ ee, dealing with
doctrinal issues .'(AP)
declared as "unacceptable " the ordination
of non-ce li bate gays and lesb ians and
blessi ng of same-sex unions . The following
September at a co nference in
Dall as organize d by the AAC and
Bishop James Stan ton of Dalla s, 45
bishops - over half of whom were from
Third World provinces • reaffirmed the
Ku~a Lumpur statement and called for
greater acco untability and disciplin e for
those "who chcx,sc beliefs a.ud pr .... uccs
outside tlle boundari es of the his1ori l'
faith,"
The Standing Committee of tl1e Pro\'-
SEE LAMBETH, Page l 9
SE C OND ST ONl 15
....
I
Grollllbdr okenfo rl abw here
HIVp ioneewr ill seekc ure
NEW YORK - Tossing a spadeful of
dirt, the president of Queens College
symbolically began work on a new
AIDS research complex. ·
College President Allen Sessoms dug
into the campus turf June 23 to start
construction of a $30-million laboratory ·
to be heac,ted by one of the discoverers of
mv.
"My coIJeagues and I are impatient to
start work in these facilities ," said Dr.
Luc Montagnier, the Fr ench c odiscoverer
of the virus that causes the
fatal immune deficienc y disease. " It will
save many lives ."
Jay Bargmann, a senior executive of .
Rafael Vinoly Architects , said he would
"g uarantee that work on AIDS research
will begi n in this building 30 month s
from now" in the year 200 l.
Unti l then , Mon tag nier and his team
will work in a temporary laboratory on
the camp us.
"We are very opt imistic about
Ecumenical & Inclusive
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I 'H?
improving treatment by bolstering the
immune system of patients and about
our ultimate goal, a vaccine to prevent
infection by the AIDS virus," Montagnier
said.
He added that it looked like a 10-year
job .
In addition to combating AIDS, Montagnier
has said he expected secondary
benefits from the research in the form of
treatments for cancer and, eventually ,
multiple sclerosis .
Montagni .er, whose research bas been
at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, is talcing
up a chair at Queens College
endowed with $3 million by Bernard
Salick , a graduate of the school who
became a physician and then a medical
entrepreneur. .. .
The new facili ty will be call ed the
Salick Center for Molec ular and Cellul ar
Biology, with space for a staff of 70 and
labo ratories for virology , immunolo gy,
molecular genetics and vaccine developmen
t.
The building, lookin g out on a
reflectin g pool, will be cre scent-shaped
and mo stly one story.
New York. City and state are contrib uting
nearly $20 million to the project .
The res t is being raised privat ely. (AP)
We are a Christian community of men
and women from various Catholic and
Protestant traditions involved in minstries
of love, compassion and reconciliation.
We live and work in the world,
supporting ourselves wid our ministries
and are inspired by the spirit of St.
Francis and St. Clare. We are not
canonically affiliated with wiy denomination.
~ Kl~DGE
For more information or a copy of our
newsletter, Footsteps, please write us:
V ocntion Dirtetor
PO Box 8340
New Orlenns, LA 70182
Mercy of God Community
16 JULY•AlJOUST 1998
Sisterly Conversati ons '98:
Cunent Concerns of
Lesbians of Faith
Vil'ginia Ramey Mollenkott
September 18 - 20
Agai,6 1998 :
Being Whole , Being Home
For young adulta 18 · 30
Brad Colby and Grace Fala
Octobe r 23 - 25
For f urther Information, contact:
KIRKRIDGE, 2495 FoK Gap Rd.
Bangor, PA I 8013 (610) 588-1793
www.kirkridge .org
Located on the beautiful Klttattnny Ridge of
eastern PA. 85 mUes from NYC and Phlla.
Kansasg irlr eceivens ational
awardf orA IDSs ervice
WICHITA , Kan. - A 14-year -old girl
whose mother and uncle died from AIDS
and whose father has the di sease will
receive her second national award for
work in AIDS education this summer.
Jamie Morales , of Wichita, is one of
20 winners of the 1998 Metropolitan
Life Foundation/National AIDS Fund
Caring Counts Award. It honors 12- to
18-year-olds whose work exemplifies
volunteerism and community service in
the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Jamie received $200 and a plaque dur ing
the Caring Counts Conference July
15-17 in Washington , D.C.
She has been giving presentations
about AIDS for six years , and she estimates
she 's spoken to 5,000 people .
Last May , she was one of 10 national
winners of the Prudential Spirit of
Communit y award . It is design ed to laud
young people who take it upon themsel
ves to improve their communitie s.
Jami e speak s about AIDS to school .
group s, church group s, health professional
s and "whoever calls ." She talks
about her parents' fight with AIDS and
her uncle's and godfather' s deaths from
AIDS. Jamie is not infected with the
AIDS virus.
She started giving AIDS presentations
when she was 8. Her legal guardian is
an AIDS educator and Jamie had accompanied
her to programs .
In her Caring Counts application, she
wrote; " I wanted to get involved because
I know what it is lik e. Not being infected
but being affected . I did not want
anyone to have to go through what I did
in order to learn about this disease."
Study finds connection between
men's self-esteem, unsafe sex
SAN FRA NCISCO - Young gay men
la cking self-e steem arc more likely to
fall prey to AIDS becau se they engage
in unsafe sex more often than other gay
men , a new study say s.
Th e Univer sity of Californi a study,
presen ted in June at the 12th World
AIDS Confer ence in Geneva , surv eyed
302 young gay me n in Santa Cruz ,
Santa Barbara and Eugene, Ore.
The participan ts, ages 18 lo 29, were
asked to res pond to three statem ents: I ·
am glad to be gay; My gay male friends
are good at helping me solve pers onal
problem s; and : At time s, I think I'm no
good at all .
Those who respond ed to the first two
ques tions affirmati vely, and negatively
to the third , were more likely to practice
safe sex , sai d Uni vers ity of Califo rnia,
San Fran cisco re searcher Craig Waldo,
who helped conduct the study.
Waldo said tha t am ong those men
"who accept themsel ves as gay the
most," 30 percen t bad engaged in unsafe
sex . That contra sted with 46 pe rce nt
amo ng those who '.'accept them selves
the leas t as gay," he said .
The conclusion drawn by Wald o:
Young gay men who are comfort able
with their sexuality are more psychologically
health y and more likel y to practice
safe sex.
" It's a good idea to help gay men
ac cept th emselves because it makes
them less risky sexual ly," be said. "As
time passes , if they get more support
for their identities, it will ultimate ly
have a favorable effect on their health ."
But some warn that high self-es teem
doesn't ensure the practice of safe sex .
, "My general impression is that it's a
lot more compl ex than tha t," said Ste phen
Le Blanc, an ac tivi st with ACT
UP Gold en Gate.
Le Blan c said he knows at least two
"ve zy we ll -e du ca ted, financiaJJ y we ll off,
prof essionall y successf ul gay men" who
have contr ac ted HlV via uns afe sex. In
·some cases , a partner doesn't real ize he's
ca rrying the vi rus ; in oth er s, a par tner
may be lying. .
"Th e ' par tner lying ' business I've
heard about many times from many people.
A lot of unsafe sex ~ urs in loving
relationship s," Le Blanc said.
In a separ ate but somewh at related
study conducted by UC researchers and
prese nted at the confere nce , the psychol
og ical well-being of HIV pat ients
was lin ked to their lik elih ood of
seriously treating the di sease .
In that study, 727 pa tients in seven
U.S. cities were survey ed. Patients who
felt they were part of a communit y and
invo lved in their own care were more
likely to take medication, k~ep medical
appointm ents and follow their caregi ver's
advice.
In con tras t, patients who fee l detach ed
from their sU1TOundings or depre ssed are
more apt to disreg ard medical trea tment,
the study found .
"The ps ychological well-being of HIV
patients plays a ro le in the ir adherence
to treatment," said Willi am Holzemer,
the study's lead investiga tor .
Holzemer's study surveye d a cross section
of HIV patients aero~ the country,
more than 75 percent of them men .
Among its other findings : Neithe r age
nor gender are factors in whether peop le
take their medicine.
LOS ANGELES - The Universal Fellow
ship of Metropolitan Community
Churches has receiv ed a $50,000 grant
from the Gill Foundation . The grant
will be used by the rapidly growing
organizati on for operational expcn ~es.
According to the Rev. Eld er Troy D.
Pe rry, found e r and moderator of
UFMCC , "We arc honored to receiv e
this grant from the Gill Foundation .
Th is grant comes at an important time
in the life of UFMCC as we prepare for
our 30th year of service , COJ1tinue to
expand our global technology base and
pr epare for the dedicati on of the
UFMCC World Cente r in 1999."
"We know tha t typi ca l first-time
grants from the Gill Foundation do not
exceed $ 15,000 ," said Perr y. "So this
first-time gr ant in the amou nt of
$50 ,000 speaks to the important work
UFMCC continues to carry out around
the world ." -
The Gill Fmwdation was founded in
1994 by Tim Gill, founder and chairper son
of Quark, Inc., a Denver-based com puter
softwar e company. The Gill Foundation
supports non-profit organi i.ations
which pu rsue ju stice and equality for
gay men and lesbians .
Church&Or anizationNews
Gay friendly adult
care facili ty opens
Ari zo na Parac le te Ministr ies has
announced the ope ning of an adult care
facilit y th at is God -ce nter ed and gay
friendly. The fac ili ty open ed in May in
Phoenix al 1821 E. Avalon Driv e. The
home can accommoda te up to ten res idents
at a time. It offers a pleasan t
superv ised setting. The needs of those
who need some extra care but aren't
ready for n traditional nurs ing home are
addressed. The ministry is a member of
The Evangelical Network . For informa-
Events
American Baptists
Concerned
National Retreat
AUGUST 2-5, Isis Oasis in Geyserville,
Calif. is the setting for this retreat for sexual
minority Baptists and their supportive
friends for a time of fellowship, worship
and relaxation. Cost is $225. For information
con tact American Baptists Concerned,
P.O. Box 130792, St. Paul. MN
55113, (925)439-4672,
ambaptists@ao l.com.
Simply Divine: Rites of
the Gay Male Spirit
AUGUST 21-23, Ken White and John
Linscheid at Kir1cridge Retreat and Study
Center, 2495 Fox Gap Rd .. Bangor, PA
18013-9 359, 610-588-1793. Facilitators
say: ·we will gather again for the third
· lion contact Arizon a Paraclete Minis trie
s, Inc., P.O. Box 86758, Phoenix,
AZ ~-6 758, (602)265-0587.
Call for testimonies
Lead ers of Bethel Evangeli stic Ministries
are in the process of compiling a
book of lesbian/g a y Chris tian testimonies
and have issued a call for papers of
four to six pages. E.ach chapter will be a
- story of how a gay, lesbian, bisexual or
tran sge nderc d perso n came to know
Christ. For informati on, write to Bethel
Evangelis tic Mi nistries, P.O. Box
1778, Interl achen , FL32 148.
year to seek the divine in the midst of our
mountaintop gay community. We will
share our stories of gayness, of love and
illness, of dreams and aspirations, and of
personal or spiritual breakthroughs and
accomplishments. Creative protest, drag,
double entendre, camp - all testify to a rich
gay tradition of responding playfully to
both opportunity and oppression.• Led
by Ken White, Director of Continuing
Social Work Education at Temple University
and John Linscheid, a contributing editor
to The Other Side magazine. Both
have been helping gay friends create rituals
to mark significant passages in their
lives for the last ten years. Fee, $230.
Midwest SpiritQuest
SEPfEMBER 4-6, The Ramada Inn Conference
Center in LaPone, Indiana is the set-
SEE EVENTS, Page 20
PLGC celebrate years
of leadership
BY JOANNE HINES
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Snrrounded by
walls hung with hundreds of colorful
stoles, Presbyt erians for Lesbian and
Gay Concern s held their annual service
of reconciliation coinciding with the
General Assembly of the Presb yterian
Church (U.S.A.). Recognition and celebration
of the leadership of the organiza- ·
ti on was the agenda of the day.
After the introduction of the mostly
new board for the next year , speakers
Chris Glaser and Janie Spahr spoke
about how the past 20 years' di scussions
revolvin g around th e ordination of gay
and lesbian person s has affected their ·
mini stry .
While proclaiming that the 20 year
old ban on ordination has had a positive
effect ou the PC (U.S.A.) because more
light has been shed on the issue, both
spok e of their journey s of hurt and
hope.
Chris Glaser remembered that he had
been brought as a candidate for ordina tion
-exac tly 20 year s ago to the da y.
While understanding that in many ways
he has been identi fied as a professional
victim, he spoke eloque ntly that neither
his life nor his ministry ended with the
denial of his ordination. He is now a
successful author and the founder of the
Lazaru s Project. While determined to
work within the Presbyt erian Church for
change, he has proclaimed a "Eucharistic
fast," refusing communion ubtil change
comes about. He applauded the sacrificial
effort of unde rstanding parents and
friends and church es whose open hands
and arms embrace an open and inviting
membership.
Janie Spahr remember ed the time of
· early days in her famil y and in the
church . Ordained before 1978, she was
allowed to keep her ordination when she
came out, but could only serve in a specia
lize mini stry setting . She remain s
fervent in her determin ation to work for:
inclu sivity in the PC (lJ. S.A.) , that all
· may freely serve.
Both speak ers pleaded for all Presbyterians
to remember that lesbian , gay .
bise xual and transgender Presbyterians
are not "an issue," rather they are real
person s. _
The evening end ed with the presenta tion
of the Inclu sive Churc h Award to
Chris Glaser and Janie Spahr.
Names l\!Ial<ln News
UCCL/GC
presents awards
The Southern California/Nevada Conference
Chapter of The United Church of
Christ Coalition for Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgende red Conc erns
made the following award presentations
on June 13:
JOHN ELLINGTON , a seminarian at
The Cla remont Schoo l or Theolog y.
was presented with The MARGARET J.
JACOBY Scholar ship. Ellingtou is a
student -in-care of the Central Association
and the Clar emont Congregational
Church, UCC.
BILL and BE'ITY COLE received the
HOWARD and DONNA SELL Award .
The Co les were in strum ental in the
ado ption of the Open and Affirmi ng
Reso lution at First Con gregat ional
Church of Long Beach, and are longtime
supporters of the ONA program and
workers for justice for lesbian, gay,
bisexual and traosgendered persons
throughout the United Church of Christ
IRVINE UNITED CHURCH OF
CHRIST in Irvine, Calif .. received the
ELEONORE and OLIVER POWELL
AW ARD for demonstrating a visioo of'
• inclusi veness in livin g o ut lhei,- mis.
sion in the local communi ty.
.Pastor who led
:church's gay rights
efforts retires
THE REV. HAROLD PORT ER. 65,
preached his last sennon at Cinci1mati's
Mount Auburn Presby terian Church on
Jwte 7 and was scheduled to retire July
3 I. He is a Presbyt e rian minis ter
who led his chur ch to the forefront of
the de nomination' s ga y-rights move-
. meat.
Porter hopes to become a missionaryat
-lar ge , speakin g and lobbyi ng on
behalf of gay rights within the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.).
In the 15 years he has been senior
pastor at Mount Auburn Pres byterian,
Porter has become a oatiooal spokesman
for ordination of lesbians and gays.
About 20 percent of Mount Auburn
Presbyterian's UiO-member congregation
is gay. Under Porter's leadership, the
church bas refused to abide by the
denomination's ban on ordination of lesbians
and gays in clergy and lay leader ship
positions.
SF.C"'OND STONE 17
-·
One More River to c~
Onb eingb lacka ndg ay
Bool<s
BY LARRY ROOD
KEITH BOYKIN can write! One More
River to Cross is both a candid, warm,
real personal memoir and a report of current
research and public policy on African-
American . g/l/b/t issues. The prose
is engaging and the research is fascinating.
fear from each other than from a raci st,
xenophobic, misogynist, and heterosexist
society."
If blacks and gays arc both oppressed,
is the oppression the same? Well, yes,
and no. By the time an AfricanAmerican,
has arrived at work in the
morning, she may well have confronted
clear expressions of racism two or three
times already. For gay and lesbian people,
such an unplea sant journey to work
is far less likely . We can choose when
and where to be out. However, for the
lesbian woman or gay man forced to
and gays. Soon after leaving the White
House Boykin was invited to speak to a
national gay organization. · When he
told them he had left the administration
and was writing a book on black/gay
issues, and that this is what he would
like to addre ss , he was uninvited . The
group didn't think black/gay issues were
of sufficient interest to warrant their
attention.
There is indeed massive homopho bia
in African-American communities.
However, in some recent surveys, there
is evidence that this is less prevalent
than in straight white America. The
■
gro ups, and individuals have shunn ed
black individuals and issues. Frequently,
white lesbians and gays do not feel
called upon to enlist in the fight against
racism. In fact, the cau ses are inseparably
linked . Either we all have justice,
or we don't. And unles s white lesbians
and gays can embrace racial ju stice as a
critical issne, we will continue our fragmentation
and weakness . We must
forge and maintain ac ti ve, working
alliance s.
Throughout One More River to
Cross, Boykin weaves his own mem oirs,
anecdotes from other black gay and
... there are clear differences,
but both racism and
heterosexism do fundamental
damage to their victims.
■
Boykin was a spe~ial assistant to the
president in Clinton's first administration
and now is executive director of the
National Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership
Forum. Since coming out as a 25-
year-o ld Harvard Law student, he has
been all over the country and gives the
reader a first hand report. He makes
clear that the so-called "family values"
coal ition has as its targets blacks, Hispanics,
women, and gays. " ... they hope
to divide these oppressed communities
by convincing us that we have more to
"live a lie," the experience is disempow- .
ering, dishonest, an d psychol ogically powerful tradition of the extended black
destructive. So, yes, there are clear dif- family means that individual s frequently
lesbian leaders, and academics, to make
an absolutely fascinating book . The
reader discovers the beaut y and truth of
being black and gay in America. II
deserves all five stars .
ferenees, but both racism and heterosex- arc not "shut out" and isolated because
ism do fwidamental damage to their vie- of sexual orientation. However , they
titns. also aren't supposed to talk about it.
There is considerable racism in the
Because skin color is always visible white gay community. Time after time
and racism is omnipre sent , many black Boykin documents instances where
Reprinted from Presf?yterians for
Lesbian/Gay Concerns' More light
lesbian women and gay men feel more white gay social gatherings, political Update.
comfonabl e among straigh t African - --------_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-__-_.." • "_•._ •__-•_-..__.. . _ ;;_. _______.;._ _.-. -._.-..,
Americans than among white lesbians
• ExcitingA rticles& Features
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18 JULY • A U O lJ ST I 9 9 8
I The Erotic Contemplative
Reflections on the SpirituaJ Journey of the Gay/Lesbian Christian
By Michael B. Kelly
A Soc VOLUME STJMUL US FoR
LIVING, LOVING AND PRAYER:
I) Our Experience (75 min)
2) Revisioning Sexuality (80 min)
3) Exodus and A wakening (75 min)
4) The Desert and the Dark (88 min)
5) Libei-atiou (84 min)
6) The Road from Emmaus (63 miu)
Six volume video ser $199
Audio casserte tape set $99
Order through:
EROSpiritR esearchI nstitute
P. 0. Box 8340
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.. The Eroti c Cont empla!ive is the
most powerful and insightful study of
gay sph·ituality that I know of. I have
watched "The Road From Emmaus"
(tape G) three times and still find new
riches." •· JoHN J. McNEIL, PH.D.,
author of The Church and the
Homosexual.
'·In my theology classes , both gay and
straight seminarians benefit from
Kelly's integration of sexua lity with
Christian mysticism: · -· R OBERT Goss,
PH.D., author of Jesus Acted-Up.
"An excellent resou rce ... a worthw hile
investment." •• BoNDINGSa, publication
of New Ways Ministry.
"The Erotic Colllemplative video course
has h~lped gay men and lesbians who
grew up as Christians move toward
healing the wounds of the past." ••
JOSEPH KRAMER, M.Dtv., EROSpirit
Research Institute.
"This work should be considered
essentia l to anyone serious about their
sexua lity/spirit uality and mandatory for
anyone who in any way acts as a
spiritual director for gay and lesbian
people."-· More Light Update.
Mon: dculilcd information about each video is nvoilablc upon m1uesl . Also avnilnblc in Pal • the
Europeao/Austrathmfo rmal. Cnlifomin residents add 8.25% salc.s tW!. U.S. ship11inltc hnrge: S5.00.
lntcmn1ionul shipping charge: $35.00. I!) 1997. EROSpirir Rcscnrch lnstilulc.
Safety tips may
protect delicate
sensibilities
Dear Editor:
• I
To Bible -thwnpers who fear exposure
to gay people results in sudden conversion
to homosexuality. I offer the following
safety tips.
l. A void the mall or any specialty
shops (especially antiques stores, flea
markets and auctions) .
2. A void the ballet, concerts, museums,
festivals, pageants and the theater.
3. Avoid schools, restaurants, bars,
gyms and heaJlh clubs.
4. A void going to the movies or renting
a video.
5. A void hairdressers, fashion shows and
interior designers.
.LAMBETH,
FromPage15
ince of Southeast Asia not only
endorsed the statement but said that it
would not regard itself in communion
with any province that did not endor se
it. The ESA bi shops wrote to Archbishop
Moses Tay in May, "rejoicing in
the reports which have come out of the
recent mee ting of Anglican primates in
SECOND STONE Newspaper, ISSN
No. 1047-3971 , is published every
other month by Bailey Communications,
P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans,
LA 70182, secstone@aol.com. Copyright
1998 by Second Stone, a registered
trademark.
SUBSCRIPTI ONS, U.S.A. $19 per
year. Foreign subscribers add $10 for
postage. All payments U. S. currency
only.
ADVERTISIN G, For display advertising
information write to P.O. Box
8340, New Orleans, LA 70182 . Classified
advertising information is
found on the classified page. We
reserve the right to refuse any ad for
any reason.
EDITORIA L, Send letters, event
announcements, church and organization
news to Second Stone P.O. Box ·
8340, New Orleans, LA 70 182 or via
e•mail to secstone@aol.com. Manuscripts
to be returned should be
accompanied by a stamped, self
addressed envelope. Second Slone is
otherwise not responsible for the
return of any material.
SECOND STONE, a national ecumenical
and evangelieaJ Christian
newspaper with a specific outreach to
gay. lesbian and bisexual people.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Jim Bailey
6. Avoid health-care professionals or
anyone in a uniform.
7. Avoid professional ice shows, race
tracks , basketball, football, baseball,
etc.
8. Avoid listening to pop, jazz, classical
or any other type of music .
9. Avoid books , magazines, computers
and television.
10. Avoid your neighbors, the workplace
and your friends.
And one more lhing: Do be careful at
church.
Si11cerely,
UsaSmarr
This letter originally appeared in The
State newspaper.
Jerusalem" where "you made it abundantly
clear to the American primate
that you felt his province should be
expelled from tl1e world-wide Anglican
Communion should the Americ an
church fail to reverse its ipso facto
acceptance and endorsement of the ordination
of non-celibate homosexuals and
the blessing of same-sex unions."
Tb.cir foray has drawn counter fire
from several liberal bishops. most notably
from Bishop John Spong of Newark
who, in a paper sent last fall to all
Anglican prima~s . characterized conservati
ves as "uninformed religious people"
whose literal interpretation of the Bible
"has become one of embarrassment to
tl1e cause of Christ." His statements led
to a cau stic exchange of letters with the
Archbi shop of Canterbury George Carey
who scold ed Spong for his "hect oring
and intempera te tone." In return , Spong
took Carey to task for not being equally
criti cal of the host ile lan guage in both
the Kuala Lumpur and Dal las statements
whic h, he cont en ded, were " not j ust
intempe rate but offens ive, rude and
hosti le."
Thou gh Spo ng and Carey adopte d
more cor dial rhetoric in subsequent letters,
the prospec t of fire fights erupting
in the pl enaries and sectio n meetin gs
remains a serious concern for Bnchanan.
As cha ir of the Lambeth Conference
subsection dealing with human sexuality,
he will be responsible for refereeing
disputes, and ensuring that all views are
heard
"There arc some people who would
want to say that the question of homosexuality
is not fundamental to the
faith. Other people would say it is .. One
of my jobs at Canterbury is to try to
balance the whole lot of it," said Buchanan.
That will be a difficult assignment, he
admitted, given the impassioned stance
of both sides and the ambiguous evidence
each puts forward, whether from
science or scripture. The only way
through, he said, is to approach the
issue "with a degree of grace and love,
and be able to hear each other even if we
don't like what we are hearing ."
That is the process the Lambeth Conference
adopted 10 years ago when it
grappled with the issue of women's ordination.
Faced with potential schism
over the impending election and consecration
of women bishops in some
provinces such as the United States, the
bishops created a framework for maintaining
communion between provinces
on opposite sides of the issue. The
result was a monitoring group appointed
by Archbishop of Canterbury Robert
Runcie (named the Eames Commission
after its chair, Archbishop Robin Eames
of the Church of Ireland) that was
charged with ensuring that provinces
remain in communication with each
other and committed to a process of
open reception that str es ses courtesy,
tolerance and mutual respect.
Bishops and dioceses that support the
ordination of women need to recognize
"that within a genuinely open process of
reception there must be room for those
who disagree," stated the Eames Commission
in its final report to the Primates
Meeting in 1994. The approach
has been remarkably succe ssful according
to a study by the Eames Monitoring
Group, the successor to the Eames
Commission . All but four of the communion's
32 self-gov erning provinces
responded to the monitoring group's survey.
and all responses endorsed the principle
of open reception.
Some bi shop s are suggesting the
same process be applied to the equally
volatile iss ue of se xualit y - and Carey
has sent clear sign als th at he woul d
se ri ous l y co nside r such a move.
Whether the co nference chooses a study
process ove r an ex plici t doctrinal statement
like Kuala Lumpur will depend on
a co al ition of conse rvati ve U.S. and
Third World bishops. Several primates,
nota bly Tay of Southeast Asia and Maurice
Sinclair of the Southern Cone, have
made it clear they wilJ lobby for ~ge
of the Kuala Lump ur sta tement. Others,
including Archbishop David Gitari
of the Church of Kenya, are adopting a
more conciliatory posture.
Many African bishops regard the ordination
of gays and lesbians and blessing
of same-sex unions as a complete denial
of biblical truth, but acknowledge that
the Lambeth Conference as a whole
needs to study the issues in greater
depth, Gitari said. While he might support
a resolution on Kuala Lwnpur,
Gitari said he would also back the formation
of a commission to study sexuality
under the same guidelines used for
women's ordination.
An Eames Commission study also
has the support of Spong. His position
is not to force the rest of the Communion
to accept the ordination of gays and
lesbians, he said, but merely to prevent
the Communion from rendering judgment
on his diocese, where gay and lesbian
clergy are welcome. "I am seeking
the absence of a negative prohibition.
That is all I am seeking," said Spong.
The situation is analogous lo the
debate on polygamy at the last Lambeth
Conference, which largely reversed a
100-year-old ban on permitting polygamists
to join the church, he said . While
upholding monogamy as ordained by
God, the 1988 resolution allowed the
baptism and confirmation of polygamists
on the condition they not marry
again as long as their present wives
remained living.
Spong voted for the measure out of
pastoral concern for the women, be said,
who would have been divorced and
likely forced into prostitution if the ban
bad remained in effect. While willing to
make accommodations for the cultural
realities in east Africa, Spong isn't ready
to put polygamy on the same pJane as
ordaining gays and lesbians or blessing
same-sex unions.
"I think that polygam .y is a better
alternative for Kenya and Uganda than
the rigorously enforced Victorian
monogamy given the cultural realities,"
he said. "But I think those cultural real ities
ought to be addressed ."
For Gitari there is no comparison
given that the Bible acknowledg es and
acce pts polygam y in some inst ances
but doe s not condon e homose xuali ty.
Said Gi tari : "We don't say_ that having
more than one wife is ideal . We say it is
part of the fallen na ture of man, and we
app roach it from a pas toral point of
view."
If social sta bility is enough of a con cern
to warran t an acco mmod ati on of
po lygamy. Lambe th should show the
same tolerance to his diocese's ministry
to gays and lesbians, sa id Spong , highlighting
the issues of cultural differences
that under lie many Lambeth discussions.
"I am not going to say to the province
of Uganda that they have got to
take the same attitude toward gay people
that I talce," Spong said, "but they arc
not facing my reality." (ENS)
SE C-ON D STONE 19
...
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
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.EVENTS,
FromPage17
ting for this Labor Day Weekend gathering
hosted by New Life Community
Church of Hope. Organizers promise a
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5th Annual
NACDLGM Conference
SEPTEMBER 17-20 , To be held in
Rochester, NY, The National Association
of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay
Ministries sponsors its annual conference
'themed "Imaging Justice" for those in
ministry with gay/lesbian Catholics and
their families. Panelists include Bishops
Gabino Zavala and Matthew Clark with
presenters - Midge Miles and Fr. Richard
Peddicord . Twenty workshops will be
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TRUTH,
From Page l
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20 J lJ L Y • A U G U S T I 9 9 8
G~NERAL INT.EREST ,
THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC Church of
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CANT GET TO CHURCH? We'll come to
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Send request and donation to Holy
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Affirmation:
Gay and Lesbian
Mormons Conference
SEPTEMBER 4-7, Affirmation, an intema-
1ional associalion or gay a nd les bia n Mor mons,
will hold its 20th annual conference
in Portland, Ore. Keynote speaker is
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call (503)288 -2037, or visit the organization's
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Open Door Conference
OCTOBER 30, Clergy, youth workers,
counselors, and others involved in ministry
may choose four from among 19 workshops
to be offered at Assisi Community
Center in Rochester, Minn . Keynote
speaker is Will Fellows, Author of "Farm
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should be sk eptical of any group which
combine s th eir cl aim s of ' tru th' with
intolerance , shame. control and political
agendas.
"My atte ntion was especial ly draw n to
a line a t the bottom of the a<l
which read, 'If you real ly love someone,
you'll tell them the tmt h. '
"We ll , here's the tmth for God's gay
_HOW TO READ R2R: Listings are
in alphab etical order by state, then
_by city . If a mailing address is
given in a listing the zip code
appears in the listing.
NNG = No name given. S=single,
C=committed . G=gay, L=lesbian,
T =tran sgendere d, B=bisexual,
S=straight. M=male, F=femal e.
Age, religiou s affiliation, occupation,
contact information.
CALIFORNIAD,O VVNEY
THEODORCER ANFORDS,G M,6 7, UFMCC,
RETIREDP,O B OX 13079, 0240-030576, 2-928-
4489.
CALIFORNIALO, NGB EACH
BRUCEB ENNIN,K SGM5, 1, CATHOLICJO, B
COACH/WAITE3R1,8 T EMPLEA VE# 7, 90814.
CALIFORNILAY, NWOOD
JOSEPHE STRADAS,G M3, 7, HOLYS PIRIT
FELLOWSHIHPO, MECARWEO RKERP,O
BOX5 2,9 02625, 62-626-17.7 6
CALIFORNIAP,A SADENA
BARRYD IXONS, GM4, 0, WORLDWIDCEH UA
GOD,T ECHNICAWL RITERd,e c4th@aol.com
FLORIDA, BRANDON
ROBERTM ORGANS,G M3, 6, PENTECOSTAU
APOSTOLICF,L IGHTA TTENDANT/MINISTER,
2023 CATTLEMADNR .,3 35118. 13-651-15.0 5
FLORIDA, INTERLACHEN
REV0. . RODGE,R CLF, 56, NONDENOMINATIONMAILN,
ISTE,R POB OX1 778,
32148.
REV. BARNIEW ENTWORTTHF,, 54,N ONDENOMINATION,
MAILNISTERP,O B OX1 778,
32148.
SR.Z ECHARIASHH, SC, LF,5 6, INDEPENDENTC
ATHOLIC HURCHP, RIESTR/ ELIGIOUSS
ISTERP, OB OX1 7783, 2148.
ILLINOIS, OAK PARK
CARLE RICS, GM,4 3, EPISCOPALI,A CNOMPUTERIN
STRUCTO3R1.5 S . LOMBARADV E.,
60302g, linda@usa.net
KENTUCKY.PADUCAH
G.G.,S GM,6 3, UNITEDM ETHODISRTE, TIRED
EDUCATO6R2,4 N. 34THS T., APT.E ,4 2001-
4275.
and lesbian children, and I'm no t afraid
to tell it God lo ves you as you are. God
created you as you are, and God' s crea tion
is go od . To deny the ess ence of
who you are , your gayn ess , leads only
to inne r turmoil and e moti onal co ufl ict.
To em bra ce yo urself ju st as Go d as
cr ea ted you is the path of ernotiona )
whol e ness and spiritual health . The true
message of the Holy Scrip tur es is
affi rming and accepti ng of gays and les bians.
"T hank God that in spite of the intolerance
shown by groups such as the
Christian Coalition, the American Fam _
il y Association. and the Family
LOUISIANAG,R ETNA
RICKEYP . HEBERT, SGM, 49, CATHOLIC,
MAILC LERK5. 162 NDS T., 70053.
NEW HAMPSHIRE, MANCHESTER
RODS, GM,4 2, INSURACNE UNDERWRIT,E R
hotnho925@8aol.com.
NEW JERSEY, RAHWAY·
REX BUTTERFIELSDG, M, 28, CATHOLIC,
WRITER/POELTO, CKBAG R2751240,7 065.
NEWY ORK, NIAGARAF ALLS
CHANCELLOCR. ROBERTS,S1G1,M ,3 4,
PENTECOSATU APOSTOLIC(NGPA),
PASTOM.EGAALS ST., 1646N IAGARAV E.,
143057, 16-284-45.0 9
NEW YORK, ROCHESTER
DAVID, SGM, 45, EVANGELICACLO, UNSELORP,
O BOX6 8005, 1461.8 716-234-0549.
NEWY ORKY, ONKERS
JOHN PRATHER, SGM, 71, EPISCOPALIAN,
COMPUTESRP ECIALIS, 7T BELLP L,. 10701,
914-964-0379.
RHODEIS LANDW, AKEFIELD
ELWYNT AYLORS, GM,6 3, BAPTIST,
CHURCHO RGANIS, T151P ONDS T,0 2879·
40334. 01-783-5072.
TEXAS.DALLAS
BRO.B ENJAMI+N0 .C.t.CGM4,4 , EACA,
SPIRITUAL FORMATION, DIRECTOR
BKINNOV@la.coom9, 72-271-0874
TEXAS, SAN ANTONIO
AL EISCHS, GM,5 3, CATHOLICS,O CIAL
SERVICESP,O B OX1 27547 8212,
MOCHICA@FLASH.NET
VIRGINIA , RICHMOND
EDH ARRISS, GM,6 3,C HRISTIANR,E TIRED,
WORKF ORN ON-PROFI3T1.5 STRAWBERRY
ST,2 3220-341820. 4-354-8804.
edbharrisj@juno.com.
MICHAEKLE ITHH ALL, SGM,3 9, BAPTIST,
PROGRASMU PPORT/SCREENWRI2T2E0R1,
FOURTHA VE., 23222.
WASHINGTON, SPOKANE
DIANES, F, 42, PROTETSANTC, LERICA, L
cabin@ior.com.
WISCONSINM,E NASHA
RICHARDR OLLERS, GM,6 2, CATHOLI,C
RELIGIOUBSR OTHER5,2 2S ECONDS T,
54952b. dikroller@aol.com.
Research Cowic il with their far righ t
political agendas, there are also thousand
s of houses of worship in ev ery
faith tradition whi ch welcome and affirm
gays, le sbia ns, bi sex ual s and tran sgen dered
persons .
"As a spiritu al lead er, I welc ome
inquiri es from gays and les bians see king
to integrate the ir spirituali ty and sex ual ity,
and who wish referra ls to GLBT frien
dly h ouses of wo rship . I will be
glad to provide referrals to all inquirers,
whether they seek accepting Chris tian
houses of worshi p as in my own faith
tradition, or seek other affinning faith
communities ."