Open Hands Vol 6 No 1 - Telling Our Stories: Ministries of Inclusiveness

Open Hands Vol 6 No 1 - Telling Our Stories: Ministries of Inclusiveness

6

1

1990

Summer

"Is your heart true to my heart as mine . ? If·lS to yours. . .. zt lS, gzve me your hand. " 2 Kings 10:15
Reconciling Ministries with Lesbians and Gay Men
Vol. 6 No. 1 Summer 1990
Telling Our Stories
Ministries of Inclusiveness
-
Reconciling
Ministries with Lesbians and Gay Men
Open Hands is published by Affirmation:
United Methodists for Lesbian/Gay
Concerns, Inc., as a resource for the
Reconciling Congregation Program. It
addresses concerns of lesbians and gay
men as they relate to the ministry of the
church.
The Reconciling Congregation Program is a network of United Methodist local churches who publicly affirm their ministry with the whole family of God and .."ho welcome lesbians and gay men into their community. In this network, Reconciling Congregations find strength and support as they strive to overcome the divisions caused by prejudice and homophobia in our church and in our society. Together these congregations offer hope that the church can be a reconciled community.
To enable local churches to engage in these ministries, the program provides resource materials, including Open Hands. Resource persons are available locally to assist a congregation that is seeking to become a Reconciling Congrega tion.
Information about the program can be obtained from:
Reconciling Congregation Program
p.o. Box 23636
Washington, DC 20026
Phone: 2021863-1586
Vol. 6 No. 1 Summer 1990
----~-----------------------------------------Reconciling
Ministries: Including, Evangelizing, Leading ..... .... . 4
Kim A. Smith
Reconciling Congregations in Profile . ...... . .... ......... .... ... . 7 Margarita 1. Will
Breaking Out of the Large Church Mold ......... . ......... .. ... .. 8
Irene Morrissey
Our Journey: From Fear to Inclusion ..... .... ... .... .. ..... . .....9
Charles Anderson
Taking a Stand in a Small Town . ... ......... ............ . ... . ... 11
Margie Sims
"We All Belong Together" ........ .. ....... ....... ..... . .... .... 12
Bradley Rymph
Growing in Faith and Numbers ... ..... .. ...... 17
Dale McCurdy
Witnessing to My Faith ...... ....... ... . ...... . . . .......... .. ... 18
Sylvia Bouton
Resources .. ....... ....... .............. . ....... .... ..... .. .. . . 14
Resources for Reconciling Ministries
Planning a Study Series
Making a Presentation Sustaining the Spirit . ........ .. ....... . ... ..... ................20 Letters ..................... . .... ....... .. . ... . .... ..... ..... .. 21 R CP Report ........... . ... .... ... ........... .. ......... ... ....22
Reconciling Ministries: Including, Witnessing to My Faith ....... 18
Evangelizing, Leading ........ .4
2 Open Hands
Telling Our Stories: Ministries of Inclusiveness
Storytelling lies at the heart of our Christian faith. Our foremothers and forefathers passed on wondrous stories of God's saving acts in history. Jesus used stories to illustrate his proclamation of God's Word. The stories told by Jesus' followers represented Jesus' life, death, and resurrection as God's redemptive act.
Participants in the second national gathering of Reconciling Congregations last February recounted and told stories. In fact, most participants stated that sharing stories with members of other Reconciling Congregations was the most valuable part of the weekend. Storytelling is a vital part of our national movement affirming local church ministries with lesbians and gay men.
A story is a vehicle through which we convey our understanding of truth-how we understand the world around us and God's activity in that world. When we listen to the stories of other persons, we begin to get a larger picture of that truth. Hearing the stories of congregations in our reconciling movement allows us to discern how God's Spirit is at work in our movement.
This issue of Open Hands presents stories of many Reconciling Congregations. Woven through these stories are a series of messages that depict the state of our movement within the United Methodist Church and other mainline denominations. We hear that our movement is growing rapidly. Our movement is increasingly representative of our church and society: urban and rural churches; small and large churches; churches that are racially and ethnically diverse. Our movement is engaged in inclusive ministries beyond just lesbian/gay concerns. God's Spirit is at work transforming the lives of individuals and communities through the ministry of reconciliation.
For those of you who are already engaged in this interdenominational movement, this issue of Open Hands provides you with a larger picture of where our movement is today and some insights into where we are going. You will also find tools for evangelism-practical suggestions for proclaiming the good news of our movement to others.
For others who are interested in this movement, this issue provides some practical resources and ideas to assist you and your congregation in grappling with issues of reconciliation with lesbians and gay men. You are invited to use these resources to become an active participant in God's reconciling movement. ~
Next Issue's Theme:
Holy Unions: Blessing Lesbian/Gay Relationships
Reconciling Congregation Program Coordinator
Mark Bowman
Open Hands Co-Editors
M. Burrill Bradley Rymph
Editorial Assistant
Van Dixon
Graphic Design
Supon Design Group
Open BlWds is published four times a year. Subscription is $16 for four issues ($20 outside the U.S.A.). Single copies are available for $5 each; quantities of 10 or more are $3 each. Permission to reprint is granted upon request. Reprints of certain articles are available as indicated in the issue. Subscriptions, requests for advertising rates and information, and other correspondence should be sent to:
Open Hands
P.O. Box 23636
Washington, DC 20026
Phone: 202/863-1586
Copyright © 1990 by Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian/Gay Concerns, Inc. Open Hands is a registered trademark of Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian/Gay Concerns.
Member, The Associated Church Press
ISSN 0888-8833
Summer 1990 3 .
Reconciling Ministries: Including, Evangelizing, Leading
by Kim A. Smith
d d that didn't ask
h I've atten e h
"It's the first churc "ys a single mot er,
h band was, sa .. ' 10
me where my us B th ny after VISltmg over
. . taV at e a
decldmg to s . .
. S' n FrancIsco. , .
churches m a b' t for Fillpmos
, t n easy SlL Jec . h "Homosexuali~7 lS no a la leader, the patnarc to talk about, con~eysw~ m~ke up 20% of our of an extended fa~1l1y" t what if one of my, sons hurch membershIP· B,u, l' gay? I want hlm to
c h ame lS' .
[ages 7 and 11 at t e h he knows that he lS groW up in a church ; ;r;onsider raisi~g. my s~ns welcome and accepte . of my mmlStry.
d Christians to be pa,rt did not feel
as goo . God If my sons
ot be servmgld n
wou d" loved and accepte . h here there are no . "My friend attends a c7:~~ re~tes one of our ~emor children or young peo)l h that about two-thlrds of members. "When I te ~: a e of 40, she gets our members are under t ;u do it,) she asks. ~ tears in her eyes. (Ho~ ~:~t to consider becommg tell her that her churc , , " 'l' g Congregatwn .
a ReconCl m
There is no universal formula to being a Reconciling Congregation (RC) within the United Methodist Church. More than likely, the members of any R C are not a homogeneous group of people, nor are all the congregations themselves alike.
The same is true of the parallel movements in other mainline Protestant denominations. Whether a congregation calls itself More Light (Presbyterian), Reconciled in Christ (Lutheran), Open and Affirming (United Church of Christ or Christian Church-Disciples of Christ), or Welcoming (Unitarian Universalist), it is certain to include a beautifully diverse assortment of people. And it is also certain to have its own image of its role in the witness and ministry of Christ's gospel.
Yet each of these congregations-no matter what its denomination, location, or individual makeup-shares one common commitment: to strive for an inclusiveness that welcomes all persons into their faith communities and to practice reconciling ministries wherever the Spirit may lead.
As members of these congregations, we are a people who have moved (or are moving) beyond the basic question of merely accepting lesbian and gay members. Instead, we ask whether we can exclude anyone from our local church's ministry. We know that there are many groups of people who have often been excluded from the life of the church-not just gay men and lesbians but also people of color, children, and women. Probably none of our congregations has perfected inclusiveness. But I trust that we at least struggle with inclusiveness as an issue of justice, and as the cutting edge for the life of our communities.
: 4
We are also a people who work for justice and peace in many ways and on many levels. When I review the newsletters I receive from several Reconciling Congregations, I am struck at the level of concern and activity among even the smallest churches. (A statistical profile of Reconciling Congregations responding to a national survey is offered by Margarita I. Will on page 7.)
Congregations engaged in reconciling ministries often become models as churches that practice prophetic service and witness in their communities and for their denominations. Several pastors in the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church have expressed admiration of the "courage" of Bethany, the church I serve as pastor, to be an active Reconciling Congregation. By our very being, we challenge the UMC to reflect not only on its policies and practices around homosexuality, but also on the hard questions of inclusion and exclusion, the outreach of God's love, and the way we reflect God's creation.
We seem to confront the system whether we do so directly or not (and often whether we want to or not!). A former parishioner of mine calls this "being a tree in the road." She notes that in rural areas the routes of even major roads are modified in order to accommodate large and old trees, because the presence of the tree is so valuable. The road is built around the tree! Our congregations continue to be trees in the road. By our existence, we cause the way to be altered or moved.
A II these congregations are a distinctive and specific expression of Christian community. By definition, we are congregations that intentionally include gay men and lesbians in all aspects of our ministries. In this way, we have decided to define ourselves by the relationships we invite, encourage, nourish, and celebrate. This includes relationships not only with lesbians and gay men but with all persons
Open Hands
who seek an open and loving Christian fellowship. The life we share is determined by the relationships we keep.
In his book The Bible Makes Sense, theologian Walter Brueggemann offers an unusual perspective about relationships in the faith community. He frames his discussion within the concepts of death and life. He writes:
The Bible has notions of life and death which are very different from those we have today . . . The Bible understands life and death in covenantal categories. Life means to be significantly involved in a community of caring, meaning and action, while death means to be excluded from such a community or denied access to its caring, meaning and action. A German scholar, Jungel, has recently shown that life in the Bible means relatedness. Conversely death is to be unrelated. [Now] this is a two-sided issue. On the one hand, life is a task. It is work which is assigned to a community and which the community must intentionally undertake. The other side is that life is a free gift. It is pure gift. It is new life in renewed relations. It is the continuing task of maturing for every faith community to embrace both realities that life is task and that life is free gift.!
To invite, create, and celebrate relationships is to invite life itself. As I reflect on Brueggemann's ideas, I begin to substitute "reconciliation" for "life." Reconciliation is a relationship, seeking to be in honest, open, and caring affiliation with another. To be engaged in reconciling ministries means to offer a place where such relationships can be developed-to be significantly involved in a practicing community of caring, meaning, and actionwhile fighting the death of being excluded from such a community or denied access to its caring, meaning, and action. Reconciliation and its practice are both a gift
Summer 1990 and a task. The ministries we ordain and pursue under the umbrella of reconciliation are both a task and gift. An examination of our tasks and gifts is a ,..,ay of looking at where we are going.
One of our tasks as a reconciling people is continuing to make connections and build networks. We can expand our alliances with other movements and communities that are formulated around • spirituality linked with justice. This can mean, for exam-. pIe, working with local congregations that belong to parallel programs in other denominations. Many local churches are the only congregation in their denominational program in their judicatory, lending a sense of isolation and loneliness. But when we think of these other churches as travelers on the same path, then we are no longer the only one! Reaching out to other churches with a similar affinity is an absolute necessity. What's more, building common ministries, including worship services and outreach programs, can only strengthen our ministries.
We must also reach out to other spiritually based communities, not defined as Christian or as a church. In San Francisco, we find it vital to encourage strong relationships with the gay/lesbian community. Long before churches got involved, members of this community and those who were becoming the "AIDS community" were caring for people with AIDS (PWAs) and their families. Churches are often relative newcomers to the AIDS crisis. At Bethany, I must acknowledge that I • have much to learn about ministry with PWAs from members of the lesbian and gay community, who have become expert caregivers. It is they who, from the begin-• ning, were bringing the good news of healing, hope, and . love to PWAs.
I am reminded of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, who, in the Gospel of John, is the first person to tell non-Jews about Jesus the Christ. She is an outcast: a woman, a Samaritan, a person judged morally • unacceptable to the community. She is an outsider, yet she is the one who recognizes Jesus as the Christ and shares this good news with the very ones who have rejected her. The one on the outside instructs and invites those on the inside to a new relationship with God. Many on the outside of the church can teach us about the love of God and humankind. Communities and movements that come to mind include the gay/lesbian community, the recovery movement, the feminist movement, and other movements of liberation. It is essential that we build good, mutual relationships with these communities and movements.
T he story of the Samaritan woman also reminds
me that it is our job to share the good news of
Jesus' love and healing for all people. It is time
for us to proclaim ourselves as evangelists and reclaim
5
the field of evangelism. In recent decades, the term
evangelistic has, for many, become synonymous with
conservative. I balk at this analogy. Theologically, I may
be classified as liberal or progressive, but I am also
evangelistic. Evangelism has everything to do with proclaiming
God's love for all and little to do with a particular
theological stance. Congregations engaged in
reconciling ministries may claim their roles as evangelists
by offering to help other congregations in the process of
discussion and study leading to a decision to publicly
• join their movements. Bethany is currently targeting several local United Methodist churches that seem to be potential Reconciling Congregations, writing to encourage their leadership to consider the RC program, as well as offering help with speakers, seminars, etc. Local RCs can become evangelists for the movement by working for their annual conference to become a Reconciling Conference, and congregations in other denominations often can undertake similar witnesses in their
• jurisdictions. The future of the various congregational programs in our multidenominational movement will be stronger as we develop, encourage, and invest in lay-led ministries. Each of us in the Church is a minister by virtue of our baptism and/or membership. Some of us choose to become ordained pastors, but the true ministers of a congregation are all those who are active in the life and mission of the local church. In the United Methodist Church, Reconciling Congregations will be less vulnerable to the whims of the appointment system if their lay leadership is skilled and strong. In congregations of any denomination, programs will remain more stable through pastoral changes if lay leadership is predominant.
In addition, our journey as congregations working toward reconciliation must include strategic planning. On the local church level, our congregations can include support for their denominational program (Reconciling Congregation, More Light, or whatever) as one element in our goals and objectives. On the national level, we must continue to target where we want to go and the best ways for getting there. As each of our programs develops as an independent organization, specific and strategic goals and objectives will be essential to keep alive our mission.
Finally, we must remember that reconciliation is a free gift, shared by God and with one another. The late theology professor Joseph Weber wrote that reconciliation is not something deserved or earned but is the movelTlent of God. "Our reconciliation to God," he said, "has given us back our genuine humanity as children of God. Reconciliation is an objective, effective, divine change of reality."2 These free and loving gifts are many. In particular, I can think of two "gifts" that are shared with congregations engaged in reconciling ministries as we move into the future.
The first gift is the presence of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit! As we struggle to pay bills, keep up attendance, and address the issues that face us, it is easy to forget that the Spirit is with our congregations and our movement, guiding us, uplifting us, and inspiring us. But how do we know where the Spirit is leading us? In the Gospel of John, Jesus ties the evidence of the Spirit's presence and guidance to the love we share with one another and the world. The Holy Spirit is manifested where love and acceptance, not exclusion, is practiced.
Who is coming through our doors? Who is here? Who is seeking spiritual community with us? If we look at who is coming to our churches for our ministry, then we can see where the Spirit is leading us. The movement of the Spirit is evidenced by the people God sends to us. Yes, I believe God sends us people. Each person is a gift of the Spirit. The needs, dreams, and desires of people who are currently friends and members, and those yet to come, can guide us in our ministry. The people who come through our doors are gifts from God, who indicate for us the direction of our mission and ministry.
A second gift comes from the pronouncements on community that Jesus shares in the Beatitudes. The sermon focuses on the various ways of being "blessed." The word that Jesus uses is makarios, which means more than blessed. Makanos was a term used to describe a joy that is internal, that is based in the very core of an individual person. It is a joy that is completely independent of al the changes and chances of life. Therefore, a more accurate translation might be: "the joy of being a peacemaker" or "the joy of humility."
This frames an important question: "What brings us our joy?" Another way of stating this question is "Where are we blessed and how can we be a blessing?" or "As a community, where is our passion, and how will we express it in ministry?" If our movement is to stay alive and vital, we must continually ask ourselves these questions. Such queries keep before us our mission. The responses we make to these questions can provide both a touchstone of reality and a sense of vision. What a gift to be able to follow our passions and to focus on ministries that bring us great joy!
The greatest gift we have, as individuals and as a movement, also brings with it a task. This important gift is our power: the power of our being, the power of our faith, the power of our faithfulness. Before he died from AIDS, longtime Affirmation leader 4le Loder wrote: "The greatest power we have is the power to decide to whom we will give the power to define who we are."3 Who will have the power to define who we arethat is, who will have the power over our life as a movement, over the life of each of our congregations, over our individual lives? It is WE who have that power, and how we utilize that power will determine the future of the movement of congregations of any denomination as they commit themselves to the quest of reconciling ministries . ..
Notes
1.
Walter Brueggemann. The Bible Makes Sense (Louisville, Ky: Westminster/John Knox, 1977).
2.
Joseph Weber, "Reconciliation Rediscovered," Manna for the Journey I, no. I (985), p. 9.
3.
Lyle Loder, paraphrasing Peggy Way in an address to the United Methodist National Consultation on AIDS Ministries, November 12-15, 1987. Excerpt printed in "Choosing Life with
Power," Open Hands, Summer 1988, p. 7.
Kim A. Smith is pastor of Bethany UMC in San Francisco and chair of the Board of Directors of the Reconciling Congregation Program.
Open Hands 6
Reconciling Congregations in Proflle
by Margarita I. Will
If you have just become a Reconciling Congregation, you are probably wondering what lies in your future. If you are considering becoming a Reconciling Congregation, what can you anticipate and when? Or if you have taken this stand for five years, what has actually happened?
To begin to answer these and other questions, a questionnaire was distributed to all 43 RCs in February. Answers from 29 churches have been received, a 62% return. We concentrated on getting responses from the 15 Reconciling Congregations that made their decision prior to 1986 and received replies from 12 of them. These we compared with newer RCs. Observations reported here reflect the information we received.
I f a Reconciling Congregation had been previously involved in lesbian/gay issues, it continued to be so involved. If it had just become interested as it decided to become an RC, it has taken two or more years for significant changes to occur.
Most RCs are churches with smaller memberships (40 to 330 average attendance, one with only 15). However, a few larger congregations of 500 to 1200 members have recently become RCs (see articles on pages 8-10. Size is not necessarily a determinant of effectiveness. Even a small congregation (attendance of 15 to 25) can have a strong impact in its commllllity and annual conference.
All responding churches are actively involved in a wide range of social justice issues and have been for some time. Human rights, South Africa, peace, and Central America (including sanctuary) have received major attention, with the homeless and the hungry topping the list. Ministries to persons living with AIDS have increased and taken a larger proportion of people's time in several churches. Overall, the survey shows continuity of interest in all social areas, with an increase in gay/lesbian concerns in most cases.
Many of the congregations that are actively involved
•
with societal problems reported a growing percentage of · younger members with 35% to 75% of their present : membership being in the 20-to 40-year-old range. This : increase has included YOllllger singles, couples, and
•
families with yOllllg children. Most congregations re•
porting did not seem to feel this was due primarily to
•
being an RC. Two active churches reported that 60% of
•
the congregation was over 60 years of age. Only two con•
gregations reported that a few of the long-time members
•
had left their churches. Most of the reporting congregations have been in dia•
logue with other United Methodist churches and with • other denominations about their becoming RCs. Newer
•
Res reported that contact with other RCs was helpful in
•
their own decision-making process. Dialogue undertaken with churches strongly opposed
•
to the RC position hasn't seemed to change many opin•
ions but is still helpful. Wallingford Church in Seattle
•
reported, "Results [from such discussions] were mixed,
•
but most participants felt that the dialogue enhanced
•
Summer 1990
mutual understanding and sharpened the issues involved."
When asked " Have you experienced hostility from annual conference leaders? ," most congregations said no (17 of 22), though the others felt there had been subtle negative comments made privately.
Sixteen churches said they had received "actions and expressions of support from bishops, district superintendents, and other church leaders." Examples given of such support were:
•
A bishop publicly affirmed the Reconciling Congregation movement at an RC dinner at annual conference.
•
A district superintendent stated that "This is a continuation of the congregation's struggle for justice."
•
Another superintendent said, "Your role as a Reconciling Congregation holds out a vision for all of us."
M ore churches have experienced hostility from the surrOllllding commllllity (9 out of 25) than from the annual conference. In one case this was expressed in letters, phone calls, and sly remarks related to the congregation's support of local ordinances protecting rights of lesbians and gay men. St. Paul's in Denver recalled that during the early 1980s, before it became an RC, community opposition to their support of gay/lesbian issues became "explicit, frightening, and gruesome."
All of the Reconciling Congregations answering affirm and use tHe gifts, talents, and leadership of their lesbian/gay members. Those members actively chair committees and administrative councils, participate in all worship areas, teach children in Sllllday school, lead and sing in choirs, and serve as greeters, church treasurers, financial secretaries, lay members of annual conference, and paid staff.
The fact that RCs include gay men and lesbians as teachers in their church schools reflects certain convictions. One, that lesbians and gay men do not try to indoctrinate children with their sexual orientation. And two, that by their very presence as teachers, they exemplify the view that sexual orientation is innate and therefore to be accepted as God-given.
Fourteen of the 29 reporting congregations have had pastoral changes since becoming RCs. All report receiving a supportive new pastor, and most had helpful consultations with the district superintendent in the process. All in all, Reconciling Congregations report being empowered and fulfilled in their ministry and have no regrets for the actions they have taken and, in fact, actively recommend the process to others! •
Margarita 1. Will, a member of WaLLingford UMC in Seattle, chaired her church 's RC liaison committee. She is also liaison between her church and Beacon House, a residence for persons living with AIDS. She is bilingual and translates for lawyers doing pro bono work with Salvadoran and Guatamalan clients.
7
Breaking Out of the Large Chuch Mold
by Irene Morrissey
First UMC, Oneonta, New York
•
First United Methodist Church in Oneonta, N.Y., is one of the largest (800 + members) and wealthiest
•
churches in the Wyoming Annual Conference (containing parts of northeastern Pennsylvania and southeastern
: New York state). Our decision to become a Reconciling Congregation did not come quickly or easily-or is yet a
•
comfortable thing for all members of the church. Several
•
years ago Wyoming Conference voted to become a Rec• onciling Conference (a decision which has since been
•
rescinded). The following year the annual conference
•
issued a mandate to all local churches to study the issue of homosexuality and the ruling of the General Con•
ference excluding homosexual persons from ordination
•
and thus from full participation in the life of the church. During the church year, we normally hold two adult
•
seminars that deal with the social and theological issues • of the church. The Issues Class of the Sunday school
studies additional issues and often recommends that fur· ther study be done in a seminar or similar forum.
•
Drawing on local resources-Oneonta is home to two
•
colleges-we organize and present studies during Sunday
school time, as a five-week Lenten series, and in co· operation with the United Methodist Women. We have : studied the bishops' letter on nuclear war, issues on the · environment, Native Americans, and hunger and homelessness
locally and internationally, and have been in•
strumental in organizing our area's Habitat for Human•
ity. We have an active, growing church-so study on the issues of exclusion from the church seemed a natural.
: The Issues Class had already discussed our disagreement with that infamous section of the United Metho•
dist Social Principles (para. 71F) stating that the practice
of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian · teaching. We also discussed the exclusion of lesbians and
•
gay men from ordination (para. 402.2). We found these : to be the only areas where the church discriminated · against any of God's creation. Since we all had friends
•
family, colleagues, pastors, etc., who were lesbian/gay, '
we felt we needed to do something about it. After the conference mandate, the Issues Class was
•
asked to present a seminar. We decided we did not want · this particular issue to begin and end in our Sunday
school class. Often we "deal" with the issues, and the · majority of the church then doesn't have to think about
•
it and everyone's conscience is cleared. So we refused
•
and asked that a task force consisting of all the commissions
of the church be formed.
The task force explored resources and available
•
speakers and asked for a block of six Sundays during Sunday school time to be set aside for the seminar.
•
Publicity was well planned and placed in every conceivable place. Seminars are always well attended-all
· 8
three adult classes, usually the youth classes, members not usually in a class, and persons from other churches and the community. We wanted this one to be especially well attended.
The first session was conducted by a resource person from Wyoming Conference. We discussed the related Social Principles passages and the judgment the church and society place on all persons we declare "different." Our own prejudices and prejudgments about what is or isn't "sin" were also discussed.
We had ordered copies of everything available through the Reconciling Congregation Program, including the newly released book And God Loves Each One. These !o
I
were available for members to read before, during, and following the seminar.
The following Sundays we viewed and discussed the video "Casting Out Fear," our pastor spoke on the biblical and theological aspects, and we concluded the seminar with a panel consisting of local and conference members-among them a "still-closeted" church conference leader. Everyone was given the opportunity to speak and air concerns and encouragements. During the last session, a statement declaring that "First Church would include all persons in the full life of the church" was drafted and directed to the Administrative Board.
Again, the Administrative Board meeting and its agenda were heavily publicized. We wanted everyone to be aware of the importance of the meeting. The board meeting was probably the best attended in the history of First Church and probably one of the longest. Most members were open-minded, informed, and supportive. Some of the opposition came from persons who had not attended the seminar, some who confused the term pedophile with homosexual, and some who were concerned with their old beliefs about sin. After much discussion, a secret ballot was taken. The outcome was
..
'a ... ...•..
Open Hands
an overwhelming majority-in favor of becoming a
Reconciling Congregation!
Our work had only just begun. We fOlllld our youth to still be extremely troubled and confused. A new task force and the Youth Council (which had been abandoned years ago) were formed to work with the youth. Opportunities were provided for youth to explore the questions they had about their own sexuality and to explore what the whole issue of exclusion of others we perceive as "different" meant.
T hroughout the process, we were reminded how important communication is. In any church, but especially in a large church, keeping issues and events constantly before the congregation using a variety of media is vital. Every step we took, we went to great lengths to make sure people were aware of what was happening. We continue to make available reports of events that we participate in and have a bulletin board in a central place highlighting RC activities.
Even so, we still have an occasional member who indignantly claims to have no knowledge of our decision. Almost always our pastor is able to reason with such persons and calm their fears and doubts. We continue to struggle, pray, and inform.
We have grown both spiritually and physically as our congregation grapples with our differences. In a large congregation, total agreement on any subject is rarely possible. Our membership includes people representing a whole spectrum of views. We work at getting along and settling our differences so we can get on with what needs to be done and avoid getting bogged down in petty disagreements and squabbles.
This year we sent members of our congregation to the convocation of Reconciling Congregations in San Francisco. Three First Church members attended the General Conference Committee to Study Homosexuality in Boston in March as observers to listen to theologians and speak informally with members of the committee. In April we testified before the Northeastern Jurisdiction "listening post," which was also a part of the general church's study committee. (See article on page 18.'
Locally, our Mission Commission has asked our Enabling Ministries fund for a grant of money, time, and space to assist people with AIDS and their friends and families. We hope to house a staff person from the Southern Tier (of New York) AIDS Program in Binghamton one day per week to counsel and educate persons seeking help. We've asked to become involved with the local AIDS task force, and First Church members are being asked to become part of the "buddy" program for persons with AIDS. We house the local gay/lesbian group from one of our colleges, which had been denied meeting space on campus.
We make a conscious effort to include all persons in
the life of the church. Because we are a large, beautiful,
wealthy city church we struggle with the perceptions
others have of us and that we ourselves may have unconsciously
portrayed that we are exclusive. We are striving
to overcome all these perceptions in order to become
the loving, caring church our Lord has asked us to be ....
Irene Morrissey is convener of the Issues Class and cochair of the Missions Committee in her church, First UMC in Oneonta, New York, and on the local Board for Habitat for Humanity.
Our Journey:
From Fear to Inclusion
by Charles Anderson
First UMC of Germantown, Philadelphia
The First United Methodist Church of Germantown is a large congregation (900+ members) in Philadelphia. We have a long history of involvement in many justice issues. However, we really weren't sure we were prepared to grapple with the denomination's stand on homosexuality. But grapple we did. This is the story of our congregation's journey-of our struggle that ultimately made possible our enthusiastic decision to become a Reconciling Congregation.
Our journey took over two years-a journey from saying "tolerance is important, but I wouldn't want all the gays in Philadelphia to come here," to an affirmation that "a Reconciling Congregation stands for inclusion." We went from saying "many of us are afraid of issues of sexuality" to the establishment of a standing committee on Religion and Sexuality. We went from asking "What happens to lesbian and gay members if we don't become a Reconciling Congregation?" to a resounding vote in favor of becoming a Reconciling Congregation that stands not only for inclusion but also for justice, love, and witness. For many, the journey was exciting and memorable for its highs and lows. For almost everyone, the journey was hard.
F Our key factors were at work during our journey. Being a large church with four professional clergy, one critical factor in our reconciling process was the support of all four of them. In addition to their support, they played several important roles. The idea of considering becoming an RC was actually proposed by the senior pastor, who encouraged the leaders of the Social Concerns committee to begin work on the issue. This pastor is extremely well respected in the church, and his initial endorsement gave the idea credibility. At least one of the clergy attended almost all the meetings of the task force that eventually coordinated the process. Besides bringing their own ideas to the task force, they shared any concerns raised by church members with that group. The ministerial staff provided information as well as powerful witnesses of their feelings in sermons, while remaining open to discussions of differing viewpoints with members of the congregation.
The involvement of a broad segment of lay people was another equally important factor. Although their involvement was essential if the process was to have any meaning at all, developing that participation proved to be more difficult than anticipated. When the leaders of the Social Concerns committee first announced a meeting open to anyone who wanted to become involved, it was reasonably well attended. Almost all the people who
Summer 1990 9
came, however, were lesbians, gay men, or nongay/lesbian
people with a strong personal reason for being interested,
such as having a lesbian/gay child. While it
was obvious why such people might be more interested
than other church members in the idea of becoming an
RC, it was important that a broader segment of the congregation
become involved. This broader involvement
was needed because: 1) the gay/lesbian people needed to
sense that they were not alone in the struggle; 2) with
such a large congregation a diversity was needed on the
committee so that most church members would know
and trust a committee member to facilitate comfortable
communication if they had questions or concerns; and 3)
• the process needed even more credibility than that provided by the interest of the church staff-lay leaders needed to be involved as well.
A third critical factor in the process was the participation and openness of lesbian/gay members of the congregation. They were willing to risk pain and rejection in revealing much of their lives including information beyond the fact of being gay/lesbian. At times some people were hurt. But this personalized the issue in a way that nothing else could, and many people were forced to think specifically about one gay man or lesbian about whom they cared, rather than just about "those homosexuals.' '
The fourth important element was the use of outside resources. Representatives of another RC, a leader of the Reconciling Congregation Program, a member of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a psychiatrist, biblical scholars, and social workers all participated in sessions with church members. The topics covered were diverse.
As we embarked on our journey, one of the first hurdles we addressed was resolving the dilemma of broad church involvement. The Administrative Board decided that rather than having a voluntary group organized by the Social Concerns committee coordinate the process, they could achieve broader congregational representation through appointing a task force to do the job. This task force included some members by virtue of office and some who had initially expressed interest.
Establishing this task force had interesting consequences. A number of people (many of whom were lesbian/gay) who had initially expressed an interest in the project were now not on the task force. It took time for the gay men and lesbians in the congregation, whether on the task force or not, to accept this decision and to overcome the feeling that this was just an example of the larger heterosexual community not trusting them and dictating terms. This concern was resolved, in part, by forming a subcommittee of the task force (called the Working Group) which included some task force members as well as any other members of the church who wanted to be involved. This group ended up proposing, planning, and executing (under the auspices of the task force) many of the events in the reconciling process.
Another interesting consequence of establishing the task force was that the members of this group found themselves thrown together, in some cases unwillingly, to consider an issue with which many were uncomfortable. The result was a process of reconciliation within the task force itself before major events were undertaken with the
"For the first time in 14 years the
church has had a net increase in
membership since beginning the
process of becoming a ReconCiling
Congregation. "
-one of the largest RCs.
rest of the congregation. This was an incredibly valuable process. Members learned much about the issue and about themselves. They came to care about each other
and to trust each other. These people then carried the message of reconciliation to other church members.
Early in the process, the task force set goals. One goal involved an organized plan to present a variety of information. The congregation did not simply consider biblical or theological aspects of homosexuality. According to the plan, justice issues were considered and homosexuality itself was discussed with such questions as: Do people choose to be homosexual? Is there a "gay lifestyle"? Why are people homophobic? These topics were discussed in formal sessions with a variety of outside resource persons (in such settings as Adult Sunday School, United Methodist Women, Senior High Youth, Administrative Board, Council on Ministries, etc.) as well as in informal sessions in members' homes.
Throughout the entire process, one main goal of the task force was to encourage an environment where people could freely express their feelings. This was often hard to do. Sometimes the feelings were strong; sometimes people were impatient. But the task force reminded itself often that it was an important goal.
I n the end, the Administrative Board received the report of the task force and voted to recommend that the congregation vote to become a Reconciling Congregation. The board also established a standing committee on Religion and Sexuality whose mission would be to encourage continuing dialogue about the moral, justice, theological, and complex societal issues connected with functioning as spiritual and sexual human beings-whatever one's sexual orientation. In an emotional meeting, the congregation itself voted overwhelmingly in favor of becoming a Reconciling Congregation. The vote was not unanimous, and right up to the end strong objections were voiced. Our struggle is not over; our committee of Religion and Sexuality has work to do as our journey continues. ~
Charles Anderson, a member at First UMC of Germantown, is a veterinarian working in the Philadelphia area. He was a member of his church's Reconciling Congregation task force and chairperson of the "working group."
Open Hands 10
i
Taking a Stand in a Small Town
by Margie Sims
Estacada UMC, Estacada, Oregon
Estacada, Oregon, is a town of 2,000 located in a rural area 25 miles from Portland. The commlll1ity has traditionally depended on the now-troubled timber industry, but today a growing number of Estacada's residents are people who have chosen to live in a rural setting and work in the city. The community has been, and continues to be, politically conservative. Independence of spirit and old-fashioned values are alive and well in Estacada!
The Estacada United Methodist Church was organized in 1906 with 36 members. After reaching a high of 150 by 1951, membership declined to about 60 in the 1970s as yOlll1g adults left town to seek greater economic opportlll1ity and as the number of churches in town proliferated. That decade, however, brought a growing social awareness and involvement to the church. This commitment continued through the 1980s, as members became active in the larger church at district, conference, and even denominational levels and as the congregation became infused with ideas, enthusiasm, and a sense of mission that have drawn in new members looking for a church with a social commitment.
When the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference called for congregations to examine whether they might consider becoming Reconciling Congregations, our then pastor suggested in the spring of 1989 that we consider the issue. Our Program Task Force was asked to plan an event for this purpose. Estacada has no openly gay community, and while at least one, and possibly more, persons of same-sex orientation were in our midst, we did not feel comfortable asking them to address the congregation on this issue. To develop a program, then, we sought resources from outside the commlll1ity, chiefly from the Affirmation group in Portland. In Jlll1e 1989 we held a potluck dinner after church, followed by a two-hour study and discussion session. After watching the video "Casting Out Fear," our pastor and a representative of Affirmation led a discussion on biblical and theological perspectives on homosexuality.
This was an entirely new issue for most of our congregation. Most of us had accepted the prevailing societal view, reinforced by the church, that homosexuality is immoral and lll1acceptable. Some of us were open about asking questions, but many were not. Two points stood out in this discussion: first, we considered lesbians and gay men as persons, not ideas or lifestyles. We put aside labels and emotional reactions and simply considered people who feel joy and pain, who work, play, and struggle, who are fathers and daughters, nurses and farmers, black, white, urban, rural. Second, we discussed the fact that people don't choose their affectional orientation and often find it a source of great struggle.
We then asked ourselves how we, as United Methodist
Christians trying to be responsible as God's commlll1ity
Summer 1990 in action, were to relate to gay men and lesbians. We didn't attempt to answer the question that day, but elected to pursue the question through dialogue. We talked formally in church and informally in many other settings.
At a potluck and brainstorming session in August with our new pastor, a consensus began to emerge. We still disagreed about feelings and fears, but we did agree that we couldn't be both faithful and exclusive.
By fall it was obvious that we were on our way to becoming a Reconciling Congregation, and we decided to take this step formally at our charge conference in November. In preparation for the vote, we stepped up our dialogue to give all our members and constituents an opportlll1ity to participate in the decision. We also tried to anticipate the reactions that might come from others in our closely knit, conservative small town and to be sure that we were ready to handle them.
On November 8, 1989, with 15 persons present, we voted lll1animously to become a Reconciling Congregation and on Slll1day, December 10, held a joyful public celebration as a part of our worship service. This was attended by supportive district and conference representatives, members of Affirmation, people from up to 150 miles away, and the press. It was reported sympathetically by local and regional newspapers.
There followed a fairly brief, but strong, flurry of protests. The local ministerial association disbanded "for the purpose of reforming the ministers into one or more ministerial organizations," basically because a number of the more conservative ministers felt they could not be identified with us in any way. Letters were received by the congregation and the local newspaper; most of them supported our action, though a few denolll1ced it. A local church had a stone thrown through a window and "FAG" spray-painted all over the front. Whoever did it had the wrong church, but we cleaned it up. In a month the controversy was all but over.
We apparently haven't lost a single member because of
our decision. In fact, our constituency has increased,
and many travel a considerable distance to attend our
services. Our giving has remained steady.
Among our activities, we have held a four-month
study of homosexuality, we have visited the Portland
Metropolitan Commlll1ity Church, and their choir has
visited our congregation. We have also redecorated a
room in a new AIDS hospice.
Two of us attended the National Convocation of Reconciling
Congregations in February and brought back
bean seeds distributed during a commlll1ion service at
the convocation. We planted them during the children's
sermon on the Slll1day that the MCC choir sang.
Recently, our children took the plants home to give
them more nurturing and slll11ight. Our children may
not understand homosexuality, but they do lll1derstand
hospitality, healing, and hope-the theme of the
convocation-and so do we! ....
Margie Sims teaches eLementary and retarded children and at-risk adoLescents in Estacada, Oregon. She enjoys camping, reading, and her work with Estacada UMC.
11
"We.All Belong Together"
by Bradley Ryrnph
Ethnically Diverse Congregations
"One congregation-four language ministries": such is the d~scr~pti~:m us~d by Wilshire UMC in Los Angeles to deSCrIbe ItS mclusIVe fellowship. With over 1,000 me~ber~, th~s urban. parish is in many ways a model of e~hmc dIversIty, not Just for the Reconciling CongregatIOn Program but for the entire United Methodist Church.
Originally an all-white, English-speaking church, Wilshire took its first steps toward inclusiveness about 25 years ago, when the first black families joined it. One of those f!rst bla~k me~bers recalls, "During the early years, It was hke bemg on an island alone. We were not really seen; we were looked through. Our children would ask us why we were putting up with this .. . . I knew we all served the same Christ, and I felt the church ought to be on the cutting edge of this kind of change. So we stuck it out."
In the late 1970s, Wilshire moved further towards br?~d inclusiveness when it began a Korean-language ~mIstry to. serve people who were increasingly moving mto the neIghborhood near the church. With this new m~nis~ry, Wilshire's members established an important prmclple-that they were "one church." Rather than creating a Korean tenant congregation that paid rent a~d evolved as a separate church, the organizing commIttee felt strongly that membership should be held together as one congregation. (Not everyone supported this principle-showing a fear common to members of cong~egations in "changing neighborhoods," some Enghsh-Ianguage members feared being "taken over" by the Korean-language people.) Eventually, Wilshire began two more language ministries-Spanish and Tagalog (Filipino).
While Wilshire may be the most ethnically diverse Reconciling Congregation, it is far from the only one. He~enw~y UMC in ~vanston, Illinois, offers worship servIces m both Enghsh and Chinese. Other RCs share ~heir facilities with separate congregations that worship m ~ language other than English. Albany Park UMC in C~llcago shares its building and its pastor, Finees Flores, WIt~ EI Redentor, a Spanish-language UM congregation, whIle a Korean Christian Reformed congregation worships in the facilities of Albany UMC in Albany California. '
In many cases, an RC's ethnic diversity has evolved ~ver time, reflecting geographic and population transitIOns. Two such RCs are Central UMC in Toledo, Ohio, and Metropolitan-Duane UMC in New York City. In other cases, local congregations were established intentionally to be racially mixed. Christ UMC in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1963 in an urban renewal neighborhood to be the first integrated Methodist church in that city. Edgehill UMC in N ashville was established in 1966 with essentially the same mandate. . ~ith any ethnically mixed congregation, such diversity mevItably creates special dynamics as its members consider what it means to be publicly intentional in ministering with lesbians and gay men. But these dynamics have, as often as not, been different from what some people's stereotypes might have led them to expect.
I n each of these churches, support for-as well as discomfort with-the idea of being a Reconciling Congregation has cut across racial and ethnic lines. In Wilshire, for example, various black members have discussed the links among different kinds of discrimination, recalls Alan Jones, the church's English-speaking senior pastor. At Metropolitan-Duane, black and white T?embers together were unanimous in adopting a resolutIO? earli~r .this year affirming the controversial holyumon pohcles of two other Reconciling Congregations.
Rather, whatever opposition to the RCP has been expressed has often reflected the same concerns that are common in other congregations-that is, the beliefs of ~eople with gen.erally conservative theological perspectIves that the BIble condemns homosexual behavior. Such attitudes, of course, are not specifically racial or ethnic but merely reflect stances that the Church has taken for centuries and only recently have been challenged.
When concerns have been raised by nonwhite or nonEnglis?-speaking members of a congregation, they have more hkely been concerns that the public addition of lesbian/gay ministries to a church's commitment might mean a lessened commitment to other inclusiveness issues. Ethnically diverse congregations have found that it is important to develop their ministries with lesbians and gay men in the same way that they develop their other ministries-by drawing on the varied perspectives and concerns that their diversity provides.
For example, as Christ UMC was discussing becoming an RC, a few black members commented that they supported the congregation's ministries with lesbians and gay men but did not want it to appear that those ministries were more important than the church's other justice activities. The congregation responded by adopting a "Statement of Purpose" that specifically called for outreach across racial, economic, age, and gender-as well as sexual orientation-lines and recommitted church members to their other ministries in the community.
The concerns of blacks and other ethnic minorities
that their issues could be thrust aside in the push for
action on lesbian/gay issues is often based in fact. Both
gay/lesbian and nongay whites can sometimes appear to
be uninterested in other human rights issues. At this
spring's session of one UMC annual conference, one
participant observed that the same white persons who
forcefully advocated for the Reconciling Congregation
Program were seemingly silent when topics of special
concern to black church members were being discussed.
Open Hands 12
1
Because of Wilshire's multilingual nature, the need to draw on the varied perspectives of its members has been particularly challenging for that congregation. When Wilshire was considering becoming a Reconciling Congregation, it was being governed by a structure headed by an Administrative Council composed primarily of English-speaking members. The church's discussions of what it would mean to be an RC were held entirely in English. Thus, when the council voted in May 1989 to join the RCP, many non-English-speaking members of the church were caught off-guard. According to Jones, they were upset not so much because of the decision but because they had not been brought into the process.
Partly as a result of these reactions, the membership of Wilshire realized the urgency of adopting a more inclusive mode of governance. In November 1989, the church reformulated its decision-making structure to include more equitable representation from all its language ministries.
A special challenge, Jones recalls, was selecting a chairperson for the new Administrative Board: "We needed a very special person who had skills at relating and cultural sensitivities." Chang Soon Lee, Wilshire's Korean-language pastor, suggested one possibility, and he was supported by Djalma Araujo, the Spanishlanguage pastor. The nominee: a white, Englishspeaking gay man named Bob Ficklin. When Ficklin expressed his concern that having a gay man might cause problems since the congregation was still struggling over the way it had become a Reconciling Congregation, Lee and Araujo stood firm: Ficklin was the person they wanted.
I t is an oversimplification, however, to assume that
there are no differences in perspectives toward
homosexuality between whites, blacks, and other groups. Obviously, it is not only inaccurate but even potentially harmful to put forth generalized assumptions as though they apply to all persons in any given group, but differing cultural sensitivities can require special considerations as congregations pursue ministries with lesbians and gay men.
Thus far, although many Reconciling Congregations are ethnically diverse, no ethnic-minority congregations have joined the RCP. At least one such churchSpanish-speaking El Redentor in Chicago-is exploring the possibility, however. According to its pastor, Finees Flores, the congregation is attempting to minister to gay men and lesbians who attend the English courses held in the church building. An El Redentor committee helping to draft a joint mission statement for El Redentor and Albany Park, the RC whose building it shares, has proposed the following concluding sentence: "There will be openness to all folk, regardless of race, color, or sexual orientation."
Undoubtedly, differences will exist between ethnicminority and ethnically diverse congregations, just as there are inevitable differences between integrated and white congregations. The extent of such differences is far from clear, however. A black member of one integrated Reconciling Congregation suspects that "If you find an ethnically mixed congregation, the minorities there are not necessarily going to be representative of their groups. There is going to be more of a blending.... I think the
Summer 1990 same thing is the case with the white members of a mixed congregation-they hold some values that are different from other whites."
Janet Petty, an associate pastor at Wilshire, agrees. "Before coming here, I pastored a couple of black churches. They would not have been open to becoming a Reconciling Congregation and would have felt it was an insult to draw parallels between racism and attitudes on homosexuality. We had several conversations about the issue of sexism, and they were clear to tell me that comparing racism and sexism was like comparing apples and oranges."
Petty explains that some blacks equate homosexuality with "black genocide." "They feel that homosexuality is a white thing that black folks have been sucked into. They are also saying that, if you're a lesbian or gay man and black, you're betraying your blackness."
She added that another difficulty in discussing lesbian/gay issues in black churches can be the "image of sin. They say, 'Of course, we love them, but we hate their sin.' In some black congregations, there is no tradition of questioning or examining scripture." It was already noted above that this is a commonly raised concern among churches, whatever their ethnic/racial makeup, but Petty believes that this is a particularly strong tradition for many black congregations. "But that doesn't mean that we [who support ministries with lesbians and gay men] don't take a stand and go on."
Joshua Hutchins, the pastor of Asbury UMC, the largest black United Methodist congregation in Washington, D.C., has a somewhat different perspective. "There are many challenges that black congregations face, primarily in terms of the black family and the black male in today's society," he explained. "Congregations may be reluctant to pick up another subject [such as discussing becoming a Reconciling Congregation]. This may be because there may seem to be some contradiction to some people, or there may just be a lack of energy to deal with too many issues. I don't think there is any more conflict [ over lesbian/gay issues] in a primarily black congregation than in any other. There may simply be other ways of handling the issue."
Because true inclusiveness is the goal of the Reconciling Congregation Program, the ethnically diverse churches in the program together offer examples of what it means to be committed to truly reconciling ministries. Alan Jones may have best expressed the attitude of the diverse members of Wilshire-and of other Reconciling Congregations-when he noted: "What has happened in formatting our vision of a church has been a broader image of inclusiveness. We realize that it's wrong to exclude anybody. If we're all children of God, we all belong together." ~
Bradley Rymph is co-editor of Open Hands and a member of Christ UMC in Washington, D. C. Some of this article was adapted from information provided by Bob Ficklin, a member of Wilshire UMC in Los Angeles.
13
Resources
Resources for Reconciling Ministries
The Reconciling Congregation Program office receives many requests for a definitive guide or step-by-step process on how to become a Reconciling Congregation. Our experience has shown us that we cannot provide such a guideevery congregation is different, therefore the process of becoming a Reconciling Congregation is different. However, there are many resources available which you can adapt to your congregation.
On this page is a list of resources available from the Reconciling Congregation Probrram and other programs to assist your congregation.
On the next page are suggestions for planning a study series in your congregation on affirming reconciling ministries with lesbians and gay men.
The succeeding page contains an outline of a presentation about the Reconciling Congregation Program.
Remember that the best resources are other people-persons in your congregation, your community, and/or your judicatory. If you need assistance in locating resource persons, feel free to contact the national RCP office at 202/863-1586 or the office of your denominational program (see on p. 16).
From the Reconciling Congregation Program And God Loves Each One: A Resource
for Dialogue about the Church and Homosexuality. Ann Thompson Cook and Task Force on Reconciliation of Dumbarton UMC, 1988. 20 pp. An honest and friendly booklet that answers a Christia~'s basic questions about homosexuality. Ideal resource for individuals or groups beginning to explore lesbian/gay concerns. $4.95; 10+ copies $3.00. Add 15% postage/handling. Also 2-session study guide available at no charge.
Casting Out Fear: Reconciling Ministries ,-vith Lesbians and Gay Men. Videotape, 1988. 38 mins. Portrays the pain and estrangement lesbians and gay men feel in the church and the hope of reconciliation found in congregations that are moving toward a more loving acceptance. Filmed at the national convocation of Reconciling Congregations in 1987. Purchase: $100; 30-day rental: $20.00.
How to Become A Reconciling Congregation. Rev. 1989. 4 pp. Paper outlining process and steps guiding a local church to affirm its ministry with lesbians and gay men. Free.
Open Hands: Reconciling Ministries mth Lesbians and Gay Men. 24 pp. Quarterly magazine which provides information, practical suggestions, resources, and news on different themes related to ministry with lesbians and gay men. Annual subscription: $16.00; single copies: $5.00.
NOTE: Order the above resources from
Reconciling Congregation Program, P. O.
Box 23636, Washington, DC 20026, or
call 202/863-1586.
From Other Denominations/
Groups
Breaking the Silence, Overcoming the Fear: Homophobia Education. New York: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 1985. 71 pp. Background articles on homophobia and theological/biblical perspectives with several models for homophobia education. Includes a bibliography. $3.50 from Church Education Services, Room llOl, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10015.
Here Is My Hand. Patricia Ann Meyers for the Task Force on Reconciling Congregations/ Conference of the Oregon-Idaho Conference, UMC, 1990. 68 pp. Practical, five-session study guide for congregations and groups investigating reconciling ministries. $5.00 plus $2.00 postage/handling from Patricia Ann Meyers, 3005 S.W. ll8th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97005.
More Light Churches: Obedience, Ministry, Justice. Videotape, 1989. 27 mins. Video focuses on issues faced by lesbian and gay Presbyterians and how two More Light congregations attempt to respond to these issues in a compassionate way. Study guide also available. Purchase $23; two-week rental: $8 from PLGC, c/o Dick Hasbany, 2641 N ,W. Ginseng Place, Corvallis, OR 97330.
Plan of Action. Lutherans Concerned, N A. 12 pp. Paper which provides a suggested study process for congregations considering becoming "Reconciled in Christ." Free from Lutherans Concerned, P.O. Box 10461, Ft. Dearborn Station, Chicago, IL 60610-0461.
•
Resources for Ministry with Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Persons. United Church Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns, 1987 ed. Packet of information from pastoral perspective on "Open and Affirming" ministries, homophobia, issues for families and friends of lesbians/gay men. $7.50 from UCC/LGC, 18 N. College Street, Athens, OH 45701.
•
Thinking It Through: United Methodists Look at the Church and Homosexuality. Methodist Federation for Social Action, 1987. Collection of reprinted articles from many sources covering: forming a reconciling attitude, ordering our theology of ministry, developing AIDS ministries, and resources for reconciling ministries. $10.00 from MFSA, 76 Clinton Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301.
•
Welcoming Congregation Program Manual. Unitarian/ Universalist Association for Lesbian/Gay Concerns, 1990. Comprehensive resource book with introductory information for UUA congregations, outlines of workshops on homophobia, and other program ideas for local congregations. $24.95 plus $2 handling from UUA Bookstore, 25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108.
•
What Is an Open and Affirming Church'~ Open and Affirming Program, 1990. 4 pp. Information on what it means to become an Open and Affirming Church. Send SASE to ONA, c/o Ann Day, P.O. Box 403, Holden, MA 01520.
•
Where Do We Go From Here'! Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1987. Six-week study course developed to lead to the affirmation of local church ministries with lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons. $ll.50 from MACUCC, c/o Ann Day,
P.O. Box 403, Holden, MA 01520.
Why Do We Have To Do This? Open and Affirming Program, 1990. 7 pp. Paper written by a member of an Open and Affirming Church, outlining the reasons why it is important for a local church to take such a stance. $1.00 from, ONA, c/o Ann Day, P.O. Box 403, Holden, MA 01520...
14 Open Hands
Planning a Study Series
Most congregations that begin discussing reconciling ministries with lesbians and gay men decide to hold a study series as part of the church school program or as a series of special forums. Here are SOme suggestions, garnered from the experiences of other congregations, for developing such a study series.
Preparation
Allow ample time for preparation and publicity. With the busy schedules of many congregations, some programs tend to be developed hurriedly. Insist on the utter seriousness and importance of this series, and allow several weeks or months for preparation.
Publicize the series through personal invitation. Concerns related to human sexuality are deeply personal and not often raised in a church setting. Persons in your church may find it more comfortable not to participate in the study series. Congregations have learned that persons attend because of a personal invitation from one of the leaders or planners.
Design a personal, experiential series.
Focus the series on the experience of ministry and on relationships with persons-lesbians and gay men-not the academic understanding of homosexuality. Use lesbians and gay men and their families from your congregation or community to talk with participants about their faith and their lives. Always try to focus discussion and dialogue on persons' experience.
Make the series participatory and open. Expanding upon the previous point, use the active participation of all attending the series. This assures participants that you value their feelings, experiences, and beliefs; that this is a reconciling process, and not just the presentation of a particular point of view. Open and close each session with a question or reflection and ask for participants' responses.
Content The content of your study series will vary depending upon the amount of time you have. Some congregations have used four one-hour sessions on Sunday mornings. Others have had six to eight twohour sessions on a weeknight. Here is a list of topics you will want to try to include in your series. You will need to arrange and adjust them to fit the amount of time you have.
Introducing the National Program
Some congregations choose to introduce the national program early in the series as a possible decision for the church. Others choose to introduce this as a possible congregational response after several sessions on ministries with les-
Summer 1990
bians and gay men. On the following page is an outline of a presentation on the RCP; a list of the national programs in other denominations can be found below.
Homophobia in the Church and Society
Share the real life experiences of lesbians and gay men. If there are open lesbians and/or gay men in your congregation, invite them to talk about their lives. Use a role-reversal exercise or other such activity to help participants understand the prevalence of homophobia in our church and society.
Denonzinational Policies
Homophobia is codified in the policies of most denominations. Invite your pastor or someone else who is well informed about your denomination to present this information, including the history of how such policies came into being. If your congregation is United Methodist, you will focus on paragraphs ?IF, 402.2, and
906.12 in the Book of Discipline.
Information on Hon1osexuality
After identifying the focus of this series as your congregation's ministry with lesbians and gay men, provide basic information and discussion on homosexuality. Some congregations utilize psychologists, social workers, or other social scientists to help participants understand the social phenomenon of homosexuality.
Bible Study
Our experience as Christians frames our interpretation of the Bible. You can help participants break free of the traditional interpretation of the biblical texts which are assumed to deal with homosexuality when you have first given them a broader experience from which to understand these texts. Bible study should also include other texts which inform your congregation's ministry of reconciliation (see below).
Another Congregation's Story
Invite a member of a current Reconciling Congregation (or similar program in another denomination) to talk about how they have publicly affirmed ministries with lesbians and gay men. You will find your participants very eager to hear what other congregations have done-what has worked and what was not helpful-and how their ministry was enhanced through this decision and action. This also puts your congregation in the context of a national movement.
Your Congregation's Background
Invite discussion about other ways in which your congregation has reached out to those who are alienated or oppressed. Is becoming a Reconciling Congregation consistent with who your congregation is?
Fears about Becoming a Reconciling Congregation
Invite participants to talk about their anxieties. What do they fear could happen to themselves and to the congregation if they publicly affirm reconciling ministries? When these fears are acknowledged, the group can move closer toward a common understanding.
What Do We Do Next?
Close the series with discussion and concrete planning of the following steps. How do we share what we have learned here with the rest of the congregation? How can we help our congregation move closer to a declaration of ministry with all persons? Make a list of specific actions and assign persons to do them .•
Bible Study Texts
When studying a biblical basis for reconciling ministries with lesbians and gay men, many groups tend to study only the few widely recognized passages which appear to mention homosexuality or same-sex activity specifically (Genesis 19:1-29; Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:18-32; I Cor. 6:9-10; I Tim. 1:8-11).
However, there are several other texts which relate to engaging in reconciling ministries. When planning Bible study in your local church, include some of the following texts:
II Corinthians 5:16-21-God's reconciliation through Jesus Christ. I John 4:17..18~'perfect love drives out all fear." Luke 4:16-21-Jesus' ministry of liberation.
Luke 12:1-7; Matthew 1O:26-31-faithfulness to God's truth.
Galatians 3:26-29-All persons are one in Christ. Ephesians 2:13-22-Christ breaks down dividing walls. Romans 5:8-11-God redeems us through Jesus Christ. Acts 15:1-21-Early church affirms ministry to Gentiles. Acts 10-Story of Peter and Cornelius.
15
Making a Presentation
Representatives from Reconciling Congregations and other individuals are often invited to make a presentation to an interested congregation or other group about the program. Here is a suggested outline of key points for such a presentation. You will want to change the language to fit you. This presentation can be done in 10-15 minutes or can be extended to 25-30 minutes with the addition of illustrations and stories from your congregation's experience. You should feel free to call the national RCP office (202 /863-1586) to get the latest statistics or other information about the program.
A. Definition
The Reconciling Congregation Program is a network of United Methodist congregations who have publicly welcomed all persons, including lesbians and gay men, into the life of their local church.
B. Our History
1.
The RCP began in conversations among members of Affirmation in 1983 seeking a way to identify local churches where lesbians and gay men, their families, and friends would feel welcome and to support local churches that were already in ministry with lesbians and gay men.
2.
The Presbyterian More Light Program (begun in 1979) served as a model.
3.
The RCP was publicly announced at the UMC General Conference in Baltimore in May 1984. On the morning following the vote to deny ordination to lesbians and gay men, friends of Affirmation gathered outside the conference center and distributed brochures inviting local churches to become Reconciling Congregations.
4.
Within two weeks, two congregations voted to become Reconciling Congregations-symbolically, they were on the two ends of the continent: Washington Square in New York City and Wesley in Fresno, California.
5.
The program has steadily grown over the ensuing years to now include 46 congregations across the country.
6.
In 1986, the Northern Illinois Annual Conference voted to become a Reconciling Conference. Three other conferences have since voted to call themselves "reconciling" (California-Nevada, New York, and Troy). Many other conferences
have encouraged their local churches to study becoming Reconciling Congregations or are studying becoming Reconciling Conferences.
C. Who We Are
1.
The RC movement is a model of the inclusive Body of Christ.
2.
We are a national movement with congregations in all 5 UMC jurisdictions or regions and in 19 different annual conferences.
3.
We range in size from under 50 members to over 1,000 members.
4.
We are located in urban, suburban, and rural communities.
5.
Many RCs are racially and ethnically diverse.
6.
Most RCs have a history of engagement in the social justice dimensions of the Gospel.
7.
We are a part of a larger in terdenominational movement of almost 200 congregations: Presbyterian "More Light," Lutheran "Reconciled in Christ," Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ "Open and Affirming," and Unitarian-Universalist "Welcoming."
D. What We Are About
1.
Becoming an RC simply affirms the Gospel mandate to preach the Gospel to the whole world-to everyone.
2.
lesbian/gay concerns touch every congregation-every local church has lesbian or gay members, families with lesbians/gay men, or close friends of lesbians/gay men.
3.
The RCP is attempting to redirect the focus of conversation in the church from the issue of homosexuality to the issue of ministry. We think the key question is "How does our congregation relate to a lesbian/gay member who sits beside me in worship on Sunday?" not "What do we think about homosexuality?"
4.
The RCP is a movement of God's Spirit which is transforming the lives of congregations and individual Christians.
5.
There are other groups in our society who are excluded or alienated from the ministries of the church. The RCP, therefore, seeks to open the church's doors to all persons while recognizing that the most blatant exclusion today is that of lesbians and gay men.
6.
Every congregation is a potential Reconciling Congregation-for some it will take 6 months and for others, 20 years. God's Spirit can move in any congregation from where the congregation is today.
E. How To Become
1.
To become an RC, a local church goes through a process of dialogue and study which can take several months or several years.
2.
After a period of informal discussion and dialogue, an official study process is usually approved by the Administrative
Board or Council. Such a pro-
o cess seeks to include education and
dialogue with all persons and groups in
the local church.
3. The process should be reconciling,
o
recognizing that this is a deeply emotional and personal issue for many memo
bers of the congregation. Because con-
o
gregations strive to make this process
o
reconciling, very few members have aco
tually left congregations which became Reconciling Congregations.
4. A group in the congregation writes
o
a statement of reconciliation which uno
conditionally affirms the full participation of all persons, including lesbians and gay men, in the life of the local church.
5.
When the congregation is ready, an official vote and declaration is made by the Administrative Board or Council. In order to reflect the will of the entire congregation, many RCs take this vote at a church conference with all members participating.
6.
The reconciling process is ongoing as the congregation educates new members and seeks to integrate ministries with lesbians and gay men into the full ministry of the local church.
F. Resources
The national program provides several resources for congregations that are considering becoming Reconciling Congregations:
-Brochure "Is Your local Church Open to all Persons?"
-How to Become a Reconciling
Congregation -And God Loves Each One -Casting Out Fear -Open Hands
(Be sure to have sample copies and order forms to distribute.) Y
Programs in Other Denominations More Light Program (Presbyterian)
c/o Jim Anderson
P.O. Box 38
New Brunswick, NJ 08903 Open and Affirming Program (UCC/Disciples of Christ)
c/o Ann Day
P.O. Box 403
Holden, MA 01520 Reconciled in Christ Program (Lutheran)
c/o Brian Knittel
20800 Buena Vista Way
Berkeley, CA 94708
Welcoming Congregation Program
(Unitarian/Universalist) c/o Scott Anderson 25 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108
Open Hands 16
Growing in Numbers and in Faith
by Dale McCurdy
l~Wallingford UMC, ~V' Seattle
Last October at Wallingford United Methodist Church in Seattle, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of our becoming a Reconciling Congregation. Before the vote was taken to become part of the reconciling family, the average weekly worship attendance was 60. Today, our average attendance is 135, with very little of the traditional "summer slump" in attendance experienced by many churches.
What kinds of growth have we experienced? Who are the people who have been attracted to Wallingford since our decision to become reconciling?
Two trends are most striking: first, the increased number of gay/lesbian people in attendance and, second, the marked increase in the number of young families with children. These two constituencies have been our greatest growth success story.
Church growth and evangelism expert Lyle Schaller coined the phrase "wounded bird" to describe people who have suffered a great deal, and whose pain often keeps them isolated from the ministry of the church. The number of "wounded birds" in the church family at Wallingford seems high compared to the large suburban congregation I served in the past. At Wallingford, these "wounded birds" are encouraged to share their stories, to grow, and to become "wounded healers" through various support groups and through intensive pastoral and congregational care. Some former "wounded birds" have become models of courage and growth to the entire congrega tion.
Several of the factors that have facilitated our growth at Wallingford are hardly unusual. Indeed, they are the building blocks commonly stressed in primers about church growth. Most important in my observation has been the quality of our pastoral leadership and worship style. Through two changes of pastor since we became a Reconciling Congregation, we have continued to have excellent sermons and well-planned worship that involves the entire community, particularly in "prayers of the people." Not incidental has been the fact that our congregation was served by a female pastor when we became an RC and is also served by a woman today. This has brought many first-time visitors to our door and continues to be a strength.
In addition, vibrant, quality music during worship has contributed to our growth. Our sanctuary's fine acoustics support vital hymn singing and choral music, helping newcomers experience the vigor and liveliness of the congregation. We also have an active, well-organized evangelism work area that diligently follows up on first-time visitors with phone calls, letters, and personal invitations to church events.
Demographics have also played a role in our growth. The number of young families with children active in our worship and ministry has markedly increased, as has our ability to draw on the nearby community at the University of Washington.
But one big factor sets our growth apart from the "how to" instructions commonly given for congregational growth. Some people might worry that being intentionally public about a congregation's active ministry with lesbians and gay men could hurt membership, attendance, and income. This has not been the case with Wallingford. We are "out of the closet" as a Reconciling Congregation, and that clearly has helped, not hurt, our growth in membership, in financial giving, and in personal faith.
A comment I hear frequently both in and out of the gay/lesbian community in Seattle is "Oh yes, I've heard about that church." Because Wallingford has made no secret of our status as a Reconciling Congregation, our influence in Seattle and in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference is far greater than our size:
•
We cosponsor (with Capitol Hill UMC, Seattle's other Reconciling Congregation) an annual Advent "service of reconciliation" with the gay/lesbian community. This service draws people into the life of the church.
•
We have received a generous amount of publicity and media coverage. Our staff and others have regularly spoken in secular settings about the mission of our church, including discussion of our stature as a Reconciling Congregation and what that means to us as a community of faith.
•
We are known as a center of feminist theology, as a place where worship is inclusive, and as a congregation where the elderly, physically challenged, or unconventional person will be included and affirmed.
•
Every year, several of our members march in Seattle's gay pride parade, complete with a large banner proudly proclaiming our church name and our status as a Reconciling Congregation.
•
Financially, Wallingford seems more sound than it has in several years. In the summer of 1989, we raised $9,000 for church renovation. This year, the goal of our yearly stewardship drive, which we moved from the traditional fall to the early spring, was not only met but exceeded. As a result, we have been able to continue a part-time lay staff position and are becoming less dependent on rental income.
Becoming a Reconciling Congregation has been an important journey for Wallingford UMC. The decision has created a congregation much stronger than it has been for many years. In the words of our current pastor, Kathlyn Hoover, "Our church is a vital, thriving, healthy community, with no regrets about having made the decision to become reconciling." ...
Dale McCurdy is a former diaconal minister who currently works as a sales person in a lesbian-owned firm that maintains professional libraries. He is director of the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Chorus and associate director of the Seattle Men's Chorus.
Summer 1990 17
I 1's a Saturday morning and I would rather turn over and go back to sleep. But I have made a promise to get into the church van with a group of sleepy folks and drive for five hours to Drew Seminary. Why would anyone spend a Saturday in a church van
WITNESSING
driving to Madison, New Jersey? To participate in a
"listening post."
The committee appointed by the General Conference
of the United Methodist Church to study homosexuality
has invited all interested parties, pro and con, to testify
before their group. These sessions are called "listening
posts," where small groups are called in front of a panel
of the committee to explain why they agree or disagree
with the denomination's stand on homosexuality.
I f you had asked me several years ago what I would be doi~g to ,:itness to my faith, I can honestly say that thIS subject would not have been on my mind. That is no longer true.
My local church, after much thought, prayer, and
study, and then some more prayer, chose to become a
Reconciling Congregation. That is to say, we do not
discriminate against anyone based on race, origins,
gender, and especially, sexual orientation. Full participation
in the church is open to all.
My local church decided to send delegates to the Convocation
of Reconciling Congregations in San Francisco
this past February. I was lucky enough to be included
with my husband, Bill. Words cannot begin to describe
the feelings that I felt (and will always feel) as I came
face to face and faith to faith with gay men and lesbians.
It has been a long time since I have felt God
working in such mysterious ways as I did during that
convocation.
I listened as retired Bishop Melvin Wheatley told how
the church had to be a haven for all persons. I met men
with AIDS who had found congregations where they
were loved for who they were as individuals. I came to
know life partners who had made commitments to each
other. I discovered participants who were also new to
this and, as a result, were going home with different
hearts.
After arriving back home in Oneonta, N.Y., I thought
my traveling days were over for a while and I could go
back to a quieter life. But, no! The General Conference
Study Committee on Homosexuality was meeting in Boston,
and it was time to pack again. This time my husband
and I were going as observers, with the chance to
talk informally with members of the committee. They
had invited theologians to make presentations to the
combined committee. Once in Boston, we had a chance
to renew friendships with a member of the committee, a
pastor of an RC who had also been at the convocation
in San Francisco.
Another retired bishop, James Thomas, reminded us
of our need for compassion and acceptance of all persons
in the church family. (I began to wonder how the
witness of clergy becomes enhanced after retirement and
we are no longer caught by political concerns.) Bishop
Thomas spoke eloquently about the covenant relationship
of the Church and how restrictions 'placed upon
conference Boards of Ordained Ministry damage that
covenant, refusing to trust their first-hand knowledge of
a candidate's call and qualifications.
BY SYLVIA
Bishop James Thomas also spoke persuasively about church U11ity. He told how the efforts of the Council of
Bishops to restrict discussion of slavery in the General Conferences of 1838 and 1842 still ended in the schism of the Methodist church in 1944. Avoiding discussion of injustice to preserve U11ity does not work.
While in Boston, we were asked bv two different members of the committee why we ~ere interested in this subject. They wanted to know about our agenda. They wondered if we had a "closet" with someone special behind the doors. When told that we had no agenda other than the love which continually drove us into issues of discrimination and injustice, they seemed
Open Hands 18
OMYFAITH
!
BOUTON
to think that, as a heterosexual couple, we were an oddity. Well, hopefully, it isn't the first time, nor the last,
that we will be seen as odd.
NoW back to our van trip! After picking up members of three other Wyoming Conference churches, we headed south for Madison-a long way to go for five minutes in the spotlight! We joined perhaps 100 other people who had traveled from various parts of the Northeastern Jurisdiction for this listening post. We had been apprehensive that only those opposed to homosexuality would testify. Much to our delight, we discovered that the opposite was true.
Summer 1990
We heard testimony from family members who had lost children and siblings to AIDS. We heard from pastors who felt that the church was neglecting a whole group of people out of fear and ignorance.
We heard the testimony of a father who worships in one of our Wyoming Conference United Methodist congregations. He told how his gay son had come to church for services, was insulted and called names, and finally left. This father told how he had been asked to resign as a teacher in the church school because of his son. He told tearfully of the abuse, both emotional and physical, that his son was enduring at college.
We heard a United Methodist minister/professor tell of the recent baptism of his infant son. He asked the committee: "Should that boy turn out to be gay, was the United Methodist Church going to retract the promises which it had just made to him?"
We heard testimony from district superintendents who felt that the church had to change its policy back to inclusiveness. We heard testimony from pastors who had been removed from growing, thriving churches once their sexuality had been revealed. We heard testimony from Reconciling Congregation members who stated that their churches had gained new vigor and members, mostly young families with children who were looking for a church home where people were compassionate to all persons.
We were pleasantly surprised that the testimonies we heard were almost unanimously in favor of changing the policy of the denomination to one of inclusiveness for all persons. We had started the day dreading that we would drive all that distance for a day filled with anger and homophobia. What we discovered was a group of church people who had decided that enough was enough, and now was the time to act in an educated, informed manner and to challenge the leadership of the denomination to step toward reconciliation through Jesus the Christ.
We each have our own thoughts on why someone is homosexual. We probably will never change each others' ideas. That is all right. What we must decide is whether we continue to exclude anyone from the fellowship and communion of the church on the basis of their sexual orientation.
The change for me has been very drastic. What I am witnessing to has not been popular with some of my family and friends. I know that I would not be happy being a part of a congregation where barriers are placed in front of people.
The bottom line has been the thought: "What would Jesus do?" We have no biblical record of what he may have thought about this issue, but we know how he reached out with God's love, especially to those persons who had been condemned by society as sexually impure. How can we do anything different? y
Sylvia Bouton is married to an activist who is pastor of the only Reconciling Congregation in the Wyoming Conference, First United Methodist Church in Oneonta, New York. Together, they put forth a team effort to work towczrds compassion for all people. This article was written to help the reconciling cause at conference. In spite of that effort, a close vote rescinded the conference's status as a Reconciling Conference.
19
Sustaining The Spirit
CALL TO AWARENESS
LEADER: As we gather in this place, we ask ourselves, who are we?
VOICE I: We are the song,
VOICE 2: We are the singer,
VOICE 3: And we listen for the song.
VOICE 4: We are the love,
VOICE 5: The lover,
VOICE 6: And the beloved.
VOICE 7: We are the bread,
VOICE 8: The bread maker,
VOICE 9: And those filled ... those hungry...
VOICE 10: We are the gift,
VOICE II: The giver,
VOICE 12: And we receive...
LEADER: Who are we?
ALL: We gather from across the country, from our daily places of loving and living, to enter this moment and this space. We gather to receive and accept the hospitality here offered. We gather in support of one another, seeking to create a space in ourselves, in our church, in our world, A space of hospitality with gay men and lesbians in community.
LEADER: Who are we? GROUP I: We are gay and straight, men and women, a rainbow of colors.
GROUP 2: We are young and old, old friends and newcomers, eager for the journey and tired from the journey.
GROUP 3: We are clergy and laity, members of Affirmation. GROUP 4: We are Reconciling Congregations. We are United Methodists. ALL: We are the church! We come "traveling 'long a road we've
never seen before." We come for renewal and for vision. We are people with abundant gifts, with
many needs, and with a strong faith that in community new possibilities emerge: Needs become gifts that challenge us, gifts that are nurtured and channeled.
LEADER: Who are we?
ALL: We are people who know that the soil, the sun, and the rain are provided for the lilies, the oak, and the corn. We seek that force which can provide growth and nourishment for our lives. We are people called to the journey by Jesus Christ. We are people empowered by God's spirit, held and healed by God's love. Let us be together in God's spirit and truth.
Adapted from a litany written by members of the Reconciling Congregations and Affirmation of the Northern Illinois Conference for the National Convocation of Reconciling Congregations, held February 16-18, 1990, in San Francisco, California.
•
20 Open Hands :
Letters
Responses to Lesbian/Gay Christian Movement Issue
T hank you so much for your excellent
issue on the lesbian/gay
Christian movement (Winter, 1990). As a firm believer that we benefit from knowing and understanding history, I learned much from the various articles that will be helpful to me in the future.
Because our movement doesn't attract much outside interest, the authors were persons intimately involved in the activities described. That's great but it tended to make the articles historical commentary without countervailing opinions.
Leo Treadway's articles on the Lesbian/ Gay Interfaith Alliance (LGIA) is a case in point. Integrity kept faith till the end, sending one of only two "full" delegations (with one white male, one female, and one "third world" representative) to the final meeting. Two were on our Board of Directors. Our president at the time was a woman. At least for Integrity, it wasn't a case of "white males . ..who felt that smaller groups and minorities had been given too great a share in the decision making." Only the white male favored continuing Ollr participation. The rest felt that LGIA accomplished almost nothing and participation ",ras a waste of our very limited resources. Perhaps we were unique, but this perspective colored my reading of this and other articles.
Yours for Integrity in Christ,
Edgar K. Byham
Guttenberg, New Jersey
Good issue on our collective history.
"Where are the Women?"
can be answered, at least in
part, by the Conference for Catholic
Lesbians. For more information regarding
excellent retreats, newletter ("Images")
and groups contact:
Conference for Catholic Lesbians
P.O. Box 436
Planetarium Station, NY 10024 All good wishes and many thanks for your fine work.
Mary Hunt Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual
Silver Spring, Maryland
Summer 1990
I had the pleasure of finding Open
Hands at the local gay bookstore
this week.
As yet another defrocked, "back-slid" Methodist, I've a few minor additions to your excellent history in the winter 1990 issue. About 1970, one Dan Gorham was flung out of the Orthodox church down in the Carolinas. This was the first I'd heard of "homosexuals" and the modern Church. I followed his setting up of an
alternative Orthodox group in our brief correspondence, and thought it'd be great if someone did that for the Methodists, too.
In '72 I went to McCormick Seminary
in Chicago. I ran into David Sindt and
we conspired to set up a "Gay Seminarians"
group. While this was more of a
support and social group, we did get
called on to offer presentations and gave
Gene Leggett a hero's welcome when he
came to visit. Through Gay Seminarians
I met Bill Krick, who later introduced
me to dear Michael Troyer: hence my
first introduction to Affirmation.
Once we gays started to creep out of
our closets, the General Conference responded
to the issue with the infamous
"persons of sacred worth but incompatible"
line, which was likely the first mention
of homosexuals in official writ. A far
cry from the attitude shown by John
Wesley's ministry to the convicted homosexual
Blair, and certainly an equal
"pain in the fundament." Though
McCormick was supportive, my coming
out to the Central Illinois Conference was
met with predictable reactions. Hence the
current absence of a frock.
David's own Presbyterian group (now
PLGC) was first called "gay United
Presbyterians," and we tried several lame
guppy jokes out on it.
Fond memories are dredged up from
your history. I met Bill Johnson and
Chris Glaser way back when.
I suppose I was lucky that the job
which paid my way through college and
much of seminary was in a profession
which didn't look at one's laundry. I was
able to resume myoid job and career.
Still, I enjoyed seminary life, studies, and
the honor of spending time with David
and others.
Sincerely,
Jim Tolson
Chicago, Illinois
Prayer Requests in Open Hands?
At an informal meeting of people interested in Reconciling Congregations at our annual conference, we discovered that there is a need for connections which we think Open Hands might meet.
In our discussion, we discovered one of the problems is that those of us who get involved in justice issues around the issue
: of homosexuality are often scattered without support. For that reason, we began to discuss the ways in which we
: could get accurate information about where there is a problem. I proposed a "prayer chain."
• Would it be possible for you to have a section of Open Hands where you could list prayer requests by first name? Then someone, such as my friend who is receiving grief from her Pastor-Parish Relations Committee about being supportive of gay/ lesbian Christians, could drop you a postcard. You would then include a short statement of her prayer request, which those of us who read Open Hands could then read and faithfully pray for.
We hope that you will see our request as what it is, a much needed resource for
•
support for those who are willing to tackle justice issues regarding people who are gay or lesbian.
I appreciate your work on Open Hands. Even having a magazine about Reconciling Congregations is a helpful
•
move in the right direction. Let's think of
•
a few more steps we might take as we encourage each other along this journey of faithfulness.
Sincerely,
Peggy L. T. Garrison
Park Ridge, Illinois [Editors' note: We welcome prayer requests. They will be printed in the letters section.]
•
You are invited to exchange ideas,
comments.
and reactions with other readers
:
through this new, regular feature of
Open Hands. Send your letters to: Open
Hands, P.O. Box 23636, Washington,
D.C. 20026.
-The editors
21
Rep Report
New Reconciling Congregations
Metanoia Peace Community
(Portland, Oregon)
Metanoia Peace Community was begun in 1986 with the intention of fostering a deeper commitment to Christian discipleship and community life than is experienced in most other congregations.
Persons can become members of the community after at least 12 months of mentoring and training. Members agree to live in a covenantal relationship which includes specific disciplines of personal and community life. Each member is expected to pursue an inward journey (faith development) and an outward journey (mission) through weekly meetings. The community currently has 11 covenanting members and about 50 active nonmembers.
The variety of missions in which Metanoia is involved includes an income-sharing household devoted to radical community, a ministry to persons experiencing grief ranging from a death in the family to the death of Mother Earth to the loss of one's naive faith in human nature, and a women's group which explores feminine spirituality and feminist issues. The church is also a sanctuary congregation, participating in the Portland Sanctuary Coalition. The congregation gathers every Sunday evening in space shared with another United Methodist congregation for worship, learning, and a common fellowship meal.
Metanoia unanimously decided to become a Reconciling Congregation in June.
ecumenikos
(Mission, Kansas)
ecumenokis is an alternative housechurch style faith community, formally affiliated with the United Methodist, United Presbyterian, Mennonite, United Church of Christ, and Christian (Disciples) denominations, but open to people of any faith as well as those who are "spiritual seekers." It was chartered in 1973 and was originally conceived as a mission-oriented, nontraditional church with a high degree of lay empowerment. Seventeen years later, ecumenikos is still faithful to much of its original model. The congregation has resisted building an edifice and meets in homes, community centers, and parks. Two members are periodically chosen to serve as parttime lay ministers, but leadership for all community functions is shared among all members.
ecumenikos has no specific religious creed or doctrine, nor does it have formal membership requirements, other than giving a "covenant statement" based upon what each person is willing to commit to. All decisions are made by consensus. Members are expected to live their lives consistent with their personal beliefs. The congregation advocates seeing Jesus as a model for . that kind of living. The congregation's involvement in various collective ministries reflects those areas where individual members have felt called and also reflects a strong commitment to ecumenical efforts, particularly in peace and justice concerns.
The congregation's decision to go on record as a Reconciling Congregation came about, in part, through a request to sponsor a gay ministerial student for ordination. The congrega-. tion said "yes" to this call and has joined congregations in other denominations who support inclusive and reconciling ministries.
Annual Conference Update
As the United Methodist annual conferences across the country met this May and June, several were confronted with actions related to Reconciling Congregations and ministry with lesbians and gay men. Here is a brief look at actions taken by some conferences.
Several annual conferences dealt with decisions about becoming a Reconciling Conference. In the Wyoming conference (northeastern Pennsylvania and southeastern New York), a two-year designation as a Reconciling Conference was overturned by a narrow vote. However, the conference did encourage all local churches to study becoming Reconciling Congregations.
The Baltimore and Minnesota conferences appointed task forces to explore becoming a Reconciling and/or Transforming Conference and report back to next year's sessions.
The Oregon-Idaho, Wisconsin, and Eastern Pennsylvania conferences received reports from Reconciling Conference task forces and decided not to become Reconciling Conferences at this time but to continue study and dialogue on the conference and local church levels.
The North Central New York conference encouraged its local churches to study becoming Reconciling Congregations. The Iowa conference received a report from a task force on ministry with homosexual persons and encouraged local churches to be in ministry with lesbians and gay men.
Related to the issue of lesbian/gay "holy unions," Bishop Joseph Yeakel (Washington Area) publicly read his decision overturning Dumbarton UMC's (Washington, D.C.) policy on blessing same-sex relationships, while encouraging the conference and congregations to continue to study this. In Wisconsin, Bishop David Lawson was asked to make an official ruling on the conference's ban on holy unions being performed by University UMC (Madison, Wisconsin). Such a ruling would have been subject to review by the Judicial Council, the "supreme court" of the UMC. However, Bishop Lawson ruled that this request was out of order and declined to make an official ruling.
Related to the ordination of lesbians and gay men, the clergy members of the Western Penn-
Open Hands 22
In response to the suspension, over 100 gay and lesbian Lutherans demonstrated outside the denominational headquarters in Chicago on July 20. The demonstrators burned a copy of the ELCA's decision to suspend the two congregations. A spokesperson for Lutherans Concerned said, " We call the church to repentance for its lack of vision and courage, for its postponement of justice, and for its irrelevance in the lives of lesbians and gay men hungering for righteousness and truth."
MFSA Recognizes Reconciling Congregations
Recipients of the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) annual Lee and Mae Ball Awards were Dumbarton UMC (Washington, D.C.) and St. John's UMC (Baltimore, Maryland), both Reconciling Congregations. The Ball Awards recognize UMC leaders in biblical justice and social action.
MFSA also recognized UMC pastor Rev. Jimmy Creech for his leadership in opposing violence against the gay and lesbian community in Raleigh, North Carolina. Because of his public support for les-
ARIW~A
Tucson
St. Francis ill the Foothills
CALIFOR~IA
ALbany
Albanv UMC
BerkeleY
Trinity UMC
Fresno
Wesley UMC
Los Angeles
United Universitv
Wilshire UMC '
MiLpitas
Slumyhills UMC
San Francisco Bethany UMC Calvary UMC Hamilton UMC Trinitv UMC
Santa Monica
Church of Ocean Park
Va caville
S1. Paul 's UMC
West Hollywood
Crescent Heights UMC
COWRAOO
Denver
St. Paul 's UMC
bian/gay concerns, Creech's former congregation, Fairmont UMC, asked the bishop not to reappoint him as their pastor. The two rural chnrches to which Creech was subsequently appointed refused to accept him, and . the bishop placed him on "leave of absence" from active ministry.
The MFSA executive committee specifically declared its support for Dumbarton UMC's policy on "holy unions" and committed MFSA to help link lesbian and gay United Methodists across the denomination with UMC congregations and pastors . willing to provide them with "full pastoral services."
Also, the Wisconsin MFSA chapter • presented its annual Perry Saito Award to University UMC, a Reconciling Congregation in Madison,
• Wisconsin.
· Reformed Jews Affirm · Lesbian/Gay Rabbis
Reformed J udiasm has joined the
•
small but growing number of
•
American religious institutions which
•
affirm lesbian/gay leadership.
Meeting in Seattle in June, the 101st Convention of the Central Con•
ference of American Rabbis approved a resolution which states that "all
Reconciling Congregations
DISTRICT OF COLUM BIA
W ashinl:,'ton
Christ UMC
Dumbarton UMC
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Grant Park-AJdersgate UMC
ILLINOIS
Chicago
Albanv Park UMC Irving' Park UMC United Church of Rogers Park
DeKalb
University UMC
Evanston
Hemenway UMC
Wheadon UMC
Oak Park
Euclid Avenue U~C
K ANSAS
Mis.~ioll
ecumenikofl
WUlSIAl'llA
New Orleans
St. Mark's UMC
MARYLA;~D
Baltimore
St. John's UM C
MDiNESOfA
M inneapolis Prospect Park IJMC Walker Community UMC Wesley UMC
MISSOURI
Kansas City
Kairos UMC
l\EW YORK
Brooklyn
Park Slope UMC
N ew York M etropolitan-Duane UMC Washington Square UMC
Oneonta
First UMC
OHIO
Toledo
Central UMC
OR EGO,"
Estacada
EstacadaUMC
Portland
Metanoia Pl'acc Community
rabbis, regardless of their sexual orientation, be accorded the opportunity to fulfill the sacred vocation which they have chosen."
The resolution was part of a report which a special committee had prepared over the previous four years. Reformed Judaism, with an estimated membership of 1.5 million, is the most liberal and also the largest branch of Judaism in the
U.S.
While the resolution was a major step in the endorsement of lesbian/gay rabbis, one observer noted that it was largely symbolic because the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion already has a policy of admitting lesbians and gay men to the rabbinical training program.
Lesbians and gay rabbis must still be concerned about placement, which is the final decision of the congregation. The report approved also states "in light of the limited ability of the Placement Commission or the Central Conference of American Rabbis to guarantee the tenure of gay or lesbian rabbis who 'come out of the closet; the committee does not want to encourage colleagues to put their careers at risk."~
r'EN,\SYLVA"\JA
Philadelphia
Calvarv UMC
First UMC of Germantown
TEi\i\ESSEE
Nashville
Edgehill (jMC
WASH1NG1UN
Seattle
Capitol Hill UYlC
Wallingford UMC
WIS(;()NSI~
Mlldi~o"
Univt'rsity UMC
Sheboygan
Wesley UMC
Reconciling Conferences
California-N(,vada New YiJrk Northern Illinois Troy
Reconciling Organization
Methodist Federation for Social Action
24 Summer 1990