Date: Wed, 5 Apr 95 17:33:35 EDT From: "James D. Anderson" MORE LIGHT UPDATE March 1993 Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns James D. Anderson, Communications Secretary P.O. 38 New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038 908/249-1016, 908/932-7501 (Rutgers University) FAX 908/932-6916 (Rutgers University) Internet: janderson@zodiac.rutgers.edu or jda@gandalf.rutgers.edu Note: * is used to indicate italicized or boldface text. CHANGES Laurene Lafontaine, PLGC's coordinator for the Synod of Rocky Mountains has moved. Her new address and phone are: 1260 York St., #106, Denver, CO 80206, 303/388-0628. Here are new telephone numbers for Dorothy Fillmore, member of the PLGC Executive Board and a leader of the PLGC/Richmond chapter: 804/285-9040 home, 367-0200 work. CONTENTS Janie Spahr, Evangelist Synod of the Northeast Declares More Light Where Does It Hurt? by Chris Glaser General Assembly Plans Photos Wanted for General Assembly PLGC's Annual Report Proposals Sought for Special Update Issues Midwest PLGC Conference The Bashing Continues Eugene, Oregon Cincinnati, Ohio National Council of Churches Bashes Gays Lesbian/Gay Religious Leaders Meet In Midst of National Council of Churches Wanted: More Light Bulbs! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Janie Spahr, Evangelist The High Court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has decreed that Downtown Church in Rochester, New York, may not have Janie Spahr as a co-pastor, so the congregation will have her as an evangelist instead. On January 10, 1993, the congregation of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church met to decide how to proceed with its call to the Reverend Jane Adams Spahr. The hall was filled to overflowing for the duration of the 3 hour meeting. Two motions passed. By unanimous vote the congregation directed its Session to send a letter of protest to the General Assembly regarding the recent ruling of the GA Permanent Judicial Commission which "set aside" their call to Rev. Spahr. [The PJC ruled that no "self- affirming" gay or lesbian person could be installed to a ministry within the denomination, in accordance with church policy that claims homosexuality is sin.] In a separate motion, the congregation overwhelmingly endorsed the Session's plan to support Rev. Spahr as an "evangelist", empowering her to travel throughout the denomination to speak on behalf of gay and lesbian Presbyterians and the congregations who value their leadership. Janie's salary will be covered by contributions from supporters as well as the Downtown Church. The goal of Janie's travels will be the overturn of the denomination's "definitive guidance." This policy, adopted by General Assemblies 1978 and 1979 forbids churches and presbyteries from ordaining "self-affirming, practicing homosexual persons." The policy not only offends gay members and their supporters, it also offends Presbyterians who resent the national church dictating whom presbyteries and sessions may or may not ordain. Contributions for Janie's evangelistic mission may be sent to "That All May Freely Serve," Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614. Make checks payable to DUPC. Thanksgiving Weekend. Janie Spahr visited Rochester over the Thanksgiving weekend, just a few weeks after the Permanent Judicial Commission denied her any and all ordained positions in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). On that Friday evening Janie and her partner, Coni Staff joined nearly 50 gay-positive supporters at a potluck supper at the Downtown Church. It was the first anniversary of the congregational meeting when Janie was asked to join the staff of the church as co-pastor. Janie, Coni, and the gathered supporters shared stories of anger, disappointment, and renewed commitment. "The news of the commission came to me like a bad dream," Janie said. "Coni and I were so convinced that we had won the commission's approval that we were making plans for my move to Rochester. "The insanity and hatred must stop. It is a matter of life and death for gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. And the church must take a stand. This is a time for justice, and if not the Downtown Church in Rochester, than another church must take the stand." On Sunday morning nearly 500 church members, friends, and supporters gathered at the church to hear Janie preach on the topic "Who Will Birth this Baby?" Co-pastor Tony Ricciuti had just opened the worship service when a large man took control of a second microphone. He declared in a loud, angry voice that he was a Roman Catholic and was there to welcome Jane Spahr. He began to read from the book of Romans when people finally realized he was an opponent of Janie's call. Like fire through dry grass, unison clapping spread through the congregation to drown the speaker's hateful speech. The three co-pastors firmly escorted the man from the pulpit to the back of the church. No sooner did the clapping subside when another man with a small baby under his arm and a child at his side stood in the center aisle yelling at the congregation. Once again the clapping rose in intensity as several members of the congregation escorted the man to the back of the church. After several minutes the worship service resumed. When Janie stood in the center of the chancel to speak to the congregation, she immediately deflated the tension with her wonderful humor. "It's Advent! Surprises! Did we have a few this morning, huh? Expectations, whoa! Thank you, God! Good morning, woke us up a little bit, didn't it?" She spoke movingly about two children who dared to look at the world in a new way. One was a small eight year old boy whom she called a modern Isaiah, eager to say "the time is now and we can bring new justice into the world." The other was a young girl in Nazi-occupied Europe during the 1930's who opened her home to persecuted strangers. Janie seemed to catch the eye and ear of everyone in the room when she said, "We have been preparing for this moment for ten years. Justice is ready to be born, and we have been prepared by God to birth it." The congregation rose to its feet and demonstrated its enthusiasm by loud applause. A potluck and sharing time was held following the worship service. Many members of the church, gay and straight shared their conviction that now is indeed the time to move for justice. *Many thanks to Chuck Collins and Stan Malinowski of Rochester, New York, who provided this information via internet and FAX.* Church-wide Worship Planned for March 6. Saturday, March 6, 1993, was the day that Janie Spahr was to have been installed as co-pastor of the Downtown Church. Instead, on that day she will be commissioned by the congregation to serve as "evangelist" throughout the denomination. Across the church, folks are planning worship services on that day to celebrate the ministry of all people, especially bisexual, gay and lesbian persons and to re-commission the struggle for justice-love and the search for more light in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These Services of Worship for Empowerment will be conducted simultaneously in congregations and worshipping communities throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on March 6. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * More Light Synod *At its January 1993 meeting, the Synod of the Northeast adopted a More Light resolution by a vote of 68 to 52. Youth Advisory Delegates favored the resolution by a vote of 9 to 2. The Synod of the Northeast includes all presbyteries and congregations in New England, New York, and New Jersey. Here's the resolution:* Whereas, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), claimed by God's grace toward all people in Jesus Christ and commanded to bear witness to that grace to all the world, is directed by *The Book of Order* to be an inclusive community, inviting persons of "all racial ethnic groups, different ages, both sexes, various disabilities, diverse geographical areas, different theological positions consistent with the Reformed tradition, as well as different marital conditions (married, single, widowed or divorced)" (G-4.0403); And whereas, *The Book of Order*, in its paragraph on inclusiveness, mandates that "the congregation shall welcome all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God's grace in Jesus Christ and desire to become a part of the membership and ministry of his church. No person shall be denied membership because of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, or any other reason not related to profession of faith" (G-5.0103); And whereas, *The Book of Order*, in its treatment of the categories of membership, specifies that an active member of a particular church "is entitled to all the rights and privileges of the church, including the right . . . to vote and hold office" (G-5.0202); And whereas, with regard to ordination *The Book of Order* states: "To those called to exercise special functions in the Church -- deacons, elders, and ministers of Word and Sacrament -- God gives suitable gifts and abilities for their various duties. In addition to possessing the necessary gifts and abilities, natural and acquired, those who undertake particular ministries should be persons of strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and the love of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel in the church and the world. They must have the approval of God's people and the concurring judgment of a governing body of the Church" (G-6.0106); And whereas, *The Book of Order* gives to the session of a particular church the power and responsibility "to instruct, examine, ordain, install and welcome into the common ministry elders and deacons on their election by the congregation and to inquire into their faithfulness in fulfilling their responsibilities" (G-10.0102k); and gives to the presbytery the power and authority "to ordain, receive, dismiss, install, remove and discipline ministers . . ." (G-11.0103n); And whereas, a person's fitness for ordination can best be judged by the governing body that has direct knowledge of that person, *The Book of Order* wisely vests the session and presbytery with that responsibility; Therefore the Synod of the Northeast declares itself to be a "More Light Synod", affirming the inclusiveness set forth in *The Book of Order*, encouraging all persons, regardless of sexual orientation, who seek to know Christ, to participate fully in the life of the church. *Many thanks to commissioners Molly M. Fulton, Cayuga Syracuse, Paule Alexander, New York City, and John F. Lohr, Palisades, for submitting this resolution to the synod!* Synod Condemns High Court Ban on Lesbians and Gays *The Synod of the Northeast also condemned the recent decision by the General Assembly's Permanent Judicial Commission, which denied certification to Lisa Larges and denied the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr the right to serve in any ordained position. Commissioners voted 81 to 37 in favor; Youth Advisory Delegates voted 8 to 1 in favor. Here's the statement:* WHEREAS the church is called "to a new openness to its membership by affirming itself as a community of diversity, becoming in fact as well as in faith a community of women and men of all ages, races and conditions, and by providing for inclusiveness as a visible sign of the new humanity" (Book of Order, G-3.0401b), and WHEREAS, Presbyterians are by design and conviction a diverse people, believing that our diversity is a sign of God's faithfulness, and WHEREAS God has created us with individualities and our own differences, we are called to inclusiveness, affirming our unity in the midst of diversity while admitting that inherent in this double affirmation lies inevitable conflict and controversy, and WHEREAS Presbyterians are called to exercise conscience and mutual forbearance, knowing that as we live, speak and openly disagree in community the mind of Christ is discerned, and WHEREAS members of the SYNOD OF THE NORTHEAST are deeply troubled and offended by the silencing of so many of our sisters and brothers within the church, finding our consciences profoundly wounded by many actions of the General Assembly, which have had the effect, if not the aim of such silencing, and WHEREAS we believe that the General Assembly erred in 1978 in adopting as "definitive guidance" that "unrepentant homosexual practice does not accord with the requirements for ordination set forth in the Form of Government," and WHEREAS we believe that subsequent decisions by the General Assembly's Permanent Judicial Commission were in error in declaring that this "definitive guidance" is the legally binding interpretation for the church, thus superseding the Book of Order which clearly vests the session and presbytery with the power and responsibility to ordain men and women to the offices of deacon, elder, and minister of Word and Sacrament, and WHEREAS we believe that the most recent Permanent Judicial Commission's decision -- first declaring that Lisa Larges is ineligible to be certified ready to receive a call and second, that the Reverend Jane Spahr does not "meet the requirements for ordination" (although she was ordained prior to the 1978 decision) and thus that the call issued by the Downtown United Presbyterian Church of Rochester, New York, be set aside -- are in error and injurious to the local Presbyteries whose responsibility it is to make those very judgements, and WHEREAS we believe that to remain silent in the interest of preserving the "peace, unity, and purity" of the church is wrong; by dissenting, we hope to return the Presbyterian Church (USA) to "peace, unity and purity," for while this injustice is permitted to stand, there is no peace, unity or purity in our midst, and WHEREAS we confidently affirm, as our Constitution suggests, that "synods and councils may err" -- and in this case, our denomination has erred greatly, and WHEREAS we believe that when there is conflict between the requirements of peace, unity and purity in the church and the ways of Jesus, we should respectfully attend to the ways and words of Jesus, and WHEREAS the church is called to undertake the mission of Jesus Christ, "even at the risk of losing its life: (Book of Order, G 3.0400): THEREFORE, THE SYNOD OF THE NORTHEAST, meeting in Stated Meeting, at the Holiday Inn, Newark, N.J., on January 22-23, 1993, respectfully states its belief that the Presbyterian Church (USA) 1. should repent of its already identified sin of homophobia (see "The Church and Homosexuality," General Assembly, 1978), 2. set aside the "definitive guidance" of 1978 regarding ordination and 3. reaffirm the power and responsibilities of sessions and presbyteries to ordain men and women to the offices of deacon, elder, and minister of the Word and Sacrament as stated in the *Book of Order.* *Thanks to Paule Alexander, Presbytery of New York City, Sanford Goin, Presbytery of New City, Bruce E. Billman, Genesee Valley Presbytery, Barbara Kellam-Scott, Palisades Presbytery, Ruth Labanski, Genesee Valley Presbytery, Roger S. Powers. Boston Presbytery, Donna M. Elia, Albany Presbytery, for introducing this resolution.* Remove Lesbian and Gay Ban in Military In a third resolution, approved by voice vote, the Synod of the Northeast urges President Clinton to eliminate the ban on gay and lesbian persons in the U. S. military. Youth Advisory Delegates voted 11 to 0 in favor. Here it is: Whereas the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in *The Book of Order* encourages us to be an inclusive community, and Whereas the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has affirmed the rights of all people to have access to equal employment opportunities, and Whereas, in the community of nations gay and lesbian persons are welcomed in the armed forces of many countries, and Whereas there is no evidence that gay and lesbian persons are a greater security risk than heterosexual persons, and Whereas a person should be judged by their skills and abilities rather than their sexual orientation, Therefore the Synod of the Northeast instructs the Stated Clerk to send President William Clinton a letter in support of his efforts to eliminate the ban on gay and lesbian persons from the United States Armed Services and a similar letter also be sent to the congress people serving the Presbyterians in the Synod of the Northeast. Thanks to George Portice, Long Island Presbytery, Bruce Billman, Genesee Valley Presbytery, and Sanford Goin, New York City Presbytery, for introducing this resolution. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 9th More Light Churches Conference Reclaiming Justice, Rekindling Love, Reforming the Church May 7-9, 1993, 7th Avenue Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, California Make your plans now for this important conference. See the registration form in this *Update*. [Not reproduced here. Contact Richard Sprott, 3900 Harrison St., #301, Oakland, CA 94611, 510/653-2134. Here's the preliminary schedule: Friday, May 7: 5-6 p.m. registration; 6-7:30 dinner; 7:30-8 opening worship; 8-9 keynote speaker; 9-? fellowship and coffee. Saturday, May 8: 8-9 a.m. breakfast; 9-9:30 worship; 10-11:30 workshops; 11:30-1 p.m. lunch; 1-2:30 workshops; 3-4:30 panel discussion; 5-6:30 dinner. Sunday, May 9: 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship at 7th Avenue Church; 12-12:30 p.m. closing commission. Planned workshops include: * Inquiring Churches, part 1 & 2: two workshops designed for inquiring churches, to learn more about becoming a More Light church, both in terms of practical matters and process. * Continuing Congregational Education: how to develop and strengthen the More Light commitment inside the congregation. * Evangelism: how a More Light church can reach out to disenfranchised gay/lesbian/bisexual communities. * PresbyNet: how to use PresbyNet to keep in touch with other More Light churches across the country. * Polity: on the particular polity issues More Light churches face in regards to challenges and proactive efforts. * AIDS Ministries: how congregations can connect and develop programs to address the AIDS epidemic. * Bible Defense: on Biblical interpretation and scriptural issues which come up most often in our circumstances. * Ecumenical ties: how More Light churches, both individually and as a group, can connect with similar churches in other denominations for support and strength. * Networking and strategies: individual congregations will share visions, information, and make connections to create proactive efforts within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). **Please bring group photos, if possible, from your More Light church.** We hope to build a community board, filled with faces, to remind us of folks who cannot come but who support us with their love and fellowship. -- Richard Sprott, conference coordinator. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Where Does It Hurt? by Chris Glaser Copyright (c) 1993 by Chris R. Glaser. All rights reserved. I just got out of a hot bath in which I soaked a sore back that resulted from "tilling the soil" in my Mom's yard earlier this week. I hate being sick or "disabled," even temporarily, so I denied this reality until it caught up with me and demanded I do something -- or rather, lie back, and *not* do something, as medical experts would warn me. I also hate *not* doing something. My back pain further reminded me how a problem in one area of the body affects the whole body. I feel sick, a loss of energy, a lack of appetite; and a little depression comes over me because I can't do the things I normally do. The pain and depression mean that tears come more easily, the world seems more dismal, and I feel a little sad, a little cross, and a little helpless. As I thought on my attempts at denial of real pain while I sat in the tub, I thought of a man I know who has always been quick to complain of aches and pains, who nonetheless has outlived the wife and children who cared for him. Now he has the services of a niece, who either fits into the category of codependent or compassionate, depending on which observer makes the call. The niece has been severely ill herself and has even had surgery, but her uncle has always insisted on talking about his own phantom afflictions, going so far as to blame doctors for causing them when they find nothing wrong. Now that he's old and alone, his distress seems more convincing. But he's been a hypochondriac all of his life. My mind jumped from his body and mine to the Body of Christ, the church. Real pain has been inflicted on that body by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in its decisions to set aside the call of Janie Spahr and the licensing of Lisa Larges. It ranks in hurtfulness with the decision of the 1978 General Assembly to offer "definitive guidance" against the ordination of gay and lesbian deacons, elders, and ministers. Ironically, the PJC decisions undo our *only* ecclesiastical gains from that G.A.: the grandparent clause protecting lesbians and gay men ordained prior to 1978, as well as the recommendation opposing investigation of an ordinand's sexuality. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that this decision, along with each re-affirmation of the 1978 ban on ordination, has been politically motivated. The motivation has been to protect the spiritual hypochondriacs of our denomination who claim they will be hurt by the ordination of lesbians and gay men. The Permanent Judicial Commissions and the General Assemblies of the past and of the present have been caught up with the spiritual hypochondria of those who have misdiagnosed homosexuality as the illness, when indeed, it is the church's homophobia and heterosexism that are the disabling conditions. Meanwhile, those in real pain -- lesbians, gay men, bisexual persons, their families and friends -- are left to suffer. Denial of the pain runs rampant in our denomination. Denial of the pain's ramifications on the spirituality, ministry, and mission of the church similarly goes unchecked. Instead of listening to the experts -- the vast majority of respected theologians, biblical scholars, medical and psychological experts, as well as gay, lesbian, and bisexual Christians themselves -- the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ignores the truth of sexual variation and insists on proving itself attentive to the phantom afflictions of those who oppose us. This looks more like codependence than compassion to me. If the Presbyterian Church were attentive to the real pain it is causing its membership by excluding lesbian, gay, and bisexual members from full participation in the body and reverse its position, then maybe our denomination could begin to overcome its spiritual malaise and lethargy and depression and helplessness, and get on with its true calling to serve the oppressed, not coddle the self-righteous. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * General Assembly Plans The upcoming General Assembly in Orlando, Florida, June 2-9, 1993, may be the most important in many years for lesbian, gay, and bisexual Presbyterians, their families and friends. Everyone should plan on coming, to help show commissioners, with love and commitment, that lesbian, gay, and bisexual Christians are very much a part of this church and that current apartheid policies that deny them full membership and participation merely because they are not 100% heterosexual are anti-Christ and must come to an end. Here are some initial plans: * PLGC's annual membership meeting will be held Friday evening, June 4, 8-10 p.m. We will announce the location as soon as we find out. * PLGC's annual luncheon, featuring the very Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr, whose call as co-pastor to the Downtown United Presbyterian Church of Rochester, New York was "set aside" by the High Court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), will be held at noon on Saturday, June 5. We will publish the place and cost as soon as we get that information. * PLGC workshops on issues of concern to lesbian, gay, and bisexual Presbyterians, their families and friends will be scheduled for Saturday afternoon, June 5. Topics will be announced in the April or May *Updates*. * PLGC's exhibit booth will be a highlight of the General Assembly exhibit hall, Wednesday noon, June 2 through Sunday, June 6. * PLGC morning worship, Sunday morning, June 6, with Lisa Larges preaching. Watch for place and time. * Housing. The Office of the General Assembly has blocked rooms in four hotels near the convention center at rates ranging from $39 to $89 per night (single or double occupancy). To take advantage of these rates, you must fill out an official housing form, which you may obtain from the Office of the General Assembly by calling or writing to General Assembly Housing, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202-1396, 502/569-5409. * Statewide Worship Service of Wholeness and Healing. PAN -- the Presbyterian AIDS Network -- is coordinating a Florida statewide worship service of wholeness and healing on Sunday, June 6, at 1:30 p.m. in Orlando in conjunction with the 1993 General Assembly. PAN is working in association with a local committee in Orlando to plan this service. All persons of all faiths (especially those with HIV and their loved ones) are invited to be a part of not only this worship but all other activities that will occur during the week-long meetings of the General Assembly. PAN has arranged for a poster to be printed -- financed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control -- to publicize this event. The poster will be available several months prior to the worship service for distribution. PAN would like to include as many local choirs from the state as possible in this service. In addition, if you are aware of individuals with talent in dance, instrumental performance or any other specialty in the arts, please contact Robert Russell, the local music coordinator, at Hope & Help Center, 1815 E. Robinson St., Suite 3, Orlando, FL 32803. PAN is sponsoring a hymn contest in honor of this service and is soliciting entries. The selected hymn will be featured during the service. Further information may be obtained from the Rev. Stuart Smith, 5455 N. Sheridan, #1609, Chicago, IL 60640. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Photos Wanted for General Assembly Photographs are being sought of gay, lesbian, and bisexual Presbyterians and their families and allies for a display at General Assembly. A wall of photos and captions is being assembled as a visual statement that "we belong" in the Presbyterian Church. If you are willing to have your photo included, please send it to Jude Hand and Alison Moore, 44 W. Salisbury Drive, Wilmington, DE 19809. If you are also willing, please send a short separate caption to place under your photo with your name and church affiliation, city, and state. You may also state "gay," "lesbian," "parent of gay, lesbian, bisexual," "friend," etc. If you have any questions, call Jude or Alison at 302/764-1594. Photos *will not* be returned. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PLGC's Annual Report PLGC has submitted its annual report for 1992 to the Theology and Worship Ministry Unit of the General Assembly in Louisville. In previous years, the Theology and Worship Unit has sent the report out to all presbyteries and synods. Like the February 1993 *More Light Update,* the over-all theme of the annual report is "Presbyterian Apartheid: A Chronicle of Ignorance, Fear, and Hate." In addition to this chronicle and major excerpts from the PJC decisions against Janie Spahr and Lisa Larges and the "Ending Apartheid" report from the church-wide Chicago Convocation, which were also published in the February *Update*, the annual report features: * Letters and resolutions of anger, dismay and commitment from across the country: Indianapolis, Indiana; West Hollywood, California; Rochester, New York; Portland, Oregon; Kent, Ohio; Bradenton, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; the More Light Churches Network; Shippenville, Pennsylvania; Dobbs Ferry, New York; Sacramento, California; New York City; Kansas City, Missouri; and The Witherspoon Society. * The Declaration of Conscience, which has been and continues to be signed by thousands of Presbyterians across the denomination. * "Judging Others," a sermon in verse preached just after the decisions in two tiny towns in the most rural of Missouri's presbyteries. * An appendix with PLGC's statement of purpose and information about officers, membership, publications, the collection and distribution of funds, and a financial statement. If you'd like a copy of the full 24-page large-format report, please send $5 to cover costs of printing and mailing to Jim Anderson, Communications Secretary, PO Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Proposals Sought for Special Update Issues For several years, PLGC has published two special issues each year, a *More Light Prayer Book* in January, and "Illuminations: Liturgical and Programmatic Resources" in June. These special issues have been prepared by the *Update*'s regular columnist, Chris Glaser, a noted author and long-time champion of lesbian, gay and bisexual rights within the church. Now, in order "to move toward lesbian/gay gender parity for the special resource issues beginning 1994," the PLGC Executive Board solicits proposals for future special issues. Persons interested in submitting proposals should send them to Jim Anderson, *Update* Editor, PO Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903- 0038. PLGC will provide honoraria for the preparation of these special issues. Proposals will be considered by the PLGC Executive Board at its June 1993 meeting during General Assembly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Midwest PLGC Conference Don't always believe what you read. The Midwest PLGC Conference will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, March 5-7, 1993, not 1992 as reported erroneously in the December 1992 *Update*. (You didn't believe that the 1993 conference would be held in 1992 anyway, now did you!) Last minute queries and registration may be phoned to Linda Manwarren at 816/474-1490 or Merrill Proudfoot at 816/531-2136. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Bashing Continues *Presbyterian bashing of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals continues unabated. A church in Eugene, Oregon faces a synod trial because it ordained a lesbian and a gay deacon. A More Light Church in Cincinnati is declared "irregular," but stands firm and ordains a gay elder. Here are some details.* Eugene, Oregon *We share a few brief excerpts from a long and thorough story, "It's church vs. church in trial over two homosexual deacons," by Jeff Wright in *The Register-Guard* of Eugene, Oregon.* "Heather Boonstra is 25, single, and an administrator at the University Oregon. George Link is 68, divorced and retired. "In two weeks, their church [Central Presbyterian in Eugene] goes on trial in San Francisco before the [Permanent Judicial Commission] of the Synod of the Pacific. The church's alleged offense: Almost two years ago, it ordained Boonstra and Link as deacons. "Boonstra and Link are homosexual. "In what amounts to a religious version of civil disobedience, Central's leaders are fighting to protect Boonstra's and Link's ordination in defiance of official Presbyterian Church policy . . . "The trial, set for Jan. 25, is without precedent: Never before has one Presbyterian church challenged another for having ordained homosexuals as deacons, synod executive Philip Young said in San Francisco." Cincinnati, Ohio *We share "a response to the Cincinnati Presbytery on the charge that the Session of Mount Auburn Church committed an irregularity in adopting its policy of the inclusion of gays and lesbians and that it be ordered to correct it." "Because the vote went against Mount Auburn, the Session of the Church was ordered to reconsider and correct its policy. It did prayerfully reconsider it on November 20, 1992 and unanimously voted to re-affirm it. The Session may now face a formal complaint of delinquency on this matter if it is forthcoming. This would be a judicial process through the Presbyterian ecclesiastical court system. On the other hand, the policy may not be challenged further." On January 10, 1993, Mount Auburn ordained a gay elder, Michael Adee. Seven Cincinnati-area congregations have asked the Presbytery to form an administrative commission to force Mount Auburn to change its policy. The issue has been referred to a committee and could come up at a March meeting of the Presbytery. Just one day before Adee's ordination, the Cincinnati Presbytery narrowly defeated -- 85 to 80 with 9 abstentions -- an overture to restore full membership and participation for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The following statements were presented to the Presbytery at its meeting on November 10, 1992. "Some words were only summarized because the Moderator shortened the time for each speaker. The final vote was 162-75 with 8 abstentions to find Mount Auburn 'irregular'."* Dear Members and Guests of the Presbytery of Cincinnati, I am Harold Porter, Pastor of Mount Auburn Church. Two weeks ago at worship, with over 130 persons present, I realized that at least 12 of that number were gay and lesbian. Some are known to the whole congregation, but, in any case, each is a person of grace and faithfulness, and reflects well the One in whose image they were made. Many have extraordinary gifts. We feel so blessed by all of them, and we are eager for their full participation in the life of our church. I also looked about and saw several families who, since we have adopted our policy, have finally felt comfortable to share with me and others that their son or daughter, brother or sister, is a homosexual. It is a joyous and liberating experience to be a part of such an inclusive congregation. After much study and prayerful deliberations, we at Mt. Auburn have realized we can no longer condone or tolerate the widespread injustice and violence that continues to be done to such persons in both the society at large and also in our church. In the church, it is clearly our definitive guidance that largely continues the abuse, and in the most vulgar way, because it does so in the name of Christ. Definitive guidance is wrong on many counts, but, especially, because it categorically condemns as sin any form of love and affection between persons of the same sex; it declares all homosexual persons in the church as second class members capable to serve but not to lead; it tells Sessions and Presbyteries that they are not able to decide the fitness of persons to be ordained as deacons, elders, and ministers. Definitive guidance was never meant to be constitutional law. Only the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly has decided it is. They decided it was to be chiseled in stone, and not written on the heart, as people of the new covenant in Christ would expect. Martin Luther King reminds us that "any law that uplifts human personality is good. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust." Well, definitive guidance degrades and demeans people made in the image of God; it seeks to gag the Holy Spirit and is divisive and disruptive of the Presbyterian Church. Last week the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly felt compelled to enforce definitive guidance and prevented one of our churches from calling the Rev. Jane Spahr, a gracious and capable minister of the gospel, even though the Presbytery had firmly approved her call. A dissenting member of that Commission said that "definitive guidance is at variance with the knowledge of the world as God made it, and hence is bad exegesis, bad theology, bad psychology, bad science . . . ." Indeed it is. What was really shocking, and shows how untenable and destructive definitive guidance is, were the comments of four members of that Commission who reluctantly voted to bar the Rev. Jane Spahr from her call. They said, "We believe there are multiple and severe flaws in the [church's] policy statement [on homosexuality] which weaken its status as definitive guidance . . . . Nevertheless, we conclude that while the 'law' [definitive guidance] is destructive of the peace, unity, and purity of the church, it is the law." What they should have said was Jesus would not serve such a law. What they should have said was what St. Augustine said, that "an unjust law is no law at all." How *sad* indeed, for we have made order an idol. True, the Book of Order compels us to be ruled by the larger governing bodies, but it also states the authority for this is the practice of the apostles and the primitive church. Do we remember who Peter faced and defied with "we must obey God rather than men"? It was the highest ecclesiastical court of his day. Never before, in my 31 years in the ministry, have I been asked by the Presbyterian Church to obey an unjust law or even to be patient with one until it is changed. But that is the present situation, and this is why we are being forced tonight to choose: * to choose to be *right* or to be *loving.* * to choose to be *regular* or to be *just.* * to choose to be *controlled* by an ecclesiastical court or the *leadings* of the Holy Spirit. To agree with the motion before us is to declare to all that Mount Auburn's ministry of the full inclusion is wrong and does not befit the gospel of Christ. We pray you will not do so. I am pleased that the Session sought to be open and forthright in its policy and not hold to its convictions privately or deceptively. We have been accused of being obstreperous, but it is definitive guidance that is hard hearted and hard headed. Let me also say that the Session has not sought in any way to organize others to rally to our defense or for our position. We believe in majority rule and we have no intention of leaving the Presbyterian Church. But I must honestly tell you on my own behalf, I will not abide by definitive guidance as law, and what consequence that brings to me I gladly take. Further, I will urge the Session of Mt. Auburn Church, as an agency of Christ, to stay its course no matter the vote. *Words addressed to Presbytery of Cincinnati by Elder Norman Lindblad on the same occasion:* Madam Moderator, I am elder-commissioner, Norman Lindblad, from Mount Auburn Church As we gather tonight, we know each other and ourselves better than we did eight months ago. In our study and dialogue, we have embodied an historic principle of our church -- we have differed on principles but exercised mutual forbearance toward one another. It is a privilege to have been part of such a process. The issue before us tonight is about God's love, the rich diversity within the church's membership, and the openness of the church to welcome all members to full participation. This has been a struggle throughout history. The Roman Catholic Church has just reversed a 359 year old decision against Galileo for entertaining thoughts that the earth was not the center of the universe. The Pope's commission found that Galileo's judges acted in good faith, but rejected his findings because those judges were "incapable of disassociating faith from an age-old cosmology" -- the biblical vision of the Earth as the center of the universe. In our own Presbyterian Church, we struggled with the inclusion of blacks and women, which was believed to be inconsistent with the teachings of scripture. The struggle of interpreting the cultural laws of ancient societies in light of the all- encompassing love of God continues in our present society. I've personally struggled with the dilemma in which we find ourselves -- is homosexuality sinful or is it a part of God's good creation? In a study of Human Sexuality that we were *all* encouraged to study, my eyes were opened to two things that impacted me: First, homosexual orientation is *not* a choice -- and if it is *not* a choice, then it is God given. Second, listening to Christian homosexuals tell their life stories: discovering their homosexual orientation, seeking God's deliverance from this orientation without success, and finally accepting God's choice for them. I, along with other session members, concluded that we had no choice but to accept them as any other Christians. We also concluded that we needed to do something about the error which we believed the 1978 General Assembly made in ruling that gays and lesbians could not be ordained as leaders in the church. The result is the Policy Statement, which I hope you have all read, which was approved by the full Session last December. [It was published in the March 1992 *More Light Update* -- JDA.] We also discovered in our studies, that Definitive Guidance is not binding (but guidance) and that a Permanent Judicial Commission does not have the authority to declare Definitive Guidance binding when it overrules the constitution which gives that power of election to Congregations and Presbyteries. It is our hope, therefore, that on theological and constitutional grounds you will *not* support the recommendation before us. May God grant us wisdom! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * National Council of Churches Bashes Gays Says Yes to Muslims and Jews, but No! to Gay and Lesbian Christians Stated Clerk of the General Assembly Votes to Exclude Angry lesbian and gay Christians demonstrated on the floor of the National Council of Churches (NCC) meeting in Cleveland on November 12 after NCC's General Board rejected the application of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) for Observer status by a vote of 90 to 81. "It's easier to get into heaven than into the NCC," said the Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson of Los Angeles, Ecumenical Officer for UFMCC, who was invited to the dais to speak after the vote. "We have come to this point after 11 years of relationship with you," she continued. "And now we have had to endure this experience of hearing you have a conversation about us, but not with us." The vote touched off an emotional demonstration by UFMCC members, as well as by members of gay and lesbian caucuses from denominations that already belong to the Council and from other non-member denominations. Leaders from these groups were meeting in Cleveland in conjunction with the NCC meeting. Protesters waved banners throughout the ballroom and twice filled the room with "Singing for Our Lives." After Elder Wilson completed her remarks, many lined up at floor microphones to recount their personal struggles against bigotry at the hands of the church. The vote came nine months after Orthodox churches resumed ties with the NCC after a 10-month split to protest liberal positions of the council and member denominations on homosexuality and other issues. The NCC has seven Orthodox and 25 Protestant member denominations representing 45 million people. Some of the liberal Protestant groups tolerate ordination of lesbians and gay men, but only the United Church of Christ officially allows it. After the meeting, Elder Wilson rejected the NCC Membership Committee's recommendation that talks continue between the council and UFMCC, saying there would be no point to such talks after the church had been so severely rebuffed. The decision was "one of the most painful decisions" in the 42-year history of the NCC, an official council summary of the meeting said. In its written statement, UFMCC said: "By not recognizing us today as observers, the NCC and its members have taken an unprecedented action to try to deny our very existence. The NCC took its actions in order to preserve the unity of their organization. The result is not Christian unity but unholy and false unity." An Eleven Year Process The predominantly lesbian and gay UFMCC had applied for Observer status in May, 1992, following the termination of an eleven-year process of investigation and dialogue which followed UFMCC's application for NCC membership in 1981. Although the NCC Membership Committee had unanimously declared that UFMCC met the requirements for membership in NCC in 1982, the General Board tabled the request and referred the issue to another committee. A year later that committee issued a report but no recommendation and the General Board voted to "postpone indefinitely" a vote on UFMCC membership. A three-year process of "study, conversation and dialogue" with the UFMCC was initiated in 1984 focusing on three areas: Biblical interpretation of homosexuality, the science of human sexuality, and ecclesiology. When three reports generally supportive of UFMCC were issued in 1987, the General Board took no action except to express hope that dialogue might continue. The following year the General Board voted to establish another dialogue committee but due to NCC restructuring, no action commenced until the November 1990 meeting of the Board. At that same meeting, the NCC declared that no request by UFMCC was pending and that they would have to reapply for membership. The focus of the latest dialogue committee, under the leadership of Methodist Bishop William Boyd Grove of Albany, New York, was to establish means for bilateral dialogue between UFMCC and NCC member churches. In a survey in early 1992, however, the NCC Executive Committee found that only two churches were willing to undertake such dialogue with UFMCC and in May announced the disbanding of the committee. As a result, UFMCC leaders decided to file the application for Observer status, saying the "homophobia" of other churches made full membership unlikely in the near future. It was wrongly assumed that Observer status would not be controversial. Observer Status Observer status, which confers only the opportunity to attend meetings and speak with the chair's permission, had previously been given to Muslim and Jewish groups and to the Unitarian Universalist denomination, which ordains openly gay and lesbian persons and blesses same-sex unions. Threats of a pullout by Orthodox churches were largely responsible for the 1983 decision to table the UFMCC application. NCC spokesman J. Martin Bailey said the primary opponents to granting Observer status on November 12 were the Eastern Orthodox churches, some of the historically African-American denominations and the Korean Presbyterian Church in the United States. "There were 12 [of a total of 32] denominations which, according to an informal poll in the corridors, said that if Observer status were granted they would be forced to leave the council," he said. The Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, immediate past president of the NCC and Ecumenical Officer of the Orthodox Church in America, said after the vote: "Homosexual practice is sinful. There were certainly many who believed that [granting Observer status] could seem to imply an affirmation of homosexual practice." New Testament Professor Thomas Hoyt of Hartford, a delegate from the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, in contrast said during the debate that the issue was one of hospitality, a Biblical mandate, and that as an African-American he could not deny fellowship to the UFMCC. Bishop Grove stated that while the United Methodist Church has found homosexuality to be incompatible with Christian teaching, "Observer status endorses nothing except a willingness to listen." During the discussion on the issue, the Rev. Paul Sherry of Cleveland, national president of the United Church of Christ, said he supported Observer status for UFMCC because "unity without integrity is no unity at all." Given its liberal image, it was surprising that the Episcopal Church was among those opposing inclusion of UFMCC. The United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ and others formally dissented after the vote was taken. Resolution on Colorado Somewhat surprisingly, the NCC General Board reinforced its 1973 commitment to "civil rights without discrimination as to affectional or sexual preference" by passing a resolution condemning the approval of Amendment 2 to the Colorado State Constitution which "denies gay, lesbian and bisexual people any claim of discrimination." They further encouraged "the leaders of each member communion and their public policy and advocacy offices to work for civil rights for all people." Anti-Gays Welcomed At the same meeting the NCC voted to seek better ties with Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and evangelical churches -- groups which strongly oppose equality for lesbians and gay men. To build ties with them, the General Board extended its ecumenical committee's work through 1995 and added five employees for relations with those groups. "We will be making much closer contact with them and inviting them to our meetings so we would have much closer relationships with them and a fuller understanding of each other," said NCC president, the Rev. Syngman Rhee. Presbyterian Stated Clerk Votes to Exclude Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly James E. Andrews joined the majority of delegates in voting to deny observer status to the UFMCC. According to the *Presbyterian Outlook* (January 25, 1993, p. 3), Andrews defended his vote by claiming "You're dealing . . . with 'what is a church? What is the legitimate rationale for the existence of a church?' For example, we would be opposed to a church that came into existence exclusively because of its commitment to oppose animal experimentation for medical purposes -- or in favor of it. There's a certain wholeness to being a church and the UFMCC doesn't fit that. "What the UFMCC stands for is identified by my General Assembly as sinful. We don't ordain gays in this church for that reason. So I would be in a very poor position to support membership for a group of people who are organized for the purpose of pursuing what my church calls sinful behavior. That's why I say these are not sexual matters [but theological]." The majority of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted in favor of observer status for the UFMCC. Andrews commented, "They [the others in the delegation] don't have any limits on their views. My job is to represent the policies of the General Assembly and they don't have that stricture on them. I told the delegation, in the discussion, that I felt that I was particularly bound by that requirement, [and] that I did not think they had the same limit on them. . . . About the only thing our delegation would vote for unanimously is to go to a meal or adjournment. Being unanimous is not our [Presbyterians'] best thing." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Lesbian/Gay Religious Leaders Meet In Midst of National Council of Churches Representatives of most of the nation's lesbian/gay Christian caucuses and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) met in Cleveland from November 10 through 13 in conjunction with the meeting of the General Board of the National Council of Churches (NCC). More than 25 representatives of 13 organizations attended. The purpose of the meeting was twofold. The first was to share concerns among the various groups struggling for equal rights and rites within their respective denominations. The last such meeting was in 1989. The second purpose was to be present at the NCC both to support UFMCC's request for Observer status and to remind delegates of the presence of gay and lesbian members in their own denominations. A group of leaders from caucuses in the Disciples of Christ [Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples], the Episcopal Church [Integrity], the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) [Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns], and the United Church of Christ [UCC Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns] joined UFMCC in calling the meeting. They were joined by representatives from Affirmation [United Methodists], American Baptists Concerned, Axios [Eastern Orthodox], the BrethrenMennonite Council, Christian Lesbians Out & Uniting Together, Friends for Lesbian/Gay Concerns, Seventh Day Adventist/Kinship International, and Unitarian Universalists Concerned. The meeting on Tuesday, November 10 was held at the national headquarters of the United Church of Christ in downtown Cleveland. Joining the group for lunch were NCC's President, the Rev. Syngman Rhee, and its Executive Director, the Rev. Joan Campbell. The candid exchange among the NCC and lesbian/gay representatives lasted about an hour and a half. Also addressing the meeting was the Rev. Paul Sherry, national president of the United Church of Christ. Greetings were received from the leader of the Disciples of Christ as well. The primary focus of the meeting was the NCC meeting and the appropriate response to a rejection of MCC's request for Observer status. The leadership group did, however, examine several other topics: * Plans were established for the next meeting in November 1993, perhaps again in conjunction with the NCC General Board. * It was agreed to explore a possible meeting in New York City in June 1994 with representatives of lesbian and gay religious organizations from around the world. * It was agreed to sponsor a joint presence at the March on Washington in April 1993. * The group expressed its outrage at the action of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) overturning the election of the Rev. Jane Spahr as pastor of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY because she is openly lesbian. * The group called for action against the State of Colorado as a result of passage of an initiative which would deny civil rights protection for lesbians and gay men and asked the NCC for assistance in the protest. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wanted: More Light Bulbs! PLGC is blessed with many members who have great ideas ("light bulbs") for bringing more light to the church through their work on sessions, committees, councils and task forces in all areas of the denomination. For example, a member of a presbytery church development committee acquired demographic info from a local gay/lesbian community agency showing that within one mile of one urban congregation 30% of the population is estimated to be gay or lesbian. This is significant data as the church seeks to reach out to its immediate neighbors. Take a minute to recall any and all ideas you have used in your church work, whether they were successful or not. One person's trial could be another's triumph! Jot down a brief description of each idea -- the context, the content, how it worked (or could have worked better), and any other comments. Send your ideas to: MORE LIGHT BULBS! c/o Lindsay Biddle 3538 22nd Ave. S. Minneapolis, Minn. 55407 They'll be shared in the *Update* for all to use! Let your light shine bright! More Light!