Date: Wed, 5 Apr 95 17:36:43 EDT From: "James D. Anderson" MORE LIGHT UPDATE November 1993, Volume 14, Number 4 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 Note: * is used to indicate italicized or boldface text. CHANGES Mark Smith, PLGC's PresbyNet Coordinator, has a new address and phone number: Apt. 4 Crestwood Square, 1800 Klockner Rd., Mercerville, NJ 08619-2731, 609/890-6269 (890-OBOY!). Synod Coordinators: Stephen Daniels, our coordinator for the Synod of the Sun has moved to Oklahoma. We don't have his new address yet, so in the meantime, contact Jim Anderson in New Jersey. In the Synod of the Trinity, we have new "acting" co- coordinators, pending formal appointment by the PLGC Executive Board. Stephen Slatton is working in the Pittsburgh area. His address and phone are: 736 Speer St., Belle Vernon, PA 15012, 412/929-8004. Jim Ebbenga and Kurt Wieser are working in the Philadelphia area. Their address and phone are: P.O. Box 1207, Landsdale, PA 19446, 215/699-4750. Our Co-Moderator Bob Patenaude and his partner Stuart Warren have bought a house. Their new address is: 3346 Hollydale Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90039. His phone number remains 213/660-6795. New Chapter. Southern New England has a new PLGC chapter. For information contact the moderator, John Hartwein, 23 Sherman St., Apt. 2, New London CT 06320, 203/442-5138 (evenings). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONTENTS Testimonies Coming Out in Christ, by Stephen H. Slatton A Gay Deacon, by George Dempsie Statement of Call, by Lawrence A. Reh A Meditation on the Eucharist, by Lawrence A. Reh Included, by Lawrence A. Reh A God-Affirming Person Who Happens to Be Gay, By Jim Larson The Poverty of Childhood, by Chris Glaser The Source of "More Light" Conferences and Retreats Presbyterian Dialogue: Say the Words! by Merrill Proudfoot New of the Church and the World Charges Against Howard Warren Dismissed Open Hands Now Ecumenical A Protest * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Testimonies Coming Out in Christ by Stephen H. Slatton [Stephen is a leader in PLGC/Pittsburgh. Folks interested in getting involved in the newly revitalized chapter there may contact him at 736 Speer St., Belle Vernon, PA 15012, 412/929- 8004.] Living in the closet avoids facing many problems of being gay or lesbian and has certainly provided one alternative while living in a hostile society. It has done so for millions upon millions of our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters, possibly for all time that men and women have been on earth. Living in the closet has also held us down both individually and as a family. As individuals, it has made us feel like second rate citizens. It has prevented us from coming and joining in our daily work toward freedom. As a group, it has prevented us from showing our strength in numbers and intelligence to secure for ourselves the places in society that we should have. Being closeted can lead one to the feeling that they are even comfortable. But, for most of us, living in the closet presents an ever present hell-on-earth climate in which we feel we are hiding something which we may still feel to be wrong. Few of us would not recognize the profound state of fear, the increased heart rate, the sickening, sinking feeling in the chest and abdomen when we are about to be exposed to someone we do not want to be exposed to. Most of us have been fearful of coming out of the closet because we still cling to the thought that we are alone -- that perhaps we are the only gay or lesbian person in this world. That is frightening indeed, but it is wholly untrue. You are not alone! First, God is always with you. Second, our Father has sent his angels to guard your person. "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" [Ps. 91:11,12]. Third, your gay and lesbian family is surrounding you. So, then, whose guidance can we rely on to instruct us in coming out? Being led by the Holy Spirit gives us confidence to rely on our own feelings. Reach out your hand and place it in the hand of Christ and let him lead you along your journey. A daily, unhurried, Christ-centered prayer life can lead you to consider the pros and cons -- your parents, your boss, your friends, your enemies. The Lord already knows what their reaction will be. He already knows if their reaction will be one of heartache, hostility, confusion or acceptance with open arms. *Our Creator knows how he will use your coming out to glorify himself!* Pray! And pray often. Prayer does not have to be preceded by constantly feeling you must find something new and impressive to say to God. Throughout your day, occasionally just let your mind wander back to the Source of your strength. Don't necessarily try to think even in words. (I don't know how else to describe this activity in words!) Just let yourself feel God's warmth, love, and whole acceptance of you as a person who loves sexually people of your own gender. Feel your love for men or women as David loved Jonathan -- or Ruth loved Naomi -- a love that is absolutely worthy, wholesome and unendingly beautiful. Feel your love for men or women as Christ loves you -- a love that is absolutely pure, worthy, wholesome and unendingly beautiful. As in all things in your life, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. And then be utterly quiet for a large portion of your prayer time and *listen to God*. If we are never quiet long enough to listen, how can we expect to hear an answer. Wait upon the Lord. All the years you may have prayed to our Redeemer for forgiveness for your homosexuality are no longer necessary and never were. Believing you are sinful because of your sexuality is believing in a cruel lie. The thing to accept is that homosexuality is not sin -- it is God's creation and one of the greatest gifts the Heavenly Father gave you. It is the ability to love those of your own gender with increased capacity. Coming out to one's self is perhaps more important than coming out to others. If you are not real happy with yourself, it may be very difficult to be comfortable with your sexuality before others. However, even if you try very hard to come out all at once, the task may be beyond your current vision of self. You will likely find the process life-long, peeling off layer after layer of self-protection that even you may not have understood was present. There will be greater joy and relief as each layer of protection is discovered and shed. Perhaps you only get closer and closer to the priceless pearl that is truly you. One thing is fairly sure: You will find you are good company to be with. What goes on in your own mind will be what you cherish and enjoy the most. The Creator made you wonderfully complex, variable and whole. Rejoice in the glory of your mind and your body. Lean on your gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender brothers and sisters in Christ. Whether they are out or in, they will for the rest of your life be a source of unending support and strength. Don't continue dwelling on such conditions as: What will happen to my family, my job, my friends? If the Holy Spirit guides you to come out, you will be provided with either a present job and situation that is accepting, or a new job, perhaps with new purpose, in his kingdom; an accepting and loving family -- and/or a gay and lesbian family that may be the first true and loving family you have ever had; accepting and loving straight friends -- and/or gay and lesbian friends who will open their arms to you every hour of every day. Reach out your hand and firmly and permanently interlock it with the hand of God. Reach out your other hand and firmly and permanently interlock it with the hands of your gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender family. Reach out your heart and firmly and permanently interlock it in love to the needs of others, gay and straight. Now -- stand with your head held up with no shame whatsoever -- (None was ever necessary) and walk! Begin a new and better part of your journey. You are empowered by the Almighty who has all power. You are empowered by your gay and lesbian friends. Go forth in love for others, facing confidently whatever comes. Come out in Christ and breathe deeply of freedom to the bottom of your soul and let your face be bathed in the warm sunshine of God's love. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A Gay Deacon by George Dempsie (c) 1992 by George Dempsie all rights reserved *George wrote this testimony in 1992, in the aftermath of fallout from the report of the Task Force Study on Human Sexuality. But it is just as relevant, perhaps more so, today, as the Presbyterian Church begins, we hope, to study and to dialogue with us yet again.* -- JDA. The last six months had been a real challenge for me as a gay Christian. A life-long Presbyterian, I'd sadly left my local church when it rejected the controversial "Task Force Study On Human Sexuality" and endorsed a "Witness For Biblical Morality", a conservative document excluding active "homosexuals" from ordination as ministers, elders, and deacons. The idea of including gays and lesbians into this small, conservative church had been too radical for our session. As far as many of them were concerned, they didn't know any gays or lesbians. They certainly wouldn't have suspected me -- a previously ordained deacon and choir member -- to be "one of *those* kinds of people." It was a "Catch 22" for me. I wanted to share my life as a well- adjusted, Christian gay man, but I am also a school teacher and feared for my job. As a result, I could only hope that my abrupt exodus from the Church upon the heels of their rejection would speak for itself. Apparently it did -- I could tell by the glares and cold shoulders I began receiving from some church members when I ran into them in my town. That's not to say that there weren't other reactions as well. I was surprised when several other people quietly approached me, saying how much they missed seeing me in church. I told them I missed them too, but I was tongue-tied when I wished to share how degraded I felt being reduced to a second-class citizen within the Church because I was finally being honest about who I was. All in all, the experience left me feeling stripped of my dignity as a human being. I even avoided going into my front yard because I didn't want a chance meeting with my neighbors who were all Presbyterians. I felt worthless and useless to God. But just when I least expected it, I soon learned to the contrary: Being a deacon, I'd previously spent lots of time at a nearby nursing home, visiting elderly church members on a monthly basis. I quickly developed a friendship with one particular woman. Nettie was a spry, mischievous ninety-two year-old who'd been at the home for four years. During our visits, we'd chat about a variety of topics, from our faith to movie stars ("Jimmy Stewart is my favorite!" she'd tell me with a twinkle in her eye). Nettie's "baby sister" Ruth, who was eighty-nine, had a room across the hall. During my visits with Nettie, Ruth would roll her wheelchair into the hall and position herself where I could see her sitting quietly, evasively glancing in our direction as Nettie's throaty laugh would echo down the hall. I often tried to draw Ruth into our visits. Occasionally, she would join us, but most of the time she declined, choosing instead to sit in the hallway, clutching her rosary beads, and trying to look disinterested. It was very evident that sibling rivalry still surfaced between them, even though their childhood years had long passed. I could just imagine what it must have been like when they shared a home in their later years before living alone became impossible. Seeing their rivalry in action reminded me of an amusing story. I remembered hearing about some carolers from our church who visited the elderly sisters one Christmas outside their home. Nettie greeted her visitors by sitting in her picture window, basking in their songful attention like the Queen Mother -- that is, until Ruth closed the drapes on her! Still, even with a bit of rivalry, it wasn't hard to tell that there was a bond between them. And I really looked forward to our visits together. When I left the Church, however, I was in a quandary. I would have felt awkward trying to explain to Nettie why I'd left. However, I didn't feel good about ending my visits and friendship with this ninety-two year-old woman, who had nothing to do with my leaving the Church. I decided to keep visiting her, hoping that the issue of my leaving would never surface. Fortunately, it didn't. One Fall evening, about five months after I'd left the Church, I was racing out the door to my car, late for a friend's birthday party. I was quietly reminded of Nettie when I glanced across the driveway to my rose bushes -- I usually took a few cut flowers to her on each visit. It had been a few weeks since our last visit, and Nettie hadn't been feeling well. "The birthday party will have to wait," I found myself saying as I clipped a small bouquet for Nettie. When I got to the nursing home a few minutes later, an empty bed greeted me in Nettie's room. Glancing across the hall. I found her sister's room empty, too. "Ruth is in the cafeteria, but Nettie was moved to the second floor," said a young nurse at the station as she pointed me in the right direction. "Nettie's not doing very well." When I got upstairs and caught sight of Nettie's frail body curled upon the bed, I suddenly felt very helpless. What could I say or do for someone who was suffering so badly? Times like these were among the most difficult for me as a deacon. Nettie didn't recognize or remember me. Very few of the comforting words I tried to offer seemed to ease her pain. I finally just closed my eyes, touched her hand, and uttered a silent prayer that she would not suffer like this for an extended period of time. When I stood to leave, I remembered her sister Ruth, who was downstairs in the dining hall. "Nettie -- have you seen Ruth lately?" I asked, unsure if she could understand my question. "Not since I've been up here," she weakly replied. I asked her if she would like me to relay any message to her sister. Nettie was silent for a minute, and then her next words were spoken in a clearer, peaceful voice. "Tell her that I always loved her and that I love her very, very much . . . ." She grew silent and turned away as I left the room to try and find Ruth. I found her sitting in her wheelchair in the dining hall, quietly eating her dinner. "I've just been to see Nettie," I told her. Ruth shook her head sadly and said, "They tell me she's not well -- she says she wants to die." I related Nettie's affirming message of love for her sister. Ruth squeezed my hand and tearfully thanked me. Two days later I opened the morning paper and read Nettie's obituary. As it turned out, she died the same evening I visited her. I was probably her last visitor. I was relieved and thankful to God that her suffering wasn't prolonged. And I was thankful to God that I had been used as a deacon to minister to her -- I'd been given the very special privilege of relaying an affirming message to her sister. It was a comforting thought for her sister to know that Nettie's love for her transcended her pain. And it was comforting for me to learn through this experience that my sexual orientation was not an issue with God when it came time to share God's loving ministry with an elderly Christian at the close of her life. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Statement of Call by Lawrence A. Reh [box] [Lawrence is a student at San Francisco Theological Seminary. He prepared this Statement of Call for the Committee on Preparation for Ministry, Redwoods Presbytery. He writes: "My 35-year struggle with God's call brought me to a place where, deciding for myself alone, I felt I could undertake to answer the call only if I were prepared and able to be totally 'out' from the very beginning. . . . I took my position in reliance upon the specific language adopted in the 1978 General Assembly policy. . . . I have made it a point of personal honor, faith and integrity, whenever advancing to a new stage, a new relationship of counsel or care along the journey, voluntarily to make my identity as a gay man known. "I am aware that many lesbian and gay people are offended by the implied requirement that they may only qualify for ordination if they are celibate. I share that view, but have been very careful to keep myself within the strict qualifications in order that any future votes on my status would have to take into account that, by the denomination's own language (all other requirements being met), I was fully qualified to be ordained, even as an open gay man. It came as no surprise that this intention foreclosed to me the fullest possibilities of a partnership of love . . . . "This was a sacrifice of no small proportion, but by this means I intend for it to be possible to test the sincerity of the existing policy: Will the church, as embodied by its various and many leaders, really accept and ordain celibate gay or lesbian persons who are presented to them fully qualified in every respect? Or will there be revolt against such action, in contravention of the policy and in further betrayal of the honor and integrity of both the individuals and the institution? "I would be grateful for your prayers and encouragement."] [end box] At your age, in your circumstances, with your life history and experiences, for God's sake, why? This is a reaction that I have experienced from friends, family, co-workers, from people who have known me little or long, when they learn that I am pursuing ordained ministry within an organized religious denomination. My answer is: for God's sake, that's why. I have felt called to ministry since I was confirmed at 13 in the conservative Lutheran church of my family. Not much later, before I had any opportunity to actively pursue professional ministry, God opened my consciousness to the reality of my sexual orientation -- and convinced me it was good, right, and natural for me, as for many other millions. Not right away, not easily, and not without great pain, doubt, and upheaval. How is it possible to live equally committed to spiritual questing and servanthood and to the integrity of one's God-created being? For well over 30 years, the only answer was one forced upon me by the society in which I lived. You cannot be both gay and a good Christian; you must of necessity deny one of them. I became like a child's paddle-ball, affixed by a strong bond to a rigid piece of wood, seemingly condemned to a love for and commitment to the church of such strength that my wish to be part of it, to share in its joys and praise and practice of the Christ-like life, brought me repeatedly and apparently inevitably into collision with a rigid projection of what the institutional church *was* in the world, and what it emphatically was *not*. It doesn't take much imagination to extend the paddle-ball analogy to feeling repeatedly stretched to near breaking, of being conditioned to regard contact with the institutional church as a head-banging, hurting experience. To their great credit, the family of my early nurture and a number of faithful friends (spiritual guides, perhaps) helped me to find an adjustment of perspective, to understand that my problem was not with God, but with the institution which frail and often frightened humankind set up as its strength and its sanctuary. I identified myself as Presbyterian after discovering, through study and exposure to a series of solid role models, the denomination's history of dissent and diversity, its commitment to pluralism and the supremacy of the individual's personal relationship of conscience with God. Beneath and beyond that was a perceived commitment of responsibility, for *this* church to try and bring the commonwealth of Christ to fruition in the society of the here and now. Imperfect, unsuccessful, flawed and uneven as the efforts often were, here was an organization of believers which at least acknowledged the work that needed doing, and made its attempts to meet those challenges. But I was still gay in a world hostile to that reality. Over and over I felt God drawing me to decision on a commitment to ministry; I argued and bargained, delayed and denied. I worked as a deacon, sang in the choir and taught Sunday school, was an usher and greeter and scripture reader. I was counselor, planner, financial supporter. I witnessed in public and private, drew others closer to a life with God. But as for ordained ministry, I was Jonah ordered to Nineveh, and scrambling as fast and as far as I could in the other direction. I took refuge in the admirable idea that everyone is a minister -- no special ordination or training was needed. Truly everyone is called to ministry, to servanthood, to a sharing of faith and spirit and succor. Why was I never able to feel comfortable, confident, content, or complete with all of the service I rendered? From today's perspective, I can only say that the bargains I attempted were not mine to make, the services I performed, valuable as they might be, were only marking time, marching in place, moving but not going forward. I am on this path because it was my only way to peace with God. If I am mistaken, and there are sincere folk who fervently believe that I am -- if I am not *meant* to succeed in this endeavor, without God I *cannot* succeed. But if I am truly here by God's will and calling, if God is "doing a new thing" with me -- in and through and with each of you -- then we will all feel spiritually thrilled by the rightness and brightness of our roles in letting God's will be done. Most prayerfully and praisefully, I invite you to the exalting struggle that is my call, to watch with me, to walk with me -- together to set our faith afire with purpose. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A Meditation on the Eucharist (c) Lawrence A. Reh 1992 Gathered at table were the ultimate outsiders: an itinerant teacher whose radical ministry of love and healing to society's most marginalized and alienated broke all rules of religious "correctness," and earned him the fatal enmity of the establishment "church"; plus followers who were voluntarily homeless, jobless, and separated from friends and family -- to be with him. Knowing it to be the last meal with his faith family before politics overtook and killed him, Jesus adapted a Mideast ritual of parting that invoked the most sacred irrevocable pledge by the one leaving, of faithfulness, affection and continued presence to those left behind, binding their hearts in the same love and loyalty. "Eat, drink, *all* of you" -- an inclusive invitation -- "this will be to you my very presence and pledge of fulfillment until we are reunited." And to me it has been sacred nurture, assurance of community, and physical representation of God *with* me and *in* me, regardless of station or status. It has been Christ himself saying, "I will not forsake you; you belong." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Included (c) Lawrence A. Reh. The loaf . . . the cup . . . the company . . . the *Christ* would not suffice to lift my soul from sorrow into song. No -- the compelling eucharistic element for me is in his promise: "Even you belong." Poetry is by its nature condensed and compressed, intending to communicate far more than the simple surface meaning of the words put to paper. For those who are shocked or challenged by my statement in the above verse, "[even] the Christ would not suffice," a word of clarification (which should not be necessary): It is not anything lacking in Christ that I try here to call to the reader's attention; rather, it is the insistence by so many of his human ambassadors that any class of people merits no consideration or acceptance by the "Christian" church. When the church -- the institution arguably closest to Christ -- tells you that all your life, what good is their Christ to you? Today it's gay and lesbian people who are effectively rejected by the institution. It used to be women who were dismissed to second-class standing by the church. (Did I say "used to be"? The condition is far from eradicated.) Earlier it was blacks, Native Americans, Asians, people of other colors or ethnicity (for whom the subtle message became: build your own separate denominations; ours cannot -- will not -- embrace you). For them too, the message lingers on. Lepers, all. Such exclusiveness goes back all the way to the first days after Calvary, when the fledgling first century church squabbled over whether the good news was intended for Gentiles as well as Jews (and whether these Gentiles had to conform to ritual Jewish surgery on their sexual organs). If that dispute had not been settled in favor of the *outsiders,* everyone in the Christian church would today be members of a variant sect of Judaism -- a large sect, but no less Jewish and variant for all that. A Christ who excludes me (I am privileged and grateful to have learned) is a contradiction in terms. Christ is mentor and savior to me for no other reason than this: That just as I am, Christ comes to me, invites me, accepts me, includes me, loves me, and dies for me. For *ME!* The same as everyone else. If I am excluded, Christ has no relevance for me. If I am excluded, the church has no relevance for me, either. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A God-Affirming Person Who Happens to Be Gay By Jim Larson *Jim wrote this letter to several signer's of the "pastoral letter" sent out by a coalition of Presbyterians who want to keep lesbian, gay and bisexual Presbyterians exiled from leadership positions in the church. The *Update* published their press release under the headline "The Apartheid Coalition" in the August 1993 issue.* -- JDA. I read with sadness and disappointment of your support for a petition which used words like "rejoice" and "celebrate" to describe your feelings regarding the General Assembly's decision to uphold the "authoritative interpretation" that "self- affirming, practicing homosexual persons may not be ordained as ministers of the Word and Sacrament, elders or deacons." When a large number of gifted and committed Christians are being excluded from leadership in the Church, words like "rejoice" and "celebrate" seem strangely out of place, even cynical or cruel. Words that seem more appropriate are "regret" and "grieve." Over the past decade or two, I have known you either in my affiliation with Fuller Seminary as an adjunct instructor, or in my work as a counselor and workshop leader in local churches such as in Newport Beach and La Canada during the years I lived in California. I knew you and respected you, and I realize that I need to speak out about what is currently occurring in the Presbyterian Church. I am writing to you as one of those gay persons who is currently being excluded from leadership within the Church. Coming to this point of clarity regarding my identity has been the greatest challenge of my life. For years, I struggled with feelings that felt alien, feelings I was told were either sinful or unhealthy. Years of therapy with a Christian psychologist did not change who I was. These extensive efforts served only to deepen my despair. After the breakup of my 23-year marriage and a period of physical, emotional, and spiritual breakdown that proved to be almost fatal, I was brought back to God through the healing prayers of the elders at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. For the first time in my life, I fully experienced God's gracious love and acceptance. And I was encouraged to find a new call to ministry that focused on being with other persons who had experienced broken-heartedness. Ironically, these places where I have learned, worshipped and served (at Fuller as a student in the 1960's, and as an instructor in the late 1970's; at La Canada Presbyterian Church as a worshiper and family enrichment workshop leader in the early 1980's, then Hollywood Presbyterian Church in 1987-1989) would no longer be hospitable to my presence and leadership because of being gay. Yet the consequence of that inner healing gave me the hope and courage to accept myself as a unique expression of God's diverse creation. Yes, I am a self-affirming gay person. But more importantly, I am a God-affirming person, a follower of Jesus Christ who happens to be gay. I am merely accepting this gracious gift and celebrating this experience of grace in my life. The healing process has been both painful and liberating. I have needed healing from the internalized homophobia, shame, and rejection that had come through years of believing what I had been told by our society and Church -- that I was a sinner, an embarrassment, and an abomination simply because of something I did not choose to be -- a person whose sexual orientation happens to be predominantly gay rather than straight. With God's help, I now more clearly understand who I am and humbly accept this gift as a vital part of my life. The healing of this inner breach has opened the door to a profound touch from God in the from of a friendship with Christ I had not previously experienced. And I have also experienced a new sense of call that has resulted in a relocation to the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland, to live in solidarity with the poor, for a ministry of friendship with people who are both homeless and saintly. I have also been led by God to lead a contemplative life of simplicity and am in the process of founding an inner city retreat center. The joys of this adventure of faith have overshadowed any rejections or abandonments I have experienced, and for that I thank God. At this point in my spiritual journey, I am choosing not to knock on the door of the institutional Church anymore for approval either for myself or for my call to ministry. That blessing has already come directly from God. What I desire is to be faithful to the call that has been unmistakably and indelibly imprinted in my spirit. Healing has occurred; God's call has come; I rejoice and celebrate. As a person in a responsible leadership position in the Presbyterian Church, you will no doubt be heard time and again on the issue of gay and lesbian persons and Church leadership. When you discuss this issue, please do not think in the abstract, but bring to mind persons such as myself whom you have known, respected, and worked with. Think of the thousands like myself who are ordinary people following an extraordinary God, those who long for rightful inclusion with the body of Christ and the full expression of their God-given gifts. Look beyond the Scripture texts that have been so distorted and misinterpreted and look into the eyes of Christ Himself, who brought us liberating truth, full acceptance, and reconciliation with God. Petitions, proclamation, and rulings cannot squelch the touch of God in people's hearts, or the movement of the Spirit to affirm their gifts and evoke a call to ministry. At issue is whether or not the Church will have the courage and faith to offer hospitality and the opportunity to serve to *every* person of faith, so the Church can flourish for the glory of God. You will be in my thoughts and prayers as you continue your own faith journey. I pray that the discernment of your own experience of inclusion in the body of Christ will make it possible for you to open your heart to others who, although different from yourself, also deserve this gracious acceptance and a heartfelt "welcome home." As I continue my journey of faith and respond to this adventuresome call, I ask for your prayers on my behalf. As I minister on the streets of the inner city, I greatly need the prayers of other believers for safety in the midst of violence and hope in the midst of despair. If you would like to talk either by telephone or letter, I would be glad to keep in touch. In Christ's Love, Jim Larson. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Poverty of Childhood by Chris Glaser Copyright (c) 1993 by Chris R. Glaser. All rights reserved. This past August, the Peacemaking Program of the Presbyterian Church gave me my first summer camp experience in my life of 42 years. I realized this fact as I returned to my room at the YMCA camp at Estes Park, Colorado, after a worship in which we had sung words written specially for the conference by Jim and Jean Strathdee: I am a child of your family, a gift from the heart of God . . . . . . So hold me and love me, feed me and keep me warm. Listen to all my feelings, keep me safe from hurt and harm. There's magic laughter in my eyes if you will play with me . . . * [*Copyright (c) 1993 by Desert Flower Music, P.O. Box 1476, Carmichael, CA 95609 (916) 481 2999.] The emphasis of the conference was on childhood. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9) was the scriptural basis, and "Connecting All God's Children" was the theme. And though a goal of the organizers was to include children and families in the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, perhaps the more valuable intention was to connect all who attended with our child. Realizing that I was at my first summer camp made me nostalgic for the missed childhood experience. Then I thought of my lover, Mark, who had been to many a church summer camp searching for God. There he had had his first gay experience with another boy, and yet could find no spiritual affirmation of his sexuality. I felt sad that he had feared his sexual encounters would cut him off from God, and then I felt sad for myself that I had missed such experiences altogether and had believed I was the only one who had such desires. There is so much talk these days that much of the *bad* we do to others in later life grows out of negative childhood experiences. But it occurred to me that much of the *good* we do for others in later life may also grow out of the poverty of our own childhood. The spiritual vow of poverty has always had a romantic attraction for me, though unintentionally living it out as I have in my vocational life has seemed to inhibit rather than enhance my spiritual well being. It may be that what we went without as children is more influential in our spiritual life than what we go without as adults. For example, I have always said the reason I do what I do is so that some other child will not have to go through what I went through alone. I want to make it easier for some child to come to a parent, a teacher, a minister, or a friend to talk about homosexual feelings and find an accepting response. Rev. Eileen Lindner, associate general secretary of the National Council of Churches, delivered a keynote address to the peacemakers gathered first at Estes Park and later at Montreat, North Carolina. In it she described visiting a group of children living under a bridge of a highway in urban Brazil. The eldest, a child himself, explained their primary agenda for the day: "We've got to get our baby some shoes." Lindner wondered how someone without home or parents could learn how to care for the youngest child of the pack in this way. Perhaps the answer was the poverty of his own childhood. Jesus admonished us to come to the commonwealth of God as children, and said that a little child shall lead us. Perhaps that child is the one within us, the one who recognizes the part of the kingdom missing in the world and tries to make up for it. In our lovemaking, Mark awakens the child within me, the one who is "a gift from the heart of God," the one who cries "hold me and love me, feed me and keep me warm, listen to all my feelings, keep me safe from hurt and harm." And it's true that "There's magic laughter in my eyes if [he] will play with me . . . ." Peacemaking is lovemaking on a grander scale. In our peacemaking, Christ may awaken the child within us, the one who missed something as a child and wants to make sure no child misses it again. Compassion and justice may grow from the poverty of childhood in the arms of a loving Christ. A conference participant in my focus group "Can People of Different Sexual Orientations Live Together in the Church?" described the final request of his lover who died of AIDS. He asked that memorial donations go toward replacing his church's heavy wooden doors with glass ones, symbolic of the welcoming openness he found there. This fall the new doors will be installed and dedicated at the Ewing Presbyterian Church in New Jersey, and it will be, in part, a memorial to the gay man's poverty of childhood in another, less welcoming church. "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Source of "More Light" People often ask us, where did "More Light" come from, meaning the term, not the light itself. The "ancient source," of course, was the Rev. John Robinson, who spoke these words to the Pilgrims just before they set out for the new world in 1620. His phrase gave the theme to a hymn by George Rawson (1807-1889): We limit not the truth of God To our poor reach of mind, By notions of our day and sect, Crude, partial, and confined. No, let a new and better hope Within our hearts be stirred: The Lord hath yet more light and truth To break forth from his word. The more recent source was the debate in the 1976 General Assembly leading to the creation of the Task Force to Study Homosexuality. Its chairperson, Virginia Davidson of Rochester, New York, recently wrote to *The Presbyterian Layman* [sic] concerning this matter, and she also shared her letter with us. We believe that *Update* readers can benefit from her little bit of history as much as *Layman* readers, so here it is: The Recent Source Letter to the editor, *The Presbyterian Layman*, April 6, 1993: I am aware that you and your editorial staff pride yourselves on the accuracy and truth of your reporting. A copy of *The Layman* for March/April 1993 was passed along to me recently and I'd like to correct some information reported therein. In the story you wrote, "Coalition Launches Assault on GA Policy," you identify the Rev. Byron Shafer as the chair of the 1976-78 Task Force to Study Homosexuality (page 5). Although Byron was a member of that Task Force, I had the honor and responsibility for chairing it. Byron Shafer was the principal author of the Background Paper submitted to the 190th General Assembly upon the unanimous approval of Task Force members. It is titled *The Church and Homosexuality* and is still available through the PCUSA Distribution Center in Louisville. Another item: In the news report on page 7, "Synod of the Northeast Claims 'More Light'," you report: "'More Light' is a term coined by Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (PLGC), a homosexual caucus in the denomination." Here, too, I must correct your information. The complete text of the action on the ordination of homosexuals taken by the 188th General Assembly (1976) consists of seven major paragraphs. Paragraph I speaks of "The All-Encompassing Grace of God," concluding with this sentence: "Only by approaching the subject of homosexuality with love, compassion, prayer, and honesty, can our church continue in its great Reformed tradition." Then Paragraph II, "God Continues to Reveal His Will," follows: "Because God continues to reveal more of himself and his will in each succeeding age, we do not believe that a position taken in any one period sets forth the final understanding of his Word to the Church. We know that there is always more light to break forth from the Bible through the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:12-13). In Paragraph VI titled, "We Need to Seek More Light," the action reads: "However, humbly remembering the way past General Assembly positions sometimes have changed as further light has been given, the 188th General Assembly directs that a Task Force be established, . . . to study these issues." It is clear that the image of More Light and the affirmation that God does indeed continue to reveal God's will to those who remain open to the work of the Holy Spirit had their origin in the action of the 188th General Assembly in 1976 creating the Task Force, at least in relation to the issue of the church and homosexuality. I will appreciate your making public these corrections so that this piece of history doesn't suffer from a revisionism promulgated by *The Presbyterian Layman*. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. Yours sincerely, Virginia West Davidson And Now, a Little Genealogy Sabra Staley writes: Have fun with this one -- John Robinson (1576-1625) of Leiden, Netherlands, gave you your logo (as you know) with his: "I am very confident that the Lord hath yet more light and truth to break forth from his holy Word." John Robinson, who is called "Chicken John" in our family because (for reasons not known to us) he waved the Pilgrims off on their westward journey but did not accompany them, begat Isaac. Isaac did come west, built the first house in Falmouth, Mass., got "disenfranchised" because he hob-nobbed with Quakers there, and begat Fear Robinson. Fear Robinson married Samuel Baker (the son of another Cambridge- trained preacher) and they begat Nathaniel Baker. Nathaniel begat Nicholas Baker (we're now at 1711). Nicholas and Dorcas Baker begat David. David and Thankful Baker begat Paul (1753). Paul and Elizabeth Baker begat Sylvester (it's 1799, still in Massachusetts). Sylvester and Sabra Matthews Baker begat Edwin (1836). Edwin and Martha Baker begat Oliver (1883) Oliver and Alice Baker begat Sabra (1929) -- and that's me! Raising two parents to the 10th-power multiplies to 1024, i.e., genetically, I am 1/1024 of John Robinson. A contemporary spoke of John as "of great learning, broad tolerance, and rare sweetness of temper." Guess I'm too diluted to have inherited the good stuff. Carry on! [*Well, we think you're great, Sabra "John Robinson" Staley!* -- JDA] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Conferences and Retreats Exploring Inclusivity Nov. 12-13, 1993: Exploring Inclusivity -- Making the Church a Home for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Christians, Wilmington, Delaware, sponsored by the New Castle Presbytery branch of PLGC. A preliminary pot-luck and conversation with the Rev. Janie Spahr will occur on Monday evening, Nov. 8. This conference will present a particular point of view, advocating the full inclusion of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Christians in the life of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Our hope is to inform, engage, inspire, enlist, and provide resources to Presbyterians interested in working toward this goal. We further wish to re-energize those who have already been committed to this cause, and welcome back those who have left, but are longing to come home. Expected outcomes: a better understanding of the process by which a congregation might become a More Light Church; increased awareness of, and support for, the idea of becoming a More Light Church; a plan of action for the future; a renewed sense of inspiration, unity and purpose for the challenge that lies ahead; connections to those persons in nearby presbyteries working for the inclusion of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual persons. Workshops are planned on: Networking in the Delmarva Region; Nurturing the Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Family; Homophobia Education; Religious Issues for Gay Youth; Language/Inclusivity in Liturgy; Gays and Lesbians as Parents; Parents of Gays and Lesbians; Union Ceremonies and other Sacred Times; The Pathology of the Closet; The Dissatisfied, Alienated Presbyterian. The conference will cost $15.00. For information about the conference, scholarships, childcare, and housing in the Wilmington area, call Lee Fischer at 302/323-8817 (evenings) or 302/451-9269 (days). Sisterly Conversations November 19-21, 1993: Sisterly Conversations -- Current Concerns Among Lesbians of Faith, Kirkridge, Bangor, Pennsylvania 18013, 215/588-1793. 7 p.m. Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. $195 ($100 registration deposit). After 10-minute "conversation starter" presentations by Virginia Mollenkott, whole-group conversations will address such issues as learning to resolve conflict without damaging the relationship; fostering and deepening prayer; and sexual intimacy, including its frequency, and how communication, power, and control surround sexual expression. One session will be devoted to reading and discussing a few outstanding poems and/or works of fiction by lesbian authors past and present. Please bring cassette tapes of music for dancing. Led by Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, feminist theologian and board member of the Center for Sexuality and Religion. Her latest book is *Sensuous Spirituality*. Intimacy with God January 6-9, 1994: Intimacy with God -- Achieving Gay Conversion, Kirkridge, Bangor, Pennsylvania 18013, 215/588-1793. 7 p.m. Thursday dinner through Sunday lunch. $295 ($150 registration deposit). In this seventh annual retreat for gay men, we will explore how gay love and spirituality contribute to cultivating our experience of God's love. The biblical concept of repentance and conversion is usually understood as a movement from pride to humility and dependence on God. For gay men there needs to be a movement from self-hatred, inculcated by church and society, to self-love as a healthy response to God's love that results in love of neighbor. The retreat process will include presentations, dialogue, small- group work, and interest groups focusing on such issues as A Spirituality for HIV-positive Persons, Gay Couples, Gay Parents, Justice Action in Church and Society, and others. Led by John McNeill, Catholic priest, psychotherapist, co-founder of Dignity, and author of *Taking a Chance on God*; and William Smith, an M.Div. candidate at Pacific School of Religion who for five years helped direct the African American Information and Student Services Office at the University of New Mexico. Incredible Experience March 11-13, 1994: The PLGC Midwinter Midwest Conference / Retreat / Incredible Experience, is in its beginning planning stages. Janie Spahr will be taking part in Des Moines Presbytery Day on Sunday, March 13, so we're checking out camps in the Des Moines area. The midwinter conference traditionally concludes on Sunday morning, and Presbytery Day is Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, we are VERY excited about this. Also, don't forget that Lindsay Biddle will be teaching her "Biblical Self-Defense for Gays and Lesbians" course on Friday, March 11, before the retreat officially begins. There will be separate registration for Lindsay's course and the rest of the weekend. We will also include registration forms for Presbytery Day when they are available. Watch this *Update* for further developments about registration, the program, etc., or contact Eastern Iowa PLGC, P.O. Box 3202, Iowa City, IA 52244 -- Mary Malcom, 319/488-3335, Beth Thiel, 319/337-8445. More Light Churches Conference May 7-8, 1994: Annual More Light Churches Conference -- From Dialogue to Ministry: A Positive and Practical Approach to This Historical Moment, Minneapolis, MN. For information, call St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Wayzata, MN, 612/474-7378 or Dick Hasbany, Corvallis, OR, 503/757-8243. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Presbyterian Dialogue Say the Words! *Merrill Proudfoot, Our Coordinator for the Synod of Mid-America writes in the newsletter for PLGC, Heart of America Chapter:* On August 29th I was invited to St. Mark's Lutheran Church to share Sunday Worship with this "Reconciled in Christ" congregation (a Lutheran "More Light" church) and with supportive persons in town for the biennial conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The bait offered me was the chance to hear a sermon by Pastor Barbara K. Lundblad, described to me as *one of the few greatest Lutheran preachers alive.* I was not disappointed. Lundblad spoke from the text for the day, that shocking incident in Matthew 15 where Jesus says to the Canaanite woman who is begging him to heal her daughter, *"It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."* No, he was not testing the woman's faith, Lundblad said -- He was picking up on the attitude of the disciples. The disciples represent *the Church*. It is they who beg him, "Send her away, for she is bothering us." They quite happily received his words that salvation is only for them and their fellow Israelites. By his act Jesus rebukes them: "The Kingdom is for *all* those who come in faith." Then, wham! The preacher *says the words: Homosexual, Gay, Lesbian.* But we're not through yet. She flips back to the accompanying Old Testament reading, which is listed as Isaiah 56:1, 6-8. *"Always pay attention to the commas,"* she prophesies, *"because those commas represent the parts of Scripture the Church doesn't want you to hear."* Verses 4 and 5 (two of the verses omitted from the O.T. reading and represented by that comma!) are about *eunuchs,* persons considered *not right sexually,* and therefore having no place with Israel in the coming salvation. But listen to what the prophet says: "Let not the eunuch say, 'Behold I am a dry tree.' For thus says the Lord: *'To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off.'"* I *learned* from Barbara Lundblad's sermon, and what I learned I pass on to my fellow clergy: *If we are going to be prophetic, we've got to do it boldly* like Amos and John the Baptist. If we tuck in our little references to "those on the edges of society" so as not to offend anybody, the following things are going to happen: 1) The persons who most need the message won't catch on at all; 2) Some who do catch on will think we are devious; 3) Everyone who understands the reference will assume it can't be very important to the preacher, for if it had been, she would have come right out and said it. So -- *Say the words:* Practice them in your study, to your spouse, in the shower -- *Homosexual, Gay, Lesbian.* Preachers: *Consider whether it is not for a time such as this you have come to the Kingdom.* It is true that the Presbyterian Church is on the brink of chaos, but that is because of lack of leadership. There have been a few major dividing times in the history of the Church, and God in the Divine wisdom that is human foolishness has chosen this stinky little issue to be one of them. *Two years and nine months left, and the clock is ticking.* [Today it's two years and eight months. By the time you read this, it will be two years and seven months! -- JDA] *That's two years and nine months till the end of the three-year period of dialogue on homosexuality urged by the General Assembly.* "Not another period of study!" some on both sides have moaned. But this is *not* study, this is *dialogue.* *Not* by experts, but by all of us in the pews. PLGC leaders and supporters are energized by this possibility -- maybe against all reason, but we are a people of *faith*. On the day this is written, the Council of Heartland Presbytery is being asked to authorize a sub-committee to organize the dialogue in our presbytery. This results from Martha's initiative; she didn't let any grass grow under her feet! (With the same energy, she'll paint and paper your rooms or fix up your car.) Merrill too has been writing letters all over the place, urging "We've got to get organized at the national level and in every presbytery, we've got to be ready to supply gay and lesbian persons to participate in the dialogues, we've got to get to the assembly leadership to affect any guidelines that may be issued: It's got to be a *real* dialogue. Peg Atkins of St. Louis in the very week after G.A. got the Synod of Mid-America to join in the Assembly's call for dialogue on homosexuality. It was Peg, too, who was responsible for organizing a workshop at Synod meeting led by Jeff Bessler of St. Louis, author of "Can We Talk About This?" -- a Lutheran curriculum for dialogue on homosexuality. Here is the way Peg described that experience in a letter to our top Church leadership: [indent] Many were at the workshop for the purpose of saying, "Let's *not* talk about it." As Jeff modeled listening skills and urged us to hear one another and consider the various lenses through which we read the Bible, I came to understand the fears of the loudest and most agitated person in the group. Nellie genuinely fears "talking about it" because "everyone knows it is the worst sin in the Bible." What will she tell her 12 grandchildren and the kids she has taught in church school for 25 years? she asked. Ninety minutes into the program a Youth Advisory Delegate broke into tears, gasping out an emotional plea. "Why *can't* we talk about sexuality? Why be so angry and ugly about it? We need to hear. I know some fine gay and lesbian people -- why does everyone get so upset about them?" Her outburst ended the heated exchanges and there was no doubt left in any of our hearts, including Nellie's, about why we have to talk and listen. [end indent] Peg and Merrill have sent 35 copies of "Can We Talk About This" to the top denominational leadership and the PLGC Executive Board and Synod Coordinators. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * New of the Church and the World Charges Against Howard Warren Dismissed The Special Disciplinary Committee appointed on February 16, 1993 by the Presbytery of Whitewater Valley to investigate the Rev. Howard B. Warren, Jr. on charges of being a self-avowed active, practicing, unrepentant homosexual (totally meaningless words in relation to sexual orientation), announced on September 8 that their study was completed and no judicial charges would be brought against Mr. Warren. I would like to thank the members of this committee for their serious and diligent study, and their pastoral concern for me. While the records of this case are closed, it is my understanding that three areas influenced their decision: 1) Their assumption that I am celibate based on our theological statements about all sexual orientations under the ethical mandate of Jesus Christ. 2) The fact that I am not seeking any change in the present call I have within this Presbytery as a Validated Specialized Ministry. 3) The recent General Assembly decision that we must find safe spaces for ordained persons who are open about their sexuality so that diligent prayerful dialogue with their aggrieved voices can be heard in the 3-year study that the Presbyterian Church will actively engage in at all levels. This Presbytery has been and continues to be a safe space for me to live and work as an Ordained Presbyterian Minister who is openly Gay. I hope and pray that at the end of this 3-year study that this will be true of the Presbyterian Church as a whole. -- Howard B. Warren, Jr. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Open Hands Now Ecumenical *Open Hands,* a quarterly magazine for ministries with lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons, has begun its first year as an ecumenical venture. Published for the past eight years by the Reconciling Congregation Program (United Methodist), *Open Hands* is now being published in conjunction with More Light (Presbyterian), Open and Affirming (United Church of Christ), and Reconciled in Christ (Lutheran) programs. Congregations in each of these programs have publicly declared that they welcome persons regardless of sexual orientation. The theme of the first ecumenical issue of *Open Hands* is "Welcoming Churches: A growing Ecumenical Movement." A lead article by Dr. Robert McAfee Brown explores the "Possibilities and Problems of Reconciliation." Reconciling Congregation Program coordinator Mark Bowman examines the need for "welcoming" churches in "Homophobia: The Church's Best-Kept Secret." Ann B. Day, Open and Affirming coordinator, surveys the results of "welcoming" ministries in the "The Welcoming Process: A Faith Adventure." Members of a diverse group of eight congregations relate stories of their journeys toward becoming "welcoming." Practical resources for congregations to explore "welcoming" status are also included in the 32-page issue. "As we inaugurate this ecumenical venture we thought it appropriate that our first issue present the full scope of this dynamic local church movement," noted editor Mary Jo Osterman. "Other churches need to hear about the life and vitality of these pioneering congregations." "Each of our programs developed separately in response to the needs of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Christians in our own denominations," observed Brian Knittel, Reconciled in Christ coordinator. "But the 300 churches across our denominations do have the same focus -- opening the doors of our churches to lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons. We anticipate that our ecumenical work on the national level will also help our churches develop ecumenical ties locally." "We are very excited about becoming a part of a magazine with such a high-quality tradition," stated Mark Palermo, More Light Churches co-moderator. "Combining the gifts and talents we each have in our own denominations provides a reich array o9f resources for enhancing the magazine, and thereby, strengthening our ecumenical local church movement." Although expanding in size and scope, *Open Hands* continues to be available for an annual subscription of $16 (four issues) with single copies for $5 from *Open Hands*, 3801 N. Keeler Ave., Chicago, IL 60641, 312/736-5526. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A Protest We have received a letter of protest from Julius B. Poppinga, Attorney for the churches that sought to bar Janie Spahr from her call to the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, New York. At issue is Shelley Cochran's May 1993 *Update* article describing the trial before the Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) of the Synod of the Northeast. Here is Poppinga's letter, followed by a response from your editor. Dear Editor, The May 1993 issue of *More Light Update* carries an article by Shelley E. Cochran riddled with heavily loaded words such as "homophobia", "racism", "hateful", "vehemence", "violence" and "oppression". In context, her defamatory comments are directed toward me and/or used to characterize my argument to the PJC. I write to request a retraction, and publication of this letter in full. Ms. Cochran's journalistic license is apparent. A "hush" fell over the [hearing] room" she writes. This is interesting. The moderator of the PJC (incidentally, Ms. Cochran doesn't mention that her article related to the year old *Synod* PJC hearing) had at the outset admonished the people present against any breach of decorum. His admonition was honored. Neither my adversary, James C. Moore, nor I were subjected to the discourtesy of anyone in the audience talking while we addressed the Commission. Ms. Cochran will have to explain how a hush could fall upon an already silent assembly. In the course of her invective, Ms. Cochran put only two words in quotes (one of which I never used). If she had put both her quote marks where they belonged, around the one word she got right, she would have conveyed the irony with which I used "sophisticated". But of course such accuracy would have destroyed her premise. Anyone who read my brief or heard my oral presentation, whether in Rochester in May 1992 or in Dallas in October 1992, would have read and heard a careful, professional exposition of the church law and polity of the PCUSA (including a discussion of Paragraph 14!) bearing on the issue of why unrepentant, self-affirming practicing homosexual persons do not meet the qualifications for deacons, elders and ministers of the church. Mr. Cochran's attack followed the General Assembly PJC decision adopting the position I advocated. The vote of the 1993 General Assembly reaffirming that position was followed by a disruptive, invasive demonstration. I trust these tantrum-like responses will not become the pattern for the future whenever the gay/lesbian activists do not get their way. -- Very truly yours, Julius B. Poppinga, Elder, PCUSA, Attorney for the Complainants in *Sallade, et al. v. Presbytery of Genesee Valley. Editor's response. 1. The reason Shelley Cochran's article was published so long after the events described was because your editor held it for months. He published it because it's focus was less on that particular trial than on the enduring relationship between racism, homophobia, heterosexism, and similar manifestations of intolerance and bigotry. 2. A "hush" does not require that people be talking. In any room full of people, if for any reason the attention of many of them is suddenly caught up by a singular event, the normal background noise that even quiet people make (shifting, shuffling papers, coughing, breathing) may temporarily cease and a "hush" may be perceived. I do not pretend to say whether this was or was not the case; only that people talking is not required to create the impression of a "hush." Such a hush may be more apparent to a person listening than to the person speaking. 3. The court transcript of the argument described by Shelley Cochran reads as follows: "But I must say that for the person in the pew, the person who is struggling maybe with an addiction to gambling, maybe with alcoholism; maybe it's an Elder or Deacon who is caught up in an adulterous affair; maybe it's a young person who is struggling with their own sexuality. Maybe it's other ethnic groups who perhaps don't identify with the white Protestant sophisticated Presbyterian who is prepared to introduce homosexuality among the leadership of the church. Perhaps there are ethnic groups in our church to whom we have a duty, who do not identify with that, who will struggle with it just as the uncertain adolescent struggles with it." 4. In my opinion, this paragraph illustrates the ignorance, hate, homophobia, and heterosexism of our church by lumping together homosexuality, gambling, alcoholism, and adultery. Anyone who knows anything about homosexuality, or knows lesbian and gay people, knows that homosexuality is neither an addiction, nor a disease, nor sin. To compare it with these is demeaning. 5. Shelley Cochran's characterization reads as follows: "He [Poppinga] said that if the Commission let the call stand, it would send the wrong message to ethnic groups who might not understand 'our sophisticated' Presbyterianism. A puzzled hush fell over the room the minute he said it. A few jaws even dropped open." I believe the first sentence is a fair characterization of the paragraph quoted above in item 3. In the last sentence of Poppinga's paragraph, ethnic groups (already contrasted with whites) are compared to adolescents, suggesting that homosexuality is beyond the comprehension of other ethnic groups, who are similar to adolescents in their level of sophistication. 6. Other observers drew similar conclusions from Mr. Poppinga's remarks. On June 13, 1992, the Session of Trinity Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Rochester sent the following letter to every pastor and session in the Presbytery of Genesee Valley: "On May 19, 1992, the following statement was made in an article published by the *Times-Union*, during the hearing on the Reverend Jane Adams Spahr: "'Poppinga concluded by questioning whether "ethnic" minorities in the Presbyterian church who are not as "sophisticated" as white Protestants might be confused by having a gay pastor.' "Trinity Emmanuel Presbyterian Church is the only predominately Black church in the Presbytery of Genesee Valley, and we take exception to this racist and demeaning remark. "Racism in America is escalating. We are saddened that neither the churches, or our Presbytery, have publicly responded to Mr. Poppinga's statement. "It is time for healing. We pray that all churches in the Presbytery of Genesee Valley will be in the forefront of the 'healing process.'" 7. I pray that disruptive, invasive demonstrations of God's inclusive love will follow the Presbyterian Church wherever it goes until it opens Christ's church to full participation by all God's people. Jesus' overturning the tables of the money- changers can be our model. There is no room for anti-gay and lesbian oppression in the Presbyterian Church! -- James D. Anderson. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *