Date: Mon, 7 Aug 95 14:22:04 EDT From: "James D. Anderson" MORE LIGHT UPDATE September 1995 Volume 16, Number 2 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: jda@scils.rutgers.edu MORE LIGHT UPDATE is the Monthly Newsletter of Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns, an organization of Ministers, Elders, Deacons, and Members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Send materials marked "For publication" to the editor. PUBLICATION DEADLINES: 6 weeks prior to issue month. Most material appearing in MORE LIGHT UPDATE is placed in the public domain. With the exception of individual articles that carry their own copyright notice, articles may be freely copied or reprinted. We ask only that MORE LIGHT UPDATE be credited and its address be given for those who might wish to contact us. Suggested annual membership contribution to PLGC: $50.00. Annual subscription to MORE LIGHT UPDATE: $10.00. Note: * is used to indicate italicized or boldface text. CONTENTS Changes FEATURE ARTICLES A Quiet General Assembly This Year -- All Eyes Turn to Albuquerque BECOME A "WITNESS FOR '96" A General Assembly Chronology Celebration of Faith *Called Out* and Inclusive Church Award Celebrated at Saturday Fete, by Midge Mack, Presbyterian News Service *Called Out* a Best Seller at G.A. Demonstration at Opening Communion Service Canceled Videos and Resources at the PLGC Booth Moderators, Old and New PLGCers Testify -- Assembly Committee on Bills and Overtures Excludes Most Lesbian and Gay Issues Following Open Hearings, by Julian Shipp, Presbyterian News Service Lisa's Toys at PLGC's Annual Meeting Lay Committee Slapped on the Wrist Embattled More Light Church Honored Voices of Sophia Impressions of a First General Assembly, by David Maxwell Getting Ready for 96 Prayer and Fasting Unity Through Diversity Calls Deana Reed A Shower of Stoles From a Cloud of Witnesses -- A Witness to All Gay and Lesbian Ministers, Elders and Deacons An Ideal Overture for 1996 What Calvin Has Taught Me About God, by Chris Glaser PCUSA Files Brief in Colorado Gay Rights Case, by Jerry L. Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Changes Sally Witherell, our co-coordinator for the Synod of the Northeast in the Boston area, has a new telephone number for the back of the Update: 617-625-4823. This is the number for Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, which will take all messages for Sally and pass them on. Sally's former number is no longer in service. Tony De La Rosa joins the PLGC board as a new member, as we say many thanks to Doug Calderwood for his many contributions as he leaves the board. Tony's address and phone are: 5850 Benner St. #302, Los Angeles, CA 90042, 213-256-2787. This is the only change in PLGC leadership. Laurene Lafontaine was re-elected as female co-moderator, Lindsay Biddle, Lisa Larges, and Tammy Lindahl were re-elected as female board members, and Scott Anderson was re-elected as male board member. Our New Nominating Committee for 1996 Our 1996 Nominating Committee consists of: Jim Beates, 18120 Lahser Rd., #1, Detroit, MI 48219, 313-255-7059; Edward L. Blanton, 3069 S. Woodrow St., Arlington, VA 22206; Doug Calderwood, P.O. Box 57, Cedar Crest, NM 87008-0057, 505/281- 0073; Cathryn Cartledge, Asheville, NC, and Martha Juillerat, 6146 Locust St., Kansas City, MO 64110, 816-822-8577. Send them your suggestions for two female board members, three male board members, male co-moderator, and five members of the 1997 nominating committee. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FEATURE ARTICLES A Quiet General Assembly This Year -- All Eyes Turn to Albuquerque Greetings from the 207th General Assembly in Cincinnati! For the first time since 1978, there were no major or controversial proposals relating to lesbian, gay, or bisexual people at General Assembly. Two overtures on the present "authoritative interpretation" and a Commissioner's Resolution on the Hawaii Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriages were all deferred to the 1996 Assembly in Albuquerque. Only an overture promoting dialogue in the final year of the three-year period leading up to the 1996 assembly was dealt with. It was adopted with little opposition and not a single word of discussion on the floor of the assembly. Most of our efforts at this year's assembly focused on building bridges with allies across the church and laying the groundwork for the coming year and next year's assembly. Albuquerque will provide yet another watershed moment in our ongoing struggle for full participation in the life and ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The church has promised, implicitly, to make some major decisions as to whether there is room at the Presbyterian table for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians -- in short, for anyone who doesn't fit into a very narrow mold of traditional "respectability." Our most ambitious strategy is our joint project with the More Light Churches Network -- Unity Through Diversity. For the first time in the history of both PLGC and MLCN, we have employed a staff person to focus on building grassroots support for dialogue around the church and preparing for the 1996 assembly. The Rev. Deana Reed, our coordinator, is now contacting every presbytery executive in the denomination, offering resources -- print, visual, and human -- to encourage every Presbytery to follow through with the three-year dialogue process established by the 1993 General Assembly. Deana is also building a grassroots network of supportive contact people in each of the 171 Presbyteries as we prepare for next year's assembly. A number of other important strategies are also being carried out. (See more about Deana Reed on page 10.) As we look ahead to Albuquerque, PLGC is committed to creating the "critical mass" we need to move forward to becoming a fully inclusive church. We need your help, now more than ever, to make that happen. -- Scott Anderson, Jim Anderson * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BECOME A "WITNESS FOR '96" Become a partner with us in mounting an unprecedented grassroots campaign to positively effect the outcome of the 1996 General Assembly in Albuquerque. Your witness can and will make the difference this coming year! Here's what we're asking from each of you: FAST AND PRAY FOR JUSTICE in our church each Wednesday at noon between now and the '96 Assembly. (See article on page 10.) WORK to assure that your Presbytery elects supportive commissioners to the Albuquerque Assembly. SHARE your hopes and concerns with the commissioners who are elected from your presbytery. Make sure they know how important it is that our church move toward full inclusiveness for all members. ADVOCATE for your Presbytery to send a supportive overture (see article on page 11. COMMIT to a tax deductible pledge of $100 to PLGC to underwrite our Unity Through Diversity project and other organizing expenses through this year. ATTEND the Albuquerque Assembly, Saturday, June 29-Saturday, July 6, 1996 if you are able. We will need all the help there that we can muster! PLGCers will be arriving early to lay a strong foundation for a persuasive witness. Plan to arrive on Wednesday, June 26 so we can spend all day Thursday, June 27 in planning and preparation, and on Friday, June 28 we can take part in the pre- assembly Celebration of Faith. ================================================================= YES! I am absolutely committed to an inclusive church. I will be a WITNESS FOR '96! Name___________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________ City/State/Zip_______________________________________________ Telephone/fax/email_________________________________________ Local Church____________________ Presbytery__________________ ____Enclosed is my check for $100 made our to PLGC. ____Enclosed is my first monthly installment of $10. ____Enclosed is my first quarterly installment of $25. Clip form and mail to: Jim Anderson, PLGC, PO Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038. Contributions to PLGC are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Make checks payable to PLGC. Remember, contributions to PLGC ought not displace or be a substitute for your support of the local and general mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), especially those parts of our church that welcome the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, such as More Light Churches. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A General Assembly Chronology Celebration of Faith More than 500 folks arrived early to General Assembly this year to participate in the pre-assembly "Celebration of Faith." Participants worshiped, shared faith stories in small groups and gathered for theological reflection led by the Rev. Cynthia Campbell, president of McCormick Theological Seminary. PLGCers were strongly represented among leaders and participants, and everyone found the experience to be extremely valuable as a way of sharing the stories of lesbian, gay and bisexual Presbyterians with sisters and brothers in the church. The Celebration of Faith will be continued at the Albuquerque Assembly, so all PLGCers are urged to take part and witness to the inclusive love of Christ before the work of the 1996 assembly begins. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Called Out* and Inclusive Church Award Celebrated at Saturday Fete by Midge Mack, Presbyterian News Service Cincinnati, July 15. The Hyatt Regency Hotel had to break out another 100 chairs! Some 300 people came to the Celebration of Reconciliation, a reception hosted by Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns Saturday evening. Attending were General Assembly folk who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered and the many self-affirming heterosexuals who support them in their struggle for freedom and inclusion among God's ordained servants. Pain was palpable at the gathering, yet the humor of common humanity and shared emotion lightened the burdens, while love permeated words, thoughts, and attitudes of all. Together attendees sang freedom songs recalling the struggle of African-American slaves in the 1860s, while authors contributing to a newly published book signed it for purchasers. The Rev. Jane Spahr called the work, an anthology of personal stories of 39 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered contributors, "our contribution to the trans-national phenomena of outing," and "a beginning volume -- there are so many stories yet to come." She added that it was still somewhat racist and regional "because so many can't tell their stories yet." Spahr, with Melinda McLain, Kathryn Poethig and Selisse Berry co-edited the book, which was begun four years ago. During the program authors who were present (some representing others) read excerpts from the stories of their own experiences, which make up the chapters of the book. As part of the program, the Rev. Martha Juillerat of Heartland Presbytery announced that she would set aside her ordination as minister of the word and sacraments at a September 16 meeting of the presbytery. With the announcement was an appeal for ordained gay and lesbian persons to contribute to a "shower of stoles" as a witness. Concluding the program, Juillerat and Tammy Lindahl, contributors to *Called Out*, were named co-recipients of PLGC's annual Inclusive Church Award. [PLGC extends special thanks to Sharon Youngs for her stirring leadership in music; to Lindsay Biddle and Dorothy Fillmore for their suburb help in organizing the Celebration; to the members and staff of Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church for welcoming us to Cincinnati; and for their extraordinary work as editors of the wonderful book *Called Out*, to Melinda McLain, Janie Spahr, Kathryn Poethig, and Selisse Berry.] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Called Out* a Best Seller at G.A. More than 850 copies of *Called Out: The Voices and Gifts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Presbyterians* were sold at General Assembly, in the PLGC booth and at our Celebration of Reconciliation. Throughout the assembly, purchasers had fun chasing after many of the 39 authors who were at the assembly, asking them to autograph their stories. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can order copies direct from the publisher, Chi Rho Press, P.O. Box 7864, Gaithersburg, MD 20898, 301-670-1859. Single copies cost $15.95; six or more copies cost $13.45 each. Please add shipping and handling charges of $2.50 for 1 copy, $3.50 for 2 copies, $4.50 for 3 copies, $5.50 for 4 or 5 copies, $6.50 for 6 or 7 copies, and 7% of the total order for 8 copies or more. Add $2.00 billing charge for orders that are not prepaid. Make checks payable to Chi Rho Press. *Please note that the lower prices listed in the June-July 1995 Update were pre-publication prices!* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Demonstration at Opening Communion Service Canceled Prior to the opening of General Assembly, the leaders of Presbyterian Act-Up, the Revs. Howard Warren and Lisa Bove, announced that "the boycott of Holy Communion at the Opening Service of Worship has been canceled. This step was taken after conversation with the Rev. Dr. Robert Bohl as an act of reconciliation by Presbyterian Act-Up. Dr. Bohl, Moderator of the 206th General Assembly, will speak to this at the Saturday afternoon session of General Assembly. While there is reconciliation, Presbyterian Act-Up will sponsor a Service of Holy Communion for those who believe in an inclusive church *now* in the PLGC suite on Sunday morning. "Throughout General Assembly, we will look for ways to express how the wildly inclusive, extravagant God loves and welcomes lesbian women, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered persons fully into the kingdom of God, if not into the Presbyterian Church." Peaceful, non-disruptive demonstrations have been held at opening General Assembly communion services for several years. They have served as a means of alerting commissioners to the exile of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Presbyterians from full participation in our church. Many commissioners come to General Assembly unaware of the pain and brutality of this exclusion. Sunday morning, the PLGC suite was packed to overflowing for a joyful service of communion with the theme "Living Fulling in Mysterious Uncertain Times." The sermon was offered by Howard Warren, and many participants led prayers, read scripture, and everyone sang triumphantly, especially the closing anthem, "We are a gentle, angry people," by Holly Near. At the same time, many PLGC members, friends and supporters participated in the "official" opening communion service in the Cincinnati Coliseum. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Videos and Resources at the PLGC Booth The PLGC booth was one of the busiest in the entire exhibit hall. As an extra treat, especially for our many staffers, we had a direct video feed from the floor of the assembly, so we didn't miss a beat while the assembly was in session. At other times, we showed a wide selection of videos. One of our new videos, just released prior to the assembly, was "Steeple & People Interview with Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr," Jean Stewart Berg, Producer. This is a half-hour video of an interview broadcast in the St. Louis area. It is an excellent overview of the story and ministry of our lesbian evangelist, Janie Spahr, and the struggle for acceptance and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered folk in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). For your copy, send $15 per copy, plus $4 shipping per copy, to Jean Berg, 7103 Waterman Ave., St. Louis, MO 63130, 314-863-7103. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Moderators, Old and New PLGC grew to love and respect outgoing moderator of the 206th General Assembly, Robert Bohl. His major effort during the past year was to find some grounds for reconciliation with the Presbyterian Lay Committee, but he also found time for PLGC, the More Light Churches Network, and many other groups within the church. He gave a stirring address to the More Light Churches Conference in Baltimore at the end of April. In his opening remarks to the 207th General Assembly, he confessed that he had failed to achieve his goal of reconciliation with the Lay Committee. He said, "We live in a violent, vitriolic, verbally abusive climate which tragically has made its way into the life of the church. The Presbyterian Church does have its internal detractors." "It has some who are self-appointed and some who even are self-righteous critics." "There are some in this church who are saying ... 'Unless you think as I think and believe as I believe, you cannot have fellowship with me ... you cannot belong to my church.' That kind of thinking will kill this church." "There was applause when Bohl announced that Presbyterians for Gay & Lesbian Concerns had canceled plans for a silent boycott of Sunday morning's communion service. The decision, also announced in fliers distributed around the convention center, came after the Moderator met with PLGC members, heard their concerns and asked them not to boycott." -- quotes from Presbyterian News Service story by John Sniffen. [For the record, the peaceful demonstration planned for the the opening service of communion was a project of Presbyterian Act- Up. The target of the boycott was not holy communion, which is always open to all believers, but General Assembly itself, which bans official participation by out and open gay and lesbian Presbyterians. -- JDA] Elder Marge Carpenter, former director of the Presbyterian News Service, was elected moderator of the 207th General Assembly on the first ballot. The discussion leading to the election was disappointing. One commissioner asked a question about inclusiveness in the church, but all three candidates completely ignored the exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Presbyterians in their responses. They all spoke as if inclusiveness applied only to racial-ethnic groups, and perhaps to women. Marge Carpenter has been up-front in favoring the present "definitive guidance" that bans ordination of out and affirming lesbian and gay Presbyterians. On the other hand, she attended our opening Celebration of Reconciliation. After her election, she invited a delegation of PLGC leaders to meet with her in her suite for a half hour. The meeting was described as frank and cordial. Everyone enjoyed Marge's down-to-earth humor whenever she spoke during the assembly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PLGCers Testify Assembly Committee on Bills and Overtures Excludes Most Lesbian and Gay Issues Following Open Hearings by Julian Shipp, Presbyterian News Service Cincinnati, July 15. Following open hearings Saturday on four controversial proposals, the Assembly Committee on Bills and Overtures (B&O) voted to take no action on one, deferred two to the 208th Assembly in 1996, and referred the fourth to the Assembly Committee on National and Urban Issues for further discussion. The overtures concern the ordination of gay and lesbian persons, the constitutional bounds of inclusiveness, the question of when human life begins and how this relates to problem pregnancy and abortion, and the formation of an Assembly committee to investigate participation by ordained PC(USA) staff and officers in the Re-Imagining Conference in 1993. Representing Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns, Scott Anderson of Sacramento, Calif., said overtures 95-1 and 95-12 regarding constitutional inclusiveness and the ordination of gay and lesbians persons should be deferred to the 1996 Assembly, since it is scheduled to take action on the issue of human sexuality. "It seems to me it would make sense to defer until next year because we need some clearer guidance on these issues," Anderson said. The Committee agreed. [The only other PLGC testimony during the assembly was presented to the Assembly Committee on General Assembly Procedures as it considered an overture from Heartland Presbytery, which called upon the assembly to "commend those congregations and governing bodies that have already begun the dialogue process; request presbyteries that have not yet done so to heed the call of the 205th General Assembly (1993) to develop a plan for congregational- and presbytery-wide study and dialogue and get the dialogue under way within its jurisdiction in time to make the requested report to the 208th General Assembly (1996); remind the presbyteries of the guidelines to be followed in such dialogues, which include seeking 'the insights of any who may find themselves aggrieved by current practices, policies, or laws relating to homosexuality and membership, ministry, and ordination in the church ...' (*Minutes*, 1993, Part I, p. 77); request all presbyteries in particular to ensure that those commissioners whom they will be sending to the 208th General Assembly (1996) have the opportunity to participate in such dialogues; and direct the Office of the General Assembly to communicate directly as soon as possible with the stated clerk of every presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reminding them of the request of the 205th General Assembly (1993) and its dimensions and time line, and informating them of the actions of this 207th General Assembly (1995) in response to the present overture." PLGCers' witnessing was most effective, especially that of overture advocate Peg Atkins of St. Louis. The committee was so moved by her testimony that it gave her extra time to finish -- something rarely done by G.A. committees! The committee modified the original overture by inserting all the guidelines specified by the 205th General Assembly, and by adding a request that the Office of the General Assembly also inform presbyteries "of resources available to develop and implement a plan." This amended overture was approved by the committee by a vote of 33 to 4. It was approved by the entire assembly by an overwhelming vote, without a single word of discussion. This was the ONLY issue relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to come before the assembly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Lisa's Toys at PLGC's Annual Meeting A good time was had by all at PLGC's annual business meeting, despite reports of a serious financial deficit. Ambitious plans were laid out to erase this deficit and to raise record amounts of funds to finance an ambitious grass-roots organizing effort in preparation for the 1996 assembly, led by the joint PLGC-MLCN Unity Through Diversity Project. A high light of the evening was the celebration of Lisa Larges' birthday. During a joyous break, we all got to play with Lisa's enormous collection of wind-up toys. Another treat was the annual "chocolate communion", feasting on Swiss chocolates sent to the meeting by long-time PLGCers Bob and Hedy Lodwick. This was the first meeting they missed in years, but they made sure we had those Swiss chocolates! On the next page is a preliminary selection of pictures of annual meeting participants, thanks to Rob Cummings and his brand new camera. I think Rob has become the official unofficial PLGC photographer! Thanks, Rob! We have lots more pictures, which we hope to feature in future issues. In this month's montage, we have, from the top, left to right: PLGC co-moderator Bob Patenaude preparing the agenda; PLGC coordinator for the Synod of Mid-America Merrill Proudfoot, PLGC board member Louise Thompson, and David Cockcroft; Update columnist Chris Glaser, Update editor Jim Anderson, and new Update author (in this issue) David Maxwell; PLGC board member Lisa Larges with some of her wind-up toys; PLGC board member Dorophy Fillmore and her partner, and PLGC suite hostess, Lisa Furr; PLGC board member Michael Purintun, More Light Churches Network resource coordinator Ralph Carter, and PLGC board member and issues coordinator Scott Anderson; PLGCers Robert Muir and David Tornblom; and PLGCer Katie Morrison, showing off her badge, which reads: "Self-avowed unrepentent practicing homosexual Christian!" -- JDA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Lay Committee Slapped on the Wrist In contrast to the tiny amount of attention paid to the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Presbyterians, the Presbyterian Lay Committee got a whole assembly committee to itself, charged with trying to find ways to "reconcile" that organization with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Lay Committee leads the vitriolic opposition to the participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Christians in the life of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The special committee that worked throughout the past year for reconciliation finally threw up its hands and urged the General Assembly to call upon the Lay Committee to "cease and desist from its destructive activities which undermine the work of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)." The Witherspoon Society, in a position paper issues at the beginning of the assembly, stated that "The Lay Committee has produced no mission, no missionaries, no new churches, and no peace within the Presbyterian Church since its founding nearly 40 years ago. It has spent its millions to sow distrust, and to oppose the prophetic ministry of this Church." In the end, the General Assembly voted 517 to 20 to gently slap the wrists of the Lay Committee. Among the 7 recommendations, the General Assembly agreed to "call all Presbyterians to repentance and forgiveness, and rebuke all divisive people and groups in our church." The report concludes with the words: The Assembly Committee on the Report on Reconciliation has been deliberately brief and obviously nonpunitive, and intends that the assembly *shall not take up the topic again* (emphasis in original)." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Embattled More Light Church Honored The Witherspoon Society presented an award to Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati for standing "firmly for the principles of patient leadership and exercising a prophetic voice against injustice." Mt. Auburn church received commendation for its long standing commitment to love, justice and peace, a stance which currently has the church under an administrative commission from Cincinnati Presbytery for its refusal to abide by the "definitive guidance" of 1978-1979 (that bans ordination of gay and lesbian Presbyterians) and its membership in the More Light Churches Network. -- Excerpted from a Presbyterian News Service story by Hal Bray. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Voices of Sophia A new justice organization joins PLGC in the struggle for inclusiveness in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In a take-off on Martin Luther's 95 Theses, the Voices of Sophia made their first Assembly appearance when 95 Illuminations were presented outside the plenary auditorium doors following the moderator's election on Sunday. Voices of Sophia is a new organization. It is independent of church structures, but its design is consistent with the Presbyterian commitment to women and the reformed tradition, the inclusive church, and all justice issues. Their purpose states that "Voices of Sophia is a community of women and men in the larger community of the PCUSA being reformed by God through the Spirit of the living Christ, and working toward the transformation of the church into a discipleship of equals." For information about joining Voices of Sophia, contact PLGC board member Mike Smith, 1211 WEST ST, GRINNELL IA 50112. -- Based on a Presbyterian News Service story by Jane Mead. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Impressions of a First General Assembly by David Maxwell General Assembly. What an experience! So many highs and lows during that short week. I found myself on an emotional roller coaster the first few days. It was absolutely wonderful hanging around the PLGC suite and meeting so many wonderful rainbow people! It reminded me of "home base" when we used to play tag as children -- a safe place where those mean people can't come! I also had a wonderful experience coming out to so many people from my home presbytery in Oklahoma and receiving their good wishes and promises of accompaniment should my partner and I ever decide to return "home". And it was absolutely horrible seeing so many hateful people who call themselves Presbyterians, much less Christians! I found myself on the one hand repeatedly reminding myself that these people have yet to experience "grace" in any form whatsoever, and on the other hand wanting to return to their simplistic faith, which I once had, and to be able to "know" that there was a hell where they would ultimately end up! And so many anecdotes -- funny and horrendous! -- to tell! I want to share two of them with *Update* readers -- stories that came from heterosexual allies during the week, as I feel they are all too often under-represented in our camp. The first occurred at the "alternative" worship service held in the PLGC suite that first Sunday morning. I sat next to a woman who was fairly shy. She asked me if I had attended the PLGC Celebration the night before. I said "Yes, are you one of the authors of the new book?" She smiled and said no, but she was very moved by all the testimonies. She then told me how she had come to be at our worship service. She was a commissioner and this was her first time to go to General Assembly. She had really looked forward to attending the big worship service in the coliseum that morning, but she had heard about this service at the PLGC suite and was wrestling with it all night. She decided to ask her roommate (whom she had just met) what she thought. Her roommate looked at her and then told her that her brother had been gay and Christian, but had been told that he had to choose one or the other. Unable to choose between two such powerful aspects of his life, he decided at 29 to kill himself. Her roommate then said that she would like to go to worship in the PLGC suite, but the wounds were still too fresh, but she urged her to go. "How could I go to the other worship service when my brothers and sisters here are left out?" she asked. The other story comes from a woman who has always been a hero in my book. She has known me since I was born and comes from my home church in Oklahoma. She has always been a hell-raiser in the church and has fought for many years against anti-choice Presbyterians. Recently, however, she has added the fight for inclusion of all rainbow people in the church to her agenda and has been most supportive to me. Well, the next to last day of the assembly she apparently came to the PLGC booth, crying and outraged by a hateful anti-choice bigot. Anger had overwhelmed her and she was so mad she was shaking with rage. "I wanted to Rodney King them," she said. "I want to do violence to them and that scares me!" I don't know who was in the PLGC booth at the time, but whoever it was ministered to her and reminded her that "Vengeance is mine saith the Lord." She later told me that a calm swept over her and she then felt at peace. The next day she went up to the woman with the signs and said: "Isn't our job as Christians to love one another? You've stood here all week and pointed your God Almighty finger as us telling us we're a bunch of sinners. Where's the Good News in that?" My friend continued, "Lady, I hate to tell you, but we *all* are sinners, even *you!* But God loves us first, just as we are. That's the Good News. And our job is to spread this love to others, not sit around and tell others they are evil." The woman put on her plastic smile and said to her, "I do love you." "No you don't," said my friend. "You'll love me *only if* I repent of what *you* consider to be sin. That's not love. And it certainly ain't Good News." Thanks to whomever was sitting in the PLGC booth. Your Good News was heard and spread! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Getting Ready for 96 Prayer and Fasting Out of prayer and fellowship at the 207th General Assembly in Cincinnati, we invite everyone to join us in our commitment to pray and fast (as you are able) every Wednesday during the coming year. Through prayer and fasting we unite as a community of faith for mutual support to discern the Spirit who partners with us as we work for an inclusive justice-loving denomination. -- Grace & Peace, sisters and brothers of PLGC, MLCN, Unity Through Diversity, That All May Freely Serve. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Unity Through Diversity Calls Deana Reed [Photo of Deana] The personnel task force of Unity Through Diversity is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Deana Reed as part time Coordinator for the Unity Through Diversity Project. Deana will be working on implementing strategies we collaboratively developed at our joint board meeting with PLGC and the More Light Churches Network last February. She will be on PresbyNet soon. A native of Oregon, Deana made Northern California her home over the last decade as a student at San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo and then serving as Associate Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Napa for several years. Now she is providing interim pastoral ministry to Westminster Presbyterian Church, a More Light Church in Washington, D.C. Deana came to the Presbyterian Church after years of ministry with para-church organizations, including Campus Crusade for Christ and Young Life Club. Her work blends the various expressions of Christianity she has experienced, enabling her to understand and communicate with a variety of people. Deana has been active in Presbytery and Synod activities, serving on the Redwoods Presbytery Committee on Ministry as well as the Higher Education and Hunger Committees. As a Synod of the Pacific Commissioner she was involved with the challenges and efforts for creating an inclusive environment for all in our church. Her ministry in Napa involved serving a large church and being part of a staff team that was committed to the wider community. Her work was pivotal in establishing shelters for homeless and abused people, an AIDS ministry and a hot meal program as well as inter-faith activities. Inclusiveness and belonging are important to Deana's ministry and will be the focus of her work as the coordinator of Unity Through Diversity, the joint project of More Light Churches Network and PLGC. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A Shower of Stoles From a Cloud of Witnesses A Witness to All Gay and Lesbian Ministers, Elders and Deacons At a recent dialogue in the midwest, one well-meaning but misinformed minister suggested that there were no gay folk left in the church, because the church had driven them all away. *This is a way to let them know just how many faithful gay folk there really are among the ordained leadership of the Presbyterian Church!* You can help us create a "shower of stoles" as a visible witness to our service in this denomination. * Send us a stole -- We will create a traveling display of every stole we receive. Make yourself known to the world by signing your name on the stole (or affixing your name to it in some other fashion). Identify yourself in some way, and write a message or a prayer if you wish. * Send us your name -- We will make a simple stole for you out of rainbow-colored material and put your name and message on it exactly as you give it to us. * Remain anonymous, but be counted -- Send us your stole with a confidential message, or we can make an anonymous stole for you. We will put a code on it that *only you will know*, so you will be able to identify your stole in the display. * Honor a friend or family member -- Help us remember all those who were ordained but have left the church, those who have died, or you can simply choose to make a stole for someone else. (If you don't have the person's permission to use their name, please make the stole's message anonymous!) * Send us a donation -- Each $5.00 donation will allow us to make one stole for someone. * Do it today! -- All stoles received *before September 15* will be included in the first public display at the September 16 meeting of Heartland Presbytery (the day Martha Juillerat goes before Presbytery to set aside her ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacraments). We must have your name or message before Labor Day to make a stole for you by that date. Stoles received or made after this date will be included in future displays. We hope to have *hundreds* on display at the 1996 General Assembly in Albuquerque. Send your stole to: Martha Juillerat & Tammy Lindahl, 6146 Locust St., Kansas City, MO 64110. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * An Ideal Overture for 1996 Here is the text of a proposed overture to the 1996 General Assembly, asking that it set aside the present "definitive guidance" and "authoritative interpretation" that bans the ordination of "self-affirming practicing homosexual persons." Please urge your presbyteries to adopt it, or to use is as a model for their own overture. Overture to the 208th General Assembly (1996) Albuquerque, New Mexico Whereas, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been formed and claimed by God's grace and is called to be a sign in and for the world of the new reality in Jesus Christ that (1) sin is forgiven, (2) reconciliation is accomplished, and (3) the dividing walls of hostility are torn down (Book of Order G- 3.0200); Whereas, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ teaches us that all of the law and prophets hang on these two commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39); and whereas this teaching is reaffirmed in the words of the Apostle Paul: "Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet'; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:8-10); Whereas, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is directed by the Book of Order to be an inclusive community: "The Church is called ... to a new openness to its own 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" (G-3.0401b); "The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall give full expression to the rich diversity within its membership and shall provide means which will assure a greater inclusiveness leading to wholeness in its emerging life. 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) shall be guaranteed full participation and access to representation in decision making of the Church" (G-4.0403); Whereas, the Book of Order 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. Each member must seek the grace of openness in extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons. Failure to do so constitutes a rejection of Christ himself and causes a scandal to the gospel" (G-5.0103); Whereas, the Book of Order 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); Whereas, the Book of Order upholds the right and responsibility of congregations/sessions and presbyteries to determine who is called and qualified to fulfill ordained ministries in the church, specifically conferring upon sessions the power: "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 conferring upon the presbyteries the power and responsibility: "to ordain, receive, dismiss, install, remove and discipline ministers ..." (G-11.0103n); Whereas, the Book of Order contains the provisions necessary to remedy irregularities or delinquencies (D-6.000 et seq.) and to bring disciplinary action against individuals whose behavior is not consistent with ordained office (D-7.000 et seq.); Whereas, the General Assembly upheld the word of Scripture, the inclusive provisions of the Book of Order, and the prerogatives of congregations/sessions and presbyteries, when it provided for the ordination of women who are called and gifted to fulfill ordained ministries; Whereas, the Definitive Guidance adopted by the 190th General Assembly (1978), reiterated by the 191st General Assembly (1979), and established as "authoritative interpretation of the Book of Order" by the 205th General Assembly (1993), is inconsistent with the inclusive statements of the Book of Order because it creates an entire class of people who can not be ordained; is in opposition to the teaching of Scripture and the spirit of Jesus Christ by judging the behavior of this entire class of people as sinful before ever meeting them as persons; and, by eliminating this entire class of people from consideration, effectively prevents sessions and congregations in the case of elders and deacons and presbyteries in the case of ministers of the word and sacraments from fulfilling their constitutional responsibility to discern gifts, validate calls, and instruct, examine, ordain, install and welcome into the common ministry candidates for ordination, Therefore, the Presbytery of __________________________, meeting at ________________________ on ___________________ 1995 (1996) respectfully overtures the 208th General Assembly (1996) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to adopt an authoritative interpretation under Book of Order G-13.0103r rescinding the Definitive Guidance (1978, 1979) and the related "authoritative interpretation" resolution presented by the 1993 Representative Committee on Human Sexuality and adopted by the 1993 General Assembly, all as set forth at the 205th General Assembly (1993) Part I, pages 76 and 77; and further the Presbytery of ______________________ respectfully overtures the 208th General Assembly to declare invalid any impediment to the full application of the principles of diversity and inclusiveness contained in the Book of Order and the full exercise of the rights and responsibility of congregations/sessions and presbyteries to discern, elect, ordain and install ministers, elders and deacons. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What Calvin Has Taught Me About God by Chris Glaser Copyright (C) 1995 by Chris R. Glaser. All rights reserved. [Yes, I went to the Cincinnati G.A. But this column is for those who don't want to hear any more about it! -- CRG] [Photo of Calvin sitting on our bottom step, taken by Chris's Mom, Mildred Glaser] Total attentiveness. Unconditional love. Limited judgment. Irresistible grace. Providential play. T.U.L.I.P. This is what Calvin has taught me about God. And if it varies from the TULIP acronym for John Calvin's teachings that you learned in Presbyterian Sunday school, it's because this list summarizes what I've learned from quite another Calvin -- our dog. Calvin is a golden retriever-labrador-shepherd mix we adopted from Atlanta's Humane Society on the last day of 1994. We got a house partly because we wanted a dog. We heard a voice that said, "Build the house, and he will come." And so it was. "Only Chris would find mythological import in getting a dog," I can hear you saying. But life is filled with opportunities for spiritual metaphor. "Nothing more zealous than a convert," someone else might be thinking -- that is, anyone who knows me well enough to know that I was never a "dog person" before now. In my first book, *Uncommon Calling* (which will be reprinted this coming January by Westminster/John Knox Press), I explained that I had grown up being bitten by my brother's dog on arbitrary occasions. My mother theorized that our dog's behavior was the result of some neighbor children abusing Freckles when we were away. Though enduring a relationship with an abusive canine never landed me on *Oprah*, it nonetheless inhibited my establishing close relations with any dog. I eventually learned how to handle my fear and be friendly to friendly dogs and keep barking dogs at bay, but the idea of ever developing an intimate relationship with a dog was far from my mind. The closest I ever came was a friendship with Smokey, a retriever-mix that lived in a house I also lived in when I was in college. Smokey helped me overcome my caninephobia and my dogged doggy stereotypes. I took him to worship one Sunday for the children's sermon to show them how he reminded me to play by dropping a ball in my lap while I studied. The kids took turns throwing the ball for him to retrieve, and I made the point that children play the vital role of reminding their parents to play. Smokey did not bite any of the children nor relieve himself on a leg of the communion table, so I realized that at least some dogs could assist in worship and serve as limited role models. But, if you'll forgive the seemingly trivial comparison, it required an incarnation to completely overcome my dogma. Between the two of us, my lover Mark was the dog person and the motivating factor of our finding a dog. But when we went to the Humane Society "just to look," it was I who pushed to adopt our puppy. Somehow I sensed we were a fit, the three of us. Soon I was transformed. Mark could not believe my conversion. When I went to Los Angeles to visit my mother, she, too, was astounded at how differently I responded to her own dog, a beagle named Schulz. But Calvin's unconditional love had introduced me to a dog's irresistible grace. We haven't needed our alarm to wake us in the morning since our dog came to live with us. Calvin sleeps with us, sometimes at the foot of the bed, sometimes between us, sometimes spooning me as I spoon Mark or vice versa. Calvin knows I'm the first to get up, so he starts licking me awake at the appropriate time. Later, when I call Mark for breakfast, Calvin does the same for him. It's obviously more pleasurable than being awakened by an irritating buzzer, though we try not to enjoy it too much lest we be accused of bestiality. While I am aware of the creaturely paternalism inherent in "owning" a dog, Calvin is happily codependent. He follows us around the house and plops beside one or the other of us wherever we are. If he's inside when we're outside, he follows us from window to window to see what we're doing. He's learning to be in the house alone, but he sits on the sofa with his head propped up gazing out the front window, and eagerly greets us at the door when we return. Packing my suitcase alerts him to another one of my trips, and he licks my cheek goodbye when I leave without his usual supposition that he'll go outside when I do. Calvin, like Smokey, reminds us both to play. We play hide-and- seek, Mark and I taking turns hiding as he goes back and forth between us. Fetch is usually preceded with Calvin's playing "keep-away," making us chase him around the house to get the ball. Sometimes he just goes crazy and runs around the house on his own. Outside, he's getting better at playing Frisbee in the back yard, which we have now fenced primarily for him. Several times per week I take him with me on my run to and around Grant Park, and Mark has taken him to the doggy park at the Carter Center. And he loves playing with neighbor dogs Riley and Kensey. Though we read a book about raising a dog, we made mistakes along the way. Thankfully, puppies have short memories, so we had many opportunities to do things better. We enjoyed unlimited atonement -- though I doubt that would have been true if we had taken advantage of that and either poorly-cared for him or abused him. Rather than "obedience" school, we took him to dog training classes, which was more about training us than him. Trying to be model parents, Mark and I both attended every class with Calvin. I've said in a variety of contexts that I believe "control" is the central spiritual issue with which we all struggle, and I learned this was also true of dogs. As "lead dogs," though, Mark and I had to learn not to "pull against resistance," because a dog will resist being forced to do something. Rather, Calvin was to learn "attentiveness" to us. I thought to myself that, equally important, we needed to learn attentiveness to him. How else would we know when he needed to go out? or be fed and watered? or play and rest? or go to the vet's? We also learned how to put Calvin "down," how to, in a sense, give him permission to chill when he gets anxious or hyperactive. How many of us could use someone doing this for us? And finally, whenever he wants it, Calvin turns on his back with paws in the air to welcome our loving scratches and rubs. What I've learned from Calvin prompts me to re-view my theology: + God wakes us every morning by "licking" our bodies with sunlight and shower, bedding and breakfast and for some, the body of someone who loves us. + Attentiveness is required to follow God's lead. The spiritual life is all about attentiveness to the sacramental nature of existence, mindfulness of the present holiness. And, as a worthy "lead dog," God is both attentive to our needs and intent on shepherding rather than "pulling against resistance" as well. + Spiritually, we need to work through our control issues to sometimes "let go and let God." We also need to re-evaluate the concept that God is in absolute control, since that appears to make God responsible for evil as well as making God coercive rather than persuasive. (Calvin seems to realize our limitations as lead dogs, too.) + Practically, God is more concerned with the present than with past mistakes. + Providentially, playing and resting and pleasuring in God gives us peace and joy in the present and a foretaste of the commonwealth of God to come. But, in my lessons from Calvin, there is something yet more unique to the experience of those of us who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered. If *I* could change in my attitudes toward dogs, then those who fear us may similarly be transformed in our close relationships with them -- relations already existing or that we form. And yet more significantly for us: if I could experience the revelation that a dog may truly be a best friend, then those of us who have been repeatedly and arbitrarily "bitten" by God may yet have the revelation that God is truly our best friend, that the god that bit us was not truly representative of God, but was a manifestation of spiritual abuse at the hands of a homophobic church. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PCUSA Files Brief in Colorado Gay Rights Case by Jerry L. Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service Louisville, KY. -- Citing General Assembly policy that supports civil rights protection for gay and lesbian persons, General Assembly Stated Clerk the Rev. James E. Andrews has filed an "amicus curiae" brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, joining the opposition to a controversial constitutional amendment in Colorado. Andrews filed the brief in the case of "Romer v. Evans" on June 19. [PLGC also joined with the lesbian and gay-supportive organizations in other denominations to file a separate brief in opposition to the Colorado anti-gay rights amendment. -- JDA] At issue in the case is the constitutionality of Colorado's "Amendment 2," which was passed by voters in 1992. The amendment prohibits gay, lesbian or bisexual Coloradans from obtaining any protected status or making a claim of discrimination. The Colorado Supreme Court overturned Amendment 2 in 1993, and that ruling is now being appealed to the U.S. high court. According to court records, more than a dozen religious organizations have filed "amicus" briefs on both sides of the case. In his brief Andrews wrote, "The General Assembly has consistently voted support for the protection of the civil rights and personal liberties of gay and lesbian persons" in resolutions ranging back 20 years. In the oft-quoted polity statement of 1978, the Assembly advised that "vigilance must be exercised to oppose federal, state and local legislation that discriminates against person on the basis of sexual orientation." Andrews stated, "The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) disapproves of homosexual behavior, particularly with respect to ordained officers of the church, and has declared that 'homosexuality is not God's wish for humanity.' Nevertheless, these same pronouncements call for such activity to be treated as matters of private conduct protected from government intrusion. The Presbyterian Church has consistently sought to reserve such matters for moral and theological dialogues." The 1993 General Assembly identified Amendment 2 as discriminatory and instructed Andrews to monitor its movement through he courts. The brief argues that the amendment violates three constitutional principles: equal access to government for all citizens, religious freedom from ecclesiastical establishment and the right of minorities to an effective voice in public debate. Andrews also observed, "The General Assembly does not speak for all Presbyterians, nor are its deliverances and policy statements binding on the membership of the Presbyterian Church." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *