Date: Sun, 10 May 98 19:44:18 EDT From: James Anderson Subject: MORE LIGHT UPDATE My-Je 1998 (155 k file) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MORE LIGHT UPDATE For all ministers, elders, deacons, members and friends of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) May-June 1998 Volume 18, Number 5 Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns James D. Anderson, Communications Secretary P.O. Box 38 New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038 732-249-1016, 732-932-7501 (Rutgers University) FAX 732-932-6916 (Rutgers University) Internet: jda@mariner.rutgers.edu (or jda@scils.rutgers.edu) PLGC-List: plgc-list@andrew.cmu.edu (to join, send request to: plgc-list-request@andrew.cmu.edu) PLGC home page: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~riley/PLGC.html Masthead, with Publication Information at end of file. Note: * is used to indicate italicized or boldface text. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONTENTS OUR COVER SCAM: Beware! PHOTOS CHANGES EVENTS 210th General Assembly Ghost Ranch Conference Center Rowe Conference Center JOBS: More Light Church Openings REQUESTS: Survey re Bible and Homosexuality CHAPTERS House Parties in Arizona and Indiana Worship in Atlanta Alaska Northwest on the Move Stoles at McCormick in Chicago TIME TO VOTE FEATURE STORIES Exiles and Outcasts in Our Own Church PLGC and More Light Folk Reflect on the Loss of Amendment A PLGC and MLCN Leaders Disappointed, But Not Surprised, at Defeat of Amendment A PLGC and MLCN to Build a Stronger Unified Organization Shake the Dust and Cobwebs of the PCUSA from Our Feet We Are Making Progress Are the Moral Stakes Any Different? I'm in This for the Long Haul Silence Is Killing My Soul What miracle do you want to make? A biker queer had actually hugged him in public and the roof of the church didn't cave in! We Need to Be MORE Out Splitting Is an Easy Way Out Submit to the Majority or Quietly Leave? Reflections on Faithfulness And Finally, from New York City Presbytery "Not Tonight, Dear. It's Not in The Book of Order," By Chris Glaser The Methodists, Too A Memorial to an Unforgettable Father, by carla t pridgen Understanding the Context of Ex-Gay Ministries, by The Rev. Laurene Lafontaine, PLGC Co-Moderator Possible Issues for General Assembly The Boy Scouts On Support for Persons Choosing Not to Conceive Children BOOKS: We're All Doing Time OFFICERS AND CONTACTS (at end of file) PRESBYTERIAN ALLY ORGANIZATIONS (at end of file) MASTHEAD (publication information) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OUR COVER Our cover photo features theses nailed (?) to the door of Jan Hus Presbyterian Church in New York City for Reformation Sunday, 1997, after the manner of Martin Luther himself. Photo from Donna Riley. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SCAM Beware of Scam A number of churches, including ones in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Nebraska and elsewhere, have been approached by telephone by an individual claiming to be a local Presbyterian, stranded away from home, and seeking funds sent by Western Union. Calls have come from Florida and, most recently Los Angeles, always by long distance, AT&T, collect. They usually come in the name of someone known to the church or pastor being called. At one time, the caller used the name of PLGC's communications secretary, Jim Anderson. Another name he uses has been James Nelson. In two cases the caller claimed to be a part of a congregation, even when the pastor didn't recognize the name -- claiming that the caller had been visiting regularly and just wasn't yet known to the pastor. The caller is knowledgeable of the Presbyterian church, its personnel, terminology, etc. He not only knows pastors' names, but knows the names of other staff members. A check of possible sources for this data suggests that he has a GA level directory and is visiting church sites on the World-wide Web. The man is a smooth talker and can be very convincing. He has gotten funds -- nearly $1,000 -- from two churches that we know of. The FBI has been contacted, but it is very difficult to track down this individual operating the way he does. It is recommended that churches and pastors simply not accept collect telephone calls unless not only the name, but the voice is clearly known. -- Charles Forbes, Baltimore Presbytery Stated Clerk & James D. Anderson, PLGC. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PHOTOS Hey folks, if you like the photos we've been putting in the *Update*, then we need your photos! Please send us all your PLGC-related pictures. We can use colored pictures just fine. Don't be bashful -- send them in! The photos in this issue were provided by Donna Riley, Chris Glaser and Mark King, Ken Wolvington, Bill Moss, Marilyn Nash, and Mark Koenig (via Tricia Dykers Koenig). Tricia Dykers Koenig informs us that the photos she provided to us for the March-April 1998 *Update* were actually taken by Mark Koenig. Thanks Mark! We regret that these wonderful pictures are NOT in the electronic version! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CHANGES Masthead Address: DeWitt House 206, 185 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Officers: Zip-code for Tammy Lindahl to 55405. Coordinators Dean Hay, who recently moved from Southern California to Southern Illinois, is still in Murphysboro, but he had to move after a second disastrous fire (the first was in California). No one was injured, but he lost his computer and so many of his writings. His new address is: 200 N. 15th St., #3, Murphysboro, IL 62966, phone 618-687-5203. Michael Tsai is taking a rest from serving as a co-coordinator in the Synod of Alaska-Northwest. He is being replaced by Lindsay (Lin) Thompson, P.O. Box 2631, Seattle, WA 98111-2631, 206-505- 7878 wk., fax 206-505-7880, LThomp6394@aol.com Officers Rob Cummings has a new area code: 724. Allies Ralph Carter has a new email address: rcarter@rpa.net * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EVENTS 210th General Assembly June 12-20, 1998, Charlotte, North Carolina Join PLGC at the 210th General Assembly, in Charlotte, NC. Our church needs us more than ever! Most of our events will be in the Adam's Mark Hotel, 555 S. McDowell St., 1-800-444-ADAM, just 5 blocks down E. 2nd St., or E. STONEWALL (!) Street from the convention center. - Housing reservations for the Adam's Mark and other General Assembly Hotels must be made through the G.A. housing service. Call 1-800-210-9371 to request a reservation form. You can make Adam's Mark your first choice, and the Four Point Hotel, just up the street at 201 S. McDowell St., your second choice. - PLGC Hospitality Suite, Adam's Mark Hotel. You may need to ask for it under Lew Myrick's name. Donna Riley will be our hospitality coordinator. It should be open beginning Friday evening, June 12, following our Pre-Assembly Gathering. - PLGC Pre-Assembly Gathering I, Friday evening, June 12, 7-9 p.m., Adam's Mark Hotel, Mecklenburg 2 & 3. Learn all about plans for this General Assembly. - PLGC Pre-Assembly Gathering II, Saturday afternoon, June 13, 1-4 p.m., Adam's Mark Hotel, Mecklenburg 1. Help plan our participation in various General Assembly events. - PLGC annual Celebration of Reconciliation, Saturday evening, June 13, 9-11 p.m. (or later if the assembly takes a long time to elect a new moderator earlier in the evening!), Adam's Mark Hotel, Mecklenburg Ballroom. Tickets in advance or at the door, $20. Low income folks may get special tickets ranging from $0 to $19 (you set the amount) in advance only via mail to PLGC, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038, or Saturday, June 13 at the PLGC exhibit booth in the convention center. Celebrate reconciliation after 20 years of "definitive guidance." Join pioneers and leaders of the inclusive church movement. Honor recipients of the Inclusive Church Award. Select a stole to wear during General Assembly. - PLGC Exhibit Booths. PLGC will have a double booth this year in the convention center exhibit hall, numbers 1223 & 1225. Jim Anderson is looking for volunteers to help staff these booths. - PLGC Sunday Worship, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Westin Hotel, Charlotte & Mecklenburg Halls. (Our only event that is NOT at the Adam's Mark!) The Westin is even closer to the convention center, 222 E. 3rd St. Worship with PLGC and friends of Christ's Inclusive Church. Our preacher will be the Rev. Kathleen Buckley, PLGC's Coordinator for Bisexual Concerns. Prior to "coming out," she was pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Watervliet, NY. - PLGC's Annual Meeting, Tuesday evening, 8-10 p.m. (just before the annual gala LGBT-friendly Witherspoon Dance), Adam's Mark Hotel, Mecklenburg 1 & 2. - PLGC's Daily Worship and Briefing, every evening EXCEPT Tuesday (when we have our annual meeting), beginning on Sunday, June 14, 9-11 p.m., Adam's Mark Hotel, Mecklenburg 1. So plan on joining us each evening on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and concluding on Friday, June 19. - PLGC office and headquarters, Adam's Mark Hotel. You may need to ask for it under Rob Cummings' name. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ghost Ranch Conference Center *An open space for spirit, body and mind* HC 77 Box 11, Abiquiu, NM 87510 505-685-4333, fax 505-685-4519 "Envisioning a New Church" is a new Summer Workshop being held July 13-20 at Ghost Ranch and led by the Rev. Dan Smith, pastor of West Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Southern California and the Rev. Jane Spahr, evangelist of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church of Rochester, NY and Westminster Presbyterian Church of Tiburon, CA. Participants will envision a New Church while reclaiming, re-examining and reimagining our Christian roots. Leaders will share, listen and partner with participants through discerning and sharing Christian faith stories. Areas to be explored include: How do we embrace our God, ourselves, our church and our world neighbors? How do we honor diversity? How do we move beyond tolerance and acceptance to honoring and sharing in the taste, feel, smell, and joy of this new community? The workshop registration fee is $140. "A Journey Unexpected: A Seminar Sponsored by Presbyterian Parents of Gays and Lesbians, led by Jane Loflin, Parent and Director of PPGL; Margaret Gurecky, Parent and PPGL Board Member; Warner Bailey, Pastor and PPGL Board Member; Fane Downs, Pastor and PPGL Board Member; Joe Park, Pastor. This week is offered to parents and other family members of gays and lesbians who want a safe place for encouragement and support. Using the resources of our Reformed faith, the leadership team will equip participants to travel with their children on this unexpected journey. Affirming the integrity of the family, this course will explore ways the church can support families and nurture their children. Through worship and study, small group conversations, individual reflection, participants will have the opportunity to share their unexpected journeys. Registration: $140. "God's Wildly Inclusive, Extravagant Love: A Retreat for Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgender Persons, Their Families and Friends, October 29-November 1. Begins Thursday at dinner and ends Sunday after breakfast. Led by the Rev. Lisa Larges, San Francisco, CA, and the Rev. Howard B. Warren, Jr., Indianapolis, IN. During this retreat we will seek to discover the power of God's love in the context of healing, renewal and discernment. Healing: Battle-weary from the long struggle for full inclusion in the Church? Join us in rediscovering the power of God's love to heal our wounds, exhaustion and cynicism. Renewal: Running short on hope? Join us in rediscovering God's love to restore our hope and renew our faith. Discerning: Not sure whether to stay in the Church or leave it? Join us in rediscovering the power of God's love in guiding us to know our place and our path. Registration: $140; Room & Board: $130. "Cultivating 'The Inner Voice of Love': Using the Writings of Henri Nouwen." November 1-7, 1998. Led by Chris Glaser, M.Div., who studied with Nouwen at Yale Divinity School. They remained friends for the next 20 years. Many of us have lost our spiritual center. Some of us suffer a spiritual fatigue, a weariness of heart. Still others have experienced spiritual abuse, denied our belovedness to God by others. This interactive workshop/seminar will apply Henri Nouwen's writings as a balm to our lost, tired, or wounded souls. Nouwen, a priest and teacher of 40 years, authored 40 books on the spiritual life. Registration: $150, Room & Board: $325. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Rowe Conference Center "Relax, Reflect, Retreat, Relate, Revitalize" Kings Hwy. Rd. Box 273, Rowe, MA 01367 413-339-4954 or 4216, fax 413-339-5728 "Labor Day Retreat for Gay & Bisexual Men: A Multicultural, Multigenerational Celebration." September 4-7, 1998. Rowe has become one of the largest and oldest gay retreats in the country, an amazing and gorgeous gathering of gay and bisexual men. Most gay men are community deprived, lacking the sense of support, acceptance and connection that we need to thrive as humans. For many of us, coming back to Rowe has meant coming home -- to old friends and new, to a place of connection, liveliness and spirit. For new participants, Rowe is many things: a major step in coming out, a bridge to gay community, a contemplative retreat, a place to make new friends. Led by psychotherapists Joe Fitzgerald, LCSW, and Ken Page, CSW. Call for cost. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * JOBS More Light Church Openings Pastor, Noe Valley, San Francisco Friends, I am asked by the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) at Noe Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church here in San Francisco to put out the word that they are now ready to receive applications for consideration for the pastoral position. (My spouse Joan is serving as the Interim Pastor. Lisa Larges is a member and also on the PNC.) The listing and full information will soon be available through regular channels but here is a bit of information in the meantime: About 40 members with normally 30 in worship; More Light since its founding; located in an upscale yuppie section of the city; has a lovely old building it shares with all kinds of community programs. It is a proudly liberal congregation in the process of rediscovering its Presbyterian ties. Has always had gay and/or lesbian people on session and deacons. Willa Seldon is chair of the PNC. The address of the church is 1021 Sanchez, San Francisco, CA 94114. -- Gene Huff in San Francisco. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Interim Pastor, Mt. Auburn, Cincinnati, OH Mt. Auburn Church is a community "seeking to serve God and love the world as Jesus did. We equally strive to be as embracing as Jesus, realizing all persons are created in God's image. We welcome all persons of every race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or worldly condition." We are physically situated in an urban area, in close proximity to the University of Cincinnati. These environs have provided riches of significant church growth in recent years as we've lived out our understanding of the Gospel as a More Light Church. Our focus on a diverse family of faith has brought many progressives from the entire metropolitan area to us on our Christ-centered journey together. Because of retirement, we now seek an Interim Pastor. Position Responsibilities: 1. Worship Leader. Works with the Interim Worship committee, planning, leading and evaluating worship, including preaching approximately twice monthly. 2. Pastoral Care. Responds to pastoral needs of the congregation, both ongoing and crisis. Works with the Board of Deacons to plan and evaluate pastoral care. 3. Interim Leadership. Guides the congregation in working with the goals of the Interim period; serves as a companion and colleague in our renewal of vision and ministry; prepares the way for the new pastor. 4. Staff Leadership. Works with present staff and department leadership in a collegial manner, supporting the church programs and sharing our inclusive ministry. 5. Engages with the Larger Church. Participates in Presbytery and ecumenical activities in the Cincinnati community. Minimum Qualifications: 1. Minister, Presbyterian Church (U..S.A). 2. Interim training and experience desirable. 3. Part time and full time candidates will be considered. Dates: April 10, 1998 posted; May 1, 1998 begin interviewing. Send resume or PIF to: Interim Pastor Search Committee, Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, 103 William Howard Taft Road, Cincinnati, OH 45219 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * REQUESTS Survey of Presbyterian Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about the Bible and Homosexuality As you are aware, the treatment of gays and lesbians is being much debated in the Presbyterian Church today. Central to this disagreement are people's beliefs about what the Bible has to say about homosexuality. To find out more about the people's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices in regard to the Bible, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and homosexuality, Dr. Karen Miles (a theology student at Xavier University and member of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati) is conducting a survey of those who are members of or attend More Light Presbyterian churches or who are members of or friends of PLGC. Karen plans to use the results from this anonymous survey for a needs assessment for those of us involved in the More Light church movement. If you would like a copy of this survey, you can write and request one (4108 Edith Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45227), e-mail a request to have one mailed to you (MILES@XAVIER.XU.EDU), or you can call (513) 272-DOGS (3647). In addition to your name and address, let Karen know if you prefer the small-print copy (cost 32-cents to mail back) or the larger-type version (cost 55-cents to mail back). Also if you want copies for other Presbyterians who meet the above criteria (attend More Light churches or are friends of PLGC), feel free to make copies or you may request multiple copies. The survey will automatically be sent to PLGC chapters and More Light churches. It doesn't matter how much or how little you know about the Bible or how involved you are in church -- Karen wants your feedback! The more data that she gets, the more information available to help the More Light movement. Please request your survey today! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CHAPTERS House Parties in Arizona and Indiana Hooray for PLGC in the Phoenix, AZ area. Under the leadership of PLGC coordinator Rosemarie Wallace, they raised $500 in a very successful house party. PLGCers in Indianapolis are next in line, gearing up for a house party at Howard Warren's on April 26. Their goal is $1,000 to help finance an issue of the *More Light Update.* Worship in Atlanta The night before the Greater Atlanta Presbytery gathered to vote on Amendment A, the Greater Atlanta PLGC gathered at Columbia Seminary Chapel for a moving prayer service in anticipation of the vote. This beautiful service (planned by Rick Neale, Shannon Kershner, Barbara Gifford, Trenton Tunnell, and Scott Dunn) was attended by fifty Presbyterians in the area. We all felt a little more prepared for the outcome of the vote because of it. I know I did. My thanks to those who planned it. The next day the Greater Atlanta Presbytery voted YES 218, NO 271. At the presbytery meeting, Dr. Shirley Guthrie was honorably retired. In his remarks to the packed crowd at Trinity Church, Dr. Guthrie reminded us that God was alive and well and was working all around us, no matter how side-tracked we get, no matter how sure we were of our own righteousness. He reminded us, also, that God really doesn't need us to do all this stuff that we call the Presbyterian Church (USA). AMEN! What a moment of truth he brought to the presbytery that had just spoken so many half-truths and purposely mislead the debate about gay people! Why isn't he the moderator? I guess he is too bold in speaking the truth. The debate, though, also featured many truthful, heartfelt speeches from the pro-A side -- a pleasant departure from past debates on Amendment B. Perhaps some of the paranoia and fear is beginning to lessen among our commissioned allies. Toward the end of April, our chapter is hosting the Janie Spahr / Virginia Davidson duo for "That All May Freely Serve." They will share plans to get an evangelist in every presbytery. -- Onward and upward, Victor Floyd, Greater Atlanta PLGC. PLGC in Alaska Northwest on the Move Newly appointed co-coordinator for the Synod, Lindsay Thompson, writes: I am in the process of looking at how we can jump-start some new activity in the area. Most of the people on the PLGC mailing list for the synod are in the Seattle area, but I know there are people on the PLGC-list (computer discussion group) who are not on that mailing list. In any event, the list, at present, is a small one for a territory so large. Anyone interested in taking part in PLGC work in the Pacific Northwest is invited to contact me at lthomp6394@aol.com. Once we get some plans firmed up we will be able to announce them here and elsewhere. -- Lindsay Thompson, Seattle, LThomp6394@aol.com Stoles at McCormick in Chicago The McCormick Seminary chapter of PLGC hosted the Shower of Stoles, which was displayed in its entirety at the Seminary on Wednesday, January 14, 1998. The project was open for public viewing from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the Common Room and the downstairs basement of the McGaw building. Over 130 persons crowded into the worship space for the noon service where at least a dozen new stoles were dedicated into the Shower of Stoles collection. I had prepared a Signature stole prior to the service for the McCormick community. Some 50 people signed the new Signature stole, which has been added to the collection as well. Yeah, for McCormick! I am exited to let you and others know that we began last spring with only eight people, and at our last meeting we had over forty on our membership list. I still remain the only out person here on campus, but I am very blessed to be in such a welcoming atmosphere. -- Marilyn Nash, Senior, McCormick Seminary * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TIME TO VOTE PLGC Election It's time for members of PLGC to vote for our leaders. To be eligible to vote, you need to have joined or renewed your membership for 1998. All new memberships and renewals submitted since June of 1997 are considered 1998 memberships. If you have not yet joined or renewed for 1998, use the membership form below. All of this year's nominations are offered by your Nominating Committee: Lindsay Biddle, Lisa Larges (chairperson), Glyndon Morris, Katie Morrison, and Michael Purintun. They deserve your thanks, which you can indicate by voting! Because of the proposed merger of PLGC and the More Light Churches Network, our Nominating Committee requested that all officers and board members whose terms were expiring stand for another term. All of them agreed, so all our candidates offer themselves to continue in their current positions. All of them are eligible for new terms of office. The ballot, or a copy, must be received by Friday, June 12, 1997. Send to: James D. Anderson, Communications Secretary, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038. Your name and address must be clearly written on the outside envelope. As soon as eligibility is verified, the ballot will be separated from the envelope before being counted. PLGC Is Your Ministry Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns is an organization of ministers, elders, deacons, and members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) committed to the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, their families and friends in the Church and in society; proclamation of the liberating and inclusive gospel of Jesus Christ to all people; reconciliation among all Presbyterians; and education and dialogue that nurtures our biblical, theological, confessional, spiritual and personal development as individuals and as a Church. Together, we strive to ensure full membership and rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered members in both church and society; offer care, affirmation and support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, their families and friends; study and raise the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people; and witness to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that the church of Jesus Christ is the church of all God's people. Join Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns by sending us your name, address, name of your home congregation or presbytery, and tax-deductible contribution ($50 per year or whatever you can afford). Contributions to PLGC ought not displace or be a substitute for support of the local and general mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- especially for those parts of the Church that welcome the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, such as More Light Churches. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Membership Application/Renewal Form for 1997 PLGC, c/o James D. Anderson P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038 Name_______________________________________Date_____________________ Address_____________________________________________________________ Telephone___________________________________________________________ Home congregation / Presbytery______________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ I enclose $_______ to support the work, ministry and witness of PLGC. ___Please enroll or renew me as a member of PLGC. ___I am not a Presbyterian, but I want to support the work, ministry and witness of PLGC. Please enroll or renew me as a PLGC Associate. PLGC's membership rolls and mailing lists are confidential and are not shared with anyone except officers of PLGC. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1998 PLGC Ballot Male Co-Moderator -- 2 year term, vote for 1. ____Scott Anderson, Sacramento, CA. Scott, our current co- moderator, has been our chief strategist in recent years. After being "outed" as pastor of a 400-member congregation, he became the executive director of the California Council of Churches. ____Other:_______________________________________________________ Female Executive Board Members -- 2 year terms, vote for 2. ____Susan Leo, Portland, OR. An out lesbian candidate for the ministry under care of the Presbytery of the Cascades, Susan currently works for the ACLU. She has chaired the LGBT pride celebration committee in Portland and sits on the national council of CLOUT: Christian Lesbians Out Together. ____Donna Riley, Pittsburgh, PA -- Donna is an out deacon at Sixth Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA. She is the webspinner for the PLGC site on the World-wide Web and also manages the PLGC-list community on the internet. ____Others:______________________________________________________ Male Executive Board Members -- 2 year terms, vote for 3. ____Gene Huff, San Francisco, CA. A retired minister and former presbytery executive in L.A. and OH, Gene helped revitalize our Central Indiana Chapter. As PLGC board member, he is our chief liaison with our chapters and advocate for chapter development. ____Bill Moss, San Francisco, CA. Bill is chair of our board's development committee and is developing our donor database. When he jointed the PLGC board, he was Co-moderator of our Washington, DC chapter and a PLGC co-coordinator for the Synod of Mid- Atlantic, but his employer, the IRS, has moved him to San Francisco. ____Mike Smith, Grinnell, IA. Pastor of 1st Presbyterian Church in Grinnell, Mike as been a forceful advocate for LGBT liberation and other justice issues in the church. He is married to Sylvia Thorson Smith. ____Others:______________________________________________________ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FEATURE STORIES Exiles and Outcasts in Our Own Church PLGC and More Light Folk Reflect on the Loss of Amendment A Remember that God has always used exiles and outcasts to advance the faith. Think of many of the Old Testament prophets. Think of Jesus himself, perhaps the ultimate outcast and exile from his established faith community. -- Jim Anderson * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PLGC and MLCN Leaders Disappointed, But Not Surprised, at Defeat of Amendment A PLGC and MLCN to Build a Stronger Unified Organization "We are truly disappointed, but not surprised that Amendment A has failed," responded Scott Anderson, PLGC Co-Moderator. "Amendment A was a much need theological and polity correction of the so-called 'fidelity and chastity' requirement for ordination and leadership within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Our disappointment arises out of a profound concern for our denomination," said Anderson. "We recognize that what is taking place within our denomination is similar to the take-over by right wing conservatives of the Southern Baptist denomination," said the Rev. Laurene M. Lafontaine, PLGC Co-Moderator. "The reality is that Amendment A would not have changed the denominational policy on gay and lesbian ordination. Opponents of Amendment A made it out as a referendum on gay and lesbian ordination, which was simply not true, yet that rallied the negative votes," continued Lafontaine. Despite the current climate within the PCUSA denomination, the More Light Churches Network (MLCN) and Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns (PLGC) are planning to join their efforts. "At our respective board meetings in February," said Rev. Dick Lundy, Co- Moderator of MLCN, "both organizations decided to merge and form a stronger and more unified organization. By January 1999, we will have hired a staff person to do organizing and education within local presbyteries throughout the denomination. We are very excited about the possibilities." PLGC and MLCN will continue to work for the full inclusion of gay, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered persons within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). "We recognize that this is a life- long justice movement to which we are committed. This church can not truly be the church of Jesus Christ until there is the full inclusion of all God's children," said the Rev. Lafontaine. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * We present reflections from a spectrum of PLGCers on the loss of Amendment A. Most of them were first presented on the PLGC-list (@Andrew.cmu.edu). -- JDA. Shake the Dust and Cobwebs of the PCUSA from Our Feet As one who never supported Amendment A, because its passage would not have allowed one single gay or lesbian person to be legitimately ordained in the PCUSA and because it was a salve to the guilt of the muddled moderate middle who stood in silence while Amendment B was overwhelmingly passed (popular vote matters not in a representative republican democracy), I wondered when we would again reach the point of the "split or leave" debate as A went down to certain defeat. So hear we are, and I guess I must weigh in. I weigh in as a person trained and ordained in the Roman Catholic tradition, who spent a number of years as a United Methodist denominational bureaucrat, and who now practices law full time and serves a ministry in exile as an openly gay ordained elder in a "irregular" congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio. All this is to say that I have been at this struggle in the church for 25 years, and I am tired of hearing that we must stay to change from within. All I can say is that in the 25 years we have been at this battle in the church things have only gotten worse not better. As we have become more visible, offering opportunities for understanding, the hate and legalism has increased. To be honest, my patience, and hopefully God's patience, is expended. If people truly believe that by simply sitting in closeted silence or by simply suffering exclusion, we bring change, then we should advocate everyone joining the most repressive church they can find, with a law that explicitly and specifically excludes gay and lesbian persons from ministries within the church based on who we love -- Oh wait, most of us are members of that church -- the PCUSA. No my friends, it is not that they do not understand, they understand very well, and they do not want us in the church or at their table or serving in leadership. We should stop pretending otherwise. That is what the passage of Amendment B and the sure defeat of Amendment A tells us: "You are not welcome here in the PCUSA, no matter your call or your gifts." After A, then let the purges continue, and let's have lots of embarrassing trials. Unity in the face of this great sin and immorality of exclusion is meaningless, and we should not attempt to preserve the unity of the church on the backs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons. No more silence! All closeted clergy benefiting from this oppressive system in exchange for your silence and tacit approval of oppression must come out and be heard. Seminarians, if you cannot be ordained openly in the PCUSA, then find a church that will ordain you proudly. Your silence, and all of our silence, is causing great pain and suffering within the PCUSA, as gay and lesbian persons struggle to survive. Your silent presence may benefit you, but do not insult those who have suffered living openly by claiming that your closeted silent presence in the church somehow helps this struggle. It does not. God does not need the PCUSA in order to be present in the world, God can do fine without it. Likewise, God does not need more gay and lesbian suffering in order to bring forth God's communion. God calls us to dance and celebrate all life, including our lives as gay and lesbian persons, and if the church institution does not allow that dance and celebration to take place and declares it sinful, then we should not waste our time and our lives. Enough gay and lesbian lives have been wasted trying to change the church and it has only gotten worse, not better. This is not to say that we should go quietly, no not at all. In fact, I think we need people, churches, presbyteries to stand up, make declarations that say, "We will not abide by this abomination." Let's see if the folks who wanted B have the stomach to enforce it. I actually have no doubt that they do, since we have seen their like before. However, we should force them to use the club the PCUSA has seen fit to give them, and perhaps over much time, after much suffering, the forces of sin and exclusion will be turned away. However, in the meantime, where we all live, we have a church and a ministry to create and celebrate and we do not need the PCUSA to do that, so let us begin that important work by shaking the dust and cobwebs of the PCUSA from our feet. -- In peace, Jack B. Harrison, Elder, Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * We Are Making Progress Dear Jack, A few responses to some of your comments: I have been active in this struggle (as an openly gay elder) since 1980, and it's really difficult for me to agree with you that "things have only gotten worse." I think that the vote on A this year is probably a better indication of the true level of support for gay & lesbian ordination in the PCUSA than the vote on B was, because people who are truly confused and muddled about an issue have a tendency to vote "No" no matter what the question is. So I think we can safely say that at least 46% of the voting leadership of the PCUSA is in favor of gay & lesbian ordination. That is a remarkable figure when it was 10% or less only twenty- two years ago. And, more remarkably, we now have not only individuals and congregations but PRESBYTERIES that have been willing to vote Covenants of Dissent to Amendment B. More and more Presbyterians, GLBT and straight, are standing up to be counted against this travesty every day. And you think things are only getting worse??? As for the "hate and legalism" increasing -- Gee, what did you expect? Back in the early 80s when I was PLGC coordinator for the Synod of the Covenant, we had a meeting in northern Ohio where a clergywoman who was an expert on social change spoke to our small Synod group. She told us at that time that we hadn't seen anything yet in terms of the opposition to gay and lesbian ordination. Twenty-five years ago most of the "opposition" was not organized, most of them not really believing that gay & lesbian ordination was a possibility. But as our movement became stronger, they started paying attention. It's only when they saw the possibility of losing that they became energized. As for the "hate and legalism" -- most of it was there before, it was just silent. And the rhetoric and passion of those against gay and lesbian ordination has of course become more intense precisely because they are more frightened of the possibility of our side winning. Yes, this is frustrating, maddening, and sometimes rage- producing for those of us who have been engaged in this struggle for a long time, but unfortunately this is just the way the world works! It is almost always hardest to get over the final hump of a major social change and takes more effort than the original advocates were expecting. It took at least 50 years to get women's ordination in the Presbyterian church from the time it was first brought up; why do we have the right to expect that gay & lesbian ordination will come quicker than that? Jack, you wrote, "No my friends, it is not that they do not understand, they understand very well and they do not want us in the church or at their table or serving in leadership." I'm sorry, there is more than one "they" out there. Anybody who thinks that the majority of elders in the PCUSA have seriously considered this issue is naive. Yes, there are many people out there who will not want us in leadership even after they have seriously considered the issue -- which usually only comes about after they know more than one gay or lesbian Christian personally -- but there are still many others who have the capacity for change on this issue. Jack, you wrote, "All closeted clergy benefiting from this oppressive system in exchange for your silence and tacit approval of oppression must come out and be heard." I also hope that all closeted clergy will come out, and the Presbyterian clergy I know who have come out in the long run ended up being spiritually, emotionally, and even physically healthier as a result. But isn't it a bit too easy for us as elders to harangue them about this? Yes, it's very hurtful for us, too, to be excluded from leadership -- but it's not our livelihood that's at stake! Plus a calling to the ministry probably is a stronger emotional and spiritual commitment than most of us lay people have to our occupations (especially since the modern church hasn't done a very good job of getting most lay people to realize that their occupations should be seen as spiritual callings!). So if we as elders urge closeted gay and lesbian clergy to come out, we have a special responsibility to support them in every way possible. Jack, are you going to pledge to help any clergy in Cincinnati who come out to make the transition to another occupation, if it comes to that? Jack, you urged "Seminarians, if you cannot be ordained openly in the PCUSA, then find a church that will ordain you proudly." If I were a Presbyterian seminarian at the moment, I probably would leave, too. But just where is that "church that will ordain them proudly?" Let's see, for most committed Christian seminarians in the USA their choices are the United Church of Christ (UCC), the Metropolitan Communication Church (MCC), and some Episcopal dioceses. There are a lot of Presbyterian seminarians, even gay ones, who are too committed to Reformed polity and liturgy to be comfortable in the Episcopal church. If you go with the MCC, you are limiting yourself to serving in a "gay ghetto" situation, which would also be uncomfortable for many. That leaves the UCC. It is certainly possible to be ordained as an openly gay or lesbian person in the UCC -- my best friend here in Omaha, Phil Owen, became the first openly gay mainline clergyperson ordained in Nebraska four years ago when he was ordained by the UCC. But being gay or lesbian clergy in the UCC is far from a "piece of cake." It is still much more difficult for openly gay clergy to find jobs, especially in parish ministry, in the UCC than it is for straight people. Plus there are already so many lesbian and gay former Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and Baptists who have gone to the UCC for possible ordination that it's contributing to a general oversupply of UCC clergy, and the UCC is a fairly small denomination. Again, gay and lesbian college professors and lawyers like you and me have a much better chance of finding jobs that fit in with our perceived callings than gay and lesbian UCC clergy do. My own theory (though I do NOT consider myself an expert on such things) is that going through the pain of church trials the next few years is precisely what is necessary for change. And within the next decade I suspect that what will finally happen is that some "dissenting" Presbytery will ordain an openly lesbian or gay person. At that point the "muddled middle" folks at the next General Assembly will finally have to decide what to do. Either they will effectively throw that presbytery out of the denomination -- which will precipitate the exodus of other dissenting presbyteries and churches -- or they will decide to do no more than a cosmetic "wrist-slap," at which point the "right wing" on the issue will finally leave, and gay and lesbian ordination will then be obtained in the "main" denomination in a couple of years. But either way, this will create a lot of new imperatives for hard work and sacrifice on that part of the new "gay-supportive" denomination. It won't work, folks, to simply go off and create our own denominational structures and smugly pat ourselves on the back for being morally correct on this issue. It will instead require that we put major efforts of time, money, and prayer into planting new churches in those parts of the country which will be left without much "pro-gay" Presbyterian presence. (We have to employ all those displaced clergy and seminarians somehow!) Gee, could getting "liberals" to be serious about evangelism be part of what the Holy Spirit has in mind in this whole crazy situation? -- Cleve Evans, PLGC Synod Coordinator, Lakes & Prairies, Elder, Lowe Avenue Presbyterian Church, Omaha, Nebraska. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Are the Moral Stakes Any Different? Cleve, Change will come, but a split is change as well, as it was at the time of the split over slavery. Are the moral stakes any different? -- In peace, Jack Harrison * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I'm in This for the Long Haul I'm in this for the long haul. I'm Presbyterian, always will be. While I do my part to speak the truth that has been given me by my Creator, I will also work to assure that there is a community of Christians who serve as my "church." Brothers and sisters, we have work to do, and with the right perspective it can be joyous work, with a light yoke. The PCUSA is one of the most fertile mission grounds for gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered Christians that there is. We are much further along the justice arc than some other denominations. And, if we put our minds and hearts into the work, there are literally hundreds of congregations out there, known to the More Light Churches Network (MLCN), that are not yet More Light or Inclusive churches, who have members with strong commitment to the movement. At the moment, we are at 95 communities. We have to regroup and do our congregation- and presbytery-level homework. Even if one looks at it from a pragmatic perspective, PCUSA is historically, at least in my estimation, a denomination with MORE than its fair share of professionals, community leaders and middle and senior-level managers of American corporations. For five days a week, more and more of these church members work in corporations and communities that have created non-discrimination policies for gays/lesbians in the workplace. On Sunday morning these same people attend their Presbyterian church. It is inevitable that what is deemed fair play for 5 days of the week, eventually extends to 7 days of the week. It is almost as though the "great, unwashed heathen" in America have heard and respond to Jesus' welcome while many churches ignore it. It is imperative that those of us who are convinced of the life-giving love of Jesus, share that example with our brothers and sisters who may have forgotten it on Sunday mornings. If it requires us to take up the Cross, or for our straight allies to adopt the King of Denmark approach in order to truly be by our side, then let's do it. We need to stay the course, be wise when need be as well as foolish when need be for Christ. For this is our place on the long arc of history which inevitably bends toward justice. -- Ralph Carter, More Light Churches Network, Rochester, NY. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Silence Is Killing My Soul As I have been following this discussion on splitting or staying or leaving my mind has been racing with reactions. Much of what you all have written has rung true for me and I just cannot read all of these messages without responding. I know that God has been calling me for my entire life and God continues to call me to seminary and to ministry within the Christian Church. I have a very intentional commitment to the PC(USA). The Presbyterian Church has created me and saved me from very low times in my life. I have given my life back to the Presbyterian Church. I wish the church was open to the gifts I have to give. But I cannot much longer be squelched by this violent climate. God is calling me and the Presbyterian Church is not willing to listen to my voice. I have to be where I can respond to God's calling. And unfortunately I do not think that the Presbyterian Church is ready to listen at this point. God's church is large and I do not believe that God has denominational favorites. If I leave the Presbyterian Church it is because God has led me to do this, not because I don't have have an allegiance to what it has done for me and what I want to give back. But I am no longer willing to be silent. Where do I go? I have no idea. But I must use my creativity and passion to carve a place in life where I am able to be ALL of who I am. Maybe I'll start my own church. My larger frustration with this is the fact that the church makes my identity as a lesbian ignore my larger personhood. I am much more than a lesbian. Why do I have to fight for the gay cause so I can do what I want to do? Why does my lesbianness become what the denomination recognizes in me? I have many spiritual gifts!! My decision to leave the church is becoming more about community. I find it very hard to find a spiritual community that is INTENTIONAL about growing and searching, about being creative and risking our lives, about praying and worshipping, about supporting each other and caring about the rest of the world. Honestly, most of us are too afraid of this, too afraid that our lives will be radically changed when we don't focus solely on ourselves. Silence is killing my soul. I can't do it anymore. I am not willing to wait until I can be all of who I am. I am scared. I am listening. I am hurting. But I must work so all people no longer have to be silenced, not just my GLBT brothers and sisters. -- Back to the thesis -- un abrazo a todas y todos, mieke. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What miracle do you want to make? Mieke, I completely understand what you are saying, but it's not just silence that's killing souls around here. It's being ignored or discounted even when you are screaming at the top of your lungs. "Scared" and "Hurting" definitely describe most of the people I know. There's something missing from your "equation," though . It's not just GLBT brothers and sisters out here who need you. It's people like me. I happen to be doing a great deal of shouting , but I know there are others who happen to be heterosexual (by chance), happen to be Presbyterian (by choice), and happen to be deeply embarrassed by the current state of affairs in our church (by circumstance) who just haven't found the nerve to speak up. What broke my silence was watching people I love be attacked for being who they were. If people don't know who you are, it's hard to stand up for you. If people do know who you are, it's all that much harder to rail against you. I know, I know. I'm not gay, and I'll never truly understand. But I am a woman in a male-dominated field who has experienced at least a taste (some would say more than a taste) of the type of blind hatred that is currently ruling our denomination. I have at least an inkling of what it feels like to be on the other side. I can't believe that I'm the only one out here who just needed a push from someone I knew before I exploded. Yes, there are very, very good reasons to stay silent. I respect that. But there are also good reasons to speak up. (I am sitting here wondering for the billionth time if a fellow Presbyterian -- who is still alive -- would have spoken so freely and with so much hatred against gays in front of his wife's grandmother -- who is now dead -- if he had known that her dearly beloved nephew -- who is now also dead -- was gay.) If people do know who you are, it's all that much harder to hate you. I've seen people pontificating about the superiority of heterosexual unions in front of same-sex couples who have been together ten, twenty, thirty and even forty years! That's many, many times better than the majority of the heterosexual couples I know. There are congregations who benefit tremendously from the talents and gifts of GLBT people. It's very hard to kick any gift horse in the mouth, so to speak, though I see it done all the time by people who haven't a clue what they are doing. Presbyterians, for as long as I can remember, have never been asked to check their brains at the door when they enter their church. It's very hard to have a brain, use it, and see what is happening within our society (never mind within our church) without getting fighting mad. Somewhere along the line most rational people see the world for what it is. I still believe there's hope, but I also think that sometimes you have to work to make your own miracles . So I guess the question boils down to, "What miracle do you want to make?" My all-time favorite quote is from Cardinal Suenens (whose name I probably just horribly misspelled): "Happy are those who dream dreams and who are willing to pay the price to make them come true." What's your dream? And are you willing to pay the price? -- Linda A. Malcor. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A biker queer had actually hugged him in public and the roof of the church didn't cave in! I've just recently entered this discussion group and have been "lurking" for the last few days. While all the polity turmoil is very real and very important, I think some good advice I've read here is just to continue living out your lives in the truest form possible and let the church struggle with kicking us out, if they dare, rather than us upping and leaving. That would be a Pyrrhic victory at best. My people have been Presbyterian since the Reformation: I claim 16th and 17th century Calvinist family on both the Scots side and the French Huguenot side too. They always raised their family to think for themselves, and I'm glad I come from that line! My personal faith in God and recognition of Jesus as the Christ of us all is what is important about my religious upbringing, not the latest revision of the *Book of Order*. I absolutely refuse to even entertain an idea that someone can come along and invalidate my heritage because of my sexuality. I'm going to ignore such challenges as long as they come. I don't think they will haul either me or my congregation into court. To do so would make them look obviously non-Christian, and we are not about to let that kind of action go unnoticed. So, sad or not about Amendment B, or Amendment A, or whatever is to follow, let's just stay on course, stand up and be counted more and more each year, try to follow the gospel, and love them back. As I told one rather uptight heterosexual man at a church I visited last month, "I'm really sorry you have such a problem with me and other homosexuals. Given time you may get over this phobia, but until then know that I am ready to help you any way I can, short of going to bed with you. I'm married you know. The problem is yours, you know, not mine." Then I gave him a hug and said "It will work out eventually, Christ had bigger problems that ours and he managed to love everyone, you can do it too." He was so flustered, all he did was nod and try to catch his breath. A biker queer had actually hugged him in public and the roof of the church didn't cave in! Whether I made any difference or not, he will know that I'm not as uptight about who I am as he is, and if he thinks on it, he may come to realize that I'm no threat. This has nothing to do with polity, but it has lots to do with changing people. My style may be a little more brusk than yours --- we all have our own approach. But irrespective of the legal aspects of this issue, if we continue to sit in the pews, love one another, and stand up as GLBT Christians with no shame about it, I just can't help but believe that people will continue (that's right! CONTINUE) to change. Look where my church was a decade or two back! That leaves my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who want to enter the ministry in the church in a waiting queue, I know. I wish fervently it were different. But I also think that the queer laity have a lot more coming out to do before that issue is resolved. If the congregation can get over being threatened by us and become comfortable with who we are, then they may eventually settle for one of us in the pulpit. I probably won't live to see the day when this is the normal part of the PC(USA), but I'm confident that it will happen one day, whether I'm around to rejoice or not. -- Lew Myrick, PLGC Treasurer. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * We Need to Be MORE Out I completely agree about the queer laity needing to come out. But to do that, we (those of us who are queer and out already PLUS those of us who are not, but are supportive) need to be MORE out. We need to get positioned in places where we can be heard. We need to be on congregational committees. Those of us who are ordained elders need to get to work on presbytery committees. And not just the nice quiet finance ones. I have made every attempt to show an interest in every committee my congregation has. I am serving on a planning team that was commissioned to create a 5-year plan for evangelism, and I am a member of the congregational life committee. I have made myself known to the interim executive presbyter and the presbytery's stated clerk. As convenor of the local chapter of PLGC, I have introduced myself to as many members of presbytery (not just ministers) as possible. My point is that we all need to be visible. We need to make sure that one of two things happens: 1. if we are attacked, it is obvious that we are being attacked and why. Very few Presbyterians want to attack a particular person. If they see us individually struck down, they WILL do that Christian thing and help. Then we have them. Alternatively, 2. if we are not attacked, we are a shining beacon to our closeted brothers and sisters to come on out! It ain't as bad out here as it is in there. Neither is it a picnic, but I personally detest the dark. By being out, I know we can encourage others to join us. Because they are no longer alone. - - Glyndon Morris, The Divinity School, Vanderbilt University. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Splitting Is an Easy Way Out For me splitting is an easy way out. Yes, having a loving, nurturing church would be nice. But Jesus and his early followers were not on an easy road. Picking up Jesus' cross and following on the way is not a sentimental journey but an arduous, dangerous course. I come from a long line of Presbyterians back to Scotland. Being Presbyterian is in my blood. I, for one, will not let this right-wing cabal hijack this church. There is no common ground. We should be as the persistent widow who returns again and, again and, again and, again and, again and ... until justice is granted. Wear'em down! -- Peace, but only with justice, John McNeese, PLGC Coordinator, Oklahoma. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Submit to the Majority or Quietly Leave? I just got back from the Post Office, where there was a nice bulk mailing from the Presbyterian Coalition reminding me/us that since 1758 the policy of the Presbyterian Church has been to decide things by majority vote and, if/when your side loses, to either submit to the majority or quietly leave. After my first flash of anger, especially at my seminary classmate, Jack Haberer, I started thinking. I'm beginning to wonder if they aren't right. I'm wondering if we need to enter into a period of discernment as to what our "call" is vis a vis the PCUSA? I'm not thinking of this in a negative sense. I'm not thinking of "admitting defeat and leaving." Rather, I wonder if we don't need to look at Christ's instruction to shake the dust off our robes when folks won't listen? I wonder if we're trying to put new wine into old skins? In other words, are we wasting the spiritual energy we could be investing in a new entity? Is there something new and wonderful out there, waiting for us to help it come into being? I wonder. In January at our spiritual direction course intensive session in San Anselmo I listened with much wonder as the founders of the program came and told us about the visioning that they did to create the program. They came together for over a year to talk about their journeys, their desires, their vision -- no nuts and bolts. After that, they began the process of incarnating the new thing. Seems like a sound process. I wonder, is it time for some of us to start envisioning, dreaming, discerning? I don't have any answers. I just have a new question, and thought I'd put it out there to some good folks. I'll be interested in what responses you may have. -- Ken Cuthbertson * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflections on Faithfulness The recent worship service in San Francisco commemorating and mourning the defeat of Amendment A was, as anticipated, moving and emotional. What I didn't anticipate was the depth and passion of my response. Person after person spoke of commitment to remaining within the PC(USA) as a witness and force for change. I found myself asking "Is anyone else beginning to wonder whether this is the best way? At what price unity? Witness at the cost of how many more shattered lives?" As I ponder this experience and enter more deeply into my feelings, further troubling questions arise. I heard people saying essentially "We will stay in the church until it makes itself over in our image." Is this witness, or is it pride; what the Greeks called hubris? Is it a sincere but misplaced insistence on fixing what the majority doesn't see as broken? I believe the opponents of Amendment A are, for the most part, acting out of their own integrity and understanding of God. I cannot discount their faith, however personally distressing I find its outworkings. What is my call in such a situation? How do I remain true to my own integrity and simultaneously honor that of those with whom I disagree? One speaker at the service advocated contributing to legal defense funds as a faithful response to the defeat of Amendment A. But I wonder: Is it really faithful to continue to spend time, money and energy fighting for room in a church that doesn't want us? Is it faithful to support individuals and congregations as they face the emotional and spiritual abuse of the judicial process; or is faithfulness found in seeking another way for us all, a way of life and healing? Many people speak of being a witness in and to the church; but what of the rest of society? There are those who have been bruised and broken by one church or another, and long for a place to call home. There are others with no church background who seek a welcoming, inclusive community in which to explore new stirrings of the spirit. What do such people see when we proclaim inclusiveness, and even practice it in our local congregations, but maintain allegiance to a larger body which does not share the same values? Do they see faithfulness to Christ, or faithfulness to an all-too-human institution? And do we need to be in the PC(USA) to be a witness to it? I believe that God is working in all of us, liberal and conservative alike, to draw us to a fuller understanding of the mind of Christ. While that work takes place, what is our call? Is it to stay in the PC(USA), proclaiming that we are right and they are wrong, contributing to continuing polarization of the church? Is it to find a graceful way to leave, forming a small, inclusive Presbyterian denomination that will be a witness to the PC(USA) and the wider world; a church that would enable its members to more fully live into the unique and diverse images of God that they embody? Is there another way which I have yet to recognize? I have no easy answers, or even difficult ones. I can only share with you questions that go to the heart of my being, asking what it means to be faithful, what it means to hear and to follow, what it means to be the church, what it means to be the body of Christ, in this time and place. -- Susan Baker-Lehne * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And Finally, from New York City Presbytery Item of New Business brought from the Session of the Rutgers Presbyterian Church for the meeting of the Presbytery of New York City, March 28, 1998. Whereas the Presbytery of New York City voted by a margin of approximately 6 to 1 on May 20, 1997, to "support and work with those sessions who determine that they, in good conscience, must dissent from Amendment B (now *Book of Order* G-6.0106b); Whereas Amendment A to replace that section of the *Book of Order*, which was passed by the 209th General Assembly and affirmed by this presbytery, has been defeated by the negative vote of a majority of presbyteries nationwide; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE PRESBYTERY OF NEW YORK CITY RECOMMITS ITSELF TO SUPPORT AND WORK WITH THOSE SESSIONS WHO DETERMINE THAT THEY, IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, MUST DISSENT FROM G- 6.0106b. Motion adopted. Thanks to Carl Bisson for this news. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Not Tonight, Dear. It's Not in The Book of Order." By Chris Glaser Copyright (c) 1998 by Chris R. Glaser. All right reserved. Quotations out of context without permission will be punished to the full extent permitted by law. Permission granted for nonprofit duplication of the whole of this column. [BOX: Chris is now interim editor of *Open Hands*, the quarterly journal of the welcoming congregations movement (including the More Light Churches Network). Upcoming issues will focus on sexual ethics, bisexuality, and divisiveness in the church. Annual subscriptions are $20 and may be obtained by writing *Open Hands*, 3801 N. Keeler Ave., Chicago, IL 60641.] It's probably good strategy for us to say that the defeat of Amendment A isn't a defeat for gay rights, but here's one tired old activist heart that feels the contrary. Worse, the defeat of Amendment A says to me that Presbyterians just don't want to talk about us or with us anymore. The majority wants to put "the issue" not only to bed but into its final resting place in *The Book of Order*. It's the ecclesiastical version of "Not tonight, dear, I've got a headache."[1] [Footnote: 1. I know that some in the straight world experience this sentence as a sexist put-down of women because it's usually put in the mouth of a wife, but in the world of same-gender relationships it may be said by either a man or a woman.] After Amendment B's win, we cheered ourselves up by the closeness of the vote, both of presbyteries and of presbyters. We failed to notice that the count of how individual presbyters voted was incomplete, since many of the presbyteries that supported that antigay resolution did not need to tally the votes, so clear was the victory. Now that that deed is done, our modern day Presbyterian Pilates can wash their hands of the blood of our people in rejecting Amendment A, saying, "What I have done, I have done." I've heard that some presbyters who support us "just didn't like the wording of Amendment A." I think that's crap. (I thought of using the word *disingenuous* instead, but I realize to do so would itself be disingenuous.) Presbyterians have little taste for the blood of their handiwork, and hide behind wording and process to avoid responsibility. Presently the church has written heterosexism into its law. Amendment A, however "badly" worded, would have at least ameliorated that blatant bigotry. After Amendment A's defeat in Greater Atlanta Presbytery, our new presbytery executive met with PLGC. When asked direct questions about gay people in the church, he declined to offer an opinion because, he explained, he stayed away from "issues" and focused on "process." I said if he felt that way about racism or sexism, he would be laughed out of our presbytery. Others pointed out that this was about "persons." I asked him how he was going to make the Presbyterian process fair when gays and lesbians are denied voice and vote. I also pointed out that he had a pastoral role to play in his office to effect reconciliation on this issue. We all agreed that the Presbytery's discussion on Amendment A was more mature than times past. But what dumbfounded me was when the exec proudly claimed that no one left the presbytery meeting angry. I realized that our patient suffering has been misinterpreted, not only by him, but by all Presbyterians. I had left the presbytery meeting very angry, but because I didn't scream out my anger or huff away or overturn the so-called Communion table, Presbyterians in my genteel presbytery could actually believe everything went okay. One of the few times we have publicly expressed anger under the banner of PLGC, in a demonstration at the Orlando General Assembly, we were essentially told by patronizing commissioners, "Well, we were trying to listen to your side, but now we have every right to kick your butts." They like us docile, not hostile. As long as Presbyterians actually believe they have the power to give or take our rights and privileges in the church, they stand in the place of the self-righteous Pharisee who proudly proclaimed himself superior to another person at prayer in the temple. In approaching the vote on Amendment A, I registered three feelings. The first was indifference. Though I still feel called as a minister, and fulfill my role without benefit of ordination, I no longer have much taste for becoming a Presbyterian pastor. To invert Groucho Marx's famous line, I don't want to be associated with any organization that won't have me as a full-fledged member. As a result, though I still follow Jesus, I can barely drag myself to Presbyterian worship. What cheers me and makes me feel I belong is traveling the country, meeting Presbyterians doing good stuff, and editing *Open Hands*, a quarterly journal for welcoming congregations throughout the church. Yet before my presbytery's vote, I awoke in the middle of the night feeling great anger at what was likely to happen, an anger that resurfaced after the deed was done. At the meeting itself, however, I felt deep **grief** and close to tears. In the opening worship, I was grateful for a very direct and prophetic sermon from Agnes Norfleet, pastor of North Decatur Presbyterian Church, as well as a solo from PLGC synod co- coordinator Victor Floyd, who, ironically, sang the well-known words from Romans 8, "Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus." Agnes spoke eloquently of the apostle Paul's challenging the class system of the Corinthians in distributing Communion, and I continued my resistance to receiving Communion when it was offered a short time later. I was tempted to take it. It pained me not to. But to take it would be collaboration with those who destroy my sisters and brothers. My conscience would not let me. Tears came instead. I am more worried about my feelings of indifference than my feelings of anger and grief. Anger and grief at least suggest engagement, and are a reflection of a very great love. But indifference is apathy -- the opposite of love, of course. A week later a friend sent me a newspaper clipping about a Presbyterian minister who had been outed as gay after many years of ministry and forced to resign because of Amendment B. That was disturbing enough, but what disturbed me even more was that, in his defense, the minister told the investigating committee that *he had never fought for gay and lesbian rights,* as if that were a positive thing. An openly gay minister in that area told me that the outed minister's church had been complicit in the man's secret for years, while never deigning to become a More Light church. To me it's no longer acceptable to be "quietly supportive." Nor do I believe it's even enough to come out in support of us at a presbytery meeting or in a sermon or as part of a liberal group working to change the denomination. And it's not enough to say your congregation is welcoming if it fears to share the onus placed on LGBT people by taking on the More Light label. Everyone who believes that the heterosexism of the Presbyterian Church must be rooted out must lead her/his congregation to become a More Light Church. Everyone who supports our just cause must be willing to fight for our rights and privileges in the church as a "card-carrying" member of PLGC. In this struggle, specificity counts. Anything less, I've found in the past 25 years of activism, is part of the problem. What I discovered in "coming out" about my strong feelings at the Atlanta PLGC meeting is that, afterward, a number of people came up to me to thank me for voicing their feelings, too. To modify the famous phrase from the film Network: there are a lot of us out there who are mad as *heaven* and we're not going to take it anymore! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Methodists, Too Of course, it's not only the Presbyterians who are casting out and exiling their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, cousins and friends. Last year, the Episcopalians had their heresy trial -- thankfully unsuccessful. The Baptists, both Southern and American, are busy disfellowshipping welcoming congregations. In addition to the recent vote on Amendment A, Presbyterians have forced a popular gay pastor to leave his ministry in California. And the Lutherans "have removed from the rolls of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) a gay pastor for the sin of living in a covenant relationship with another man." -- *An Open Letter to the Conference of Bishops and the Church Council of the ELCA, from Bishop Stanley E. Olson.* Most recently, the Methodists put one of their most prominent pastors on trial for blessing a lesbian holy union. Here is Mel White's story of that trial, with many thanks to him for writing it and for letting us share it with *Update* readers. -- JDA. The Trial of Jimmy Creech A Report from Kearney, Nebraska by the Rev. Dr. Mel White, Justice Minister UFMCC Wednesday, March 11, 1998. Today, in Kearney, Nebraska, the Reverend Jimmy Creech will be tried before a jury of his peers for "conducting a homosexual union" and in the process "disobeying the Order and Discipline of the United Methodist Church." This historic trial will be a first for America's third largest Protestant denomination, a Christian church with a long history of civil rights activism. After a lifetime of distinguished service to his denomination, Mr. Creech faces the very real possibility that his credentials will be revoked and his career as a United Methodist Minister ended. "Frankly," Pastor Creech explains, "I don't feel that I'm in trouble. I feel the Church is in trouble for choosing to deny God's blessings of grace, support, and care to anyone." As senior minister of Omaha's First United Methodist Church, Pastor Creech celebrated a lesbian couple's holy union in September, 1997, after being advised by his bishop that it would be "in violation of the Order and Discipline" and that if he proceeded "charges would be brought against him." "I want to be accountable to my bishop and to my church," Mr. Creech confesses, "but I could not withhold God's blessing from these two faithful members of my congregation. I told the bishop that I believed the United Methodist Church was wrong [in its position to withhold the blessing of a holy union from same-sex couples] and that to abide by that position would give credence and power to it." On Friday, when the jury of thirteen Methodist ministers from across Nebraska announce their verdict, lesbian and gay Americans will have a lot clearer picture of where we stand in our quest for full and unqualified acceptance by the Christian churches we have loved and served. In 1997, when the United States Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law the "Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)," the states were given legal permission to deny us the 1,047 rights of marriage. Now, United Methodism is deciding whether an individual pastor will face censure and trial for granting lesbian and gay congregants the marriage rites. "My trial will determine," Mr. Creech explains, "whether or not -- by blessing two people who have shared their vows of love and fidelity with God's grace -- I have violated the integrity of the Church. I have to tell you," he adds, "that the integrity of the Church was violated when the Church decided to prohibit the celebration of the love and fidelity of two people regardless of their gender, regardless of their sex." The trial will take place in the Family Life Center gymnasium at Kearney's First United Methodist Church. After selecting the jury on Wednesday, the prosecution will present its case and its witnesses. The United Methodist Church is the prosecutor. The "prosecuting attorney" or church counsel is the Rev. Lauren Ekdahl, a Methodist pastor from Lincoln, Nebraska. The assistant to the church counsel is Warren Urbom, a Methodist layman and current federal district court judge. The complainant is the Reverend Glenn Loy, a Methodist pastor from Ogallala, Nebraska, and his counsel is the Reverend Jeff Thurman, of the Stromsburg- Polk United Methodist Churches. Rev. Loy brought the initial complaint against Jimmy Creech. Mr. Creech is the defendant. His counsel is Dr. Doug Williamson, Professor of Religion at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, assisted by Mike McClellan, an attorney in Omaha and a member of Jimmy Creech's church. The Presiding Bishop, the Rev. Leroy Hodapp, hopes to conclude the trial and announce the verdict by late Friday afternoon. Last night, on the eve of the Jimmy Creech trial, a group of about fifty friends and supporters from his church in Omaha, from PFLAG, from the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, and from other concerned activist and spirit groups, gathered at the Kearney United Methodist Church "to exorcise the demons of fear, ignorance, arrogance, and control -- those influences and power not of God which are preying upon the United Methodist Church and holding it captive to alien principalities and power." George D. McClain, the Executive Director of The Methodist Federation for Social Action, led those who had assembled in the church choir room in Bible readings, communion, the prayers of "social exorcism" and a sung blessing for Jimmy Creech, "And God Will Bear You Up On Eagle's Wings." During that pretrial event, I presented Jimmy Creech a gold Star of David embossed with a pink triangle, the badge homosexual Jews were forced to wear in the concentration camps of the Third Reich. I promised Jimmy publicly that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Christians and non-Christians alike would also "bear him up" during the next three days of trial. Please, help me keep that promise. Ghosts Testify at the Trial of Jimmy Creech Thursday, March 12, 1998. Jury selection for the trial of Jimmy Creech began and ended yesterday in less than three hours in the First Methodist Church in Kearney, Nebraska. And the unsung heroes and sheroes of that amazing day were gays and lesbians who had the courage to come out five, ten, fifteen years ago to the very men and women who, decades later, would be trying Reverend Creech for disobeying the Order and Discipline of his church by marrying a lesbian couple. Outside, the chill factor held steady at 27 degrees below zero; while inside, the spotlights from at least a half dozen television crews flooded the entrance with heat and light. Gary and I dashed across the church parking lot, ankle-deep in icy slush and freshly fallen snow, through a cordon of television, radio, and print reporters, into the rapidly filling gymnasium where the front two rows of prospective jurors sat waiting. As we entered the gym, witnesses for the prosecution and the defense were signing in; but there were other witnesses standing ready in the memories of those jurors, unseen witnesses living and dead, lesbian and gay witnesses whose words still echoed, whose smiles still lingered, whose tears still flowed in the minds and hearts of those thirty-five United Methodist clergy in the jury pool. It was Jimmy's chief counsel, Doug Williamson, who brought these ghosts to life with the question that always makes the difference. "Have you known any gay people," he asked them, "and if you have, how have they affected your life?" Suddenly, they were there in the gymnasium with us, all those lesbians and gays from the past who had influenced the lives of these United Methodist clergy men and women, walking up and down the aisles of that ad-hoc courtroom, telling their haunting, hopeful stories. And as we watched, Bishop Hodapp and his court, sitting before us on stackable chairs behind folding tables underneath the basketball hoop directly over the little wooden cross and the burning candle, finally listened to the prospective jurors' replies. I sat just four rows behind juror number one who suddenly found herself facing a question that could not be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" reply. For a fleeting second she remained silent, then with clarity and calm she spoke the truth, her own deeply painful and awkwardly personal truth and her truth brought warm, fresh air rushing into that gym like the wind of God once flowed into a room above Jerusalem. "My older sister is a lesbian," she said quietly, "in a long-term relationship with another woman." Maybe I imagined it, but it seemed to me that for the first time that day, everybody present at the trial leaned forward to listen. "When Sis came out to us, my mother was confused," the clergywoman confessed, "and so was I. But we are family. Today, my mother is a member of PFLAG [Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays]. My sister and I are close friends." "In seminary," another clergy began, "I had three close friends who were gay." "And how did that effect your life?" Mr. Williamson asked. "I had to face my fears and deal with them, honestly," he replied. "Did your friends go on to be ordained," Jimmy's counsel asked. "Yes, two of them," he answered, "and years later, they are still proving their call by their effective ministries." "My ex-husband is gay," a second clergywoman offered, and I swallowed hard, fearing the kind of story that might caricature and demean gay men and lesbians who had entered into heterosexual marriage, hoping to resolve their secret struggles. "How do you feel about him today," Mr. Williamson asked. "Oh, we've maintained a close relationship," she assured him, and I felt ashamed that I had assumed the worst. "We've spent a lot of time struggling to make sense of it all," she confessed, "but we are still friends." "When I was young, and a member of a very fundamentalist church," a third clergy woman began, "a close friend confessed that she was gay. Unfortunately, I wasn't ready to understand her pain." "What happened?" the counsel asked. "I lost her as a friend," the woman answered and you could feel the lingering pain in her voice. "What would you do differently next time," he asked. "I would love her no matter what," the clergywoman answered without hesitation, "and I would be there for her." A former military chaplain remembered his service days before "Don't ask! Don't tell!" went into law. As an officer he felt it necessary to turn in the young recruits who confessed their homosexuality, "but I couldn't help but be touched by their personal stories," he added. One clergywoman admitted that in college the only man she had felt safe with was a gay man. Several clergy knew lesbian and gay couples in their congregations living together in loving, loyal, long-term relationships. Other United Methodist clergy had gay neighbors who had become close friends. One remembered sadly having a "best friend" in college who threatened suicide and then "just disappeared." At least four different Nebraska clergy waiting to try Jimmy Creech admitted that they knew ordained gay ministers in the United Methodist Church. "Have you asked them to turn in their credentials?" Mr. Williamson questioned. "Have you considered bringing charges against them?" In turn, each potential juror answered, "No." "And why not?" the defense counsel asked, "Because they are good ministers," each replied, "and good friends," several added. No cameras were allowed in the courtroom yesterday. No tape recorders were rolling. I had to paraphrase these testimonials from my sketchy notes. But the heart of each story was clear. These good clergymen and women from Nebraska had been permanently changed by the lives of lesbians and gays who had dared to tell their stories to friends and family. By coming out, they had left permanent, positive memories in the hearts of thirteen men and women selected for the jury. Now, if these jurists dare to follow where their heart leads them, they just might save the day (and in the process help save the church) as the court gathers this morning to begin phase two in the trial of Jimmy Creech. A Prophet Speaks at the Trial of Jimmy Creech Friday, March 13, 1998. 4:00 AM. While fumbling for the "off" button on the motel alarm clock, I knocked my glasses and a pile of change into an empty metal wastebasket. Gary bolted up in bed, muttered a quiet profanity, pulled the covers over his head, and is at this moment trying to go back to sleep, wondering, I'm sure, why he married a gay, Christian clergyman determined to spend these endless days and sleepless nights in Kearney, Nebraska, reporting on the trial of Jimmy Creech. Yesterday, we sat for thirteen back-breaking, mind-numbing hours on metal folding chairs in a church gym-turned-courtroom listening to witnesses being examined and cross-examined by the Rev. Lauren Ekdahl, counsel for the United Methodist Church, and the Rev. Doug Williamson, defense counsel for the Rev. Jimmy Creech. The audience was packed with members of his congregation in their matching sweat shirts, pins and stickers reading "Support Jimmy." They had left homes, schools, and jobs and driven three hours from Omaha to stand with their pastor during his "inquisition." On the stand, one-by-one, distinguished leaders from Jimmy's church supported fervently his commitment to the full acceptance of lesbians and gay men. William Jenks, the program director of an Omaha radio station and a member of Jimmy's congregation leaned towards the jury and spoke eloquently: "This goes to the very heart of what it means to be a Christian," he concluded. "A slumbering giant has been awakened. It will not go back to sleep again." Today, the historic verdict will be announced and already, just outside the Kearney United Methodist Church, television remote trucks from CNN, the networks, and local TV affiliates from across Nebraska are parked among the snowdrifts with giant satellite dishes pointed heavenward, thick, blood-red cables snaking their way through the icy slush, and half-frozen crew members thawing out on coffee provided by smiling, frontier Methodist women in short sleeves because the temperature has risen to 9 degrees above zero. This rare church trial against the distinguished senior pastor of Omaha's 1,900 member First United Methodist Church, will decide if Rev. Creech is guilty of "disobedience to the Order and Discipline of the United Methodist Church." Another Methodist minister in Omaha originated the complaint against his fellow pastor because on September 14, 1997, Jimmy Creech performed a "covenanting ceremony that celebrated a homosexual union between two women in his congregation." Yesterday, on the stand, Jimmy Creech admitted proudly that during his 29 year ministry he has presided over dozens of these "covenanting ceremonies" celebrating the pledge of "love and fidelity between two lesbians or two gay men" and that regardless of the verdict of this trial court, he would be "compelled by his commitment to the unqualified, all-accepting love of Jesus" to continue that practice faithfully. In fact, Jimmy Creech's alleged act of disobedience to his bishop and the Methodist *Book of Discipline* is not the real issue here. Conservative forces within this third largest American denomination are struggling to control the United Methodist Church, using their anti-homosexual fear tactics to raise money and mobilize volunteers. Jimmy is caught in the middle between the urge-to-purge forces of fundamentalism and Methodism's historic commitment to "justice, mercy, and truth" that began with the founding of this denomination in 1784 by John and Charles Wesley, missionary-evangelists to the native American Indians. There are growing signs of hope that justice, mercy and truth will conquer ignorance, and fear. Already, more than 1,000 Methodist ministers have signed "In All Things Charity," a petition urging full, unqualified membership to lesbians and gay men, including the marriage rites. There are 144 "Reconciling United Methodist Congregations" who have voted officially to go public with their full acceptance of God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered children and uncounted Methodist ministers who perform "covenanting ceremonies" in private for their homosexual congregants. Until 1996, the United Methodist Church had no prohibition of such unions. That year, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, representing 36,000 American congregations, added these words to the "Social Principles" (a 22-page introduction to their weighty *Book of Discipline*): "Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches." Jimmy believes the "Social Principles" are guidelines for local pastors, not laws to be enforced. The prosecution disagrees. Yesterday, the Rev. Kenneth Hicks, a retired United Methodist bishop implied quite clearly that if Jimmy Creech couldn't obey church disciplines, he should leave the church. Jimmy's reply moved friends and foes alike. "My credentials will have to be taken from me," he said quietly. "I will not surrender them. It is my responsibility to give pastoral support to all people, to share the message of God's grace with everyone. The United Methodist Church is wrong in its position [against homosexuals]. I cannot abide by it. To abide by it would give credence to it. Had I chosen not to do the covenant ceremony, it would have been the same as turning my credentials in, of saying I am no longer a pastor, of really forfeiting the call from Christ that has come to me." Yesterday, in the din of droning voices, we heard a prophet speak. Today we learn from the Trial Court's verdict whether the United Methodist Church will honor their prophet, heed his wisdom and his warnings or take away his credentials and bar him from the Church. The Jimmy Creech Verdict Is In Saturday, March 14, 1998. The trial court (jury) filed back into the Kearney United Methodist gym yesterday at 6:40 PM. After asking the pastors and the people in 36,000 United Methodist Churches across America "to receive the verdict in a spirit of love and reconciliation," the jury foreman read the numbers. I was sitting just to the right of Rev. Jimmy Creech and his defense team, watching these three men as the verdict came down. Jimmy looked over his shoulder at his wife, Chris, and smiled wearily. "On the Specification [that Jimmy Creech had conducted a covenant ceremony for two women in Omaha's First United Methodist Church], 11 guilty, 2 not guilty." Somehow, Jimmy maintained his poise. Chris looked stunned. I died a little. If this third largest Protestant denomination had no room for Jimmy Creech, it had no room for God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered children. And yet we are their organist-choirmasters, their Sunday School teachers, youth ministers, and pastors. Television crews were poised at the back of the auditorium like pioneers before a Nebraska land rush. What would I say that would express our righteous anger and at the same time give hope and healing? "On the Charge [that by performing the covenant ceremony for two women, Jimmy Creech had violated the Order and Discipline of the United Methodist Church], 8 guilty, 5 not guilty." Seconds passed. No one moved. Then, together, we did the math. The United Methodist *Book of Discipline* requires nine votes to convict. Jimmy had been found "innocent" by a single vote. Though he had broken the letter of a brand new law against same- sex covenant ceremonies, the jury decided that by meeting the pastoral needs of two women in his congregation he had fulfilled the spirit of Christ upon which the laws of the United Methodist Church are based. A message had been sent, not just to Methodism but to Christians around the world. If we are to be followers of Jesus, love must triumph over law. Bishop Leroy Hodapp declared the trial ended. The audience gave Rev. Creech and his defense team a standing ovation and members of Jimmy's congregation, wearing their "Support Jimmy" buttons and matching sweatshirts, stood in a large circle, grabbed hands and began to sing, "Hallelujah. Hallelujah." Jimmy and his defense team, Doug Williamson and Mike McClellan, were swept up in a media frenzy. I counted fourteen TV cameras, endless radio and print reporters all wanting to hear from Jimmy. CNN broadcast that moment live. Maybe you saw it. As his people sang, Pastor Creech told the nation quietly, "This is a victory for both sides. No one loses here." And Jimmy is correct. By a very close margin United Methodists in Nebraska have decided that the dialogue about sexual orientation must advance to a new level, that no one should be excluded, that there are plenty of seats at this table. If you doubt that there is a new wind blowing, I wish you could have been in that "courtroom" yesterday to hear the expert witnesses being examined on the stand. Rev. Phillip Wogaman, Pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., President Clinton's pastor: "Gay and lesbian Christians are already in our churches if we would only open our eyes and see them. Their commitments to each other, to Christ, and to our Church are authentic. They number among our finest leaders. They fit normally and actively. They only want to be affirmed for what they are." Betty Dorr, PFLAG Mom, Sunday School teacher, United Methodist Women's Society: "My son's gay sexuality is a gift from God. Our churches must take on the responsibility of studying, learning, and accepting our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered members. My two heterosexual children were married in their churches. I'm dreaming of that day when my gay son will fall in love and come home to celebrate his covenant ceremony in ours." Gregory Herek, Full Research Psychologist, University of California at Davis (gmherek@ucdavis.edu): "In times past, religious leaders supported their ignorance about homosexuality by calling it a 'sin.' Secular authorities by calling it a 'crime.' Psychologists and psychiatrists by calling it a 'sickness.' Now the research has been done. Homosexuality is not a 'sin,' a 'crime,' or a 'sickness.' People who still use those old labels, are really saying nothing more than 'We disapprove of homosexuality or we dislike homosexuals.'" When Dr. Herek was questioned about the paradox at the heart of the United Methodist *Book of Discipline* -- Methodists acknowledge that "sexuality is God's good gift to all persons" but they prohibit homosexual behavior -- his reply brought laughter to a very somber day. "I oppose Methodism," he said grinning, "but I support Methodists, as long as they don't perform Methodist practices." The analogy was painfully clear. Even the opposition joined in the laughter. At this moment, I'm back in our hotel room. Gary is packing away our long johns. (It's 54 degrees, not a bad jump from yesterday's 9 degrees.) Today we drive to Omaha and Sunday we fly home to Laguna Beach to finish work on our new video, "The Trials of Jimmy Creech." CNN is still broadcasting from the courtroom. Someone from Jimmy's church who disapproves or dislikes homosexuals has just informed the media that "He's not going to be my pastor." Already the celebration has ended and the work of reconciliation has begun. Jesus said, "Love your enemies." George Burns replied, "It will drive them crazy." Gandhi added, "... and set you both free." If you think the Christian religion has been the enemy of God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered children, you are correct. If the thought of going back to your church or to any church (or synagogue) makes you crazy, it's OK. I understand. But something happened today in Kearney, Nebraska, that made me feel hope again, hope that truth will triumph, that old prejudices will die, that ignorance is losing its powerful hold, not just here but across the nation and around the world. But it cannot happen without us. Behind me, on CNN, in a courtroom in Kearney, Nebraska, a young, gay, African-American from the Midwest who has been a victim of religious racism and homophobia all his life is hugging a privileged white Southerner from Raleigh, North Carolina. TV cameras broadcast the scene. "You did it, Jimmy," the black youth says grinning up at his pastor in complete disbelief. "We did it, Roy," Jimmy replies, "together." For a moment, Jimmy Creech just holds the young man. Tears stream down both faces. Their smiles light up the room. Then Rev. Creech adds quietly, "Now the work begins." PS: The following statement on human sexuality can be found in the *Book of Discipline* of the United Methodist Church. These words will give you hope that one day, in the churches and synagogues of this nation, all the confusion and misunderstanding about God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered children will end. "We recognize that sexuality is God's good gift to all persons. We believe persons may be fully human only when that gift is acknowledged and affirmed by themselves, the church, and society. We call all persons to the disciplined, responsible fulfillment of themselves, others, and society in the stewardship of this gift. We also recognize our limited understanding of this complex gift and encourage the medical, theological, and social science disciplines to combine in a determined effort to understand human sexuality more completely. We call the church to take the leadership role in bringing together these disciplines to address this most complex issue. Further, within the context of our understanding of this gift of God, we recognize that God challenges us to find responsible, committed, and loving forms of expression." -- Methodist *Book of Discipline*, 65G. NOTE: Although Bishop Hodapp refused to let Mel White's camera crew video tape the trial, Mel's new video, "The Trials of Jimmy Creech" documents this man's amazing life journey through an intimate, revealing interview and press conference. The video is available by sending a check made out to VIDEO 3 for $10 (for duplicating, packaging, and mailing) to Soulforce Videos, P.O. Box 4467, Laguna Beach, CA. 92652. As with all of Mel's videos, you have permission to copy "The Trials of Jimmy Creech" and share the video with family and friends (or broadcast it on local television or cable access stations). For $25 you will also receive Mel's videos, "How Can I Be Sure That God Loves Me, Too?" and "The Rhetoric of Intolerance." You have permission to copy these videos to share them with your friends and family. If you would like a complimentary copy of Mel and Gary's *Soulforce* newsletter, a quarterly report on their justice ministry based on the principles of nonviolence taught by Gandhi and King, just write or E-mail your name and address. To keep in touch, see Mel's new web page: (www.soulforce.org). If you include a second, tax-deductible check made out to UFMCC sent to the above address, one-half of your donation will go directly to Jimmy Creech to help pay his trial expenses and one-half will help underwrite mailing complimentary videos to clergy across the nation with a personal letter from Jimmy Creech. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT: Gary Nixon, P.O. Box 4467, Laguna Beach, CA. 92652 Tel. (310) 360-8640 (Office) Fax: (714) 455-0959 (Home). E-mail: RevMel@aol.com; Website: www.soulforce.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A Memorial to an Unforgettable Father The Reverend John Blaney Pridgen, Jr. March 1918-September 1997 by carla t pridgen PLGC Coordinator for Transgender Concerns (c) 1998, all rights reserved It came by mail, the "Final Judgment" decreed by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of South Atlantic settling the matter of my retirement due to reasons of disability, respectfully requested of Cherokee Presbytery on February 23, 1996. In no manner is the following an exercise of any office of ministry in, on behalf of, nor in the name of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is simply an exercise of the American civil liberties of free speech and of free association expressed through public media. I write freely as a common citizen with uncommon experience. One cold evening in late February 1993, my parents stood beside my sickbed. Through the dull hum and murky haze of sedation I heard Daddy say, "we'll get you through all this, whatever it takes, we will get through it." My parents had just learned that not only was I suffering with bipolar mood disorder and high suicidal risk, but also that I aptly met the diagnostic criteria for gender identity disorder (preoperative male-to-female transsexual). At that time their son-daughter, as it were, was also a PC(USA) minister in good standing. Five years later, as per the agreements decreed, I remain "on the rolls of the Cherokee Presbytery as a retired minister for said disability purposes only." This was not an easy path. The bulk of the membership of Cherokee Presbytery resides in Cobb County, Georgia, well known for its anti-gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender positions. Following a gradual three-year administrative defrocking, I am now retired -- for the purposes of disability only. I may not practice any ministry of the Word and Sacraments and may only be designated as either "former minister" or "retired former minister." During all this fray, my beloved family, one dearest friend from youth, David, and newly made friends of deep affection, Barb, Suzy, and Jay, publicly stood beside me through the entire social and physical transition. No member of the presbytery did; not from start to finish, although a few (scant) did try. Along the path came direct pastoral care of supportive ministers such as Erin, Jack, Jani, Connie, John, Fran, Bill, Karen, and especially Stewart, my legal counsel. Added to these, were the prayers and acts of encouragement from churches Presbyterian, Episcopal, Metropolitan Community and independent. Members of "That All May Freely Serve," The More Light Churches Network and Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns also provided support, as they have started to embrace the concerns of the transgender community. Naturally, grace flowed with abundance from transgender folk both within and outside the PC(USA), whose numbers in ordained ministry are larger than I ever imagined. Just as Dad had promised, we did get through it! What was absent in Northwest Georgia was found elsewhere. But even with such broadly-based support, it was through family that Creator's Love shed "and yet more light" for our way, especially by my parent's unyielding devotion! Not long after my father defended his daughter before presbytery, we began to discover his heart and lung disease. Expressing disappointment that he and Mom could not go with me to Wisconsin for the reassignment surgery, Dad said profoundly, "We brought you into this world, we would have liked to finish the job." So Blaney, my brother and Episcopal priest, went along to be both sibling and guardian. After praying Creator's favor for the day, and before transportage through the surgical doors of no return, he spoke two joys in my happy sedation: "I always wanted a sister," and "I love you." My father survived long enough to get to know his new-found daughter, and I him, discovering much that was missing or otherwise inexpressible until that transcendent time of sharing. We each grew in a special grace of understanding grounded in acceptance. Much truth passed between us that otherwise would have been lost, but for the mutuality of Love's inclusiveness. He also was able to examine the text of the complaint against the second irregular action of the presbytery calling for my removal from office. My father was stalwart in his conviction of the presbytery's uninformed homo/transphobic desire for my expedient dispatch. He was gravely appalled by the actions of the presbytery against one of its own who has a diagnosed chronic mood disorder recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Noting the integrity of the second complaint, its regular conformity with the Constitution of the PC(USA), and its justice gave Dad a peaceful pleasure which frightened me when he said: "Now I know you'll be all right -- and do what's right. That's all I need." My loving and most honorable father died in my arms on September 12, 1997. He didn't live to see the agreed settlement for retirement. He did not need to; for in his final days the whole matter was of little importance. Such are our family values, and therefore I write this most fitting memorial: The Reverend Mr. John B. Pridgen, Jr., was born on the tail of a war called "Great" to parents whose parents suffered a war called "Civil." Of common stock as most Americans lacking land or title, his lineage is traceable to the war called "Revolutionary." One family hero did rise to southern fame with brevity before the Tories got hold of him: John Adam Treutlen, First Revolutionary Governor of the State of Georgia. I guess most of us like my father were born on the tail of some war. It would explain much. John grew into manhood during the bipolar decades called "Roaring," and "Depressed." He served in the Army Air Corps during the war called "The Big One." He was decorated, and I was honored to wear his medal to my inauspicious retirement. John was married to Dot and Dot was married to John and both were married to the Presbyterian Church. Their first-born son was birthed on the tail of the first war ending with an atomic settlement. The second-born apparent son was birthed on the icy back, long-tailed war called "Cold." And he was really a she! So the booming went on along with the war. John served as active minister of the Word and Sacraments in four southern congregations, and one home and school for the modern orphans of our times. He was so successful at building churches and loving people into membership that folks called him Doctor Pridgen when he had earned no such degree. John knew five daughters-in-law, and might well have had the pleasure of knowing a daughter's attempt at soul-partnering. He delighted in four grandchildren and one great whom he greeted before death came by: "I'm your Grand Papa-Papa." Of all his ministries, loving the children was his very best. Following his honorable and well deserved retirement after a ministry under such timely pressures, he supplied five or so parishes of varying size and demeanor. This is when he said he had the most fun in ministry. I suppose it was like his attitude toward grandchildren, all the pleasures with less of the hassle. He was active in all levels of church polity. Best known for his contagious, if not outrageous, sense of humor, he was also known for his conservatism. Indeed, he was asked to open the first meeting of the separatist Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) with an invocation. He declined gracefully, and, losing a few friends, remained in the former Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS) as a matter of integrity to the vows of his office. His conservatism did not sway through any of the Presbyterian wars of his tenure in office, including "The Report on Human Sexuality." That is, until he discovered his daughter. He was a just and loving minister who held integrity with the Gospel as he was led to accept it and interpret it for his times. Of highest order to him was the Christly rule of unconditional Love. Acceptance of a transgender son-to-daughter was certainly among the exceptional tests of his faith and such Love ruled and reigned. As he held me close in infancy, so I did him in the infancy of his death, all on the tail of a despotic ecclesiastical inquisition. When situations in life, which we think will never happen to us, become personal, or cause us to seek family respite, or even show up at church, unexpected consequences are forced upon us. Ignored no longer than the voyeurs of hearsay can tolerate, the anxious dust is swept from under the covering rug. In such dusty vulnerabilities we react in headlong and rash ways. Sociologists call it anomic terror, that is, a fear of the loss of normality and of the unknown consequences of its transformation. When the object or subject of such terror is swept out from under the living-room rug, we go off warring mad. Returning armed for combat with our mops and broom sticks, backed up by the heavy ordinance of a vacuum's fury. No less terrified, we are become all the more dangerous. Panic stricken and afraid, house cleaning ensues, forgetful of what or whom might be lost in the straightening fray. It is with diminishing frequency these days that when we find our households so affected, that we sit down while the dust settles, listening and learning, feeling and thinking, before we consequentially act out our fears. Unfortunately, even less do we stand down and give a new ray of hope in life an opportunity to shine among us in the settling dust of change. Those who knew John Pridgen well and survive, know something of his home-making ways --- of the transformative power of becoming vulnerable for the sake of others -- for the sake of a new ray of hope shining prismatic through timely dustings, casting the full spectrum shadow of light and understanding. Cultural winds and weather permitting, this is the way in our times to experience God's unconditional Holy Love. John knew it in his times, and now is so known in timelessness. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Understanding the Context of Ex-Gay Ministries The Rev. Laurene Lafontaine, PLGC Co-Moderator "I just don't fit anywhere. The gay community rejects me because I don't want to be homosexual. The church rejects me because I am homosexual. I just want to belong somewhere." I heard this revealing comment while talking with a leader of a local "ex-gay ministry." While the religious right wing is promoting supposed "change or ex-gay ministries" as way to be inclusive, it is important to examine the context in which new rhetoric emerges. Every major Christian denomination is having to deal with the reality and presence of gays and lesbians. (In this article, I am specifically addressing gays and lesbians and Christianity. The presence of bisexuals and transgender persons present an unique challenge for the religious right wing when attempting to discuss re-orientation programs. As do non- Christians when presented with the "personal transformational" nature of Jesus Christ.) Out of this reality, a shift in language about gays and lesbians is emerging in both the church and society. Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic shift of attitudes. As more and more people have come out either as gay or lesbian, or a parent of a gay or lesbian child, a relative or a friend, attitudes change because now the "issue" is personed and there is a face to go with the word gay or lesbian. With attitudes within the church shifting, no longer is the hostile rhetoric as acceptable. In my experience with the Presbyterians, I have seen a shift of language. At the General Assembly in 1991, statements were made and affirmed that "homosexual orientation was not a gift from God; it was a sign of a fallen humanity." Yet, in 1996, one of the leaders of the Presby right wing, Dr. Rev. Roberta Hestenes, said "Sexual orientation is not a sin, it is not a sin to be homosexual. The sin is the practice of homosexual behavior." The notion of "accepting" gays and lesbians to appear inclusive and even Christian, yet rejecting same sex is being echoed in many denominations as well as para-church groups such as the Promise Keepers, Focus on the Family, and Christian Coalition. It is out of this context that so-called "ex-gay ministries" are gaining more recognition. Ex-gay ministries have been around since the 1970's. The effort to change someone's sexual orientation has been documented since 1892 where a Dr. Graeme M. Hammond prescribed "severe and fatiguing bicycle riding" for a 24-year-old man and "found that the man's sexual appetite was thereby abolished" mainly due to fatigue (Timothy Murphy, Ph.D., "Redirecting Sexual Orientation: Techniques and Justifications," *The Journal of Sex Research*, Vol. 29, No. 4, Nov. 1992, p. 502). This athletic technique is often used for gay men who "just need physical activity" to help them discover their "masculine" side. A former ex-gay, Scott S., tells of how he was taught to play basketball through his ex-gay ministry group and now he is happily gay AND can play a great game of hoops! Of course, this probably won't work well with lesbians, because, well you know, we tend to be very athletic already! Changing one's sexual orientation have been attempted through various techniques, the aforementioned behavioral therapy, electrical shock therapy, chemical aversive therapy, drug and hormone therapy, surgery, and psychotherapy. And what has come of these attempts is the reality that sexual orientation does not change. Both the American Medical Association (AMA) and American Psychological Association (APA) have long ago stopped treating same sex orientation as a disorder. Recently, the APA went on record about the fraudulent ex-gay ministries and the harm they cause. It is only a small group of physicians and psychotherapists that persists in treating same sex orientation as a condition and disorder. Their studies have not been verifiable through independent research. The numbers of "successful" changes are not verifiable. The basis for so-called change ministries is not medical and/or psychological, but rests solely on religious understandings of "what is natural" for humanity and a particular Biblical interpretation. So what does this mean for the gay or lesbian person desiring to be a part of a Christian community? It's a catch-22. Even though the scientific evidence supports the fact that sexual orientation can not be changed, some religious leaders continue to preach that it can. Therefore if the gay or lesbian is to be an active and acceptable member of that community of faith, they need to be "transformed" by Jesus Christ into living a heterosexual life or have the gift of celibacy imposed upon them. As students of history, we know that the church can take a position on scientific knowledge and be wrong. Just ask Galileo. It goes back to my friend who is struggling to belong. Some churches reward those so-called ex-gays by giving them leadership opportunities within the church -- giving them a sense of belonging and a place at the table. Who doesn't want to belong? The reality is that most denominations have a pretty poor record of welcoming gays and lesbians who embrace their sexuality as God's good gift. There are only a handful of local congregations here in Colorado who sincerely welcome and unconditionally affirm gay and lesbian persons. For the person struggling with their sexuality within an evangelical and conservative congregation, they are not welcomed if they positively affirm their orientation. So people are willing to struggle for years and years to be an ex-gay. The stated policy of the National Association of Research and the Treatment of Homosexuality (NARTH) lifts up the dilemma of many people, "As clinicians, we have witnessed the intense suffering that homosexuality often causes the individual. Tragic consequences result from the psychological conflict leading to homosexuality. Anguish in the homosexual is compounded by distress experienced by his or her family, friends and other loved ones." NARTH believes that homosexuality is the cause of the intense suffering and distress. They are flat out wrong. The cause of suffering and distress experienced by gay and lesbian people throughout the centuries is homophobia and heterosexism. Those proponents of ex-gay ministries and a religious culture that uses flawed evidence are only causing more harm. The ex-gay movement will continue to be used by the religious right wing. The religious right wing will continue to be responsible for the untold number of suicides and destroyed lives caused by their ministries. The moderate and liberal people of faith will be responsible as well, hopefully, by challenging the fraudulent lies and misuse of people struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. In a future issue, we will hear the experiences of people who have survived ex-gay ministries and now live happily as ex-ex gays! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Possible Issues for General Assembly The Boy Scouts Here's the proposed overture that was discussed and killed in our local church in the fall of 1993. I've laid low while amendments B and A were on the front burner, but now may be the time. -- Dave Rice, Scouting for All. This will not come to General Assembly as an overture, but commissioners might want to consider placing it on the assembly's agenda through a commissioners' resolution, signed by two commissioners from different presbyteries. -- JDA Whereas, the organization known as the Boy Scouts of America is frequently under the sponsorship of the church; and Whereas, membership in this organization is open to all boys of every race, economic status, or educational background; and Whereas, the organization has provided since 1908 a character- building program with commitment to a purpose and rules established by its founders; and Whereas, the 190th General Assembly (1978) of the United Presbyterian Church in the USA declared: "The Christian community can neither condone nor participate in the widespread contempt for homosexual persons that prevails in our general culture. Indeed, beyond this, it must do everything in its power to prevent society from continuing to hate, harass, and oppress them. ... There is no legal, social, or moral justification for denying homosexual persons access to the basic requirements of human social existence;" and Whereas, the Boy Scouts of America prohibits gay boys and men from participating in its programs, and expels them when their sexual orientation is discovered, regardless of their records of service to the organization and to society; and Whereas, the 203rd General Assembly (1991) urged Presbyteries and congregations to study and dialogue on matters of our human identity, including homosexuality; and Whereas, the 205th General Assembly (1993) approved recommendations from its Committee on Human Sexuality, including a call for every presbytery and congregation "to be engaged in the discipline of open, diligent, prayerful study and dialogue on the issues of human sexual behavior and orientation as they relate to membership, ministry, and ordination within the Presbyterian Church (USA)"; therefore, be it Resolved, that the ___th General Assembly (199_) urges Sessions of local churches which are chartered or are seeking to be chartered by the Boy Scouts of America to operate one or more Cub Scout packs, Scout troops, Explorer posts, or other Scout units as a part of their youth programs, to examine carefully the present Boy Scouts of America policy that precludes the church from including gay youth as members of its Scout program, and prohibits the Session from appointing or approving gay or lesbian people to leadership positions in its Scout program. Sessions are advised to declare to the local Scout council that the Session will exercise its own moral judgment on whom it appoints or approves as leaders of its Scout program and to whom its Scout program will be open. **Some comments:** The first 3 whereases are from a 1992 overture from the Presbytery of Western North Carolina, which praised the BSA anti-gay policy. The next 2 are from a commissioner's resolution in 1992 that urged churches to drop their troops over the policy. Both lost. I believe both were wrong, and wrote my own overture. It is extremely important that Presbyterian Scouters not drop out of Scouting over disagreement; and that churches not kick out their Scout units. More Light churches particularly must make their stance clear to local Scout councils! This is effective witness! Let me know if you want more on what chartered institutions (churches that have Scout units, in our case) are supposed to be able to do. *In another matter*: I have been kicked out of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) over my activities in Scouting for All. Ostensibly it is because I have "involved Scouting youth" in my personal agenda. I am appealing to a BSA "review committee," but I think the process may be a "star chamber" one. I have the support of some Scout parents and several church members. Scouting for All is now organized and functioning. I'm president. Steve Cozza, a 13-year-old Life Scout in my (former) troop started it all with a letter to the editor just before New Year's, and is now kept busy speaking before many groups. It's attracting nationwide attention and support. -- Dave Rice, DaveRice@ix.netcom.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * On Support for Persons Choosing Not to Conceive Children Overture to the 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) from the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley: Whereas, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor communions have for many years given strong support to voluntary family planning programs and called for their availability to poor people as well as rich both in the United States and in countries receiving development assistance; and Whereas, the 1971 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. recognized that "reliance on individual desires and private decisions ... will not be sufficient to provide the necessary limitations of population growth unless there is a radical and rapid change in the attitudes and desires," a change which the church "must commit itself to effecting" [by teaching] "beginning with ourselves, that man has an obligation to limit the size of his family" (PCUS, 1971, p. 148); and Whereas, in a major statement on the problems of population growth the 1972 General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. called for global population stabilization and just policies to limit family size, noting that "the average American puts at least 25 times as much stress on the environment in his or her lifetime as does the average child born in South Asia" (UPCUSA, 1972, p. 433); and Whereas, the 1984 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), in a statement supportive of United Nations population programs, reaffirmed "the belief in the sanctity of life, the inestimable worth of every individual in the sigh of God" (PCUSA, 1984, p. 333); and Whereas our 1996 General Assembly, among other things, (a) declared, "The health of the created order, in the wisdom of God, is a matter of stability and balance, encompassing marvelous, intricate interdependencies that God alone can number and fathom"; (b) stated further, "Complacency about continued population growth now constitutes defiance of the wisdom of God," as though "human creatures alone [could be] exempt from the ecological laws by which God governs"; (c) called for assistance agencies to extend their support for "the key factors that bring about the transition to fewer births," such as social and economic progress, improvement in the status of women, and available family planning services; and (d) reminded "Presbyterians and other citizens of the United States that the population problem is here, not just in countries with higher fertility rates" (*Minutes*, Sec. II, pp. 533-534); and Whereas, the human population of this planet, having tripled in this century, now nears the six billion mark, with a continuing annual world excess of births over deaths of close to 90 million, and with an excess of births over deaths in the United States of 1,588,000 in 1996; and Whereas, the people of impoverished and developing countries deeply resent preachments from the United States and other developed countries about overpopulation unless these developed countries acknowledge that the population problem is theirs as well and that they have a major responsibility to reduce their over consumption of the world's finite resources; and Whereas, despite the compelling need to stabilize world population, reduce unnecessary and wasteful consumption, and limit the size of families in our own country, there remains within American society a widespread attitude that encourages couples to have children and expresses disappointment and even disdain toward those who choose not to conceive children; therefore, be it *Resolved* that the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley respectfully overture the 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to take the following actions: 1. The 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reminds Presbyterians and other citizens of the United States of the actions taken by previous General Assemblies to set forth the compelling reasons for population stabilization through fewer births. 2. The 210th General Assembly reaffirms the church's belief in the inestimable worth of every child born into the world, and for this very reason recognizes the imperative now to bring human numbers into balance with other creatures, within healthy natural systems, so that all children, present and future, may enjoy a habitat conducive to the realization of their potential under God. 3. The 210th General Assembly calls upon all Presbyterians and all Presbyterian governing bodies and agencies, especially those concerned with education and support for family and community life, to show, in Christlike manner, respect and appreciation for persons who conscientiously choose not to conceive children; and to avoid all references to these persons that might be taken as indicating that their choice in this regard is selfish, irresponsible, or contrary to Christian faithfulness. 4. The 210th General Assembly, recognizing and honoring the natural human desire for procreation and its place in God's plan, but recognizing also the compelling need now for fewer births so that God's creation, human and nonhuman, may flourish according to God's intention, declares that both those who choose not to conceive children and those who do choose to conceive should be accorded encouragement and support, respect and honor. **Comment**: The 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) might point to the lesbian and gay community as a model in the way we celebrate long-term loving relationships, regardless of whether children are part of our families or not! We welcome the church to emulate us in this regard!! -- JDA. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BOOKS We're All Doing Time **We're All Doing Time: a Guide for Getting Free,** by Bo Lozoff. Human Kindness Foundation, 1985. xviii, 318 pp. paperback; ISBN 0-9614444-0-1. Reviewed by Jud van Gorder, Liaison for PLGC Prison Ministry. Now in its ninth printing, at least 128,000 copies of this book have been made available free to inmates or shut-ins who can't afford to pay. It's sponsored by the Prison-Ashram Project of the Human Kindness Foundation, which also publishes a newsletter and other resources. Begun in 1973, the Project's "primary work is to offer spiritual support to people regardless of their circumstances." Prison- Ashram is based on the idea of using prison time for focused spiritual growth. It is not a book about reform, though the author acknowledges the "prison systems ... are generally ugly, barbaric, counterproductive, and insane" (p. viii). But the title is the author's tip-off to removing the mental bars we place between "us," the good on the outside, and "them," the bad on the inside. "Whoever and wherever we are, in or out of prison -- we're all doing hard time until we find freedom inside ourselves" (p. x). Lozoff's own spiritual journey, which he shares, is enlightening and impressive; and his quarter-century of personal prison ministry is monumental and inspirational. The front cover of this book announces a foreword by the Dalai Lama. And indeed, the first part of the text, "The Big View," is a pragmatic interpretation of Buddhist theology, with nods to Jesus and other religious leaders. "The bottom line is that we create our own curses or blessings. Every experience comes to us spiritually neutral, no matter what it looks like" (p. 12). So, for example, "Going to prison is paying karmic dues for things we came here to learn or things we've done in the past (not necessarily the crime itself). But going to prison is also one more opportunity to come closer to Truth, God, Self, Freedom -- whatever we want to call it" (p. 12). There was a time I would have intellectually and morally disagreed with that last quote; but experience has taught me its validity. And I wouldn't want anyone to discard the value of this testimony because of its Buddhist orientation and terminology. The author warns not to let any particular theology, philosophy, or method become an obstacle to our "Getting Free," the subject of the book's middle part. He discusses at length basic means for real change, such as meditation, hatha yoga, diet, service, and more. True, the ultimate threat he offers if we don't change isn't oblivion (as in Judaism), nor hell (as in Christianity), but rebirth into even worse existence. Book Three is what Bo Lozoff calls "the heart and guts of the Project" (p. 137), his letters from and to prisoners. These tear the lid off the Tartarus of incarceration, a 'reality' beyond the ken and limits of most Presbyterians. Inmates write him about prejudice toward Whites or Blacks; desire to kill or take revenge; fear and loneliness; the risky mind games played by guards and guarded; worries about re-offense; the purpose of life. Correspondence on pp. 219-242 deals with homosexual attachments and attacks. One inmate letter begins, "In 1968, I was beaten, tortured, and gang-raped in a county jail ... over a 24-hour period" (graphic details follow). Yet in his replies the author goes beyond revolting and paralyzing "reality," pointing to the same Paradise Jesus did from the Cross. To that inmate Bo wrote, among other words, "I won't try to snow you with any spiritual fairy tales .... What more can I say to you while it's hurting so much? ... If you do decide to come through this instead of ending your life, just imagine the depth of compassion and understanding you can offer to others who suffer in their own forms of hell" (pp. 220-221). Again and again he affirms the Spirit who connects us rather than separating us. Another inmate, fighting 110 years worth of charges, sums up the author's most important teaching: "The only way it's done is in the quality of how we act, how we think, ... how we do our time, each and every moment of our lives" (p. 247). This book is best taken portion by portion, rather than cover to cover. I recommend it for instructional and devotional use. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PLGC OFFICERS AND CONTACTS CO-MODERATORS: Scott D. Anderson (1998), 5805 20th Ave., Sacramento, CA 95820-3107, 916-456-7225 h., 442-5447 w., email: hn0029@handsnet.org, Scott_Anderson.parti@ecunet.org; Laurene Lafontaine (1999), 1260 York St. #106, Denver, CO 80206, 303-388- 0628, PNet: Laurene Lafontaine; email: EClaurene@aol.com COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY: James D. Anderson, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038, 732-249-1016, 732-932-7501 (Rutgers Univ.), FAX 732-932-6916 (Rutgers Univ.), email: jda@scils.rutgers.edu RECORDING SECRETARY: Rob Cummings, P.O. Box 394, Jackson Center, PA 16133-0394, 724-475-3285, email: robcum@toolcity.net TREASURER: Lew Myrick, Kitzmiller Rd., RR 1 Box 1049- A, Brodbecks, PA 17329-9713, 717-229-0547, LEMyrick@aol.com PLGC Coordinators & Liaisons ISSUES: Mike Smith -- see Exec. board. JUDICIAL ISSUES: Tony De La Rosa -- see Exec. board; Peter Oddleifson, c/o Harris, Beach and Wilcox, 130 E. Main St., Rochester, NY 14604, 716-232-4440 w., 716-232-1573 fax. BISEXUAL CONCERNS: The Rev. Kathleen Buckley, 2532 Rosendale Rd., Schenectady, NY 12309-1312, 518-382-5342; Skidmore College chaplain 518-584-5000 ext 2271, email kbuckley@skidmore.edu; Union College protestant chaplain, 518-388-6618, buckleyk@gar.union.edu TRANSGENDER CONCERNS: Carla T. Pridgen, M.Div, M.Ed., 5 Delano Rd., Asheville, NC 28805, 704-285-9752, CarlaP@worldnet.att.net STOLES PROJECT: Martha G. Juillerat, Director, 57 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55405, 612-377-8792, PNet: Martha Juillerat, email: Martha_Juillerat.parti@ecunet.org PRESBYNET: Dorothy Fillmore, 7113 Dexter, Richmond, VA 23226, 804-285-9040 h., 804-828-8420 w., 804-274-0874 voice mail, email: dfillmore.parti@ecunet.org, dfillmor@atlas.vcu.edu, PNet: dfillmore PLGC'S WEB PAGE: Donna Michelle Riley, Box 323, 4902 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3702, 412-422-1822, 412-268-5550 w., email: riley+@andrew.cmu.edu LIAISON FOR PRISON MINISTRIES: Jud van Gorder, 915 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3440, 408-423-3829. LIAISON TO PRESBYTERIAN AIDS NETWORK (PAN): John M. Trompen, 48 Lakeview Dr., Morris Plains, NJ 07950-1950, 201-538-1655 LIAISONS TO PRESBYTERIAN ACT-UP: Susan Leo -- see Exec. board; Lisa Bove, 1707 Micheltorena St. #214, Los Angeles, CA 90026, 213-664-8654; Howard Warren, Jr., 2807 Somerset Bay, Indianapolis, IN 46240, 317-632-0123 w., 317-253-2377 h. EUROPE: Jack Huizenga, Voice of America, 76 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3JB, U.K., email: jwhuizen@dircon.co.uk, tel: (171) 410- 0960, preceded by 011-44 if calling from the U.S. ALASKA-NORTHWEST (AK, WA, No. ID): Lindsay (Lin) Thompson, P.O. Box 2631, Seattle, WA 98111-2631, 206-505-7878 wk, fax 206-505- 7880, LThomp6394@aol.com; Richard Gibson, 4700 228th St., SW, Mount Lake Terrace, WA 98043, 206-778-7227. COVENANT (MI, OH): Rev. James J. Beates, 18120 Lahser Rd. #1, Detroit, MI 48219, 313-255-7059; Mary Rose, 821 N. 4th St., #2, Marquette, MI 49855, marrose@nmu.edu LAKES AND PRAIRIES (IA, MN, ND, NE, SD, WI): Cleve Evans, 3810 S. 13th St., #22, Omaha, NE 68107-2260, 402-733-1360, email: cevans@scholars.bellevue.edu; Richard Winslow, 111 E. Water St., #100, Appleton, WI 54911-5791, 414-731-0892 LINCOLN TRAILS (IL, IN): Mark Palermo, 6171 N. Sheridan Rd, #2701, Chicago IL 60660-2858, 312-338-0452; Rev. L. Dean Hay, 200 N. 15th St., #3, Murphysboro, IL 62966, phone 618-687-5203. LIVING WATERS (KY, TN, MS, AL): Michael Purintun, 522 Belgravia Ct., #2, Louisville, KY 40208-2123, 502-637-4734, PNet: Michael Purintun, email: michael_purintun.parti@ecunet.org; Glyndon Morris, 1150 Vultee Blvd. #B-204, Nashville, TN 37217-2152, 615- 361-9228, PNet: Glyndon Morris, email: glyndon.morris@vanderbilt.edu MID-AMERICA (MO, KS): Merrill Proudfoot, 3315 Gillham Rd., #2N,Kansas City, MO 64109, 816-531-2136; Victor Force, 412 N. 8th St., Manhattan, KS 66502-5939, 913-539-5307, rabbif@KSU.edu; Shelly Holle, 1430 LeGore Ln., Manhattan, KS 66502, 913-776-8325 MID-ATLANTIC (DE, DC, MD, NC, VA): Marco Antonio Grimaldo, Grimaldo & Associates, 2848 Fairhaven Ave., Alexandria, VA 22303, 703-960-0432, 202-210-3780; Brent Bissette, 223 Riverwalk Cir., Cary, NC 27511, 919-467-5747 NORTHEAST (NJ, NY, New England): Gary Ireland, 10 Winter St., Montpelier, VT 05602, 802-229-5438; John Hartwein-Sanchez, 149 Bramble Way, Tiverton, RI 02878, 401-624-6698; Charlie Mitchell, 56 Perry St., #3-R, New York, NY 10014, 212-691-7118; Kay Wroblewski, 74 Freemont Rd., Rochester, NY 14612, 716-663-6632. PACIFIC (No. CA, OR, NV, So. ID): Richard A. Sprott, 531 Valle Vista Ave., Oakland, CA 94610-1908, 510-268-8603, fax, 510-271- 0127, email: sprott @cogsci.berkeley.edu; Dick Hasbany, 2245 NW Hazel, Corvallis, OR 97330-3904, 541-753-6277, hasbanyd@ccmail.orst.edu ROCKY MOUNTAINS (CO, MT, NE Panhandle, UT, WY): Laurene Lafontaine -- see Officers. SOUTH ATLANTIC (FL, GA, SC): Victor Floyd, 853 Willivee Dr., Decatur, GA 30033, 404-636-1429 ch., 404-633-6530 h., RuVic@aol.com; Jim Earhart, P.O. Box 8362, Atlanta, GA 31106- 0362, 404-373-5830, JimEarhart@juno.com; Laurie Kraus, 5275 Sunset Dr., Miami, FL 33143, 305-666-8586 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND HAWAII: Tony De La Rosa -- see Exec. board. SOUTHWEST (AZ, NM): Linda Manwarren, 7720 Browning Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109-5303, 505-858-0249; Rosemarie Wallace, 710 W. Los Lagos Vista Ave., Mesa, AZ 85210, 602-892-5255 SUN (AR, LA, OK, TX): Greg Adams, 314 Steven Dr., Little Rock, AR 72205, 501-224-4724; Jay Kleine, 1108 Toyath St., Austin, TX 78703-3921, 512-477-7418 h., 471-5217 w.; John P. McNeese, P.O. Box 54606, Oklahoma City, 73120-1404, 405-848-2819, email: mcneese@theshop.net; Gail Rickey, 13114 Holston Hills, Houston, TX 77069, 713-440-0353, 713-440-1902 fax, email: patrickey@aol.com TRINITY (PA, WV): Rob Cummings -- see Officers (Recording Secretary); Eleanor Green, P.O. Box 6296, Lancaster, PA 17603, 717-397-9068; Jim Ebbenga & Kurt Wieser, 203 E. Prospect Ave., North Wales, PA 19454-3208, 215-699-4750 PLGC Executive Board Gene Huff (1998), 658 25th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94121, 415- 668-1145, email: huffrevs@hooked.net, or Eugene_Huff.parti @ecunet.org; PNet: Eugene Huff Susan Leo (1998), 4508 SE Lincoln, Portland, OR 97215, 503-235- 6986, email: sleoclu@aol.com William H. Moss (Bill, 1998), 535 Steiner St., San Francisco, CA 94117, 415-864-0477, email: WHMoss@aol.com Donna Michelle Riley (1998), Box 323, 4902 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3702, 412-422-1822, 412-268-5550 w., email: riley+@andrew.cmu.edu Mike Smith (1998), 1211 West St., Grinnell, IA 50112, 515-236- 7955, PNet: Michael D Smith; email: Michael_D_Smith.parti@ecunet.org Tony De La Rosa (1999), 5850 Benner St. #302, Los Angeles, CA 90042, 213-256-2787, PNet: Tony De La Rosa; email: tony_de_la_rosa.parti@ecunet.org or tonydlr@ix.netcom.com Tricia Dykers Koenig (1999), 3967 Navahoe Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44121, 216-381-0156, PNet: Tricia Dykers Koenig, email: tricia_dykers_koenig.parti@ecunet.org Lisa Larges (1999), 426 Fair Oaks, San Francisco, CA 94110, 415- 648-0547, email: LLL@igc.org Tammy Lindahl (1999), 57 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55405, 612-377-2191 h., PNet: Tammy Lindahl, email: tammy_lindahl.parti@ecunet.org Howard Warren, Jr. (1999), 2807 Somerset Bay, Indianapolis, IN 46240, 317-632-0123 w., 317-253-2377 h. Our 1998 Nominating Commiee Lisa Larges (Chairperson), 426 Fair Oaks, San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-648-0547, email: LLL@igc.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PRESBYTERIAN ALLY ORGANIZATIONS This is a list of other organizations working for a truly inclusive Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It's "under construction"! Please send me contact information and brief descriptions for any other organization that should be included. I encourage any group to send revisions! Thanks! Jim Anderson. Hesed (Hebrew: The Covenant of Steadfast Love) Hesed is an informal coalition of PC(USA) ordained and lay church leaders dedicated to the affirmation -- in obedience to Scripture and within the Reformed Tradition and Presbyterian polity -- of the inclusiveness of God's Grace and of the love of Jesus Church for all his followers. Virginia L. Lewis, Moderator/Webmistress, 600-B Hedgewood Dr., Georgetown, TX 78628, 512-863-1802, 512-863-1846 fax, email: lewisv@southwestern.edu, website: http://www.southwestern.edu/lewisv/Hesed/Hesed.html The Lazarus Project "A Ministry of Reconciliation," The Rev. Donn Crail, Director, West Hollywood Presbyterian Church, 7350 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90046. More Light Churches Network http://www.mlcn.org More Light Churches are Presbyterian congregations that welcome "all people into the church as full participating members, entitled to all 'the rights and privileges of the church' including ordination should they be elected to leadership positions, regardless of sexual orientation." Congregations and individuals that are working toward such inclusiveness are also part of the Network. MLCN Steering Committee: Virginia Davidson, co-moderator for advocacy, 173 Gibbs St., Rochester, NY 14605, 716-546-6661 h., email: virginia_davidson@pcusa.org Dick Lundy, co-moderator for administration, 5525 Timber Ln., Excelsior, MN 55331, 612-470-0093 h., email: dick_lundy@pcusa.org Joanne Sizoo, secretary/treasurer, 5901 Cleves Warsaw Pkwy., Cincinnati, OH 45233, 513-922-8764 h., email: joanne_sizoo@pcusa.org Harold G. Porter, outreach, Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, 103 Wm. H. Taft Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45219, 513-281-5945 w. Richard Sprott, conferences, 531 Valle Vista Ave., Oakland, CA 94610, 510-268-8603 h., email: richard.sprott@pcusa.org Chuck McLain, outreach, 932 E. 28th St., Oakland, CA 94610, 510- 261-4696 h., 451-8639 fax, email: mcpresby@aol.com Sonnie Swenston, membership nurture, 775 W. Griswold Rd., Covina, CA 91722-3228, 629-915-4093 h., email: HeySonnie@aol.com Ken Wolvington, communications, 118 Shore Rd., Burlington, VT 05401-2658, 802-862-6605 h., email: ken.wolvington@pcusa.org Cathy Blaser, development, 350 West 85th St., New York, NY 10024, 212-595-8976 h. And MLCN Partners The Rev. Dr. Johanna Bos, college/seminary chapters, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1044 Alta Visa Rd., Louisville, KY 40205-1798, email: johanna.bos@pcusa.org Ralph Carter, resources, 111 Milburn St., Rochester, NY 14607- 2918, 716-271-7649, email: rcarter@rpa.net Presbyterian AIDS Network (PAN) PAN is one of 10 networks of the Presbyterian Health Education & Welfare Association (PHEWA). PHEWA is a related ministry of the National Ministries Division, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). PHEWA provides resources to individuals, congregations, and middle governing bodies in the fields of social welfare and justice ministries. PHEWA also works to make the church more responsive to the needs of the excluded and suffering. Alice Davis and Phil Jamison, co-moderators; Bob Gillespie, treasurer; Marge Marsh, secretary; Daniel Kendrick, at large member to the Executive Committee and PHEWA board; James Hicks, Annie Long, Dora Carrera, Marco Grimaldo, Lorna Jean Miller, Howard Warren, leadership team members. Address: c/o PHEWA, Room 3041, 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202-1396. Presbyterian Parents of Gays and Lesbians Caring for Each Other: A support group for parents. Jane C. Loflin, Director, P.O. Box 781-591, Dallas, TX 75378, 214-902-0987, 904-9695 fax. Presbyterian Partnership of Conscience (P.P.C.) P.P.C., a partnership project of PLGC, the MLCN, That All May Freely Serve, the Witherspoon Society, Semper Reformanda, Voices of Sophia, the Stole Project, and friends, helps coordinate faithful action and statements of conscience and supports *pro bono* legal counsel in defense of individuals, congregations, and governing bodies targeted for judicial action in the courts of the church. Contact Bear Ride Scott, Coordinator, c/o United University Church, 817 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007, 213- 748-0209 ext. 13, PNet: Bear Scott Presbyterian Welcome "Inclusive Churches Working Together," Cliff Frasier, Coordinator, Jan Hus Church, 351 E. 74th St., New York, NY 10021, 212-288-6743. Semper Reformanda Semper Reformanda (Always Being Reformed) is a network of groups and individuals within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) formed to share information and develop support on current issues of liberation, justice, and the integrity of creation. We are called by God's spirit to renewed commitment to, understanding of, and witnessing for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, open to new expressions of our faith. We welcome those who are committed to compassion, mutual respect, and continuing reformation, moving toward shalom. Kenneth R. Smith, Moderator, 16240 N. Park Dr., #102, Southfield, MI 48075, 248-569-1223; June Ramage Rogers, Vice Moderator, P.O. Box 23, Hanover, IN 47243-0023, 812-866- 3334; John N. Gregg, Secretary/Communicator, 1018 S. 28th St., Milwaukee, WI 53215-1612, 414-385-0311, PNet: John Gregg; Mae Gautier, Treasurer, 4242 Elmwood Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121, 216- 691-9558. That All May Freely Serve (T.A.M.F.S.) T.A.M.F.S. focuses on a national effort to give voice to those disenfranchised by the Church's policies toward ordination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons and to educate others regarding biblical and theological connections supporting full inclusion. Contact the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr, Lesbian Evangelist, P.O. Box 3707, San Rafael, CA 94912-3707, 415-457- 8004, 454-2564 fax, website: http://www.tamfs.org Send Contributions to: Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614, 716-325-4000, -6023 fax. Voices of Sophia Voices of Sophia is a community of women and men in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that affirms feminist / womanist / mujerista theologies and seeks to be faithful to God's Spirit in our lives. We call the church to reclaim the fullness of God's image, embrace the diversity of the world, work for justice and inclusiveness in church and society, and celebrate the voices and gifts of women. Voices of Sophia sponsors national and regional gatherings, as well as an annual breakfast at General Assembly. Ecumenical partners are invited to join. Membership is $20/year and includes the newsletter *Illuminations*. Contact Voices of Sophia, 223 Choctaw Rd., Louisville, KY 40207. The Witherspoon Society The Witherspoon Society is a society of justice-seeking Presbyterians ... advocating for peace, justice, the integrity of creation, and the full inclusion of all God's people in church and society. The Rev. Dr. Eugene TeSelle, president, The Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, 615-297-2629 h., 322- 2773 w., PNet: Eugene TeSelle The Rev. Robb Gwaltney, vice president, 5303 Indian Woods Dr., Louisville, KY 40207-2079, 502-895-2079, PNet: Robb Gwaltney The Rev. Jean Rodenbough, secretary/communicator, 313 S. Market St., Madison, NC 27025, 910-548-6158 h., PNet: Jean Rodenbough The Rev. Hank Bremer, treasurer, 4355 Kenyon Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066, 310-397-6916 h., 435-1804 w., 495-2223 fax, email: 72066.543@compuserve.com The Rev. Chris Iosso, issues analyst, 191 Revolutionary Rd., Scarborough, NY 10510, 914-944-8070 h., 941-1142 w., PNet: Christian Iosso The Rev. Tom Heger, membership coordinator, P.O. Box 1359, Manchaca, TX 78652, 512-282-7586 h., -6200 w., PNet: Tom Heger Ray and Betty Kersting, membership secretaries, 305 Loma Arisco, Santa Fe, NM 87501, 505-982-4548, PNet: Ray and Betty Kersting The Rev. Doug King, newsletter editor, 7833 Somerset Cir., Woodbury, MN 55125-2334, 612-731-4885 h., PNet: Doug King * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MASTHEAD (Publication Information) MORE LIGHT UPDATE, Volume 18, Number 5, May-June 1998. ISSN 0889-3985. Published bi-monthly by Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns, an organization of Ministers, Elders, Deacons, and Members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Elder James D. Anderson, Editor, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038, 732- 249-1016, 732-932-7501 (Rutgers University), fax 732-932-6916 (Rutgers University), Internet: jda@mariner.rutgers.edu (or jda@scils.rutgers.edu), DeWitt House 206, 185 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Editorial Associate: Lindsay Thompson; Printer: Ken Barta, Brunswick Typographic Inc.; Production Associate: Caridad de las Mercedes Catala. Electronic version available via email. PLGC-List: plgc-list@andrew.cmu.edu; to subscribe, send message to: plgc-list-request@andrew.cmu.edu PLGC home page: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~riley/PLGC.html Send materials marked "For publication" to the editor. PUBLICATION DEADLINES: 6 weeks prior to issue months. 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 (included in membership) to MORE LIGHT UPDATE: $12.00. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * corrected version 5-10-98