Subject: WOW2000 Report - Press Release
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2000 23:16:20 EDT

1006 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, and TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS and FAMILIES, 
FRIENDS, and ALLIES GATHERED IN ILLINOIS AUGUST 3-6 for WOW2000 - OVER 
$40,000 RAISED

Largest Cross-Denominational Gathering of Christian Laity, Clergy, and 
Denominational Leaders Working for Full Inclusion of LGBT Persons in Church 
and Society Ever Held

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Press Release: August 7, 2000 - For Immediate Release 
Witness Our Welcome: WOW2000   http://www.wow2k.org 
Media Contact: Laura Montgomery Rutt    
Phone: 717-627-7180  (media only)
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Chicago -  Over 1000 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Individuals and 
their families, friends and allies gathered to claim and proclaim their 
rightful place of full inclusion in church and society through the Welcoming 
Church Movement and the Witness Our Welcome Conference: God's Promise Is For 
You (WOW2000).  

WOW2000 was the largest-ever gathering of Christians strategizing and working 
together across denominational boundaries for full inclusion of LGBT 
individuals in church and society.  The Welcoming Church Movement is a 
rapidly growing grassroots effort in churches throughout the United States 
and Canada to work for full inclusion of LGBT persons.  Over 1000 churches 
have already declared themselves "Welcoming", and several each week become 
part of this movement.

The Welcoming Church Movement was represented at the WOW2000 conference by 
laity, clergy, denominational leaders, faith-based LGBT organizations, 
authors, and theologians, from 8 countries and 27 faith traditions, including 
the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical 
Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, Brethren and 
Mennonite Churches, the American Baptist Church, the United Church of Canada, 
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Episcopal Church USA, 
Unitarian Universalist Churches,  Metropolitan Community Church, the Roman 
Catholic Church, many independent churches, and others.

Denominational leaders proclaiming the message of full inclusion of LGBT 
people included Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Minister and President of 
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), who spoke at the WOW Banquet on 
Saturday night, August 5.  John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of 
the United Church of Christ was unable to attend, but issued a letter 
stating,  "This ecumenical gathering of welcoming movements is a bold witness 
to the radical nature of the Apostle Paul's command to 'welcome one another 
as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God'. Grace is offered to those 
churches which are prepared to embody it." 
 
At the Banquet, over $40,000 was raised in an effort to expand the Ecumenical 
Welcoming Church Movement for full inclusion of LGBT individuals and their 
families, friends, and allies in all our churches and in society.  

Attendees attended several workshops, worship services and plenaries on a 
variety of topics by nationally renown leaders such as Rev. Herbert W. 
Chilstrom, retired Evangelical Lutheran Presiding Bishop; The Right Reverend 
Steve Charleston, President of the Episcopal Divinity School; Rev. Jimmy 
Creech, former United Methodist who was defrocked by the church for 
performing a holy union ceremony for two men; Dr. Rev. Bill Johnson, United 
Church of Christ and first openly gay person ever ordained; Rev. Irene 
Monroe, doctoral candidate at Harvard Divinity School, teaching fellow of 
Rev. Peter Gomes; Rev. Janie Spahr, an openly ordained lesbian in the 
Presbyterian Church (USA) and National Evangelist for "That All May Freely 
Serve"; and many other religious leaders and activists, including Urvashi 
Vaid from the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and 
 Mandy Carter, a lesbian activist and member of the People of Color of Faith 
Initiative of Equal Partners in Faith.

Mark Bowman, Coordinator of the WOW2000 Conference declared, "This was truly 
a historic event that would have never taken place without the hundreds of 
volunteers, speakers, presenters and worship leaders who are called by their 
faith to work for a truly inclusive Christian Church.  Despite exclusive 
policies proclaimed by several denominations this summer, we are proclaiming 
God's love for all people and we are renewing our commitment to work together 
for a fully inclusive church. "

For additional information, including a full list of speakers, worship 
leaders, workshop facilitators, and sponsoring organizations,  see 
http://www.wow2k.org