For more information contact:
The Rev. Amy Lawrence, Oasis/California Board President or
The Rt. Rev. Otis Charles, Oasis/California Executive Director
(415) 522-0222  (800)419-0222  e-mail oasiscalif@aol.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Episcopal Diocese to Launch Gay and Lesbian Ministry
National Figure Bishop Walter Righter to Speak at Oasis/California
Inauguration

SAN FRANCISCO (December 15, 1995) The Episcopal Diocese of California will
formally launch Oasis/California, its new ministry with lesbians and gay men,
at a special service at Grace Cathedral on Saturday, January 13, 1996, at
3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The announcement was made
today by the Rev. Amy Lawrence, President of the Oasis/California Board of
Directors.

According to Lawrence, the event's principal speaker will be the Rt. Rev.
Walter Righter, retired Bishop of Iowa. Bishop Righter has recently become a
national figure in the controversy over ordaining gay and lesbian priests.
Conservative forces within the Episcopal Church have brought charges against
him for ordaining a gay man who is in a committed relationship. Bishop
Righter's trial is set for February, 1996. A portion of the offering at the
service will go to his defense fund.

The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, Bishop of California, will also speak at the
service. Other participants will include the Rt. Rev. Otis Charles, the only
openly gay Episcopal bishop, and the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco.

Oasis/California
Oasis/California is the new gay and lesbian ministry of the Episcopal
Diocese of California. Oasis/California is dedicated to serving Christ in the
lesbian and gay community, and to serving the cause of gay liberation in the
church and the world. The ministry's mission statement includes commitments to:
the spiritual empowerment of gay men and lesbians; advocacy within the church 
for acceptance of lesbians and gay men; pastorally sensitive care for
lesbians and gay men coping with spiritual issues (such as those related to
the AIDS epidemic); evangelical outreach; witness and education; and a
network of Oasis Congregations that extend themselves to welcome gay and
lesbian people.

Oasis California is headquartered in San Francisco, at 110 Julian Avenue.
The telephone number is (415) 522-0222. The fax number is (415) 522-1198. The
online address is OASISCALIF@aol.com.

The Episcopal Diocese of California
The Episcopal Diocese of California comprises 87 Episcopal churches, with
40,000 members, in San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa,
and northern Santa Clara counties. The diocese is part of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States, which is a member of the worldwide
Anglican communion. The bishop of the diocese is the Rt. Rev. William E.
Swing.

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