Subject: ACTION ALERT: Fred Phelps To Picket MCC San Francisco
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 17:18:11 EDT

N E W S   F L A S H
From The Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitan Community Churches

CONTACT:
The Rev. Jim MItulski, Senior Pastor
Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco
Tel. 415/863.4434 or 415/865.2751
E-Mail: [email-masked]

The Rev. Fred Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas and
notorious anti-gay crusader, has announced a picket of Metropolitan Community
Church of San Francisco for Sunday evening, May 31st.

Phelps promotes a rabid hatred of gays and lesbians, frequently picketing the
funerals of persons who have died from AIDS-related complications. His signs
typically carry messages such as GOD HATES FAGS,  AIDS CURES FAGS, THANK GOD
FOR AIDS, FAGS BURN IN HELL, NO TEARS FOR QUEERS, etc. 

The Rev. Troy Perry and the Elders of UFMCC call upon all people of goodwill
to uphold the Rev. Jim Mitulski and the Rev. Penny Nixon and the congregation
of MCC San Francisco in prayer throughout the coming weekend.

A Public Statement by
The Rev. Elder Troy D. Perry, Founder and Moderator
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
May 29, 1998

Shame on Fred Phelps. Shame on anyone who claims to represent God and yet
promotes a message of hate and intolerance.

And shame on Fred Phelps for bringing his brand of spiritual intolerance to
Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco this weekend.

For too long, organized religion has attempted to erect barriers between God
and gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons. This is no longer
acceptable. Those days are over.

For 30 years, the congregations of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches have worked to tear down spiritual barriers... to promote
spiritual justice for all people... and to share a message of hope and
affirmation.

On behalf of the 42,000 members and adherents of the UFMCC, I salute the Rev.
Jim Mitulski and the Rev. Penny Nixon, as well as the many friends and members
of MCC San Francisco, for the empowering message they are sending to gay,
lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons around the world. By your
presence and actions this weekend, you are boldly telling the world that we
are not afraid anymore. We will not be intimidated. 

As we stand at the dawn of a new millennium, I continue to pray and work for
the day when all people of faith recognize the gifts and inherent value of our
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered brothers and sisters.

The friends and members of MCC San Francisco are living out the very best of
true spirituality. You have met hate with love. Despair with hope. Attacks
with genuine service. You are truly living out the words of Jesus who said,
"You are the light of the world."

May your light continue to burn strong and bright. Long after the curses of
Fred Phelps have been forgotten, MCC San Francisco's message of love and faith
will continue to touch and inspire lives.

Please know, too, that I have invited friends around the world to join with me
in surrounding the congregation of MCC San Francisco with our love and prayers
throughout this weekend.

You are the light of the world!

/signed/
The Rev. Elder Troy D. Perry
Moderator of UFMCC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRESS ADVISORY
Sunday 11 AM - Event Date: Sunday, May 31, 1998 11:00 AM
Place: Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco
150 Eureka Street (3 blocks west of Castro; b/w 18th & 19th St.) San Francisco
Media Coordinator: Allen White 415.280.0265

POWER OF GAY CONGREGATION'S SPIRITUAL VALUES
RESPONSE TO PLANNED PICKETING BY HOMOPHOBIC BAPTIST MINISTER

On Sunday morning, May 31, 1998, at 11:00 AM, hundreds of lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgendered people will join together to reaffirm their
Christian values at the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco, 150
Eureka Street (3 blocks west of Castro, b/w 18th and 19th St) in San
Francisco's Castro District. The service is just hours before Rev. Fred
Phelps, Pastor of Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church, and his church members,
say they will picket the Metropolitan Community Church.

The Rev. Jim Mitulski and the Rev. Penny Nixon, co-pastors, believe the most
powerful and effective response to Phelps will be the strong demonstration of
Christian love and compassion experienced at the 11 AM service and later in
the day at 7 PM.  The services, they said, will explore a response that is
consistent with church values and the spiritual teachings of a religious
tradition of non-violence.  They will focus on a theology of love, not hate,
which reinforces a commitment to overcome evil with good.  Both services will
reflect a thriving congregation where many are in meaningful family
relationships and the power of prayer is credited for joyous and fulfilling
lives.

Phelps is primarily noted for picketing at funerals. He attempted to picket
the funeral of Randy Shilts at Glide Church and picketed the funeral of
President Bill Clinton's mother. His web site is www.godhatesfags.com.  Phelps
has labeled the Metropolitan Church a "self-proclaimed sodomite church." In
fliers faxed to media he manipulates Bible scriptures saying "Sodomite holy
communion is not eating bread and drinking wine, but eating feces and drinking
semen." He adds, "San Francisco fags are brute beasts - dogs eating vomit."

The Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco has, for 29 years, served
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.  Now, one of the largest
and most active churches in the city, meals are served three days a week to
the poor and same sex marriages are performed regularly. It is also where more
funerals have been conducted for young men who died of AIDS than any other
church in America. The Metropolitan Community Church is affiliated with the
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, a denomination with
churches throughout the world.
(END)

ADDENDUM:  E-Mail messages of support and encouragement may be sent directly
to the Rev. Jim Mitulski at   [email-masked]

______________________________________

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
______________________________________

James N. Birkitt, Jr.,
UFMCC Communications Department
8704 Santa Monica Blvd.,  2nd Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069

Tel. (310) 360-8640
Fax: (310) 360-8680

E-mail: [email-masked]

website: http://www.ufmcc.com