From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 94 01:15:10 EDT

COMMUNITY ALERT:  PROTEST VIGIL SCHEDULED

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

      METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES / CHRISTIAN GAYS
      AND LESBIANS FOR JUSTICE TO PROTEST LOU SHELDON'S TRADITIONAL
                            VALUE COALITION 
 Organizations to Hold Saturday Vigil Outside Sheldon's Anaheim Offices

Wednesday, July 13, 1994 - Culver City, CA - Metropolitan Community Church of
Los
Angeles (MCCLA) and Christian Gays and Lesbians for Justice (CGLJ) announced
today that
they will sponsor a protest vigil to be held at the Anaheim offices of Dr.
Lou Sheldon's
Traditional Values Coalition, 100 South Anaheim Street at Center, Anaheim, CA
on Saturday,
July 16, 1994 from 11:00a.m. to 11:30 a.m.   The vigil will coincide with
national efforts by
gay and lesbian religious organizations to support the ongoing fast by UFMCC
Pastor Dr. Mel
White at the "Focus on the Family"  headquarters in Colorado Springs,  CO. 
 
"We reject the blatant lies, slander and misinformation put out by these
organizations against gay
and lesbian people." say Reverend Dr. Nancy L. Wilson, senior pastor of
MCCLA.  "Their
attacks against our community are unprecedented in American history." says
Wilson.  "They are
using gay bashing, homophobia and outright lies to raise money,  mobilize
volunteers  and
achieve their broader political goals".  "Our silence in the face of  this
onslaught means the
death of thousands of our people." says Wilson.  "We encourage all who can to
support our
efforts to spotlight their hatemongering." 

The Traditional Values Coalition and Focus on the Family are conservative
quasi-religious
organizations which develop and promote ongoing efforts to deny gay and
lesbian people equal
protection under United States law.  The organizations support ballot measure
and other political
methods nationwide which legalize and promote discrimination based on sexual
orientation. 

Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles is the founding congregation of
the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), a fast growing
denomination with
over 400 churches in the United States and abroad.  Established in 1968,
MCCLA reflects the
UFMCC mission statement by maintaining a Christian outreach to the gay,
lesbian and bisexual
community with an emphasis on Christian social action.  

Christian Gays and Lesbians For Justice operates under the auspices of
Evangelicals Concerned 
Western Regional Fellowship, Inc., a nationwide interdenominational network
of support groups
for gay and lesbian christians.

            CGLJ 24HR HOT LINE FOR THIS EVENT:  310-285-2216 

For More Information Contact: Mr. Daniel Stohler - CGLJ          818-794-9334
                         Mr. Richard Davis - MCCLA     310-473-4411
                         Ms. Ivy Bottini - MCCLA       213-483-8574
                         
                         MCCLA  Office            213-930-1600 
                         5879 W. Washington Blvd.
                         P.O. Box 388
                         Culver City,  CA  90230

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
For general unmoderated discussion, mail to "[email-masked]".
Announcements ONLY should be mailed to "[email-masked]."

To be added or removed, mail to [email-masked].  If adding,
indicate whether you wish to receive all discussions or announcements only.