David Gura speaks wh Rev. Kimberly Stt about last week's meetg of the Uned Methodist Church's Council of Bishops and s impedg vote on whether to orda gay pastors.
Contents:
- WHERE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, OTHER RELIGNS STAND ON GAY MARRIAGE
- BLACKS, GAYS AND THE CHURCH: A COMPLEX RELATNSHIP
WHERE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, OTHER RELIGNS STAND ON GAY MARRIAGE
* lgbt and churches *
In 1946, Whe wr, a prit at one of Atlanta’s Catholic church nied the sacrament to people who admted they were homosexual. In turn, the rejected parishners created what member Helen Pappas lled “the world’s first gay-oriented church. ” A small group—“old and young; men and women; gay and non-gay, ” acrdg to Pappas—gathered at an altar ma om two cktail tabl.
As the “homophile movement” alced the 1950s, Whe wr, church and other new, or newly welg, relig stutns played an important role. LGBTQ-iendly church operated mostly unr the radar until 1968, when a gay former Pentestal mister named Troy Perry found the Metropolan Communy Church, “a Christian church for all people wh an outreach to the gay muny. Nidorf, an Augtian prit, formed the gay fellowship group Digny southern California.
BLACKS, GAYS AND THE CHURCH: A COMPLEX RELATNSHIP
Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, Queer/Qutng (LGBTQ)Same Genr Lovg (SGL) Whoever you are Wherever you are on life's journeyYou are wele * lgbt and churches *
Its meetgs clud group therapy, discsn of theologil texts on homosexualy, and Holy Mass. Whe wr that the media soon picked up on the “gay church” movement, wh varyg gre of sympathy. One Time magaze story claimed that gay church, wh their “flnted brand of homosexual Christiany, ” would “stra the patience of most churchgoers.
As one MCC pastor wrote, “we are not a gay church…we worship God like anybody else and the fact that we’re gay has very ltle to do wh . Was possible to root gay rights activism Christian moraly? At one rally, signs read “The Lord Is My Shepherd and He Knows I’m Gay” and “Oral Can Be Moral.
While many black pastors nmn homosexualy om the pulp, the choir lofts behd them are often filled wh gay sgers and micians. The fact that gays and lbians often hold learship posn the church is the worst kept secret black Ameri. * lgbt and churches *
This is an important lson for church and nomatnal bodi to learn as they nsir one of the most challengg qutns of our time: how to addrs the cln of persons who are gay, lbian, transgenr or otherwise nonnformg to tradnal rol.