wfn.org | More Gay Evangelists Join Ranks of "That All May Freely Serve"

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

Reply-To: wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>
15-April-1999 
99151 
 
    More Gay Evangelists Join Ranks 
    of "That All May Freely Serve" 
 
    by Donna Jackel 
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-The Rev. Jane Spahr, a leader of the gay and lesbian rights 
movement in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), presided over the April 8-10 
gathering of "That All May Freely Serve," an organization devoted to the 
ordination of gay and lesbian Presbyterians as church officers. 
 
    About 70 members of the organization gathered at Downtown Presbyterian 
Church here to network, brainstorm strategies and attend workshops on legal 
issues, fundraising and media exposure for their cause. 
 
    It was the first meeting of representatives from all six of the 
organization's regional groups: New York City, Chicago, Baltimore, Texas, 
Atlanta and Northern California. 
 
    Spahr, a member of Redwoods Presbytery, was called as co-pastor of 
Downtown Church in 1991, but the call was invalidated by the General 
Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission.  Downtown Church then hired her 
without a call as a "lesbian evangelist" and established "That All May 
Freely Serve" to support her ministry in 1993. 
 
    Since then, Spahr, 56, has been traveling the country mustering support 
for the ordination of gay and lesbian Presbyterians, along the way building 
a network of regional groups to help in the effort. 
 
    During the gathering, participants celebrated the hiring of three other 
evangelists who have recently begun work under "That All May Freely Serve" 
auspices - two of whom have just assumed their posts.  All are openly gay. 
 
    They are Tom Hickcock, a Minneapolis seminary student whose father, the 
Rev. Gary Hickcock, is a retired Presbyterian minister, will be based in 
Chicago; the Rev. Doug Stroud, who left his pastorate near Albany, N.Y., to 
work for "That All May Freely Serve" in Baltimore; and Cliff Frasier, who 
has spent the last two years as part-time evangelist for "Presbyterian 
Welcome," a coalition of 10 New York City Presbyterian churches. 
 
    Frasier said he was "extremely excited" about the addition of Stroud 
and Hickcock.  "These regions can inspire and support each other and begin 
to build a national action plan," he said. 
 
    Spahr said the evangelists "share our faith stories, our lives ... 
about who we are.  We talk about sexuality and spirituality and people 
start to share their own stories," she added. 
 
    Spahr said she and "That All May Freely Serve" supporters are using a 
grassroots approach to convince moderate Presbyterians that the church - by 
voting G-6.0106b ("fidelity and chastity") into "The Book of Order" -- "has 
given an exclusive interpretation to an inclusive gospel." 
 
    Also present for the conference was Presbyterian Elder Wayne Osborne, a 
gay man whose installation to the session of First Presbyterian Church of 
Stamford, Conn., has been blocked by a judicial complaint filed by two 
members of the Stamford church.  His election was okayed last month by the 
Permanent Judicial Commission of Southern New England Presbytery, but the 
decision has been appealed to the Permanent Judicial Commission of the 
Synod of the Northeast and most likely will reach the General Assembly 
commission before it is finally decided. 
 
    "I'm a man without a church," Osborne said. 
 
    Spahr said her longtime goal is to employ qualified gay and lesbian 
ministers as evangelists and to develop more chapters of "That All May 
Freely Serve." 
 
    Asked whether she believes she will see another  gay or lesbian 
minister ordained in her lifetime, Spahr replied, "I think God can do 
anything." 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  This note sent by PCUSA NEWS
  to the wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>.
  Send unsubscribe requests to wfn-news-request@wfn.org