wfn.org | [PCUSAnews] The "three sisters" - working for justice in a more inclusive Church

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Note #6575 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

The "three sisters" - working for justice in a more inclusive Church
June 9, 2001
GA01018

The "three sisters" - working for justice in a more inclusive Church

by Luca Negro

LOUISVILLE, June 9 - "Presbyterians will be the first to break through the
log jam of bigotry," is the prediction - and the wish - of Jimmy Creech,
keynote speaker at Saturday's Celebration Dinner sponsored by three
Presbyterian gay-affirming groups: More Light Presbyterians, That All May
Freely Serve, and the Shower of Stoles Project.
	The "three sisters" are struggling for a "more inclusive" church, and
particularly for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender believers in the life of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),
including their access to ministry, barred by current ordination standards
("fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or
chastity in singleness").
	More than 400 people took part in the event - almost one sixth of the
overall participants in this 213rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.). Tony Adee, national field organizer of More Light
Presbyterians, stressed the recent expansion of the movement, which now has
member congregations or chapters in 42 states, plus the District of
Columbia.
	Martha Juillerat, director of Shower of Stoles Project, shared some of the
personal stories lying behind this colorful collection of liturgical stoles:
grey stories of Christian leaders barred from serving their faith
communities because of their sexual orientation.
	"If the Church cannot employ us, we will employ ourselves," said Jane Adams
Spahr, director of That All May Freely Serve, as she explained the
organization's project to develop a network of regional partnerships to
employ openly lesbian/gay persons as "evangelists", to spread the good news
of God's love for everyone.
	Creech is a former United Methodist minister, who lost his job for
performing two "covenant ceremonies" for same-sex couples, thus violating
the laws of his church.  "The church has no right to 'confer' marriage,'"
said Creech, "because it is the relationship that generates it.  The task of
the church is to celebrate and support the commitment of the spouses," be
they "straight" or gay.  Creech sees no reason why a same-sex union should
be called other than a "marriage."  The question of ordination of lesbians
and gays for Creech is similar to the recognition of same-sex unions.  Of
course, "ordination is the right of the church, but it's only the church's
confirmation of God's call, it's not the call itself."  To require that a
minister be heterosexual or chaste means "to trivialize ordination."
	At the end of the dinner, More Light Presbyterians presented awards to
individuals, congregations  and groups  for their distinguished engagement
for the full participation of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender
persons to the life of the church: the Rev. Tricia Dykers-Koenig; who is
strategy coordinator of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, two Kentucky
congregations (Central Presbyterian in Louisville and Central Presbyterian
in Owensboro) and the More Light chapter at the Louisville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary.

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