wfn.org | Gay Cleric, Human Rights Activist Rev. Troy Perry At Yale

[UfmccHq@aol.com]

-- To Address Chapel Service, Present Formal Address --

N E W S   R E L E A S E
For Immediate Release: August 1, 2002

New Haven CT, USA -- The Rev. Troy Perry, an openly gay cleric, human rights 
activist and Founder and Moderator of the predominantly gay Metropolitan 
Community Churches, will speak at Yale Divinity School of Yale University on 
Friday, September 13, 2002.

Rev. Perry will preach at the Chapel Service of Yale Divinity School and will 

participate in a question and answer session with Yale students during an 
informal luncheon.

Later in the day he will make a formal presentation to Yale students 
addressing "The Role of the Church in the Gay Civil Rights Movement."

On Sunday, September 15, Rev. Perry will preach at Metropolitan Community 
Church of New Haven, where Rev. Susan Heiskell is the senior pastor. Details 
are available on the Internet at www.mccnh.org.

Perry, who founded Metropolitan Community Churches in 1968 with a positive, 
affirming ministry to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons and 
their enlightened friends and allies, is a past delegate to the White House 
Conference on Hate Crimes during the Clinton Administration and was recently 
appointed to the Board of Trustees of Chicago Theological Seminary.

Today Metropolitan Community Churches is made up of almost 300 local 
congregations in 22 countries, and has 52,000 members and adherents. The MCC 
movement has an annual operating budget of $20 million (USD), more than 90% 
of which is reinvested in the communities in which local churches operate. 
Information on MCC is available at www.MCCchurch.org. A free MCC e-mail 
newsletter is available by writing to info@MCCchurch.org 

(END)

For Additional Information, Contact:
Jim Birkitt, Director of Communications
MCC Communications Department
8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069
Tel. (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226
E-Mail: info@MCCchurch.org