[MLPnews] MLPnews December 24, 2005

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*
MLP News

*
....working for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith
in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

	

Volume 2
Issue 12
  Dec. 24, 2005



 

 

 


In this issue:

    - Christmas message from Michael Adee
    - "This is about this church and their courage": Rev. John Gerity
    Scott in the news
    - New save the date: More Light Sunday is June 11, 2006
    - Naomi Tutu to keynote at MLP Nashville conference, Feb. 2006
    - Momentum is growing: 15 delete-B overtures and concurrences so far
    - Chicago Presbytery passes a delete-B overture
    - Hudson River Presbytery sends a delete-B concurrence
    - Remembering Chuck McClain
    - World AIDS Day, Dec. 1
    - New MLP DVDs are coming soon
    - Tell a friend about MLPnews today
    - News for supporters: MLP can now accept gifts of stock
    - "Give the gift of justice" campaign continues

***Christmas message from Michael Adee*

Incarnation... then and now.

During the time Kathleen Norris describes in her book /Amazing Grace/ as 
the decision to "go back to church, or not" as an adult upon her return 
to South Dakota, a Benedictine monk offered that "the church is a sinful 
institution, how could it be otherwise? The Church is like the 
Incarnation, a shaky proposition."  And so it was, the first 
Incarnation, of Jesus as described and retold during this time of Advent 
and Christmas in homes and churches across our land and world from the 
Gospel of Luke 1: 26 - 2:20.
*Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051223150140734>*
*

**"This is about this church and their courage": Rev. John Gerity Scott 
in the news*
*
*In November we published an article 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051123225639823> with the good 
news that Redwoods Presbytery had recently voted to receive Rev. Dr. 
John Gerity Scott, an openly gay minister, into the presbytery to become 
pastor of Valley Community Presbyterian Church in San Geronimo, CA.  The 
Marin Independent Journal <http://www.marinij.com> has picked up the 
story and has published an article about Rev. Scott and his new home church.
*
**Gay pastor breaks barrier*
by Don Speich

In 1984 Presbyterian minister John Scott, married and a father of two, 
walked out of the closet and into the arms of his church's struggle with 
homosexuality - little knowing that 21 years later he would become a 
watershed in its history.  This month Scott, 61, became pastor of the 
San Geronimo Presbyterian Community Church...  Scott, a Princeton 
graduate with a quick and infectious laugh and self-deprecating manner, 
has little interest in being "a poster boy," as he said he recently was 
labeled by a gay friend. Rather, he said, "this is a story about this 
church (San Geronimo) and their courage in deciding to help me." *
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=2005122411265490>*
*

New save the date: More Light Sunday is June 11, 2006*

More Light Sunday <http://www.mlp.org/morelightsunday> in 2006 will be 
on June 11, the second Sunday of the month and just a few days before 
the start of General Assembly in Birmingham, Alabama. More Light Sunday 
is a day when More Light supporters across the country come together for 
local actions to support the movement for LGBT equality within the 
PCUSA, and to support More Light Presbyterians. You don't have to be a 
More Light church to acknowledge or celebrate More Light Sunday - in 
fact in 2005, about half of the 36 churches that participated 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20050626180411122> in More Light 
Sunday weren't official More Light churches. Although More Light Sunday 
is traditionally the first Sunday in June, for 2006 we've shifted it to 
the second Sunday (June 11) to avoid a conflict with Pentecost.*
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051219225518460>*


*Naomi Tutu to keynote at MLP Nashville conference, Feb. 2006*
*
Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African Bishop Desmond Tutu, named as 
keynote speaker for Feb. 10 - 12, 2006 MLP Conference in Nashville, TN*

Save the date and make your plans now to be with us for this 
extraordinary retreat experience on the campus on Vanderbilt Divinity 
School, Nashville, the weekend of February 10 - 12, 2006.  Hosted by the 
Middle Tennessee MLP Chapter, Kathy Ogles and Tom Eckman, Conference 
Co-Chairs from Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville, recently announced 
that Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African Bishop Desmond Tutu will be 
the keynote speaker of the retreat.*
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051219205700171> *


*Momentum is growing: 15 delete-B overtures and concurrences so far*
/(MLPnews editor's note: with the Dec. 13 Chicago Presbytery overture 
mentioned below, the total is now 16.)/

The number of overtures and concurrences seeking the removal of the 
anti-LGBT G6.0106b from the Presbyterian Book of Order and elimination 
of anti-gay Authoritative Interpretation has recently surged to 15, with 
7 overtures passing in November alone. A full 2/3 of these overtures 
have passed /after/ the PCUSA's Theological Task Force 
<http://www.pcusa.org/peaceunitypurity/> issued its final report 
including its widely-criticized "moratorium on justice" recommendation. 
This is great news, since every presbytery that sends a delete-B 
overture increases the number of voices calling for equality today.  
Here's a summary of overtures and concurrences so far, with links to 
specific MLP articles and a vote count when available...
*Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051210205503481> *


*Chicago Presbytery passes a delete-B overture*

Rev. David Murad with Lake View Presbyterian 
<http://www.lakeviewpresbyterian.org> in Chicago recently let us know 
the good news that Chicago Presbytery voted on Dec. 13 to send a 
delete-B/delete-AI overture to the 2006 General Assembly by a vote of 
147-50. The group that organized to bring the overture was well 
prepared, having organized for almost a year in advance.*
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051216190302782> *

*
Hudson River Presbytery sends a delete-B concurrence*

More good news! On Tuesday November 29, Hudson River Presbytery voted to 
concur with the Heartland Overture 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20050419234203172> to delete 
G6.0106b and the PCUSA's anti-gay Authoritative Interpretation. The vote 
was taken by voice, so a vote count isn't available. The concurrence was 
brought to the presbytery by 4 congregations: South (Dobbs Ferry) 
<http://www.southpres.org>, Palisades <http://www.ppc10964.org/>, 
Nauraushaum <http://www.npcpearl.org/>, and Bedford 
<http://bedfordpreschurch.org/> Presbyterian Churches. The first three 
are More Light churches.


*Remembering Chuck McClain*
/
Previous MLP board member and well-known activist for justice Chuck 
McLain passed away on November 1. His life was celebrated today at 
Montclair Presbyterian <http://www.mpcfamily.org/>, a More Light church 
in Oakland. Here are some reflections on Chuck's life by MLP field 
organizer Michael Adee./

Remembering and honoring the life and ministry of the Rev. Chuck McLain, 
Parish Associate, Montclair Presbyterian Church, Oakland, CA

Those of us fortunate enough to have known Chuck remember and honor him 
and his faithful, generous and loving ministry as a Minister of the Word 
and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). A graduate of McCormick 
Theological Seminary, Chuck served congregations in Los Angeles before 
moving to Oakland. Chuck's long and varied ministry is characterized by 
working with persons on the margins such as farm workers; for civil 
rights; for the full embrace of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender 
persons and their families; the elderly and children; peacemaking; 
affordable housing and economic justice issues.*
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051204210729871>*

*
****World AIDS Day, Dec. 1*

December 1 is World AIDS Day. It is the 18th annual observance having 
begun in 1988 as a worldwide event established to increase awareness and 
education regarding HIV and AIDS. For people of faith and those of us 
within More Light Presbyterians, this is a Day of Remembrance, Prayer 
and Action.  The worldwide theme is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise" with 
the 2005 theme in the United States, "Action Makes a Difference," 
focusing upon the importance of prevention, testing, treatment, and care 
programs for persons at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS.*
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051130222114810>*


*New MLP DVDs are coming soon*

Watch this space for an upcoming announcement of additional volumes in 
the Project Hearts & Minds 
<http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=heartsandminds> MLP video 
series, our collection of DVD and VHS interviews designed to share with 
and educate friends and congregations about real LGBT people, their 
lives, and their need for equality.*
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051223124729699>*


*Tell a friend about MLPnews today*

It's always been possible to send an email note to friends suggesting 
that they browse to www.mlp.org and sign up for MLPnews using the signup 
box at the top of the page, but now we've made it even simpler. We now 
have a tell-a-friend page 
<https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/tellafriend.php?aid=7550> where you 
can paste in the message of your choice (we provide a sample 
invitation), enter a few email addresses of friends, and invite them to 
join MLPnews. You can send your friends any message that you like, and 
our system won't add them to MLPnews unless they actually visit 
www.mlp.org and subscribe.
*C <https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/tellafriend.php?aid=7550>heck out 
our new tell-a-friend page... 
<https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/tellafriend.php?aid=7550>*


*News for supporters: MLP can now accept gifts of stock*

In response to periodic inquiries about whether it's possible to give 
donations of stock to MLP, we're happy to announce that the answer is 
now /yes/. Giving a stock donation to More Light Presbyterians is a very 
effective way to support equality. MLP receives the benefit of your 
donation and puts the funds to work for change, and the donor typically 
pays no capital gains tax on the shares plus is able to deduct the value 
of the donated shares.
*Read more...* <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051223122556893>


*"Give the gift of justice" campaign continues*

The special rollout of our new online donation site 
<https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=7550> continues 
through the end of this month, with special gifts available to people 
who contribute to MLP's work for equality securely online.  You can read 
the full details in our rollout announcement 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20051210115206886> on the MLP web 
site.


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