[MLPnews] MLPnews January 30, 2006

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MLP News

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

	

Volume 3
Issue 1
  Jan. 30, 2006



 

 

 


In this issue:

    - The MLP Nashville Conference: Feb. 10-12
    - Three more delete-B concurrences strengthen the call for equality
    - San Francisco Presbytery passes a delete-B concurrence
    - Cincinnati Presbytery passes overture to amend anti-gay 1978
    policy statement
    - Seeking a Faith to Love, and a Welcoming Church: 2005 and 2006 for MLP
    - MLP at the National Welcoming Church Leaders' Summit
    - Another Jensen attack fails: accusation against Rev. Jim Rigby
    results in no charges
    - MLP releases new DVD and study guide

*The MLP Nashville Conference: Feb. 10-12*
*Realizing the Dream: Equipping Ourselves for Change*
Feb 10 -12, Nashville, TN

Give yourself the gift of sanctuary this February in a welcoming and 
affirming community, celebrating our faith and who we are as God's 
children, while strengthening your skills at working for change in your 
local church.  February 10 - 12 are the dates and Vanderbilt Divinity 
School is the place.  Our keynote speaker is Naomi Tutu, daughter of 
South African Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu.  
Workshop leaders include MLP National Field Organizer Michael Adee; MLP 
co-moderator Erin Swenson; Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church Pastor 
Emeritus Hal Porter; and Trinity Presbytery member Janet Edwards.

Please feel free to share this conference notice within your church, 
youth group, campus ministry, seminary community, MLP Chapter or network.
*Read the full conference description... 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060109154022439>*
*Register online... <http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=sjregtn>*



*Three more delete-B concurrences strengthen the call for equality*

In rapid succession, three more presbyteries have passed either a 
"delete-B" equality overture or a concurrence with the original 
Heartland Presbytery delete-B overture 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20050419234203172>. These 
additional overtures bring the total number of equality overtures headed 
for the 2006 General Assembly to 20.  The first of the three was 
Redwoods Presbytery, which on January 21 voted to concur with the 
Heartland overture by a vote of 64-16.  The second was Boston 
Presbytery, which passed a delete-B overture on January 23 by a close 
vote of 42-40. MLP's field organizer Michael Adee provides some 
additional information:
*Read more...* <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060128103935962>


*San Francisco Presbytery passes a delete-B concurrence*

On Tuesday evening Jan. 10, the Presbytery of San Francisco passed a 
concurrence with the Heartland Presbytery delete-B overture 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20050419234203172> by a vote of 
118 in favor, 95 opposed. 10 different churches within the Presbytery 
all cooperated to bring the overture: Old First 
<http://www.oldfirst.org/>, Bethel Community, Westminster Hills, St. 
John's <http://www.stjohns.presbychurch.net/>, Seventh Avenue 
<http://www.seventhavenuechurch.org/>, Noe Valley Ministry 
<http://www.noevalleyministry.org/>, Clayton Valley, Northminster, First 
Livermore <http://www.fpc-livermore.org/index.html>, and Montclair 
<http://www.mpcfamily.org/>. This vote of 55% in favor of equality is 
consistent with past voting patterns in San Francisco presbytery, with a 
slight increase in the percentage of "yes" votes compared to 2001.
*Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060111221903891>*


*Cincinnati Presbytery passes overture to amend anti-gay 1978 policy 
statement*
Cincinnati Presbytery passes overture to amend 1978 GA Policy Statement 
on homosexuality - a call from the Midwest for change!

A historic step toward reconciliation between the Presbyterian Church 
(USA) and its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members and their 
families was made today by the Presbytery of Cincinnati, which voted to 
send an overture to the 2006 General Assembly calling on the Assembly to 
delete seven of the most egregiously anti-gay statements from church 
policy documents.  [...]

Advocates for the overture said removal of the demeaning and hateful 
statements aligns with the Presbytery's goal of creating a culture of 
respect. As significant, the overture will provide another opportunity 
at the General Assembly this summer for our Denomination to dialogue, 
clarify and act in good conscience in welcoming all persons to our Church.
*Read the full article... 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060114131841577>*


*Seeking a Faith to Love, and a Welcoming Church: 2005 and 2006 for MLP*

/Some reflections on the past year and the new from MLP field organizer 
Michael Adee.
/
The pivoting of time into a new year offers much promise mixed with 
challenges and opportunities for those of us committed to a welcoming 
and affirming Church for persons of all sexual orientations and gender 
identities, our families and allies. [...]

2005 was an extraordinary year for MLP and the More Light Movement in 
our Church. Three new churches declared themselves communities of 
witness by affiliating as "More Light" welcoming and affirming churches: 
Faith Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX; Good Shepherd Presbyterian 
Church, Chicago, IL; and history being made in South Carolina with our 
first More Light Church in that state, North Anderson Community Church, 
Presbyterian, Anderson, SC.
*Read the full article...* 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060117223252716>



*MLP at the National Welcoming Church Leaders' Summit*
/An early-January report from our field organizer Michael Adee./

National Ecumenical Welcoming Church Leaders' Summit and Tribute to 
Martha Juillerat & the Shower of Stoles Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Hello from Minneapolis this first week of the New Year and Epiphany. I 
am attending a week-long National Ecumenical Welcoming Church Leaders' 
Summit. National leaders from ten denominations in the USA and Canada 
are participating.  This Welcoming Church Program Leader's network is 
composed of national church leaders from their denomination or faith 
tradition's national welcoming and affirming congregationallly-based 
program. WCPL has a tradition of meeting twice a year for strategic 
planning, resource development, skills-building and spiritual nurture.
*Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060108121656715>*


*Another Jensen attack fails: accusation against Rev. Jim Rigby results 
in no charges** *

Back in September 2004, we featured a news item 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20040918201434916> about a 
judicial attack launched against Rev. Jim Rigby of More Light church St. 
Andrews Presbyterian <http://www.staopen.com/> in Austin, TX. Rev. Rigby 
was accused of violating Presbyterian rules for conducting a same-gender 
holy union ceremony, a service permitted by church judicial rulings 
<http://www.mlp.org/resources/hu_dobbs_gapjc.html>.  Last week, the 
Investigating Committee charged to examine the facts surrounding the 
latest attack against Rev. Rigby declined to file charges against him. 
The Austin American-Statesman has published an article 
<http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/24RIGBY.html> 
about this resolution -- extracts appear below.

*No church trial for Austin pastor*
Presbyterian leader avoids charges for role in gay marriages and ordination.

The Rev. Jim Rigby, pastor of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in North 
Austin, will not face charges within his church for his role in the 
ordination of gay elders and for blessing couples at a gay marriage 
demonstration.
*Read more...* <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060129133044391>

*
MLP releases new DVD and study guide*
*
*Volume 4 of our popular video interview series, Project Hearts & Minds 
<http://www.mlp.org/heartsandminds>, has just completed production. It 
includes 30-minute interviews with MLP board member and San Francisco 
Theological Seminary graduate Heather Reichgott; filmmaker Pam Walton, 
director and producer of /Call to Witness/, a documentary about the 
struggle of LGBT people for equality within the Lutheran Church; PFLAG 
dad and proud parent Ken Klucsor; and more. As with all of our DVDs, a 
facilitator's guide 
<http://www.mlp.org/heartsandminds/facil-guide-vol4.pdf> is available 
with questions that a leader can use as conversation starters after a 
group has watched one of the shows.  To order a copy of this new DVD or 
any of the others in our video series, go to the Hearts & Minds 
information and order page <http://www.mlp.org/heartsandminds> for 
descriptions and online ordering.


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