Reaching Out: New Meetup Group for LGBT Christians in NYC

As part of an effort to reach more people, both our peers in other LGBT Christian organizations and those looking for a spiritual home, we have founded a Meetup Group.  Unlike Facebook and other social networking services, Meetup is event-focused and automatically suggests activities to members based on what interests they choose in their profile.

In an effort to share this tool and ministry with similar organizations within other mainline denominations, we have chose to identify this group as "Believe Out Loud NYC" rather than limit it to Integrity.  We will make contact with the other area churches listed as Believe Out Loud partners in an effort to foster the kind of ecumenical cooperation the campaign espouses.

Please take a look at the Meetup Group and consider participating.  Besides events we will use it for discussions, polls and other activities to get to know other progressive Christians in the city.

Believe Out Loud Workshop at Newark Convention

On Saturday, Jan. 28th, The OASIS (the LGBT Ministry of the Diocese of Newark) and Integrity will present a workshop about the Believe Out Loud campaign at the Annual Convention of the Diocese of Newark at the Parsippany Hilton.

Believe Out Loud is a multi-denominational campaign to identify, equip and promote congregations that are inclusive and welcoming LGBT persons.  In 2010, Integrity, TransEpiscopal and the OASIS diocesan ministries in numerous dioceses undertook the work of promoting Believe Out Loud within the church.

The program, which is free, encourages congregations to intentionally include LGBT persons in their efforts to welcome visitors and newcomers.  There are educational materials available about various topics.

Resolution on Marriage Passes at NY Convention

The Committee on LGBT Concerns of the Diocese of New York proposed a resolution that was presented at our (delayed) Diocesan Convention. The resolution asks that the Bishop of the Diocese of New York interpret C056 in a manner that will allow (but not require) clergy in the Diocese to officiate at same-gender marriages as they do currently with opposite-gender couples. It also calls upon the Diocesan Convention to urge the 77th General Convention to revise the current Canons of The Episcopal Church with regard to marriage, to provide for the marriage of same-gender couples in those jurisdictions that have or will have civil marriage for same-gender couples.

For those not at Convention, the resolution on Marriage Equality passed easily. There was a motion to separate the parts, with a vote on parts 1 & 2 and then a vote on part 3 [the main part asking the bishop to allow clergy to officiate.] The vote on the first two parts was practically unanimous, and about 75% in favor of the third part. The full text of the resolution along with a brief explanation may be found here. Thank you to all those who helped support this resolution.

Eucharist & Social Scheduled for Feb. 10th

On Friday, Feb. 10th at 7:00 p.m., Integrity NYC-Metro invites everyone to join us for worship and conversation at St. Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson Street, New York.

The Rev. Jon L. Richardson, Priest-in-Charge at St. Paul's Church in Jersey City and Vice President for National Affairs for IntegrityUSA, will celebrate the Eucharist, assisted by The Rev. Deacon Kenton Curtis.  Kenton is the supervising social worker for the HIV/AIDS Initiative of The Actors Fund and serves at All Saints' Church in Manhattan.

The Rev. Jan Nunley, an award-winning journalist who helped shepherd the Episcopal Church's communications into the digital age, will offer the sermon. A reception and social hour will follow.

A special invitation is extended to past and present members of Integrity. We would like to get to know you and share a bit about what we've been up to!

St. Luke in the Fields is located at the corner of Hudson and Christopher streets in the  heart of the West Village. It is just steps away from the Christopher Street PATH station for a quick ride from New Jersey, and two short blocks from the Sheridan Square station on the #1 subway.

Prayer for the Election of a Bishop

Tomorrow, Saturday, 19th November 2011, the Episcopal Diocese of New York will meet to elect our new bishop coadjutor. We have been blessed with a wonderful list of diverse candidates from whom to choose.

The candidates are:

The Rev. Canon Andrew M. L. Dietsche

The Very Rev. Peter Eaton

The Rev. Canon John T. W. Harmon

The Very Rev. Tracey Lind

The Rev. Canon Petero A. N. Sabune

The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon

If you would like to know more about the candidates, please go to:

http://www.dioceseny.org/pages/483-coadjutor-election

As the Diocesan Organizer for Intgrity USA in the Diocese of New York, I look forward to working with whomever the diocese (and the Holdy Spirit) will elect.

Please join me as I pray:

Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a bishop for this Diocese, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for yourpeople and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Paul J. Lane

Diocesan Organizer - Diocese of New York

Integrity USA

Requiescat in Pace: Frank Goodsir (1930-2011)

Integrity NYC-Metro has learned of the recent death of Frank Goodsir, an active member of the NYC Chapter in its early days and a friend of the community.  Among Frank's recent ministries was the coordination of monthly monthly services  of the National AIDS Memorial within the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. 

We are gathering details about Frank's life and contributions, and hope to offer a more substantial tribute here in the near future. Anyone who can provide more details is requested to contact Christian Paolino, Integrity's Diocesan Coordinator (Newark) at newark@integrityusa.org.

A Memorial Service will be held this coming Saturday, November 5th at 10:30 a.m., at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York.  All members and friends of the Chapter are encouraged to attend if able.  Transit: Cathedral Pkwy (0.2 mi W)   

Parish Spotlight: Church of the Redeemer, Morristown, N.J.

A congregation with a long history of inclusion has recently placed new energy into "believing out loud."

The Church of the Redeemer, in downtown Morristown, N.J., whose mission statement describes it as "a Christian Liberation community in the Episcopal tradition," has long been a place of radical hospitality. As its marquee has proclaimed for years, persons of every identity and belief system are welcome within its doors.  It recently called a new rector, the Rev. Cynthia Black, D.D., whose dedication to social justice meshes well with the church's history.

Redeemer has a number of public events in the month of October which are of interest to our community:

• On Thursday, Oct. 13th, at 7:30 p.m., members of the congregation will host a discussion of Stephanie Spellers' 2006 book, Radical Welcome: Embracing God, The Other and the Spirit of Transformation.  The book is described as "a practical theological guide for congregations that want to move beyond mere inclusively toward becoming a place where welcoming 'the other' is taken seriously and engaging God's mission becomes more than just a catch-phrase.
•  On Sunday, Oct. 16th at 7:00 p.m., the gospel duo and same-sex couple Jason and deMarco will offer a concert to benefit S.A.F.E., a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing safe housing for LGBTQ youth and young adults throughout the United States. 
• On Thursday, Oct 20th at 7:30 p.m., Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Uganda will speak about his work with LGBT people in his country as part of a nationwide tour organized by the St. Paul's Foundation for International Reconciliation.  Bishop Christopher will also preach at Redeemer's 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, Oct. 23rd.   "Bishop Christopher is one of the most courageous people I know. At great risk to himself and to his family he has been willing to speak truth to power-- in this case, the truth of God's love to the Anglican Church of Uganda, and to the Government of Uganda," said Rev. Black.

This summer, Redeemer became the second Integrity Proud Parish Partner in the Diocese of Newark, which helps to support both Integrity's work nationally and our recently-revitalized NYC Metro Chapter.  Redeemer is also adopting the Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation marque, which was somewhat of a "no-brainer" given its place in the vanguard of LGBT inclusion in our area.

Vestry member Steve Osvold told us, “Redeemer has a long history of social action and LGBTQI inclusion, but we’re definitely seeing a new burst of energy and commitment. Some of that grew out of our response to Tyler Clementi’s death last year, but it also reflects where we are as a parish, with an energetic and visionary new rector and a desire to see what new things we can do to make the world better reflect the world Jesus described in the Gospels. Redeemer’s generally been more interested in what’s possible than in the status quo, I think, and so many people seem to be seizing on that at this moment. It’s really an exciting time to be at Redeemer!”

In the 1980s, the congregation, which at one time was one of the largest in the Diocese of Newark, was coping with dwindling membership and a perceived lack of direction or purpose.  Coping with the reality that the parish must reinvent itself or die, the members called The Rev. Philip Dana Wilson as their fifteenth rector.

Under Wilson's guidance, the congregation responded to the illness and death of one of its own from HIV/AIDS in the early 1990s.  At a time when many still refused to care for AIDS patients, the members set up an AIDS ministry and converted Redeemer's oversized rectory into the Eric Johnson House, a residence for persons with HIV/AIDS who are coping with homelessness or transition in their lives. Today the House is operated by New Jersey AIDS Services, a nonprofit separate from the church, but a symbiotic relationship with the congregation remains.

This focus on caring for the disenfranchised and underserved has blossomed into other ministries and is now at the core of the parish's identity.  These are just a few of the ministries that the congregation now participates in or supports, a textbook example of the response predicted by The Rev. Rebecca Voelkel in her study To Do Justice: A Study of Welcoming Congregations.  In her research, Rev. Voelkel found that congregations who intentionally self-identify as LGBT-welcoming experience a further "hunger and thirst for justice" which leads to further commitment to social ministry.

When the time came to search for a new Rector, the congregation knew it needed someone who shared its commitment to inclusion.  The call went to The Rev. Cynthia Black D. D., who had long served as Dean of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but was herself a product of the Diocese of Newark, ordained here in 1985. Rev. Black's own history of social justice and AIDS awareness work won her the praise of former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, who stated, "Her ability to grasp the many dimensions of any situation and to articulate them clearly and boldly have been a gift to the Council and the church."

• Watch a video of the Celebration of New Ministry for The Rev. Cynthia Black

Today, Redeemer has been blessing same-sex relationships for over twenty years. The congregation also recently started its own LGBTQIA group led by parishioner Leah Thomas, who stated, "With the death of Tyler Clementi, the Church is developing a concerted outreach to the wider LGBTQ community, both local and global. As part of this effort, we are proud to host Bishop Senyonjo to help raise awareness of the situation of LGBTQ people in Uganda."

Integrity NYC-Metro is proud to call Redeemer a partner in the work of furthering equality, and we look forward to participating in this month's events.  Redeemer is located at 36 South Street in Morristown, N.J., within walking distance of the Morristown Station on the Morristown Line of NJ Transit Railroad.

Believe Out Loud - Welcoming and Affirming Parish Workshop in NYC on October 2, 2011

Believe Out Loud - Welcoming and Affirming Parish Workshop
Saturday, Oct 1 from Noon to 6:00pm
LGBT Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York NY 10011

Is your parish welcoming and affirming of LGBT persons? Are you as welcoming and affirming as you would like to be? Many unchurched lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT] people in your community are spiritually searching. They are looking for a faith community where they will be welcomed and affirmed as beloved children of God. You can encourage them to visit and join your parish by becoming a Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation. An Integrity Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation is a mission or parish of our denomination that publicly welcomes and affirms LGBT people and that has completed a simple 3 step process.
Believe Out Loud is a program being used by 16 different main-line denominations as a means of learning to become more welcoming and affirming of LGBT people. Come and learn how your parish can become an Integrity Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation.
The workshop is free to Integrity members, there is a small fee for non-members to cover costs.
For details and to register go to: http://integrityusa.givezooks.com/events/believe-out-loud-workshop-nyc

For more information contact: Paul J. Lane, Diocesan Organizer-New York, Integrity USA at newyork@integrityusa.org

Integrity/NYC-Metro and New York State Same-Sex Marriage

We are very happy that the elected representatives of New York State, have recognized lifelong commitments between people of the same sex, as marriage. We pray for the day that this recognition will take hold in every state in our country, and at the federal level of government.

Integrity's vision for the Church is this: "all the sacraments for all the baptized." We understand this as meaning that one standard--prayerful, thoughtful, and equitable--should be spelled out and applied to both heterosexual and LGBT people.

We recognize that the different bishops of the dioceses in New York State are interpreting the "generous pastoral response" permitted at General Convention in 2009, in varying ways. While Integrity would rejoice if all bishops were to immediately solemnize marrriages, we realize that this is not immediately likely for varying reasons, and we urge charity and pastoral engagement on all sides in other dioceses.

Vindictive language and attribution of evil motives on any side are profoundly unchristian, wound the heart of God, and provide fodder to anti-Christians who believe the church is evil.

The Episcopal Church has existing canons regarding the solemnization of marriage. While these use male-female language that we believe needs changing, Integrity does not see any reason to request that clergy exempt same-sex couples from the reasonable and healthy requirements contained in these rules, among them:

• Each partner is free to marry, freely consents to the marriage, and intends that the marriage be lifelong.
• The couple intends that the marriage take place in the context of the Christian community that is the church.
• At least one of the parties is baptized.
• The couple has completed appropriate pre-marital counseling from the cleric performing the marriage or some other approved person.
• Any (and all) previous marriages and/or domestic partnerships have been dissolved legally and evidence of this has been provided to the cleric.
• Any former spouse(s) and children have been and are being treated justly. (In some parishes, this is understood as being current on any and all child and spousal support.)
• Where necessary, the appropriate bishop has given consent.
• Thirty days' advance notice has been provided to the cleric. (The canons state this can be waived for a serious reason. Since there is no reason at this point to expect that the right to marriage in New York is going to be revoked soon, there would need to be a more weighty reason than a strong desire to be among the first married under the new law.)

All clergy, church lay people, and seekers wishing to be married should remember that both the state and the Episcopal Church are very, very clear that no cleric should feel pressured into performing any particular marriage--by a couple, their families, friends, or ethnic/cultural mores.

We urge all parishes, regardless of their stance on same-sex weddings, to update their websites with accurate, complete, and current information regarding their wedding policies, so that seekers may find and read it before making contact.

For other questions or information,please contact Integrity/NYC-Metro at integritynyc@gmail.com.

Integrity NYC-Metro & FaithStreet Offer Workshops to Enhance Your Parish's Web Presence

If you haven't seen the current edition of The Episcopal New Yorker, click here and check out the fine introduction to FaithStreet.com, a new Web directory of New York area churches. 

Integrity/NYC-Metro and FaithStreet.com are partnering to offer Episcopal churches a two-hour free evening workshop on how to create or improve your parish's web presence for free or at minimal expense. While this workshop is designed for parishes that have limited technical resources, all are welcome. There are two sessions--one on July 19th in Washington Heights at the Church of the Intercession, and one on August 2nd at Grace Church, West Farms, in the Bronx.

Click here to respond to this invitation.

July 19th at 6:45 p.m.

Church of the Intercession

550 West 155th Street

New York, NY 
Transit: 157 St (0.1 mi N)  

August 2nd at 6:45 p.m.
Grace Church West Farms
1909 Vyse Avenue
Bronx, NY
Transit: West Farms Sq - E Tremont Av (0.2 mi E) 

New York City Pride Day - 2011

by Paul J. Lane, Diocesan Organizer for Integrity, Diocese of New York


Pride Week in New York has been quite a whirl-wind. Each morning we woke up hoping that today would be the day that Marriage Equality finally came to New York State, and each evening we went to bed disappointed as the State Senate worked into the night without bringing Marriage Equality to a vote. That is until Friday night, when the Republican controlled Senate brought the matter to the floor. (Without this turning into a civics lesson, let me just say that, in New York, the majority party controls which bills come to the floor for a vote and most bills are never brought to the floor unless passage is almost assured.)

There was literally dancing in the streets of Greenwich Village when the vote came in. I know. I was there.

As we in Integrity continue our own march toward the full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments, as Episcopalians we are not always the best at getting our message of full inclusion out to the wider community. The visible participation of the Episcopal Church / Integrity in Pride Events is one of the ways that we can do this, so, on Sunday afternoon, June 26th, Episcopalians and their friends from the Dioceses of New York, Long Island and Newark, as well as further afield, began to gather on East 37th Street in preparation for our turn on Fifth Avenue.

We were soon joined by the Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of New York who has marched in many New York City LGBT Pride Marches in the past and will be retiring at the end of the year.


The march began at noon, but it was almost 4:00 p.m. before the Episcopalian contingent began marching down the Avenue. The turn-out of both participants and spectators was far greater this year than in years past. Once upon the avenue we were joined by our float, funded in part by a grant from Integrity USA.

The Bishop joined us on the float only to find the Rev. Jon M. Richardson, Vice President for National Affairs for Integrity USA.

The view down Fifth Avenue from 34th Street was enough to take your breath away.


Preceding the float were banners from both the Episcopal Diocese of New York (pictured above with Bp. Roskam) and Integrity NYC Metro.


We then marched proudly down Fifth Avenue to Greenwich village along with many local Episcopal parishes.









We arrived in Greenwich Village at about 6:00 p.m., giving us enough time to rest before attending the traditional Festive Evensong for LGBT Pride at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields, an Integrity Proud Parish Partner.





The church was packed with over 300 Episcopalians, Lutherans and friends as Bishop Roskam processed down the aisle in a rain-bow cope, preceded by the Rt. Rev. Andrew St-John, parish clergy and the Rev. Dr. Patrick S. Cheng, theologian and Assistant Professor at the Episcopal Divinity School who was to be our preacher for the evening and who, coincidentally, had had his union blessed at St. Luke’s in June 11 years earlier. A reception followed and was enjoyed by all.

Photos by Br. Millard Cook n/BSG, Paul J. Lane and Vincent Chiumento

Marriage Equality

As Diocesan Organizer for Integrity USA in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, I can do nought but congratulate those politcians and especially those activists who have made Marriage Equalit a reality in New York State. I am proud to represent a diocese that stood up for eqality in civil marriage by an overwhelming majority at convention several years ago.

A special thanks must go out to Michael Sabatino and his husand, Robert Vooheis, two members of Zion Episcopal Church in Dobbs Ferry. They have worked tirelessly with MENY in order that this day should come.

Join us at the Pride March. Sunday, 26th June. Meet on 37th Street between 5th and Madison between 12:30 and 1:00pm. We really have something to celebrate..

Paul J. Lane

Eucharist Before the NYC Pride March

Integrity NYC Metro has been invited to join in the regular 11:00am Sunday Eucharist at the Church of the Transfiguration (The Little Church Around the Corner), 1 East 29th Street. We will proceed to the March from there. (A 10 minute walk.)

http://www.littlechurch.org

Please join us.

(The streets and side-walks of the East 30's are not conducive to a pre-March Street Eucharist.)

Pride March Information is Here

WE ARE IN SECTION 11 / GROUP 15. WE NEED TO BE LINED UP ON EAST 37TH STREET, BETWEEN 5TH AND MADISON, BY 1:00PM.
(Although we probably won't start marching right away.)

THE NYPD DOES NOT ALLOW MARCHERS TO JOIN THE MARCH ENROUTE.

All who are able should meet on East 37th Street.
The float will join us once we are on 5th Avenue.
If you need to ride the float, please contact Paul Lane at newyork@integrityusa.org

...

The Episcopal Church has, for years, been in the forefront of the full inclusion of LGBT persons in all of the sacraments. While we may not yet have attained all of our goals, we are well on our way. This is one of the most visual and important ways that we have of reaching out to the LGBT Community, many of whom have given up on or been driven away from any organized religion.

Integrity NYC Metro has partnered with LGBT Concerns Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and many parishes and individuals arranged for a float and DJ in the 2011 LGBT Pride March.

The March takes place on Sunday, June 26, 2011. It will proceed down Fifth Avenue from the lower 30s to its usual end point on Christopher and Greenwich Streets in the West Village. All you need to do to participate is show up. All are encouraged to come and bring their parish banner.

If you have any questions, please contact Paul Lane at 646-456-8705 or lgbtconcerns@dioceseny.org

Partial funding for the float has been provided through a grant from Integrity USA.

We apologize for the delay in getting this information to you, however, NYC Pride did not publish the Order of March until Monday, 20th June.

Bishop Sisk Expands on His Recent Letter to the New York Times

May 23, 2011



In a letter published May 16 in the New York Times in reference to same-sex civil unions, and reproduced below, Bishop Sisk expressed his support for equal rights for all before the law, and applauded the fact that at the Diocesan Convention in Nov 2008 the Episcopal Diocese of New York as a whole had voted in support of legislation to enable such unions in New York State.



"When expressing views in this format, however, it is not always possible to be as nuanced as one would like," he said, expanding on the letter. "I want to make it clear that I do not mean to suggest that every Episcopalian, either elsewhere in the country or here in the Diocese of New York, agrees with me on this - I speak only for myself and for the majority of the Diocese who voted in favor of the legislation. A sizable minority - although I do believe it is a minority - disagrees, in some cases strongly. Those people's views are honestly and prayerfully held, and deserve to be listened to with respect."



Bishop Sisk also drew the important distinction between the support of people of faith for equal rights for all before the law - and hence their right to be legally married - and the far more complex and difficult issue of the sacramental character of gay and lesbian unions. "Opinions within the Episcopal Church are far more widely varied on whether or not such unions should be recognized within the Church, and if recognized, what the nature of that recognition should be," he said. "At The Episcopal Church's General Convention in 2009, legislation was passed calling for a renewed pastoral response from the church in light of changing circumstances in civil legislation regarding marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian persons. It also provided for an open process for the consideration of theological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same gender relationships and urged the honoring of the theological diversity of our church in regard to matters of human sexuality. That process is still continuing."



The text of the Bishop's letter to was as follows:



To the Editor:

Not all people of faith oppose the granting of equal civil rights without regard to gender orientation ("Faith Groups Campaign to Block Gay Marriage," news article, May 6).

Speaking personally, I support the proposed New York legislation. So too, I am happy to say, does the Episcopal Diocese of New York, which voted in 2008 to call on the governor and the Legislature to enact it.





(Rt. Rev.) MARK S. SISK

Episcopal Bishop of New York

New York, May 9, 2011