Integrity Exec. Director Harry Knox Preaches at Intercession NYC

On Sunday, June 3, the Rev. Harry Knox, Interim Executive Director of IntegrityUSA, offered the sermon at the Church of the Intercession, the latest Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation in the NYC-Metro area.

Intercession describes itself as follows: "We are a community of followers of Jesus in the tradition of the Episcopal Church. As Episcopalians we strive to be a middle way between the Catholic and Protestant traditions of Christianity. At Intercession you will be surrounded by a beautiful building but more importantly in an open and welcoming community. Our community is multicultural and worships in English and Spanish."

Intercession is located at 550 West 155th St. (at Broadway).

Transit:

• 157 St. (Broadway)
• 155 St. (St. Nicholas)

Sunday services are as follows:

• 8 a.m. Said Mass in English
• 10 a.m. Sung Mass in English
• 12:30 Santa Misa en español 

 We commend it to you as a welcoming community of faith.


Integrity is in the midst of raising funds for its presence at General Convention, the triennial legislative gathering of the entire Episcopal Church.  Slightly more than half of the $110,000 budget has been raised.  These funds help us provide a diverse range of voices from the LGBT community, many of whom would not otherwise be able to attend.  Please give if you are able.

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.

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.

Coming Out as Christian at GAAMC

On Monday, April 4th, three of us "came out" at a regular meeting of the Gay Activist Alliance of Morris County (GAAMC), the oldest LGBT community organization in New Jersey... as Christians.

Given  the ongoing controversy over what the Bible (and, thus, God) is really saying about same-sex attraction in the way we understand it today, it is not surprising that the intersection of these two worlds is a  thorny one, and there is considerable distrust or at least bemusement at those who claim to be both.  And yet, that is where many of us find ourselves.  Our visit was intended to witness to our own very different experiences, and also to let people know that there are many Christian congregations in the area of various denominations where they will be welcomed, as part of the Believe Out Loud welcoming congregation program.  Integrity, the national organization for LGBT Episcopalians, is working with its peer organizations in thirteen other denominations to identify and support congregations that are striving to be more welcoming and affirming.

As it turned out, there were members of three different Episcopal congregations in the audience.  They also shared testimony of how they had been made to feel welcome, some after very negative experiences in other churches.  Others expressed pleasant surprise that there were so many places taking intentional steps to be more inclusive.

Some good networking followed the event, and we hope to forge cooperation with folks that are already "believing out loud" in their own congregations to keep building the groundswell of inclusion.  Panelists were The Rev. Robert Solon, Vicar at St. Thomas' Church in Vernon, N.J.; Mary O'Shaughnessy, Convenor of Integrity NYC-Metro; and Christian Paolino, Diocesan Organizer (Newark) for IntegrityUSA and a member of the OASIS Commission, the Episcopal Diocese of Newark's ministry to LGBT persons.

Much thanks to Sherry Rase, the program coordinator at GAAMC, for her assistance and hospitality.

By Grace Alone

In the context of encouraging Presbyterians to vote for Amendment 10-A, which would drop restrictions on LGBT clergy, The Rev. Dr. Arlo Duba makes an excellent Biblical case for inclusion in a piece titled By Grace Alone.

The Presbyterian Church USA, under the auspices of the organization More Light Presbyterians, is one of the denominational partners of Believe Out Loud.  Rev. Duba is the Former Director of Admission & Director of Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Former Dean at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

Break the Silence Concert: More Details

Three renowned LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) choirs will come together for the first time to sing sacred and spiritual music, while lending their own unique voices to advance the existing Christian movement for LGBT equality.  The concert will take place in New York City at one of the oldest Christian institutions in the United States – Marble Collegiate Church.  The entire event is an initiative of the Believe Out Loud project, which is managed by the Collegiate Churches non-profit organization, Intersections International.

The three choirs are:

• The New York City Gay Men's Chorus, which has appeared at such venues as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall and performed alongside such stars as Liza Minnelli, Stephen Sondheim, Carol Channing and Eartha Kitt.  From Town Hall to City Hall, from the advent of AIDS to the struggle for marriage equality, the NYCGMC and its more than 250 members have been producing innovative programs and serving the LGBT community for more than 30 years.
• The Anna Crusis Women's Choir, the longest running women's choir in the United States, was founded in Philadelphia in 1975.  In addition to being a premier performing arts group, they are an agent for social change that tackles issues facing LGBT persons and other disadvantaged populations.
• Lavender Light Gospel Choir, a men and women's chorus, was founded in 1985.  The group consists of several ethnic and spiritual backgrounds, and provides a special ministry to African-American gays and lesbians—a constituency who have historically been pressured within their communities to choose between their race and orientation.

Sung Won Park, director of Believe Out Loud and all LGBT programming for Intersections International, called the coming together of the three choirs "a historical event to shout out God's love for all people, especially those who have been marginalized by the church as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

"The time has come for us to take a stand," said Park, "and let the world know that being silent about our support of LGBT equality equals shutting the doors to the sanctuaries for these individuals."
Believe Out Loud, a trans-denominational movement to promote LGBT-inclusion in the Christian church, has begun a three-year drive to get one million progressive Christian voices to believe out loud and show the public that an all-inclusive Christian collective can save lives.  According to a recent poll conducted by Public Religion Research Institute, an astounding two-thirds of the respondents see a direct connection "between messages coming from America's places of worship and higher rates of suicide among gay and lesbian youth." (http://www.publicreligion.org/research/?id=426)

Within the Episcopal Church, IntegrityUSA, along with TransEpiscopal, The OASIS and other diocesan LGBT ministries, has adopted the brand"Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregations" for those churches who are intentionally welcoming and affirming of LGBT people.

"The church should serve to affirm life for all people," said Park.  "But if two-thirds of the public believes the church is not affirming life when it comes to LGBT people, it is a wake-up call to all churches to shift this perspective."

Believe Out Loud is an unprecedented coalition of the nation's leading religious and secular LGBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Gays & Lesbians Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Progressive Christians Uniting; Public Religion Research; Christian Community Inc.; The Religious Institute; Many Voices; The Association for Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (American Baptist Church USA); Gay, Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance (Christian Church/Disciples of Christ); Integrity USA (Episcopal Church); Lutherans Concerned (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America); More Light Presbyterians (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)); The Coalition for LGBT Concerns (United Church of Christ); and The Reconciling Ministries Network (United Methodist Church).

Break the Silence Concert

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On Sunday, February 20th, Intersections International presents a spectacular concert to benefit Believe Out Loud, the multi-denominational revolution of welcome that's sparking new ways of thinking in churches across the country.

Join us for Break the Silence, an afternoon of spectacular music and celebration featuring the Anna Crusis Women’s Choir of Philadelphia, the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and the Lavender Light Gospel Choir at the beautiful Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. Proceeds benefit the Believe Out Loud project, a collaboration of Intersections International, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force's Institute of Welcoming Resources, and twelve Christian denominations. Within the Episcopal Church, Integrity and the various OASIS diocesan LGBT outreach programs, along with TransEpiscopal, are working with congregations to promote inclusion. For more information on Believe Out Loud within the Episcopal Church, visit An Invitation to Become a Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation.

Tickets are $20.00 in advance; $15.00 for groups of five or more; and $25.00 at the door.

For more information, contact James Rowe at Intersections International.

WHEN:  Sunday, Feb. 20th at 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Marble Collegiate Church, 3 W 29 St, New York, NY
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
- Subway: 28th & Broadway (N,R) 28th & Lexington (4,6)
- Bus: X27 (5th Ave & W 30 St)


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November Round-Up

Integrity Participation at the 234th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of New York

Integrity NYC Metro leadership attended the 234th Convention of the Diocese of New York, held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on November 13th, 2010. Paul Lane, the Diocesan Organizer for New York coordinated a table partnership between the Chapter and the LGBT Concerns Committee of the Diocese. Chap Day (Provincial Coordinator, Province II) and Esteban Giron (outgoing Acting Convener) helped staff the table. We had information about Believe Out Loud (brochures and buttons), as well as Integrity membership brochures. A good 50 of each were taken, if not more! We had very positive feedback. Additionally, Bishop Sisk announced a special convention for the election of a Bishop Co-Adjutor, to be held on October 29th, 2011. Bishop Sisk made it clear that although the diocese will be choosing a Bishop Co-Adjutor, to serve as the 16th Bishop of New York upon Bishop Sisk's retirement. Bishop Sisk made it clear that he is not going to be going anywhere in the near future. Bishop Roskam announced her retirement effective January 1st, 2012. Additionally,

The Rt. Rev. Mark Sisk

Trans Day of Remembrance Participation
On Friday, November 19th, Paul Lane, Chap Day, Mary O'Shaughnessy, Michale Mallon and Tina Cioffi (all Integrity NYC Metro board members) attended the Trans Day of Remembrance hosted at the New York LGBT Center. The event was co-sponsored by Gender Identity Project, Human Rights Campaign, and the Church of St. Luke in the Fields. The Rev. Mary Foulke (of St. Luke's) offered an invocation. Integrity NYC members were honored to attend and stand in solidarity with the Trans community.

Welcoming Congregation Workshop Participation

Chap Day, Rev. Susan Copley, Rev. Br. Tobias Haller, BSG

On Saturday, the 20th of November, the Committe on LGBT Concerns of the Diocese of New York sponsored a Welcoming Congregation workshop at St. Ann's Church Morrisania in the Bronx. Integrity NYC Metro Board Members Christian Paolino, Paul Lane, Br. Millard Cook, n/BSG, Mary O'Shaughnessy, Michael Cudney, and Chap Day attended. Paul and Michel, serving in their dual roles as members of the LGBT Concerns Committee helped organize the event. Mary and Chap served as speakers. The Rev. Susan Copley from Christ Church Tarrytown told her own story of moving to full inclusion. The Rev. Tobias Haller, BSG offered a moving reflection on LGBT inclusion that is reproduced on his blog In a Godward Direction.



NEW CONVENER FOR INTEGRITY NYC METRO

Mary O'Shaughnessy

Chap Day (Provincial Coordinator, Province II), Paul Lane (Diocesan Organizer, New York), and Christian Paolino (Diocesan Organizer, Newark) are proud to announce the Board election of Mary O'Shaughnessy as the chapter's new Convener. As you may know, Esteban Giron has served as the acting convener after the resignation of David Casey. Chap, Paul, and Christian thank Esteban for taking up the mantle of David for the interim period. Mary will chair her first board meeting on the 28th.



If anyone is interested in joining the Board of New York, please contact Chap, Paul, or Christian. The Board is asked to be dues-paying members of Integrity USA, and to participate in the planning and implementing of activities related to Integrity NYC Metro. Chap can be reached at chap@integrityusa.org; Paul and Christian can be reached at newyork@integrityusa.org and newark@integrityusa.org, respectively.

A Message from Integrity NYC Metro on the Anniversary of the Death of Matthew Shepard

The Passion of Matthew Shepard
by Father William Hart McNichols

We address this message to you on the anniversary Matthew Shepard’s death The brutal murder of this young gay man (coincidentally an Episcopalian) in 1998 sparked a conversation with mainstream America about violence against LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people.

This past weekend, members of your Integrity NYC Metro Leadership Team had the privilege of meeting with over 300 Christians from more than 12 denominations at the Believe Out Loud Power Summit in Orlando, Florida. This extraordinary opportunity for worship, witness and networking is just part of an historic nationwide ecumenical inclusive church movement that is still unfolding. It was the birthplace of numerous local and regional initiatives about which you will be hearing in the next few months.

Our collective and individual joy was tempered by the continuing barrage of news stories about violence and prejudice towards LGBTQ persons, much of it in our own area. In just the past few weeks we have seen a number of suicides, three separate acts of anti-LGBTQ violence, and a string of hateful rhetoric by a high-profile political candidate.

None of these are new phenomena. LGBTQ people of all ages (and those perceived to be “queer” simply by the way they present themselves) are far more likely to commit suicide than other populations. Violence against our communities persists, in part, because it is still considered “okay” by many in our society to make hurtful and biased statements about us, and in many cases they do so without censure.

Much progress has occurred in the years since Matthew’s murder. Some feel the burst of violence we are witnessing be may be a reaction to that progress. Much remains to be done. To that end, Integrity, the leading voice for full inclusion within the Episcopal Church, has joined with its ecumenical partners in adopting the Believe Out Loud program to create visible and intentional congregational welcome. An Integrity representative will be contacting your congregation in the coming months to discuss this program and encourage you to consider taking part. We hope you will see this -- as we do -- as a witness of our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of every human being.

Believe Out Loud Workshop - Province I & II, Danbury CT, 23-24 Jul

About Believe Out Loud:

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.

A 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, three-phase process. If your parish qualifies, I invite you to register as a Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation

Believe Out Loud is a "franchise" being utilized by Integrity USA and endorsed by OASIS, TransEpiscopal, and various diocesan level LGBT committees and ministries to designate Episcopal Parishes that are welcoming, inclusive, and celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people - people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Believe Out Loud is being utilized by multiple denominations as a standard for identifying and gauging inclusive churches. PCUSA, ELCA, UMC, UCC, Disciples of Christ, and some American Baptists have already begun utilizing this process, though they may call it by different names.

The Workshop:

Start Time: Friday, July 23, 2010 at 12:00pm

End Time: Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 5:00pm

Location: St. James Episcopal Church

Street: 25 West St

City/Town: Danbury, CT

Who Should Attend?

Any Episcopalian who wants to learn how he or she can help make their parish and diocese become more welcoming and affirming of LGBT folk. Current and prospective chapter leaders and diocesan organizers are especially encouraged to register. Although this event is primarily for those who live in Province 1 and 2, participants from other states are welcome.

Trainers

The workshop will be facilitated by:

Neil Houghton, Vice President for Local Affairs

John-Albert Moseley, Province 1 Coordinator

Chap James Day, Province 2 Coordinator

Lodging:

You are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. A courtesy block of 16 rooms has been reserved for July 23rd at the following hotel. The rate is $109 single or double. Mention "Integrity" when making your reservation. Reservations must be made by June 25th to receive the quoted rate.

The Ethan Allen Hotel

21 Lake Avenue Extension

Danbury, Connecticut 06811-9956800-742-1776 toll free

203-744-1776 local

A few local Integrity members may be willing to host guests in their homes at no cost. If you would like to take advantage of this offer, please indicate this when you register.

Cost:

There is no registration fee for this workshop. However, you are responsible for your own travel, lodging, and meal expenses unless otherwise stated.

Scholarships:

A limited number of $150 scholarships are available to help defray participant's travel and lodging costs. If you would like to take advantage of this offer, please indicate this when you register.

Meals Included:

The following meals will be provided:

Buffet Dinner on Friday, July 23rd

Continental Breakfast on Saturday, July 24th

Boxed Luncheon on Saturday, July 24th

If you have special dietary needs or preference, please indicate this when you register.

Accessibility:

The meeting venue is wheelchair accessible. If you require other accommodation [such as an ASL interpreter, please indicate this when you register.

Air Travel & Ground Transportation:

The Westchester County Airport [HPN] is the closest to Danbury. Several budget airlines serve this location.

Danbury is approximately 45 minutes by car from the airport.

Danbury is accessible from Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Take Metro-North's New Haven Line (red) to Stamford, CT and transfer to the Danbury connector. The trip is estimated at a little over 2 hours. The Danbury Station is walking distance to St. James Church.

For fares and schedule, consult the MTA website.

Registration

Click here - > Registration

Questions:

If you any questions, please contact...

John-Albert Moseley, Province 1 Coordinator

860-604-0730

john-albert.moseley@yale.edu

Chap James Day, Province 2 Coordinator

(347) 840-1700

chap@integrityusa.org

The Diocese of NY's Welcoming Church Workshop at Christ Church, Tarrytown

A Message from Integrity NYC-Metro's newest Board Member Millard Cook:

Dear Friends and Family,

I spent the first part of the day yesterday in Tarrytown attending the "Welcoming Church" workshop at Christ Church. I had a lovely train ride up (and back) with amazing views of the Hudson River and of New Jersey across the way. And I do not think I had ever seen most of Tarrytown previously--certainly I had never been to Christ Church before.

I really enjoyed the workshop and find it to be challenging and thought-provoking. I discovered many resources that I had not known of previously and plan to spend some time exploring them. The three things that touched me most were the stories of individuals to find a real church home, the stories of congregations to become really inclusive and finally some new insight into the status of the struggle-on a diocesan, national, and Anglican Communion level.

Many (I would like to think most) of our parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of New York are welcoming. That is a big step forward and must certainly be acknowledged. And yet, there is a gap. Not all are really inclusive. And there is a difference! It is one thing to say that "anyone is welcome to attend" and entirely another to say that the gifts, talents, and resources of every person are wanted and needed. It takes courage to invite "others" to become active, and ultimately even to become involved in leadership of a parish. The question of to what degree the "other" is fully integrated into the parish is not always an easy one to answer.

The other question, and a far-more challenging one for me, is the degree to which the parish publicly indicates that it really is both welcoming and inclusive. What language is used? What symbols are displayed? How is the message effectively communicated?

I attended this workshop because I have been asked to serve on the Steering Committee of the New York Chapter of Integrity. And so I was very pleased to learn more about the amazing work that has already been accomplished in the EDNY--I could not say enough good things about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns Committee. And, I was really astonished by Christ Church--clearly there are some wonderful things happening there.

On a final note, although this was a workshop to explore the degree to which LGBTQ people are welcomed into congregations and then are included in the life of the community, I constantly found myself thinking that the very same methodology could be used for any group. The same issues exist for any group of person who is perceived (at least by some) as "different" or "other." And if the goal is for parishes to be truly diverse, welcoming and inclusive--that takes a lot of intentional, difficult, and perhaps even painful work. One of the Integrity slogans that I like most is "All the Sacraments for All the Baptized." What a wonderful goal.

With Much Love,

Millard 

A native of the Beech Mountain Community of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Millard came to St. Bartholomew's after a varied and colorful past in which he served in ministry, as an educator, and as a technical support trainer and technician for relational databases. Along the way he earned a B.A. in history (Appalachian State University) two masters degrees in theology (M.A. in Systematic Theology and the M.Div. from St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA) and two masters degrees in history (M.A. and M.Phil. in Early Modern European history from Fordham University). For 15 years Millard was a Benedictine monk of St, Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe (the oldest Benedictine monastery in the US) and served for 12 years as a Roman Catholic priest (mostly in the Archdiocese of New York). A dedicated student of Romance languages, he earned minors in French and Spanish and after high school lived for a semester in France. He was worked hard to maintain his fluency in conversational French and Spanish. Millard has been a parishioner of St. Bart's for almost three years and describes the day that he was received by Bishop Catherine Roskam as one of the most meaningful experiences of his adult life. Millard is the son of Janice Storie Davis and the younger brother of Jackie Miller and Debbie Nobles-all of NC. He is a proud uncle of three nephews and of six great-nephews and nieces and an avid amateur photographer, reader, and music lover (everything from Southern Gospel to Pop Latino). In 2009, Millard was accepted as a postulant in the Brotherhood of St. Gregory. 

This May Millard has joined the Steering Committee of Integrity NYC-Metro.

Integrity USA will be hosting intensive workshops focusing on building more Inclusive and Welcoming Churches over the next few months, called Believe Out Loud. The Province II workshop will be hosted in Danbury, CT and co-run with Province I.  This workshop is for congregations that wish to start or continue their Welcome program with resources from a national Episcopal program.  Click here for Registration Details.

The Human Rights Crisis in Uganda Seminar - Tues 23 Mar, 7pm at Riverside Church

Other Sheep and Maranatha of Riverside Church are Hosting this Seminar

Political Research Associates Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma, author of "Globalizing the Culture Wars: U.S. Conservatives, African Churches, and Homophobia," and Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) leader Frank Mugisha will discuss the intersecting of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill, U.S. church politics, and the Institute on Democracy and Religion.

Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Time: 7pm

Location: The Riverside Church, Manhattan, New York

Room: MLK 411

Other Co-Sponsors of this Event include:

Believe Out Loud: Episcopal Congregations

Integrity NYC

Dignity NYC

Dignity USA

Metropolitan Community Church of NY

Presbyterian Welcome

Silence to Speech Productions

Lavender and Green Alliance

Read the full announcement at Other Sheep eNews Archives