Welcome Hartford!
As the conclusion of months of reflection, the session of First Presbyterian
Church of Hartford recently voted to become a sponsoring member of Presbyterian
Promise. Shortly after, the Rev. Janie Spahr was invited to preach there.
Pat Wales and Ralph Jones joined her to welcome the Hartford congregation
formally. The Hartford newsletter recounts:
... guest preacher for our pre anniversary Sunday
was the Rev. Jane Adams Spahr, one of the three recipients of the 1999
Women of Faith awards presented by Women's Ministries Program Area of the
Presbyterian Church. Rev. Spahr is the national evangelist for That All
May Freely Serve (TAMFS), one of the organizations working to change the
policy of the Presbyterian Church in regard to the ordination of homosexuals
as ministers, elders and deacons.
Her appearance was an appropriate time for the session
to announce its action to join as a supporting member of Presbyterian
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Rev.
Janie Spahr
Terry Davis
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Promise, an organization working with TAMFS within the Presbytery
of Southern New England.
Following is the text of the action of session:
It was moved and passed that the Session of First Presbyterian
Church become a full-supporting Session of the work of Presbyterian Promise
of Southern New England. In adopting this motion we will do the following:
– grant permission to Presbyterian Promise to use the
name, "Session of First Presbyterian Church of Hartford," as a full-supporting
Session;
– commit a yearly donation from the Parish Outreach budget
to Presbyterian Promise; and encourage members of the congregation to give
individually.
– continue to welcome members and friends of Presbyterian
Promise to worship and the work of First Presbyterian Church.
– engage in study and scripture-based discussion about
alternative lifestyles during the church calendar year
– send a representative to the Board of Presbyterian
Promise, when possible.
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Stamford Case
On 4 December 2001 the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission declared
moot the more than three year case concerning First Presbyterian Church
of Stamford's decision to reinstall Elder Wayne Osborne. Elder Osborne's
intended three year term concluded in June of this year. A successor has
been installed. Osborne was Co-Moderator of Presbyterian Promise until
last spring.
Both parties argued against mooting. The issue in question was the adequacy
of the procedure used by the Stamford church session in examining Elder
Osborne and approving his installation. The Permanent Judicial Commission
of the Synod of the Northeast, after giving further instructions to Stamford,
approved his installation in November, 2000. They were acting on an appeal
of the decision of the PJC of the Presbytery of Southern New England.
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Wayne
Osborne (right) speaks with NY Pride participants
Greg Price
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The GA non-action leaves the Synod action standing. It may serve as precedent
for other cases which almost certainly will develop. In the present situation,
Presbyterians might ordain and install church officers under certain limited
circumstances. Still, any church or presbytery which proceeds along these
lines knows it is likely to face a time consuming, arduous legal battle.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians are unlikely to find
much welcome in the present situation.
Consequences of the decision not to decide include the litigants' frustration
and disappointment after all their time and effort and a potential for
congregational uncertainty about the application of Presbyterian polity.
Elder Osborne commented, "It's like a giant potato landing in wet sand.
It's very disappointing. We want and need guidance from our church. As
a gay man, I've learned that life isn't always fair, but you hope for exceptions."
Looking to the silver lining, he notes, "not one court has found we [Stamford]
acted unconstitutionally. The three members of the committee of council
[for the church] are the real heroes. That's the one that hurts most."
Ralph Jones
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Basics
To proclaim God's
promise of justice and love in Jesus Christ by organizing inclusive and
inquiring churches in the Presbytery of Southern New England into a community
of mutual support for the empowerment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
persons, and for outreach, education and Christian evangelism.
Our mission statement developed over months of prayer, reflection and informal
meetings. It is ambitious. Beginning in God's promise, we seek community
for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, their families and their
churches. One might describe Presbyterian Promise as a ministry of reconciliation.
Conspicuously absent from our mission statement is anything about 'fixing'
Presbyterian polity. Still, we face a major challenge to our efforts. We
cannot ignore the way our denomination's official policy has been applied
to exclude gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
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The urgency and pain behind our mission is eloquently expressed in John
Merz' sermon, Before – After, given at our presbytery's worship
on November 9.
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Nothing in recent history seems to have energized the supporters of the
constitutional bar to full church participation as has this year's proposed
amendment 01-A which would remove the provisions barring g/l/b/t participation.
Progressive Christians need to try to understand this intensity and be
prepared to respond lovingly to it. Carl Dudley's Talking Points
is a good beginning. Additional excellent resources for the debate are
available from the Covenant Network <www.covenantnetwork.org>.
Look under "Resources on Amendment A." <www.tamfs.org>
also has information under "Amendment 01-A Resources Available." We must
keep focused on the issue: returning to a polity where people and churches
are trusted to act responsibly in love.
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Four Pres Prom board members recently met with representatives from Pres
Welcome (NYC), three churches in Hudson River Presbytery and That All May
Freely Serve (Rochester). We agreed to jointly sponsor John Rhodes to coordinate
tracking the votes and providing debate resources for this Synod's presbyteries.
A further expectation is increased cooperation as we all seek to be faithful.
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At our recent retreat with Janie Spahr, Susan Thomas (of TAMFS: Michigan)
and Jim Vesper (Rochester), we worked on telling the story of inclusive
love. Now all we need is an invitation from your church!
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Our first annual meeting is at First Pres, Hartford on February 3, 2002
. Please plan to be there.
Ralph Jones
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Before September 11
– After September 11
Rev. John Merz' spoke during the Presbytery of
Southern New England worship on 9 November 2001.
We are asked to reflect tonight about the impact of September 11, 2001
on our specialized ministries and our lives. So, here are my prayer-inspired
thoughts:
Before September 11, my clients at The CT AIDS Residence Coalition were
poor, disenfranchised, ostracized, and living in a world that was neither
safe nor fair to them. People hated them for what they have, and for what
they do not have. They are people of color, speak different languages,
make love to persons of the same sex. After September 11, they are still
poor, disenfranchised, ostracized. They still live in a world that is neither
safe nor fair. For them, the only difference is that they now have a lot
more company.
There have been changes since September 11, yes; but I think the changes
have been more jarring for many of you than for some of us:
Before September 11: Most of you lived as if you were free – but not
all of us did.
Before September 11: Most of you lived as if you were safe – but not
all of us did.
Before September 11: Most of you lived as if you were accepted and
acceptable – but not all of us did.
After September 11, you asked, "Why do they hate us?" and "How can people
hurt other people in the name of God?" and "When will the next attack occur?"
– but some of us asked those questions long before September 11, "Why do
you hate me?" "Why do you seek to hurt me?" "When will the next assault
come?"
On September 11, we lost 5,000 innocent men and women. Tragic. Inexcusable.
Unforgivable.
On July 4, 1991 we lost Paul Broussard, a 26 year old who was beaten
with a 2x4 with nails protruding from the end and then stabbed with a hunting
knife; on Christmas Eve, 1993 we lost Brandon Teena, a 20 year old who
was brutally raped and beaten to death; on October 12, 1998 we lost Matthew
Shepard, a 21 year old who was beaten and tied to a fence and left to die;
and on July 16 of this year, we lost Fred Martinez, a 16 year old who was
bludgeoned to death with a blunt object. The list could go on. All were
innocent. All were murdered by those who hated them for who they were.
Three were gay, one was transgendered. Also tragic. Also inexcusable. Also
unforgivable.
During this presbytery meeting, we will begin anew the discussion on
whether there is a place in the Presbyterian Church USA for gays and lesbians.
And my mind and soul cannot keep from making the leap between the similarities
of my clients, those in our nation who have been murdered because of their
sexual or gender orientation, and those of us who are gay and lesbian in
this church. Before September 11, gays and lesbians were not fully welcome
in the PCUSA; after September 11, gays and lesbians are still not welcome.
Yes, there have been changes since September 11, and now you too live
in a world that is neither fair nor safe. Welcome to an all too familiar
world.
Since September 11, slogans abound on billboards and car windows and
computer screen savers: Land of the Free, Home of the Brave; One for all
and all for one; You can attack our buildings but you cannot attack our
spirit; United we Stand; One Country under God. Let Freedom Ring; God Bless
America.
I hope that these are slogans that our nation can put into action. I
really do. Not into acts of retaliation but into acts of love. And I hope
that they are slogans that the Church, too, will embrace. I hope that we
are changed forever by the events of September 11. Not just in our international
dealings or in the way we ensure homeland security. Not just in who we
pray for but whom we let pray. In the way we speak to and about one another
and the way we treat one another. In whom we ordain to Word and Sacrament.
I hope that we can become the land of the free, united under one god, with
liberty and justice for all.
Maya Angelou writes in her poem Equality,
Take the blinders from your vision,
Take the padding from your ears,
And confess you've heard me crying,
And admit you've seen my tears.
Hear the tempo so compelling,
Hear the blood throb in my veins.
Yes, my drums are beating nightly,
And the rhythms never change.
Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.
We pray that the holy war started on September 11, 2001 against our nation
will cease. Let us also pray that the holy war against gays and lesbians
also ceases. Otherwise, my friends, and I tell you this truthfully, the
assaults by those within our beloved Church of Jesus Christ are no less
hurtful than the assaults we are experiencing at the hands of our fellow
citizens and at the hands of our international enemies. My prayer this
day is that we choose equality that we may all be free. In Christ Jesus,
your lord and my lord, I pray.
Amen
John Merz
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Pres Prom Annual Meeting
A first! Our first annual meeting will be at 4 PM at First Presbyterian
Church in Hartford on 3 February 2002. We plan a fun and rewarding time
with worship, refreshment, time for discussion of our shared ministry,
a bit of business and a study led by Letty Russell.
We need your vote! This will be the first time our board is elected
by our membership. This is both a big step forward for us and an opportunity
for your insights to be realized.
You may be a member of Presbyterian Promise without even knowing it.
Our bylaws recognize as individual members all people who support the mission
of Presbyterian Promise and commit their prayer, their time, their advocacy,
their enthusiasm and their annual financial support. If you have contributed,
you are a member! Our quorum is 10 percent of our members.
It's NOT TOO LATE to affirm your concern and join PresProm. See you
there!
Ralph Jones
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Seven Talking Points about 01-A:
Suggestions to adapt and make your own.
1. Amendment 01-A is about conversation and listening,
not about who has the "best argument." Ask:
about personal relationships,
about sharing experiences of family members and friends,
about sharing awareness of people who are gay and lesbian,
about sharing most deeply held beliefs and commitments.
2. Amendment 01-A is about focusing on what's really important
in faith and mission, including our Presbyterian emphasis on:
Sovereignty of God (vs. lesser loyalties),
Election for service (vs. private gain),
Covenant life (vs. exploitation of the poor),
Faithful stewardship (vs. exploitation of earth), and
Rejection of idolatry and tyranny (including in ourselves)
Commitments worth dying for, and living for.
Not about continuing this endless fight
in the margins.
3. Amendment 01-A is about the core, essential message of
scripture (according to most biblical scholars in Presbyterian seminaries)
to witness to the love of Christ, and bring Christ's love into the world.
Not argue over proof-text for a few
disputed passages about homosexuality.
4. Amendment 01-A is about the continuing revelation of
Holy Spirit, which guided our church to change its views in the past few
years about slavery, status of women, racial segregation, interracial marriage,
divorce and remarriage, homosexuality not a sin, etc.
Not about protecting a narrow and recent
cultural interpretation of sexuality.
5. Amendment 01-A is about affirming the foundations of
Presbyterian Polity
– That "God alone is Lord of Conscience;"
– That authority is located in the Presbytery to ordain and install
clergy;
– That our unity is in essentials without uniformity in non-essentials;
Not about demanding conformity that inhibits
the ministry and mission of Christ.
6. Amendment 01-A is about affirming a "middle ground" in
an aggressively inclusive church that makes sense to the Baby Boomers and
GenXers;
Not about the stained glass views that
protect the elder, (white) male dominance in traditional cultures throughout
the world.
7. Amendment 01-A is about simple authenticity in ministry
for the future,
Not about co-opting church symbols to
sustain an outdated, elitist view of church leadership.
Carl S. Dudley
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The April TAMFS Conference -- in Stony Point
This year the TAMFS conference will be held almost on Presbyterian Promise's
doorstep. In 2002, from April 4-7, it will be at the Stony Point Conference
Center in New York. What an opportunity for people in Southern New England
and Presbyterian Promise. We won't always have a chance like this. I'm
inviting each person reading this newsletter to mark your calendar now
and plan to be at Stony Point.
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Janie Spahr, Dick Hasbany
and Carl Dudley
after worship at Hartford
Pat Wales
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Here are some reasons that the conference is important:
1. The focus is on developing leadership. Workshops will be
aimed at developing the skills and ideas we need to do our work in the
PSNE.
2. The conference is bringing together some amazing leaders – some
are pioneers of the movement for an inclusive denomination, some are fresh,
new voices. To hear them reflect together on how standing for justice
and inclusion has changed their lives will be a powerful experience.
3. Worship is integral to TAMFS conferences, and this year worship
is being planned by seminary students from Union, Yale, and Princeton under
the guidance of Marilyn Nash, a liturgical artist finishing her Ph.D. at
Chicago Theological Seminary, and Patrick Evans, Artist in Residence at
Union Theological Seminary. Worships will be moving and memorable.
4. This is the best chance people in this area may have to meet folks
who are speaking, working and moving ahead in the seven other regions of
TAMFS. If you have ever been curious about what kind of committed and interesting
people they are, here's your chance to meet and network with them. There
will be a wealth of wisdom, ideas, and support at Stony Point, and it's
ours for the asking.
Please consider being there. I would love to speak with your further, and
provide you with materials. Or check the TAMFS website <www.tamfs.org>
under "Events." Just give me a call: (w) 203-789-4311 or (h) 203-777-4579,
or dick_hasbany@yahoo.com.
We want you to be with us at Stony Point, but even if you cannot attend,
you can still help. You can sponsor someone else who is unable to afford
the registration fee. Or if you are one of those lucky persons with "air
miles" or a ticket you could transfer, such donations will be very helpful
to persons who need to fly to get to Stony Point. Your contribution to
the conference will be greatly appreciated.
Dick Hasbany
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First Impressions
I was privileged to attend my first Presbytery Meeting on May 11, 2001
in West Hartford. As part the experience of being a participating elder,
I was invited by Dave Lewecki to attend a coffee and dessert get-together
of Presbyterian Promise, Inc. held "after hours" in West Hartford. Presbyterian
Promise, Inc. believes that the time has come to "live out God's call to
love our neighbor as ourselves by embracing those who have been excluded
or marginalized." Their mission is to "proclaim God's promise of justice
and love in Jesus Christ by organizing inclusive and inquiring churches
in the Presbytery of Southern New England into a community of mutual support
for the empowerment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons,
and for outreach, education, and Christian evangelism."
I was able to meet Co-moderator Rev. Dr. Letty Russell and others in
Presbyterian Promise, while sharing food and fellowship with some of my
dear friends (gay and straight) from the Presbyterian church. It is clear
from the meeting that more dialogue is desired from people on both sides
of the gay and lesbian ordination issue. Those who profess a faith in Jesus
Christ as their Lord and Savior have been invited to the table for dialogue.
Please consider contacting Presbyterian Promise for more information. Or
to invite them to your church.
For an informative booklet on this issue, read Walter Wink's Homosexuality
and the Bible. This writing does a great job of helping us to see the love
and caring between two consenting adults as an expression of the "love
ethic" found throughout the Bible. He challenges us to consider any domination
against men, women and children as not being a part of the love that is
God's gift to us. He reminds us it is love that calls us to end the suffering
of any one of our brothers and sisters. The Bible demonstrates a love ethic,
not a sex ethic, according to Wink. While we reject some of the sexual
mores (sexual norms) the Bible permits (for example, we reject sex with
slaves), we follow others that the Bible condemns (for example, we allow
the naming of sexual organs and nudity.)
Wink elaborates on what happens with the texts that mention homosexuality:
we seem to have arbitrarily singled out this sexual more for condemnation.
He encourages us to consider what interpreting the Bible in light of new
knowledge about homosexuality and in light of our current culture of growing
acceptance toward homosexuality, just as we did to resolve the debate over
slavery. (Psychology has done a similar thing, I might add. Homosexuality
is no longer listed or described in psychology's diagnostic manual of psychology
disorders and pathologies. Psychology, in its inclusion then exclusion
of homosexuality as pathology, must confess to having been influenced by
culture, despite its firm beliefs that diagnosing individuals is strictly
scientific in nature. Is it time for religion to reinterpret its traditions?)
PresPromise has copies of Wink's booklet, or see <www.melwhite.org/biblesays.html>.
Cheryl Molina
Cheryl Molina is an elder at Crossroads Presbyterian
Church and an addiction therapist. Similar articles previously have appeared
in Crossroads' newsletter and Prism, the PSNE Presbyterian Women's
news.
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TAMFS 10th Anniversary
That All May Freely Serve (TAMFS) observed the 10th anniversary of the
Rev. Janie Spahr's call to Rochester, NY November 17-18th, 2001. I was
chosen to represent Presbyterian Promise … partly because Rochester was
formerly my hometown. It was good to come home.
On Saturday, November 17th, forty-two people representing most
of the TAMFS regions and many local supporters gathered at Judith Foster's
house for dinner and celebration. While the house was crowded, it was a
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Virginia
Davidson, John Fife and Janie Spahr
at the 10th Anniversary
Dinner
Greg Partridge
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Sunday morning brought us together again at the Downtown United Presbyterian
Church for worship, music and words of prayer and praise. This worship
service and reception commemorated DUPC's call to Janie Spahr a decade
ago. John Fife, moderator of the 1993 GA preached, reminding us of our
endurance in our struggle for justice and equality. Ralph Carter and Pat
Rickey brought words of welcome from MLP, one of the sister organizations.
A symbolic ordination of seven gay and lesbian pastors, elders and deacons
came forward to receive stoles in recognition of their office which they
cannot hold because of their sexual ordination. It was a beautiful event
which inspired us to go forth continuing the cause of gay rights and service
within the church and everywhere.
Pat Wales
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