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Embodying Our Faith



Bishop Gene Robinson on NBC's Today Show

Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson knows he is inviting death threats by entering into a civil union with his gay partner on the eve of his church’s biggest ecclesiastical conference. And he says it is worth it, because he is doing what God asks of him.


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Faith in Action

GAY METHODISTS PROTEST REJECTION BY CHURCH

Protestors draped in black placed their bodies on the sidewalk outside the convention center in Fort Worth, Texas, where United Methodists had passed anti-gay resolutions at the General Conference the day before. Delegates had to walk around or over the bodies.

Inside, during its Wednesday morning session, it was not business as usual as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people of faith, in a negotiated interruption of the proceedings, processed into the auditorium draped in black to represent their grief and the brokenness of the church in response to the church’s refusal to recognize gay people as anything but “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

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For more articles about LGBT actions at the United Medothist General Conference, click here.


Rev. Dr. Jane Spahr

Presbyterian Highest Court Clears Spahr of Censure

Tiburon, CA – Today the Presbyterian’s General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) reversed the two-year-old Synod decision to censure Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr for her role in marrying same-gender couples. Today’s decision held that the Presbyterian constitution contains no prohibition against marrying same-gender couples.

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LGBT-RAN

LGBT-RAN Moving to Center at Pacific School of Religion

As LGBT-RAN completes its sixth year of operation, it is in the process of affiliating with the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (CLGS) at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. CLGS, the largest existing research center on LGBT persons and religion, oversees myriad programs such as Outfront Workshops, the Center for Scholars, Certificate in Sexuality and Religion, a lecture series, a book series, Racial Ethnic Roundtables, and an archive project. LGBT-RAN adds a valuable component to CLGS' services for scholars and researchers. In turn, LGBT-RAN will benefit from the administrative support of the much larger CLGS staff and operations.

"LGBT-RAN has grown into such a valuable resource for historical study that it now needs an institutional affiliation that will sustain its long-term development," notes LGBT-RAN coordinator Mark Bowman. "Over the past year LGBT-RAN staff and Advisory Committee members have explored a number of prospective institutional homes for LGBT-RAN. We concluded that CLGS is the best match for LGBT-RAN at this time."

Because LGBT-RAN's information services are primarily digital, this change will be largely transparent to you. The web site will remain the same. LGBT-RAN will function as it does now with its ongoing projects, activities and staff.

LGBT-RAN is most grateful for the support of the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) that dared to be the seed bed of the ideas and dreams that has grown into this major electronic resource on LGBT religious history. The work of CTS faculty and staff and its support as fiscal agent has brought LGBT-RAN to where it is today.

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Article of Faith: In the Papal Pocket: Benedict XVI and the Press

Article of Faith by Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D.
National Religious Leadership Roundtable
ReligionDispatches

Press coverage of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States — his first as pope — acts like a mirror reflecting the media’s complicated role in reporting religious news as a whole. What could be more television-friendly than the sights and sounds of institutional Catholicism? Its colorful costumes, ancient rituals and contemporary savvy at getting its message out are a producer’s dream. If the kind of coverage in 2005 that accompanied the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of his successor, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Benedict XVI) is any indication, we can expect a great deal of air time and print space, very little if any critical analysis and a lot of free press for the Roman Catholic Church.

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Other Ecumenical and Multi-Faith Collaborations


Upcoming Training Opportunities

Join Us for our Next Conference

Many Stories... One Voice
September 4-7, 2008

Equipping the saints
for the ministry of
God's extravagant welcome

Many Stories

We come from many different contexts. We are Protestant, Catholic, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Anabaptist. We are African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latino/a, First Nation People, European American. We are queer, questioning, intersex, lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, heterosexual. We are a diverse mix of theological and political beliefs: progressive, moderate, conservative.

One Voice

And we are drawn together into Christian Community. As we come to genuinely know one another, we are invited to challenge the world to these same kinds of just, loving and genuine relationships across race, class, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and ability. We are devout in our faith and committed to a just society that discriminates against no one. We are drawn together to speak with one voice the truth of God’s extravagant welcome.

More information...


Sharing Our Stories

Towards a Welcoming and Inclusive Church


National Field Organizer Project
February Training

An ecumenical group of 25 gathered February 15-18 in Minneapolis for grassroots organization training sponsored by the National Field Organizer Project.


New & Timely Resources


Liturgical Resource

The Institute for Welcoming Resources
A Place in God's Heart...
A Place at Christ's Table

Worship Resources for the
Welcoming Church Movement

Click here for index and resources


Blogs

Organizational Partners

Affirm United/S'affirmer Ensemble The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists Brethren-Mennonite Council for LGBT Concerns Open and Affirming Ministries of the Gay, Lesbian & Affirming Disciples (GLAD) Integrity Reconciling in Christ Program of Lutherans Concerned/North America
More Light Presbyterians Open and Affirming Program of the United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns (ONA) Reconciling Ministries Network Room for All - Reformed Church in America Welcoming Community Network - Community of Christ