I was asked to do a reflection on my involvement with GLBT issues for the Presbyterian Promise Newsletter.

Here is what I wrote

Back last August Dick Hasbany asked me to consider writing some sort of reflection piece on my involvement with LGBT issues in the 11 years that I have been a member of this Presbytery. Since my tenure with First Presbyterian Church is soon coming to an end (February 1, 2009 is my last day) and I will be leaving Connecticut within another few months, I guess I cannot delay meeting this request much longer. (I do not plan to terminate my membership in the Presbytery until I have voted YES for the “change B” overture at the May 09 Presbytery meeting.)

When I went to Florida in 1990 I was already firmly committed to full equality for GLBT people in the Church and in society. I knew this was not a widely shared commitment in a Presbyterian church in a small town in north Florida and decided that support for this issue would not be a part of my ministry. I felt I had been called to grow this Church located in area with booming population growth and that is what I did. Before the end of my tenure at this Church my views had been revealed in a number of ways including the fact that I spoke and voted against the adoption of the original B overture. The last year of my ministry in that place was a very unpleasant experience. As I was seeking a new call I discovered this Church in Hartford that said on its Church Information Form that they had welcomed people who differ by age, race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, family status, economic situation and theological viewpoint. This sounded more like the kind of place I belonged and I determined that I would not ever again try to disguise my views on this issue, or any other issue of importance.

Being in this Church and having made this commitment to transparency has made it possible for the Church and I to be partners in the cause of justice for LGBT people, as well as other justice issues. During my tenure here we have brought the Shower of Stoles to our sanctuary twice. We have brought or supported several overtures to the Presbytery to change our ordination standards and to recognize marriage equality. I attended the 2006 General Assembly as an overture advocate to support deleting B. This was an opportunity to meet with leaders in the equality movement from across the country. We were among the first Churches to join Presbyterian Promise and the second Church in the Presbytery (by one month) to become affiliated with More Light Presbyterians, to which I had belonged for years. Jane Spahr, Michael Adee and Heather Reichgott have all preached in our pulpit at the invitation of session.

I have been part of the steering committee of Connecticut Clergy for Marriage Equality, and have presided at one Civil Union service. Among my closest friends in ministry are the local Metropolitan Community Church pastors.

In many ways my support for these causes has been an extension of the same commitment to equality that led me to Washington in 1963 as a college senior to demonstrate with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and onto the streets of Louisville with his Brother A. D. Williams King to march for open housing in 1966. All of us regardless of race, ethnicity, income, religion, gender orientation or age are children of one loving creator. When one of our brothers and sisters is diminished because of discrimination we are all diminished and I feel we are all called to work for the equality of all people.

I had an op-ed article published last Sunday, October 12, 2008 in the Hartford Courant. On October 12, 1998 Matthew Shepard died, brutally attacked and tied to a fence because he was Gay. The article marks this occasion and calls for action against Hate Crimes. Read the article.



Last week Connecticut became the third state in which same sex marriage is allowed. The State Supreme Court ruled under the equal protection of the law provision in the CT constitution that same sex couples have the right to marry. Same Sex Unions are not enough. This is what Love Makes a Family has been saying all along, and what Clergy for Marriage Equality has been working for. I am proud to serve on the steering committee of this organization. Our Church hosted a worship service celebrating the long awaited decision on Monday Evening, October 13. Unfortunately I was not able to be there since I was at a wedding reception.



Last week Presbyterian Promise and First Presbyterian CHurch, Hartford co-sponsored a display of 50 liturgical stoles the Shower of Stoles Project. See Pictures.

More Light Sunday

Guest preacher Heather Reighgott and myself, click for more pictures

What a great day we had on Sunday. We were celebrating our session’s decision to affiliate with More Light Presbyterians, a national network of people seeking the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Elder Lois Maxwell coordinated our celebration and invited Heather Reichgott, a member of the national More Light Board be our guest preacher. Heather is a graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary and a candidate for ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She now lives in North Hadley with her wonderful wife Gillian Woldorf to whom she was married in 2005 in Amherst, Massachusetts. They are joyfully expecting their first child (due in April.)

We found Heather to be a wonderful preacher and very open to tell her personal story and relate her story to THE story told in scripture. She has a great sense of herself and confidence as a preacher and was eager on almost no notice to bring the Children’s message as well as the sermon.

Deacon Keith Rhoden and I traveled to New Haven that after noon for our Presbyterian Promise meeting and an opportunity to meet with another candidate for ministry (for 22 years) Lisa Larges. At last Lisa has been certified ready to receive a call; she presently serves as national director of That All May Freely Serve, another national organization that advocates for “an inclusive church that honors diversity and welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons as full members. Full membership includes eligibility for ordination to the offices of elder, deacon, and pastor.”

THE VALUE OF ONE

Our session sent two overtures to the Presbytery meeting held February 9 in Fall River, MA. Both were requests that the Presbytery send an overture to the General Assembly to change the constitution of our denomination to make it more welcoming to GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) people. Both were defeated, one on a tie vote. If only ONE more supportive person had made the long trip to Fall River, or ONE more supportive person who did attend had stayed until the overtures were voted on instead of leaving at the lunch break the motion would have passed. Why didn’t it happen?

I think in our mass society people have come to think of themselves as unimportant. What difference would my ONE more vote make? It is the same reason people do not go to the polls for elections. Only a few more Democratic voters voting in Florida (without hanging chads) would have changed the course of the 2000 election, perhaps would prevented U.S. intervention in Iraq, and prevented all of the injuries and deaths suffered by our armed forces and the people of Iraq. How can we believe that our ONE vote is unimportant?

We think my ONE can of beans, my ONE can of baby formula, my ONE pound of rice doesn’t matter when the food pantry hands out tons of food each year, but ONE can or ONE pound is very important to the ONE person who receives that food to feed her family.

An important message of the Gospel is that every ONE was important to Jesus. He did preach and teach crowds, but he also took time to meet and teach individuals, to touch and heal individuals. There is no indication that Jesus ever did mass healings, he always dealt with people ONE by ONE, in most cases laying his hands on individuals in need. Nicodemus was ONE person, the woman at the well was ONE person, and the man born blind was a single individual. When he dealt with the family in Bethany he met with Martha individually, then he talked personally to Mary, then he went to the grave yard and called Lazarus by name. If he had only called: “come out!” every grave in the cemetery might have erupted; he cried “Lazarus, come out!” When he was raised he first met with ONE woman, Mary, in the grave yard. ONE disciple, Thomas, was missing when Jesus appeared to them in the upper room. He came back to the upper room the next first day to meet with the ONE doubter.

Jesus is the good shepherd who goes out in the night to seek the ONE sheep that is lost, and seeks until he finds the ONE missing sheep. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world, and then goes on to speak of whosoever, what ever ONE individual, believes in his shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

Every ONE of our church members is important, not just the largest givers, not just the officers, not just the most involved members, but every ONE is important. Every ONE’S opinion is important, not just the opinions of those in the majority.

God loves every ONE of us with an everlasting love. God loves you with an everlasting love. If you were the only person in the world in need of salvation Jesus would have lived and died and risen again for you. Every ONE matters, every vote counts, the family of God is not complete when ONE is missing or unwelcomed or unincluded.

Yours in Love
Pastor Terry

Presbytery rejects welcoming overtures

The session (governing body) of First Presbyterian Church, Hartford endorsed a proposal from the First Presbyterian Chuch in New Haven to alter language presently in the denominational constitution which requires ministers, elders and deacons to live in fidelity in marriage between a man and woman or chastity in singleness. The change would allow Churches to ordain GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) people as elders and deacons, and Presbyteries to ordian GLBT people as ministers.

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On a twice counted vote the proposal failed to pass our regional governing body, the Presbytery of Southern New England on a tie vote. If just one more person supporting the proposal had made the trip to Fall River, MA the overture could have prevailed. Many people left the meeting at lunch before the vote was taken and one of our elders believes if we had voted before lunch the results would have been favorable.

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One more problem with the voting was that we dismissed one of our Churches to another denomination before lunch, but since the action was taken pending their reception into the other denomination their representatives were allowed to vote (and they all voted NO). Likewise new ministers who were received pending their dismissal from other Presbyteries were not allowed to vote. at least one of whom would have voted with us.

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Our session sent a second proposal (we call them overtures) to change a few words in four paragraphs in the directory for worship that would treat same sex couples in the same way as opposite sex couples when it comes to marriage and blessing civil unions. That proposal failed by a margin of ten votes, my memory is the vote was 42 to 52.

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I find this very discouraging. On at least two previous occasions the presbytery passed similar overtures to change the constitution by margins of 60%. Each time the change was rejected by the General Assembly. This was the first time the body had considered the marriage overture.

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It is extremely troubling to my conscience to belong to a denomination that is so intollerant and unwilling to welcome GLBT people as full equals and leaders in the Church. The Lord I serve through Jesus Christ certainly loves all of us and welcomes all people into the family of God. I have resisted changing to another denomination feeling that the only way to change this Church, which has so many good qualities, is to work from the inside. It took years and years to change the policy on women ministers, but we just celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of that change. At this point it seems doubtful that I will ever see the change while I am still in active ministry (I intend to retire in January 09), and I wonder if it will happen in my life time.

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The woman who presented the marriage overture on our behalf is herself in a civil union with her partner of fifteen years was very personally hurt and says she will never attend Presbytery again. She did not come to Church either on Sunday morning. She is one of our most outstanding leaders, giving herself to many of our ministries, heading the revitalization committee for the Church. She and her partner are generous supporters of our Church and its outreach to the poor and needy.

TOO MUCH HAPPENING

Wow, it has been a while since I wrote, not because nothing is happening but so much is that I have hardly had time to think about it, much less write about it.

Last Weekend was Presbytery in Fairfield, this weekend we will travel to Stamford where my Niece Nicole recently moved, my sister Nancy and her husband will be visiting and we will all do lunch together.

The summer doldrums are really over at Church. On September 30 we will have a nationally known speaker and leader in the inclusive church movement, Michael Adee, to bring our sermon and also to present an adult forum. His title for the forum is "Is there Room in the Gospel & Church for Gays?" Click here for his bio and information about the day.

Also Just announced: we will be traveling to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi for an inter generational mission trip to aid with Katrina Recovery. The trip will be in February and already 22 people are signed up. We are inviting anyone who wants to help to join up, we will make all arrangements and take care of modest accommodations and travel. As a bonus for working four days we will have a day to enjoy the recovering city of New Orleans, the Big Easy. All the details here. Want more information still or want to sign up, call First Presbyterian Church at 860 246-2224.

Check back tomorrow and I hope to have information on HARVEST, a multicultural celebration at First Presbyterian Church on October 7, 2007.

I Am My Own Wife

My expectations were not particularly high when I went to Hartford Stage last Sunday night to see Doug Wright’s play, I Am My Own Wife. I have seen a number of plays with only a single actor or actress, and most have been disappointing. Not so with this play. Kathleen and I were both on the edge of our seats during the whole production, simply fascinated by the story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. I gather that the author did indeed interview her extensively, and what is portrayed is largely her self reports of her life as a transvestite; a man who dressed and lived as a woman and was openly the center of Gay and Lesbian life in Berlin during both the Nazi and the Soviet rule. The author enters into a brief discussion of the difference between her self accounts and official records as well as press reports, and leaves unanswered the question of how one might resolve these conflicts.

James Lecesne plays almost three dozen characters in the course of the play using little besides his voice, movement and gestures to convey who is speaking. His skill is unbelievable, and you believe you have met all these different people. Costuming is no more than a skirt, blouse, shoes and a string of pearls donned early in the first act, and a similar but slightly different outfit for the briefer second act. The staging is very minimal, although the skillful use of perspective makes the stage seem much deeper than it is. All of the extensive furniture is added only by Charlotte’s description of the unseen pieces.

We had seen Lecesne before is the fast paced farce The Mystery of Irma Vep. In I Am My Own Wife he displays an entirely different repertoire of skills. It is a play well worth seeing.

I am looking forward to the summer season when Hartford Stage will present The Good Body by Eve Ensler, and Mahalia, A Gospel Musical.

Here is an excellent opportunity to hear an outstanding author and scholar speak about homosexuality and the church. Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly Jack Rogers will be speaking and signing his book Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality at First Presbyterian Church in New Haven, at 7:30 PM Thursday, March 15. For all the details follow this link.

First Presbyterian Church in Hartford (136 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT) is in the midst of a study of his book and anyone would be welcome to join in the last sessions of this study. Adult Forum meets at 9:15 AM on Sundays, Remaining sessions are March 18 and 25. Click here for details.