| International Newsletter of Metropolitan Community Churches with the focus on MCC congregations all over the world.
In this Issue Justice and Social Action The Ministry of Compassion team at New Creation MCC (Columbus, Ohio) spent the first quarter of the year raising awareness of local homelessness, collecting clothing and personal hygiene items for various ministries around town, and encouraging people to pray about which one would be a good fit for their volunteer time, talents and gifts.
Perry Skinner, the son of a member at MCC Richmond (Virginia), is serving in Iraq, so church folks gathered items for care packages to send him and 35 others with him. Included were such appreciated items as baby wipes, soft tissue paper, used DVDs, socks, and canned air, for blowing the dust out of everything!
MCC Manchester (England) used International Women's Day to promote their church by having a large stall at the festival at the Town Hall. They passed out leaflets about the church and visited with people about their activities and beliefs.
Every Sunday following worship, Cornerstone MCC (Mobile, Alabama) serves a full dinner to worshippers and the homeless in their community ... and has for four years!
Eighteen members of New Light MCC (Hagerstown, Maryland) made 450 sandwiches and bagged 400 lunches for REACH, a cold weather shelter.
On 5 June MCC Newcastle upon Tyne (England) is hosting one of five sessions in the UK for using a DVD to help train school and community leaders about diversity and LBGT equality, dealing with homophobic bullying and harassment, and meeting legal requirements.
Open Arms MCC (Rochester, New York) participated in the Marriage Equality Tax Day Rally at their main post office and will be present in Albany for the LBGT Equality and Justice Day to lobby at the state capitol.
The Rainbow POD of FirstCoast MCC (St. Augustine, Florida) makes monthly trips to visit their "friends in the woods", a group of folks who are homeless. They ASK them what they need (what a concept!) and now have supplied them with can openers, blankets, toiletries, and so much more ... including haircuts and beard trims!
An annual project for MCC South London (England) is to collect Easter Eggs for the children and partners of prisoners at Brixton Prison which are then distributed during a special holiday visit.
MCC Amarillo (Texas) was invited by West Texas A&M to attend an evening with Dr. Maya Angelou.
MCC San Diego (California) is one of the cosponsors for the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast on 22 May to benefit The Center. The Mayor will emcee the event.
Spirit of Life (New Port Ritchey, Florida) hosts Bipolar support meetings in addition to regular AA meetings.
Underwritten by individual contributions, MCC Cares is a ministry of MCC Austin at Freedom Oaks (Texas) which gives monetary grants each month to nonprofit organizations in the community.
Judith Kampling, Sparky Sturm and Rev. Rich Hendricks appeared on KALA Radio's Churches United's "Faith Talks" twice this month to discuss marriage equality in the light of the Iowa court ruling affirming same-sex marriage.
On the fourth Sunday congregants at MCC Fredricksburg (Virginia) collect food, toiletry, and paper items to stock their pantry used to assist those in need.
Last Sunday MCC San Jose (California) hosted the seminar Talking Marriage Equality offered by Marriage Equality Silicon Valley and Peninsula Marriage Equality Coalition.
All God's Children MCC (Minneapolis, Minnesota) was present with their banner and wearing their church t-shirts at OutFront Minnesota's JustFair Lobby Day at their state capitol.
MCC Edinburgh (Scotland) collects Pennies for Justice with the money being sent to the Lesbian Safe Houses Project in South Africa.
Last Saturday some from New Life MCC of Hampton Roads (Virginia) gathered to prepare food for Meals 2 Go, while others visited a nursing home.
MCC Knoxville (Tennessee) participated in the National Day of Silence rally at the World's Fair Park Amphitheater to support the gay youth as they broke their silence.
How Eureka Valley Became the Castro, a lecture by Rev. Elder Jim Mitulski at MCC San Francisco (California) was given to a packed house and co-sponsored by the SF Museum & Historical Society, the SF History Center at the Public Library, the LGBT Historical Society, and the LGBT Community Center.
Students on spring break from the University of Wisconsin and from Cornell University donated their time to Sylvia's Place, MCC New York's (New York) homeless youth services. They cooked, reorganized files, led workshops, entertained, and coordinated projects such as tie-dying and making chocolate lollipops.
Eternal Joy MCC (Dayton, Ohio), a host site for Angel Food Ministries which provides healthy food inexpensively, distributed 186 boxes this month. Not only does it help those who are struggling to buy groceries (a box to feed a family of four for a week is $28 USD), but the church receives $1 for each box ordered. www.angelfoodministries.com
The Big Easy MCC (New Orleans, Louisiana) is hosting HRC's Transgender Awareness Seminar on the 29th.
This month King of Peace MCC (St. Petersburg, Florida) collected soap for the clients of the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.
(back to top) Would Jesus Discriminate? The PFLAG Interfaith Coalition of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is hosting a discussion about WJD on most Thursdays this month and next. They want to answer the question honestly for themselves, to stretch and grow, and then go to their churches to engage in conversation about discrimination, both by individuals and by the church, and to seek healing. They have collaborated in this endeavor with MCC Winston-Salem and Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship.
Thirty-five members of Resurrection MCC (Houston, Texas) wore their WJD shirts for the AIDS Walk.
MCC Milwaukee (Wisconsin) is encouraging other LGBT organizations and clergy to join their effort.
The Metroplex (Texas) coalition of MCCs is beginning their second year of WJD. They are hosting the LGBT Wedding Expo on 2 May to benefit the campaign, contracting for billboards, and hoping to have ads at the dinner movie theaters. Each of the five churches donates 1% of its income to the campaign. Participating are Agape MCC (Ft. Worth), Harvest MCC (Denton), MCC of Greater Dallas, Promise MCC (Dallas), and Trinity MCC (Arlington).
MCC Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) carried its WJD banner and folks wore their t-shirts to a rally to support anti-discrimination legislation.
If your church would like to become more involved in this campaign, contact Rev. Joe Cobb at
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Ecumenical and Interfaith Activities Rev. Beth Goudy was a presenter for a series, Christianity - Without the Sales Pitch, at the Jewish Community Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her talk was entitled Christians Live a Life of Mitzvot, Too - Sort Of.
St Mungo's Museum of Religious Life and Art, part of the Cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland, and the only museum dedicated to religious life in the UK, has asked MCC Glasgow to contribute to a series of talks addressing the issue of religious exclusion.
Rev. Dr. Nancy Horvath-Zurn led an all day seminar at the People of Hope Lutheran Church on opening the doors of the church to the transgender community.
In keeping with Jewish tradition, Resurrection Beach MCC (Costa Mesa, California) joined with Margaret Freel to celebrate the life of her partner Melissa Batter on the anniversary of her passing. They gathered in song and prayer to remember their music leader and pianist, rejoicing in her life and gentle teaching from their pulpit. A prison chaplain, she grew up in the Jewish faith and converted to Christianity as a young adult.
Exodus MCC (Abilene, Texas) is working with the Church of Christ to support inclusive mission work in Panama.
MCC Binghamton (New York) just completed a series on Buddhist meditation, practiced some of the movements which promote mindfulness, and increased their capacity for loving kindness.
MCC Topeka (Kansas) hosted a Gender Identity and Faith Workshop, which was cosponsored with the Human Rights Campaign and the Topeka Unitarian Universalist Church.
Ten folks from SunCoast Cathedral MCC (Venice, Florida) will be assisting with the Community Dinners sponsored by area Houses of Worship to feed those who are in financial difficulty
St. Chrysostom's Church is putting together a book of Haiku poetry and requested submissions from individuals at MCC Manchester (England).
HIV and AIDS Ministries Pedro, a movie about Pedro Zamora, a Cuban-American who is HIV+ and brought the HIV/AIDS crisis into many homes through his role on MTV's The Real World, was shown at MCC Richmond (Virginia) with a community discussion and health forum following the screening.
Last weekend Trinity Charities, an arm of Church of the Trinity MCC (Sarasota, Florida), hosted the first Ride for the Cure to benefit their HIV/AIDS work. The 25 mile ride went on the Legacy Trail from Sarasota to Venice and back. Individual riders raised a minimum of $250 (USD) and families $500. Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson was among the participants.
MCC El Paso (Texas)in collaboration with the Desert Rainbow Center Planned Parenthood, will offer monthly HIV/AIDS testing. A different activity will be held in conjunction with the testing each month to encourage participation.
Ribbons of Hope, a ministry of Vision of Hope MCC (Mountville, Pennsylvania) adopted 16 families at Christmas and are now helping those same families infected or affected by HIV/AIDS again by hosting an Easter party for these families and other clients of the Lancaster AIDS Community Alliance and providing them with food and other necessities..
The AIDS Walk Team of Spirit of Hope MCC (Kansas City, Missouri) held a parking lot sale ... no, they didn't sell the parking lot, just the items which folks had donated to benefit the AIDS Walk!
MCC NOVA (Fairfax, Virginia) supported Imagine 2009 to benefit the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry by hosting and attending dinners throughout the month of April.
Magnets is a new support, social, and educational group for anyone who is HIV+ meeting at MCC Omaha (Nebraska).
Some from Christ Chapel MCC (Santa Ana, California), Good Samaritan MCC (Whittier, California), and Resurrection Beach MCC (Costa Mesa, California), who aren't at the Region 6 Conference, will participate in the Orange County AIDS Walk on 16 May.
(back to top) Reports from the Moderator's Teams The Ecumenical & Inter-Religious Team Stan Kimer, Chair
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During the recent conference of the Fellowship and Unity Fellowship, which many MCCers also attended, Rev. Candy Holmes was introduced as MCC's Ecumenical Liaison to the Fellowship. Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson delivered a plenary session on breaking down boundaries in leadership, the text of which can be found at www.moderatorscorner.mccchurch.org/?cat=37 .
The Global Justice Team Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Chair
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MCC did not support the calling of Boycott Jamaica to pour rum in the street outside the historic Stonewall Inn location in New York City. We stand and work with our brothers and sisters in Jamaica as they keep fighting for justice. J-FLAG (Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals & Gays) response to this boycott was, "It is important that our international allies understand the nature of our struggle and engage us in a respectful way about it. Unless they are willing and able to lead the struggle in the trenches as we have done, it is important that they be guided by us. To do otherwise would be to act in a manner that destroys the space for dialogue that we have managed to create over the past decade and to set back our struggle." The MCC Human Rights Protocol concludes with the following words, "Be Safe, Work in Partnership, Learn from the Hosts, Be Flexible and Open, Trust in God!"
The Theologies Team Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, Chair
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The Theologies Conference scheduled for September in New York City has been postponed. The Team, however, is sponsoring workshops at the Region 6 Conference in Palm Springs, California, in May, as well as at the Region 3/5 Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in July. They are developing a resource for encouraging and facilitating Holy Conversations in congregations.
(back to top) Conferences, Classes and Retreats The REVM class (18-20 May) and a Clergy Day (21 May) will be held in conjunction with the Sub Regional Conference 21-24 May in Myuna Bay, NSW, Australia.
Healing Your Heart is a six week series teaching ways to achieve personal healing and healthy relationships at A Church for All MCC (Sacramento, California).
The current classes at Light University, an arm of Sunshine Cathedral MCC (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida), are Performance for Empowerment, Voices from the Margin, and Somos Latinos/as: God through Hispanic Eyes.
Resurrecting Our Relationship with the Bible is the focus of a new four week study at Imago Dei MCC (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania).
Under the leadership of Ann Cox and Rev. Lin Stoner, the Michigan churches will be gathering 15-16 May at MCC Detroit with a talent show on Friday night and workshops, worship and healing services on Saturday. Other churches participating will be Divine Peace MCC (Pontiac), Gospel of Jesus Christ MCC (Midland), Reconciliation MCC (Grand Rapids), Redeemer MCC (Flint), and Tree of Life MCC (Ann Arbor).
Living Springs MCC (Bath, England) is planning their Away Day at Ammerdown for 13 June with Rev. Janice Bowker as their special guest.
For two nights at the end of the month MCC of the Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Pennsylvania) will be offering Bible 101, focusing on the Old Testament one night and the New Testament the other.
Lesbian and Gay Estate Planning, a seminar led by financial advisor Jana White of Agape MCC (Ft. Worth, Texas), focused on the unique planning needs of LBGT families.
"Lies that have shaped you and the truth that can remake you" is the theme for a new seminar at First MCC of Atlanta's (Georgia) Institute for Spiritual Growth.
MCC Los Angeles (California) is providing a series of seminars led by professionals to address these economically difficult times. They also provided information about community organizations which can assist people and created their own list of what people have to give away and what people need in order to match them up.
The Music Ministry team of Joy MCC (Orlando, Florida) participated in its first semi-annual retreat, spending all day one Saturday preparing the music for upcoming services.
Casa de Luz ICM (Monterrey Mexico) is offering a series on The Eunuchs in the Bible, highlighting the presence of sexual diversity in biblical stories.
The Big Easy MCC (New Orleans, Louisiana) will host a Region 2 sub-regional gathering 12-13 June.
Healing Spirit MCC (Rochester, Minnesota) will head to Iowa for a church retreat 15-17 May at the lake home of two of their members.
As part of their Considerations Series, Good Hope MCC (Cape Town, South Africa) will learn from Rev. David Cooper, a distinguished Methodist clergyperson from Ireland, who will facilitate a fascinating exploration of the journey from creation to resurrection that was adapted from the Celts, the ancestral peoples of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England. Celtic Christian understanding is deeply rooted in the natural life cycles of the earth.
Holy Covenant MCC (Brookfield, Illinois) will begin the Creating a Life that Matters series on 6 May.
The new group book study at MCC Seattle (Washington) selected Rev. Jeff Miner's The Children are Free for their first reading.
MCC Key West (Florida) is going to begin a group for those dealing with loss and grief ... not just of a loved one, but also of jobs, relationships, and identity.
To reach those who are "spiritual, but not religious", MCC of the Chesapeake (Annapolis, Maryland) is hosting a series of discussions on John Shelby Spong's Jesus for the Non-Religious.
Education is a big part of ministry at MCC Albuquerque (New Mexico). The end of the month they are offering a Spiritual Gifts seminar and another on Funeral Pre-planning.
Church and Pastoral Anniversaries Open Arms MCC (Pahoa, Hawai'i) will celebrate the second pastoral anniversary of Rev. Elder Deb Martin on 2 May with a fun evening of music and pictures.
MCC Montana (Great Falls) was founded on Palm Sunday in 1989, so they just celebrated their 20th anniversary.
MCC Torbay (England) celebrated 7 years last month.
On Easter Sunday New Covenant MCC (Columbia, Maryland) celebrated their 10th anniversary and Rainbow Cathedral MCC (Yakima, Washington) their 15th.
Gentle Shepherd MCC and interim pastor Rev. Elder John Gill celebrated their first year together on 5 April.
Palm Sunday was the 17th anniversary for Tree of Life MCC (Ann Arbor, Michigan).
Resurrection MCC (Houston, Texas) celebrated 37 years on 26 April.
MCC San Francisco (California) just celebrated their 39th anniversary with a performance by Cami Thompson.
(back to top) Resources Sermons by Rev. Belva Boone and others at St. John's MCC (Raleigh, North Carolina) are available as podcasts in mp3 format. www.stjohnsmcc.org
Rev. Victor Bracuto prepared Holy Week resources for all the ICMs in Latin America. www.icmdeargentina.com.ar
Did you know that there are daily devotions on the new MCC PAD website? http://www.mccpad.org/ Among the authors are Paulette Armstead, Kathy Beasley, Adrain Bowie, Keith Boykin, Rev. Elder Darlene Garner, Vickey Gibbs, Rev. Candy Holmes, Denise Junious, Rev. Carolyn Mobley, Rev. Caroline Redfearn, Mykal Slack, and Cassandra White.
A new online resource has been created by the Equality Network, Soulforce, Unite Here, and other organizations to promote nonviolent civil disobedience. www.nonviolence4equality.org (back to top) Report from Nigeria
Seventeen organizations were represented at the hearing on the Same Gender Prohibition Bill 2008 last month. Passage would virtually make being gay illegal in Nigeria. At least 80% of the presentations were from defenders of LGBT rights with additional papers being submitted. There are rumors that the bill will pass regardless; however, there has been a dramatic shift in the outlook of the Honorables of the House in their views of the matters of Human Rights.
Two MCCers were present, but too fearful to speak, so the House of Rainbow MCC's statement was flawlessly delivered by Barrister Lazarus Aule. It expressed concern, since passage would accord the state access into homes, investigation of private lives, criminalize any association and or assembly of same gender loving people, and criminalize the work of human rights defenders and other service providers such as the church. He implored the state to reverse the harmful legislation and begin reparation by decriminalizing same gender relationships, offering equal protections to all Nigerian citizens.
Comments from Rashidi William, who represented Queer Alliance and is a member of MCC, were covered by many media outlets following the press conference, including the BBC. Click here to review.
As they await the government's decision, continue to pray for them in this time of uncertainty, distress, and fear.
EditorJudy Dale, Metropolitan Community Churches
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