| International Newsletter of Metropolitan Community Churches with the focus on MCC congregations all over the world.
In this issue On Churches and People Rev. Chris Dowd is the new Free Church Chaplain at Aston University in Birmingham, England. He will serve the Baptist, MCC, Methodist, Salvationist, Quaker, and United Reforming Church students.
Georgia State Representative Karla Drenner hosted a cookout to honor Anne Barr for launching the Decatur Women's Sports League, which now has over 1000 participants.
Shawn Thomas' new music video You Are Here, Lord is now available exclusively on TheQTube.com. Eventually, it will be on YouTube and Tangle, as well as in a free download at www.shawnthomasonline.com .
Representing the Nigerian LGBT community, Rev. Jide Macaulay led the closing plenary at a conference in Cape Town, South Africa, which focused on Sharia Law in Africa and its effects of violence towards women and around sodomy.
The New Parliament Resort House held Mission Possible, a benefit for the food pantry at Joy MCC (Orlando, Florida). An art auction, casino games, a drag show, and a silent auction were all part of the event.
Every Tuesday night last month, Rev. Mike Ellard appeared on Get Real, a cable program in San Jose, California, during which he discussed Prop 8's effect on real estate issues.
Robin Brook has been elected to the management committee of London (England) FtM, the female to male group there.
Churches in Georgia ... Christ Covenant MCC (Decatur), MCC of Our Redeemer (Augusta), Our Hope MCC (Athens), The Journey MCC (Conyers), Truth Center MCC (Atlanta) ... and Tennessee ... MCC Knoxville and The Rock MCC (Chattanooga) ... gathered at First MCC of Atlanta for a wonderful weekend. There was no registration charge and the Atlanta area churches provided all the food as well as housing for those who needed it. The dance troupe from The Rock MCC, the choir from MCC Knoxville, and the orchestra from First MCC performed. They collected $800 (USD) for MCC's global ministry and $300 for the youth ministry trip to the Dominican Republic. The 200 attendees enjoyed 12 different workshops. They were joined by folks from five of the MCCs in North and South Carolina.
The Seattle Gay News carried a very long article about Rev. Ray Neal and MCC Seattle (Washington). http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews37_18/page11.cfm
MCC San Diego (California) presented the Lovedy Gilbert Award to Betty Werch, the mother of Rev. Dan Koeshell, via Skype on Mother's Day.
Penny Davis of Crave MCC (Paddington, Australia) was interviewed on ABC talkback radio about the Walking Between Worlds exhibit.
The MCC church plant in Asheville, North Carolina, is now gathering on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays!
From the MCC Foundation in Region 4 the German churches received money to pay for someone to translate the preaching course developed by Rev. Andy Braunston as an online resource for their churches. MCC Bournemouth (England) received a grant for a new data projector, MCC Stuttgart (Germany) for internet outreach, and MCC Glasgow (Scotland) also for outreach ministry. Another grant was received by the African MCCs.
The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus will be in concert at Church of the Trinity MCC (Sarasota, Florida) on 7 June.
Rev. Kerri Mesner is the Summer School Assistant and Worship Coordinator for Vancouver School of Theology's Chalmers Summer School, which is part of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. The school is very LGBT positive and a leader in Native Ministries studies. For information on classes, visit www.vts.edu .
Five members of MCC of Greater Dallas (Texas) sing with Resounding Harmony, a group of young musicians. Others will serve as ushers for their concerts the end of the month.
The work of Rose Salinas of MCC Fredricksburg (Virginia) will be on display at Artomatic 2009 in Washington, DC., 29 May - 5 July. In addition to art works, there will be free films, children's activities, theater, music, and other events. If you are going to be there anytime soon, check it out. www.artomatic.org
Woody Camacho and Claudia Kenworthy of MCC San Jose (California) traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Transgender Religious Leadership Summit. They attended workshops and lobbied Congress.
Through their Blessed and Blessing Others Capital Campaign, All God's Children MCC (Minneapolis, Minnesota) was able to purchase a $300,000 furnace. So for fun, they had tours and a contest to name "the beast" living in their basement.
Last weekend Rev. Colleen Darraugh presented Erotically Speaking: Sexuality and Spirituality at MCC Bournemouth (England). Then she and her spouse Shelley Torres-West led the worship service on Sunday.
(back to top) Children, Youth, and Young Adults TGIF ... Nope, not "Thank God It's Friday" nor "Thank God I'm Female", but "Teens Growing in Faith"! That's the new name the 12-17 year olds at FirstCoast MCC (St. Augustine, Florida) selected for themselves.
The Teen and Youth Team of MCC Richmond (Virginia) has been collecting wooden chairs. Now they are painting them in primary colors for the children's Sunday School room.
Christ Covenant MCC (Decatur, Georgia) will honor all their graduates the end of the month ... from kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, certificate programs, whatever!
The young adults of MCC Melbourne (Australia) lead the monthly Upbeat Service. This month the theme was Peace.
Robin Russell performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Caroline High School in Fredricksburg, Virginia.
The teenage dance troop at MCC Baltimore (Maryland), The Spiritual Healers, just held a bake sale to raise money to expand their repertoire.
Kyle Johnsbury from MCC of the Rockies (Denver, Colorado) is one of the 9 year olds planning and advertising a Rally for Marriage Equality on the Capitol steps next Saturday.
At King of Peace MCC (St. Petersburg, Florida) they are reactivating their nursery to be open during Sunday morning worship.
The Tribe, the emerging adults ministry at MCC Los Angeles (California), meets for a variety of activities including brunches and movies.
Elyse Urbonas of MCC United (Tulsa, Oklahoma) is graduating from Oologah High School this Saturday night.
Ministry Ideas to use Promise MCC (Dallas, Texas) has begun targeting "gayborhoods" by zip code and had 2000 brochures delivered door-to-door in a primarily gay or gay-friendly area of Oak Cliff.
Vision of Hope MCC (Mountville, Pennsylvania) had a Gospel Drag Show with guest appearances by such greats as Joyce Meyers, Sandi Patti, Amy Grant, Mahalia Jackson, Elvis Presley, and CeCe Winans.
Christ Covenant MCC (Decatur, Georgia) has published their own Yellow Pages, listing individuals' professions, talents, skills, so that they can support one another instead of looking somewhere else for a CPA, plumber, or whatever.
Yummy! MCC Lubbock (Texas) is creating a recipe book with everyone's favorite dishes included. The cookbook sale will offset the cost of printing and mailing their monthly newsletter.
Earlier this month anyone who had been visiting or begun attending MCC San Francisco (California) was invited to attend a special luncheon and meet the church's leadership.
A Mexican Fiesta! The folks at Wichita Falls MCC (Texas) are all looking for their favorite Mexican recipes to prepare for a special potluck on 7 June.
In a time filled with so much stress Dr. Eric Nichols is offering weekly group meetings at MCC Key West (Florida) for people who wish to learn Relaxation Response, highly effective in helping to alleviate the long-term physical and psychological effects of stress.
Ray Vestor will be in concert Saturday at St. John's MCC (Raleigh, North Carolina).
The Healing Energy Ministry meets weekly at MCC Austin at Freedom Oaks (Texas) for education and for healing.
Jesus MCC (Indianapolis, Indiana) is fielding two softball teams this year, so many folks spend their Friday nights at the ball park cheering for their church's teams.
Imago Dei MCC (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania) used Mother's Day (10 May) to celebrate the Divine Feminine.
Time to eat! Christ Covenant MCC (Decatur, Georgia) hosted a breakfast to honor all their mothers, while A Church for All MCC (Sacramento, California) did likewise with a brunch on Mother's Day.
The 2nd annual Penny Social at Healing Spirit MCC (Rochester, Minnesota) netted over $700 (USD). They placed $100 in their fund for persons in distress and the rest in their conference fund.
A Night of Musical Theater is the theme for a dinner theater at Pikes Peak MCC (Colorado Springs, Colorado) this weekend. They are even having a matinee performance with dessert.
On the 30th Holy Covenant MCC (Brookfield, Illinois) will have a wine tasting fundraiser.
Agape MCC (Ft. Worth, Texas) hosted a Shamanic Reiki Experiential Circle. Shamanism works with the elemental energies of earth, fire, water, air as well as spirit energies. Reiki uses universal life force energy with hands on touch becoming a channel for the energy.
Picnic Time! Resurrection Beach MCC (Costa Mesa, California) will enjoy a picnic in a park overlooking the Pacific Ocean and concert by the Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles on the 31st. One of their members is an associate director of the band.
Once a month newcomers to MCC Toronto (Canada) are invited to a small 'Welcome Home' reception. During the hour event they meet the pastor and some of the leadership, as well as learn about the church and its goals.
MCC of the Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Pennsylvania) produced a Variety Show with all of the proceeds and tips going to their Appalachia Service Project.
Open Arms MCC (Rochester, New York) joined with others in their neighborhood to produce a huge yard sale.
For Spring Bingo at Spirit of Hope MCC (Kansas City, Missouri) they had dinner, bingo, and an auction to raise money for the church.
Harvest MCC (Denton, Texas) has a fellowship dinner and Bible study every Wednesday night.
New Life MCC of Hampton Roads (Virginia) hosted a Cinco de Mayo potluck and game night.
Permission forms are available at MCC Newcastle (England) for those who are willing for their likeness to be on the website. Does your church do that for photos? You need to have those on file.
GONG! Do you remember the old Gong Show on TV with the sometimes whacky and sometimes serious talent renditions? Well, Divine Peace MCC (Pontiac, Michigan) produces a version of that show every year. This time they followed it with an ice cream social.
MCC Sydney (Australia) welcomed the leather community to a special service last Sunday night.
Graduation Party! Lissa Moreno, Rev. Joe Shore-Goss, and Melissa Smithee will be honored with a party at MCC in the Valley (North Hollywood, California).
MCC NOVA (Fairfax, Virginia) is beginning a pet ministry.
New Creation MCC (Columbus, Ohio) spent a Saturday earlier this month learning about conflict management techniques and how to use them to better love one another ... and they had fun doing it!
MCC Corpus Christi (Texas) is collecting pictures and stories which will go in a bound book about their congregation.
MCC Omaha (Nebraska) hosted a Cinco de Mayo dinner complete with chips and salsa, sopa de frijoles, fajitas, arroz de classico, beverages, and postre!
Great Outreach! There will be information tables at all three area Wal-Marts on the 23rd staffed by members of MCC Topeka (Kansas). They will pass out free home-made cookies and information about the church.
To encourage tithing, Pikes Peak MCC (Colorado Springs, Colorado) prints a form in their bulletin for people to complete for automatic debit or credit card giving. They can chose how often the designated amount is to be donated ... weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.
For Mother's Day aChurch4Me? MCC created a collage of pictures of their mothers and grandmothers, be they biological, adoptive, foster, or mothers of choice.
Folks at Christ Covenant MCC (Santa Ana, California) are submitting baby photos of themselves this month. Then for two weeks next month everyone will try to match the names and the pictures!
The Big Easy MCC (New Orleans, Louisiana) just debuted their new website at www.bigeasymcc.com .
Every mother present at First MCC of Atlanta (Georgia) on Mother's Day received a prayer angel.
Volunteer Training Day! Instead of scattering the trainings for various ministries over a period of time, at Resurrection MCC (Houston, Texas) they will be doing all on them on 23 May with volunteers coming at the time scheduled for their ministry team.
MCC Albuquerque (New Mexico) uses Leadership Meetings, not only to connect and let ministries know each other's plans, but also as a time for leadership training.
Sunshine Cathedral MCC (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) just completed their Dine Around. By hosting or attending a dinner, dessert, or cocktail party, money is raised for the church in a fun setting and it provides a way to get to know other congregants better.
FUNdraiser! MCC of the Quad Cities (Davenport, Iowa) hosted a Trivia Night. Teams could be up to six people and paid a $60 (USD) entry fee. Everyone brought snacks and beverages and had a great time.
Hungry for spaghetti? Then go to SunCoast Cathedral MCC (Venice, Florida) on Friday night for a dinner for which congregants are supplying a variety of home-made spaghetti sauces.
In order to raise funds for their Building fund, the folks at MCC Illiana (Lake Station, Indiana) will host a pancake breakfast on 7 June prior to worship.
MCC Louisville (Kentucky) and friends from neighboring MCCs will gather at Rev. Dee and Judy Dale's house for their traditional Memorial Day Picnic on the 25th ... complete with the Squirt Squad (water gun fights), games, and plenty of food and fun.
Transitions MCC Ocala (Florida) has purchased its own property! The building will provide space for the community as well as the church. There are offices, a social hall, kitchen, and room outdoors for cookouts. Their first worship service in the new location will be on 7 June.
MCC Quezon City (Philippines) added a second worship service last month. They now meet at 10 am and 5 pm every Sunday.
Rev. Steph Maxson is the new pastor at Reconciliation MCC (Grand Rapids, Michigan).
MCC Torbay (England) has chosen to worship on Friday evenings at 7.30 instead of on Sundays.
Rev. Mark Byrd has been appointed as the interim pastor for Gentle Shepherd MCC (Tallahassee, Florida).
Rev. Paul Whiting accepted the unanimous call of MCC London (Canada) to become their pastor.
Last Sunday MCC Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) moved from the center city area to University City where they will now worship at 1:00 at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation. They will have an inauguration service on 28 June.
Innes-Paul Baumann is the interim at MCC Koln (Cologne, Germany).
Rev. Suzie Chamness will be installed as the pastor of Spirit of Life MCC (New Port Ritchey, Florida) by Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson today. She had been serving as their interim.
MCC of East London (England) unanimously elected Rev. Carmen Margarita Sánchez De León from Puerto Rico to serve as their pastor effective this month. She will be officially installed on 14 June. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
They have also moved to a new location at the Stepney Centre, which is extremely convenient to both tube and bus services.
A Church for All MCC (Sacramento, California) is now meeting at Club 21 for their 1:30 pm worship services.
Crave MCC (Christchurch, New Zealand) has changed the format of their worship services from high church or liturgical style to a more charismatic one. They wanted to meet a need that was not present in their community.
Rick Smith is now the Coordinator of Community Outreach at MCC of the Rockies (Denver, Colorado). He will build relationships with community agencies; coordinate service projects such as AIDS Walk, Habitat for Humanity, and Race for the Cure; and update their resource directories.
The Journey MCC (Conyers, Georgia) moved to a more accessible and larger facility, which also meant more financial responsibility ... and they received their first Sunday offering over $1000 (USD) to help them meet their obligations!
Rev. Dr. Kermie Wohlenhaus has relocated to Tucson, Arizona. Supporting One Another Lisa Wagaman was a charter member of MCC of Greater St. Louis (Missouri) and had been active in the church for over 35 years, having served on the Board of Directors and currently as Alternate Lay Delegate. She was also a leader the in LGBT community. She passed away of natural causes on 16 April.
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Rev. Christopher George unexpectedly went home to Jesus on 4 May following open heart surgery. He leaves Gordon Allsopp, his partner of 35 years, and many close friends at MCC Lubbock (Texas) where he served on staff. He was the first pastor of Llano Estacado MCC (Clovis, New Mexico) Notes may be sent to Rev. Renae Phillips, pastor of MCC Lubbock. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Rev. Tim Agar and his family are mourning the loss of his brother Father Tom Agar who went to Heaven on 1 May. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Ranny Fitzgerald of MCC Key West (Florida) passed away suddenly on 3 May while dining with friends in Lexington, Kentucky. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Lovedy Brydon, who was a long-time member of MCC Los Angeles (California), serving as a Lay Delegate and in other capacities, passed on recently. She was the sister of the late Rev. Joseph Gilbert.
Aileen, the spouse of Rev. Bev Stephenson, went to be with God earlier this week following a long battle with cancer. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(back to top) Board of Elders Reduction
As part of achieving a quarter of a million dollar reduction in the budget, among other measures, it is necessary to downsize the Board of Elders by two positions for the next 18 months. For purely financial reasons, Rev. Elder Glenna Shepherd's position as Elder of Region 4 will end on July 31st. Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman's position as Elder of Region 3 will end at the same time, as she retires at the completion of her term. Rev. Elder Diane Fisher will partner with all of the churches in Region 4, as well as those in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Rev. Elder Darlene Garner will work with those in the Caribbean, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, while Rev. Elder Ken Martin will join with the churches in North and South Carolina and the Region 2 churches of Georgia and Tennessee.
Editor Judy Dale, Metropolitan Community Churches
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