The Reconciling Ministries Digest

(Note: Because of the nature of many websites, some of the links to external news sources in this digest may have expired.)

1. News From the Movement
2. Who was Bayard Rustin?
3. February is Black History Month: Do We Need It? By the Rev. Dr. Thomas Lane Butts
4. Ending Heterosexism By Audrey Krumbach
5. News From Believe Out Loud
6. Study Guide for Bishops' Pastoral Letter
7. Lets Pray
8. Get Connected

 News From the Movement

New Reconciling Congregation- First United Methodist Church of Madison, Wisconsin

We are a Reconciling Congregation, open to full participation of all persons regardless of race, gender, national origin, religious background or sexual orientation.

Madison First UMC has had a welcoming statement in place for over 10 years, but in the past two years they have grown aware of God’s call to speak prophetically to the broader Church about harmful language, legislation and practices.  Therefore, after a series of learning opportunities the Church Conference voted unanimously to become a Reconciling Congregation on December 1, 2009!

Rev. Tina Lang writes, “We know that this vote doesn’t mean our work is done. A new GLBT ministry team is taking shape and that team will help our congregation continue to grow in the reconciling spirit and welcoming practices.  GLBT Ministry Initiatives is now a line item in the Faith Development section of our annual plan, and we are excited to now include “A Reconciling Congregation” in our printed ads and other communication."

This commitment to full inclusion clearly emerges from the powerful theology found in the final paragraph of Madison First UMC’s vision statement:

We will engage in the life-giving practices of generosity,
extravagant love, and faithful care of God’s creation,
following the example of Jesus who fully lived the commandment to
“…love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your strength, and with all your mind: and your neighbor as yourself.”
We do this trusting in Jesus’ promise, “Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:27-28)

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The Village Church in Toledo, OH became a Reconciling Congregation in September 2009 and they are boldy declaring that our God is an inclusive God. Please take a second to email the editor of the article by clicking on her name to thank The Toledo Times for highlighting such an amazing church. If you'd like to know more about The Village Church you can visit their website here.

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Pastor Offers Support, Sanctuary to Area's Transgender Community

By CLAUDIA BOYD-BARRETT BLADE STAFF WRITER, February 08, 2010, The Toledo Times

Some secrets are so big, there is no safe place to tell them.

The Rev. Cheri Holdridge is hoping to change that by turning her Village Church in Toledo into a safe place.

On Feb. 28, the church and two Ohio organizations will host the first meeting of a Transgender Support Group. They want to provide members of the city's little-known transgender community with a space where they can talk and be understood.

"It's not safe to be transgender in this country, let alone this part of the country," said Sherri Tripepi, executive director of Equality Toledo, which is helping set up the group with Pastor Holdridge and Columbus-based TransOhio. "That's why it's important to have safe environments for these people."

"Transgender" or "transsexual" people identify themselves with a different gender than the one they were born with. Many struggle to repress this identity for years, fearing rejection or humiliation at the hands of those closest to them. Most commonly, transsexuals dress at least some of the time as members of the opposite sex, although a few undergo surgery or hormone treatment to physically alter their gender.

No one is sure how many transgender individuals are in Toledo, but Pastor Holdridge and Ms. Tripepi said requests for a support group have been building for some time. They said transgender people are difficult to count because admitting they're transexual could risk the loss of their job or an apartment, or cause the alienation of family and friends.

Pastor Holdridge said the isolation faced by many transsexuals became clear to her when she opened her church in October.

"Someone transgender came to my church the first day it opened," Pastor Holdridge said. "She was really scared. She'd been rejected by other churches and she was so happy to find a place and a pastor that would accept her."

That person, who attends Pastor Holdridge's church at 3992 Monroe St. every Sunday, can't wait for the support group to start.

Speaking to The Blade on condition of anonymity, the 60-year-old man recently began hormone treatment to become a woman. He said he only realized nine months ago that he was transsexual. He said it had been impossible to find help or support in Toledo.

"When I started through this, there was nobody in the Toledo area. I had nobody to talk to," he said. "That's why we need this support group." He explained he had felt like a female since the age of 4 or 5 years old, but could never admit those feelings.

To Finish Reading The Full Article Click Here

 Who was Bayard Rustin?

from http://www.quakerinfo.com

Background on Bayard Rustin

Although Bayard Rustin was one of the most important leaders of the American civil rights movement from the advent of its modern period in the 1950s until well into the 1980s, his name was seldom mentioned; he received comparatively little press or media attention, and others' names were usually much more readily associated with the movement than his was. His was a behind-the-scenes role that, for all its importance, never garnered Rustin the public acclaim he deserved. Rustin's homosexuality and early communist affiliation probably meant that the importance of his contribution to the civil rights and peace movements would never be acknowledged. However, fairness demands that the extent of Rustin's work receive a fair public reception.

Bayard Taylor Rustin was born on March 17, 1912, to Florence Rustin, one of eight children of Julia and Janifer Rustin of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Florence's child had been born out of wedlock; the father was Archie Hopkins. Julia and Janifer decided to raise young Bayard as their son, the youngest of the large Rustin family. Julia Rustin had been raised a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), and even though she attended the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the denomination of her husband, she impressed on the children she raised certain Quaker principles: the equality of all human beings before God, the vital need for nonviolence, the importance of dealing with everyone with love and respect.

 

Early Years

Rustin was a gifted and successful student in the schools of West Chester, both academically and on his high school track and football teams. It was during this period of his life that Bayard began to demonstrate his gift for singing with a beautiful tenor voice. He attended Wilberforce University and Cheyney State Teachers College. In 1937 he moved to New York City, where he was to live the rest of his life. He enrolled in the City College of New York, although he never received a degree. It was at this time that Rustin began to organize for the Young Communist League of City College. The communists' progressive stance on the issue of racial injustice appealed to him, although he began to be disillusioned with them after the Communist Party's abrupt about-face on the issue of segregation in the American military in the wake of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. He broke with the Young Communist League and soon found himself seeking out A. Philip Randolph, head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and at that time the leading articulator of the rights of Afro-Americans. He soon headed the youth wing of a march on Washington that Randolph envisioned. Randolph called off the demonstration when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order No. 8802, forbidding racial discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries. Randolph's calling off of the projected march caused a temporary breach between him and Bayard Rustin, and Rustin transferred his organizing efforts to the peace movement, first in the Fellowship of Reconciliation and later in the American Friends Service Committee, the Socialist Party, and the War Resisters League.

Continue Reading this Article Here

To learn more about Bayard Rustin visit some of this websites:
American Socrates: The Life of Bayard Rustin: http://www.rustin.org
Bayard Rustin - Civil Rights Leader: http://www.quakerinfo.com
Wikipedia - Bayard Rustin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayard_Rustin
Bayard Rustin - Who is This Man? State of the Re:Union http://stateofthereunion.com

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How is your Reconciling Community celebrating Black History Month?

Send an email to admin@rmnetwork.org and let us know how you celebrate Black History Month in your Congregation, Community, Campus Ministry or personal life? Also, let know us know about someone in African American History that has impacted your life?

 February is Black History Month: Do We Need It? By the Rev. Dr. Thomas Lane Butts

General Board of Church and Society

February is Black History month. Every year I hear people, white and black, ask why we need to have a month dedicated to black history. The reason is over-determined, in other words, there are multiple causes or contributing factors to the need for this specifically dedicated time.

Let me name some of them.

For more than 200 years black history was little more than a footnote in U.S. history books. Long after black people were freed from slavery, they continued to occupy a subservient role in the mainstream of culture. They were invisible. Those whose interests were served by slavery and segregation either ignored or purposely obscured the culture, achievements and history of black people. Those who own the land and the economic resources also own the pen and paper and the privilege of writing history.

A logical conclusion

When I finished high school in 1948 my only understanding of black history was a vague acquaintance with Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. I was taught by the omission of blacks from history and by the political and social leaders of my childhood and youth that blacks were not only not educated, but that they were not educable. Since I never met an educated black person and had no black classmates or teachers, the idea of blacks being uneducable was a logical conclusion in my limited experience.

The idea of blacks being uneducable was a logical conclusion in my limited experience.

It was in late 1954 or early 1955 that I had an experience that brought all of my teachings and assumptions regarding black people into question. By a unique turn of events too complicated to describe here, I had the occasion to spend the day with a young black minister who had just been called to the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Until that day I had never met a black person with anything more than a elemental, usually informal, education. I had met black people who were wise, but their wisdom was the fruit of experience and wisdom inherited from wise parents, pastors and teachers. I was “blown away” by the palpable erudition and gentle spirit of this man. He was completely at ease with these 12 white strangers, and he put us at ease with him. He had a graceful presence that I will never forget.

Dr. King had an obvious degree of intelligence that belied all that I had been taught in the first 18 years of my life about the limited intelligence level of black people. He did not fit into any of the preconceived categories of race that I had taken in with my mother’s milk. This experience was one of my first steps toward the understanding of a social and political reality that would change our nation in the next 25 years.

Still learning black history

I never had a black teacher or classmate in elementary school, high school, in four years of college or three years in theological school at Emory University. I had my first black classmate when I entered graduate school at Northwestern University and Garrett Biblical Institute in Evanston, Ill. My first and only black teacher was my clinical training supervisor when I did a year-long internship as a chaplain at Cook County Hospital in Chicago....

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 Ending Heterosexism By Audrey Krumbach

The General Board of Church and Society

My childhood family was fairly traditional in many ways. I was raised to know that women can do anything that men can. During most of my childhood my mom chose to raise children full time. It was always clear, too, that it was her decision, not an obligation.

When my parents brought home a rocket kit for my brother and I expressed interest, they returned to the hobby store for a second kit. My parents encouraged all of us to become whatever we wished, regardless of gender.

An example of this encouragement came when God called my mother to ministry. My father shifted his work schedule to help care for their children.

When I decided to study chemistry in college, my parents both agreed I would be a terrific scientist or doctor. Later, I discerned a call to social justice ministries. My family unreservedly agreed that “changing the world” was a great plan for my life.

Everything in my childhood agreed that gender does not limit potential.

Heterosexism

I want to thank all those persons who came before and who continue to push for a powerful feminist movement. Without those women and men, I would not have grown into a confident young woman with an exciting, challenging vocation. My awareness of the benefits of feminism leads me to work for the end of heterosexism.

It’s important to understand what heterosexism is. The 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the denomination’s highest policy-making body, declared heterosexism is deeply connected to sexism. Resolution #2043 states that heterosexism “fosters stereotypes based on arbitrary distinctions of gender categories.”

Heterosexism blurs the distinction between gender and sexuality. It defines a person’s identity by his or her role in reproduction. In ancient days, heterosexism resulted in the complete devaluing of women unable to have children. In today’s world, heterosexism defines a contrast between feminine and masculine identities. It fosters an eternal conflict of dominance and submission.

Any person who defies these narrowly defined gender roles is labeled deviant or perverted. In a heterosexist culture, single persons are treated as not-yet-married, divorcees are considered failures, and those who choose celibacy are viewed as losers, freaks or religious fanatics.

To Finish Reading This Article Click Here

 News From Believe Out Loud

Goodbye Letter from Tiffany

To My Reconciling Family,

Grace and Peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ !As many of you know, I have been invited to serve as the sixth Dean of Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University. It is an unexpected honor and privilege to be invited to serve in this capacity and an opportunity to utilize my gifts and graces as a pastor, scholar and organizer in new ways. It has been a great privilege and pleasure to serve these past three years as the National Field Director for the Called to Witness campaign. During my tenure I have had the opportunity to meet and work with hundreds of faithful Reconciling United Methodists…building relationships, organizing strategically and transforming our beloved Church. All across the connection from the deep south to the Midwest, from coast to coast, I met committed and compassionate individuals who have dedicated their lives and ministries to creating a church where all truly means all.

I only wish you could have the view I have from my travels. As we gathered in all day workshops, met with our General and Annual Conference representatives, and mobilized our expanding constituencies, I glimpsed the Beloved Community coming into being story by story. Friends, our movement is magnificent and it is growing! Now more than ever people of faith are gathering to share their stories and break the silence that has kept the church locked in a closet of ignorance and exclusion. By believing out loud these disciples across our connection are shattering the myth that the United Methodist Church is content with the status quo of prejudice, discrimination and injustice.

I am so very grateful for the time we have had together, for your faithful participation, compassionate commitment and fierce determination. I have been blessed by your stories and forever changed by your witness. While the time has come for me to leave the campaign as your National Field Director, I will continue to be part of the growing, dynamic Reconciling movement and the evolving Called to Witness initiative from my new position at Syracuse University. Together, my friends, we are truly changing the church one story at a time.

Paz,

Tiffany

 

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Believe Out Loud Kick Off

It's almost OUT! The Believe Out Loud website is being unfurled on Valentine's Day and we need your help to fill it with real-world experiences that tell your story - a story of faith that includes all, that celebrates your love and affirms your identity - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Do you have a story to tell? Maybe it is the story about how a particular church community welcomed you when you thought you would never find one. TELL IT! Maybe it's the story of how you have moved in your thinking from a position of rejection to a position of affirmation. SHARE IT! Maybe it is the story of an individual or church community that inspires you because of the courageous stands they have taken. LET OTHERS KNOW!

Have you worn your Believe Out Loud tees or pins? If so, snap a shot and SEND IT!

Have you told your friends about us? If not, urge them to JOIN US on facebook and twitter.

This is just the beginning….Between Valentine's Day and Pride Month (June), we will be growing our resources and building our movement.

Once it is live, the website will be our hub for action. This effort will show the world that we are not isolated, but that we represent a SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT for justice and welcome in our churches, our communities and our nation.

Welcome to the beginning, friends. Together, we will break the silence.

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Laura Rossbert on Tenn. Channel 5

 

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Upcoming Believe Out Loud Training Dates

 

Western North Carolina	2/13/2010
New York	2/20/2010
Oklahoma	2/20/2010
Florida	2/20/2010
Detroit	2/27/2010
West Michigan	2/27/2010
Dakotas	2/27/2010
South Georgia	2/27/2010
West Ohio	3/7/2010
California Nevada	3/7/2010
Balt-Washington	3/13/2010
Desert Southwest	3/13/2010
New England	3/20/2010
Virginia	3/20/2010
West Virginia	3/27/2010

 Study Guide for Bishops' Pastoral Letter

From General Board of Church and Society:

‘God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope Action A study guide to accompany the Council of Bishops God's Renewed Creation: Call to Hope & Action is available. Released in November, the Bishops' Pastoral Letter and accompanying Foundation Document are a call to action to address three pressing concerns: pandemic poverty and disease; environmental degradation; and the proliferation of weapons and violence.

The Council of Bishops adopted the Pastoral Letter and its Foundation Document unanimously. The documents are based on survey information gathered from more than 5,000 United Methodists. The General Board of Church & Society and Peace With Justice grants helped fund the research.

The Guide for Group Study enables a closer examination of the Pastoral Letter and the Foundation Document. The guide is available now for use in Lenten study groups. Free downloadable copies of all three documents are available at HopeandAction.org.

A print document containing the bishops’ documents and the study guides is available through Cokesbury for a special February-only sale price of $5 each. Regular price is $7.50 each. For more information and to order before Feb. 28 to capture the sale, go to God’s Renewed Creation. God’s Renewed Creation consists of the following:

The Pastoral Letter. To be read aloud in worship, classes, gatherings and at events.

The Pastoral Letter for Liturgical Settings. The pastoral letter with congregational responses created especially for worship.

The Foundation Document. In-depth background on the urgent issues of our time that affect God’s creation.

Guide for Group Study. A six-week study guide for use with small groups of adults or older youths.

Guide for Teachers of Children. Ways to help children learn the joy and responsibility of caring for God’s good creation.

HopeandAction.org is posting resources, including articles, events, news and video clips related to the bishops’ call to action. The resources will be coordinated with each of the six sessions of the study guide.

According to Pat Callbeck Harper, who served as project manager for the Council of Bishops on God’s Renewed Creation, there’ll be much more on the HopeandAction.org Web site dedicated to the follow-up work in coming months “as we all shape our own pledges in response to the bishops’ nine pledges in their Pastoral Letter. She said these resources will include “transforming actions to eliminate the threats to God’s good creation” highlighted in the bishops’ message.

 Lets Pray

Let us pray for those who desire the courage to say publicly what they believe silently.  Pray for the upcoming Believe Out Loud trainings. Pray that they would go smoothly, that relationships would be made, and the people would find a place of comfort and encouragement. Continue to pray for Haiti.  Pray that people would continue to remember to serve and help even after the tragedy has disappeared from our 24hr news cycle.

 Get Connected

Do you have a story, poem, essay, thoughts, etc. that you would like to see in a future FlashNet? Is your Reconciling Community connected to a social networking group like Facebook or Myspace? If so send an email to James.

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