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Aletterfromtheeditor
WITHTHISISSUE,
TheGayChristian
becomesaseparatejournalonitsown,publishedindependentlyofUFMCC'sothermagazineINUNITY.
TheGayChristian
beganinNewYork,whereintheearly1970'sRoyBircharddecidedsuchaforumforreflectionwasanideaworthsellingtheBoardofhischurch,MCC/NewYork.ItbecamethejournaloftheNortheastDistrict,andremained
so
untilGeneralConference,
1975.
Then,
it
becameapublicationofUFMCC.It
s
firstissueasasectionofINUNITYappearedinMarch,
1976.
It
s
lastseriousissueap-pearedinApril/May1979.Inthatissue,thereappearedadaringtheological
IX
plorationofthecreationmythsofGenesisandtheirrelationshipto
SIX
ism.AsbecameclearfromreadingtheLetterssectionintheneetissue,whichappearedatGeneralConference,noteveryonewelcomedKarenZiegler'sschol-arlystrugglewiththevitalconcernsofafeministcomingtotermswitha
SIX
istdocument.ItwashotlyarguedthatsucharticlesunderminethedogmaticauthorityoftheChurchandtheBibleandthereforethefaithofbelievers.Simultaneously,amajorityofreadersspeakingupontheissuevoicedappreciationforboththearticleandthejournalthatpublishedit.Forthem,ithadembracedtheintellectualintegrityofsomeonewhovaluestruthandwholeness,someoneunwillingtoswitchoffherbrain.So,tosparethosereaderswhoareuncomfortablewiththissoundingboardforsignificantstatementsandinquiryonvitalissues,
TheGayChristian
willnowbeavailableonanoptionalbasis.Butmore,
TheGayChristian
willnowenjoyamoresharplydefinedfocus,reachingfarbeyondtheparametersofadenominationtospeaktoandforpeopleoffaithwhodon'twanttoremainstuckintheperspectivesoftheiryesterdays,who,instead,heedthecallofGodintoanunknownfuture.Astronganddiverseeditorialboardwillhelpusassurethatthesepagesdeeply
lX
ploretheissuesthatmattertoyouandme,andthattheycoverthenewsyouneedandcan'tgetanywhereelseinoneplace.Therewillbecontroversyhere.Andgrowthforallofus.Withoutapology,weassertthatourpublication
is
amostimportantone.Wearepioneers.Ouruniquecallsummonsustothecuiiingedge.ThejourneyofthepeopleofGodleads
TGC:2
ustowherewehaveneverbeenbefore,andwecannotbepermittedabackseat.That
is
thejoyfulburdenofthoseconvincedthattheSpirithasnotceasedtospeakinthechurch.Weinviteyoutolisten,andreflect,with
TheGayChristian.FJD
Inthechurc
THEGAYCHRISTIANisatheo-logicaljournaloftheUniversalFellowshipofMetropolitanCom-munityChurches.Itspurposeistobuildcommunityamongpeopleoffaithwhohappenalsotobegay,women,ormembersofothersexualminoritiesbyprovidingatheologicalsoundingboardandrelevantecumen-icalnews.TGCwritersspeakforthemselves:theirviewpointsdonotnecessarilyrepresentanyofficialpolicy,position,ordoctrineof UFMCC.
Materialinthismagazineisoriginalunless otherwisenoted.PleasecreditTHEGAYCHRISTIANwhenquotingfromus.Contents arecopyrightedandmaynotbereproducedor extensivelyquotedwithoutpermission.
F.JayDeacon,EditorEditorialOffices:POBox
2392,
ChicagoIL
60690[312]922-5822
CirculationandAdvertising:DepartmentofPublications,UFMCC
5300
SantaMonicaBlvd/
304
LosAngelesCA
90029[213]464-5100
ContributingEditors:NewYork:
KarenZiegler,SusanMoyes.
Boston:
EdwardT.Hougen.
Chicago:
KennethMarlin.
Detroit:
JeanGralley.
LosAngeles:
JeffPulling,DonnaWade.
SanFrancisco:
MichaelEngland.
Denver:
DustyPruitt,
Milwaukee:
ValerieBouchard.
St.Louis:
RoyBirchard.
Cominginthenextissue:
ContributingeditorJeffPullingoffersanotherviewoftheGenesiscreationmythsin"AdamandEve:AStoryforAllTime."AGAINSTAGROWINGrecognitionamongthegeneralpopulacethatgaypeopleandwomenarehumanbeingsandmayevenbechildrenofGod,thechurchesthisSummerandFallhandedpatriarchyandobscuran-tismaseriesofsmashingtriumphs.Herein,thenew
TheGayChristian
setsforthtosummarizethesedevelopments.
Prebyteriansbargays
First,therewerethePresbyterians.Now,thePresbyterianChurchintheU.S.(theSouthernone,with
800,000
members)andtheUnitedPresbyterianChurchintheU.S.A.(theNorthernfaction,with2.6millionmembers)haven'tenjoyedsuchecumenicalgoodfeelingssincetheysplit overslaverymorethanacenturyago.But thisSummertheyagreed.Andadoptedaspolicylastyear'sUPCUSAstatement opposingtheordinationofgaypeopleto theministry,oraseldersanddeacons. YoumayrememberthatUPCUA TaskForcestudyonhomosexualityin 1978recommending,aftermanymonths ofintensivestudy,thatgaypeoplebe ordained.TheGeneralAssemblyofUPCUSA,ofcourse,replaceditsconclu- sionswiththeanti-gayordinationstate- ment.ThePCUShadalsoproduceda reportofitsown,moremoderatethanthe statementthetwodenominationsagreed onthisSummer.Butthefinalstatement won'tbebindingonPCUScongregations. It
will
onUPCUSAchurches--orsoitappears,butthatwon'tbecertainuntilthe ecclesiasticalcourtsgetatestcase.The twodenominationsheldconcurrentgeneral assembliesinKansasCity.GayPresbyterianswononeconcession thisyearfromUPCUSA.The1979assem- blyvotedforthefirsttimetoreceivetheannualreportofPresbyteriansforGayConcerns.Forthefourpreviousyears,UPCUSAhadrefusedthePGCreport.
Episcopaliansbargays
34BishopsDissent
Next,thereweretheEpiscopalians.The2.8millionmembercommunionheldits66thTriennialGeneralConventioninDenverinSeptember.LastTriennialhadbeenin1976,whenacommitteewascommissionedtostudytheordinationofgaypeople.Thecommitteereportwas
 
hes:plungingtowardthepast
turnedintoaformalresolutionforsubmis-siontothisFall'sconvention.Itsaid,inpart:
Thereshouldbenobarriertotheor-dinationofthosehomosecualpersonswhoareableandwillingtoconformtheirbehaviortothatwhichthechurchaffirmsaswholesome
Itwasanattempt,accordingtocom-mitteechairRobertSpears,BishopofRochester,"nottopursuealegislativesolutiontotheproblem,"buttoallowdecisionsabouttheordinationofhomo-sexualstobemadeonanindividualbasisatthediocesanlevel.Theresolutionwouldhaveorderedclergy"nottopromoteorfosterahomosexualadaptationasagenerallyacceptablealternative."Butitwouldhaveurgedagainst"legislationwhichsinglesoutaparticularhumanconditionandmakesofitanabsolutebarriertoordination."Integrity,thegay Episcopalorganization,hadn'tdecidedhowtorespondtoallthis.Ahearingonhomosexualityandordinationpackedatheatrewith1,500people.Thirty-twowitnessesspokeagainstlegislationbanninggaysandlesbiansfromordination;onlyfourspokeforthelegis-lation.Then,surprisingmanyobservers,theHouseofBishopsapproved,99-34,
'a
newresolutionpreparedbytheBishops'CommitteeonMinistrythatnotonlybarstheordinationofpracticinghomosexuals,butbarstheordinationofanyonewhoengagesinsexoutsideofmarriage.AgroupofbishopsledbyJohnKrummofSouthernOhiosignedaconsciencestate-mentsayingtheycouldn'tabidebytheresolution.Here'swhattheHouseofBishopssaid,inpart:
WereaffirmthetraditionalteachingoftheChurchonmarriage,maritalfidelity andsexualchastity...Therefore,we believeitisn'tappropriateforthisChurchtoordainapracticinghomo-
SIX
ual,oranypersonwho
is
engagedinheterose:ualrelationsoutsideof marriage
TheHouseofDeputies,madeupof laityandpriests,tookuptheresolutionafteritsownMinistryCommitteedeletedthefinalsentenceabsolutelybarringpracticinghomosexualsandanyoneelsesexuallyactiveoutsideofmarriagefromministry.TheDeputiesbeganbyrestoringtheprohibition,asquotedabove,147-47,andthenproceededtoadopttheentireBishops'resolution.Anumberofamend-mentsaimedatsofteningtheeffectoftheresolutionwereshouteddownonvoicevotes.Unmistakablypleased,aSouthernVirginiaclergy-typesaid:"Iconsiderhomosexualitytobeaculturalandpsycho-logicaltragedy."TheStatementofConsciencehasbynowbeensignedby34Bishopsandabout200membersoftheHouseofDeputies.BishopssigningthedocumentrepresentdiocesesincludingBoston,Newark,NewYork,LosAngeles,Chicago,Indianapolis,andRochester.Itdeclaresthatthere'snoevidencethatmanyhomosexuals"havebeengiventheveryspecialandextraordi-narygrace"of
healthy
celibacy.Itasserts thatthe"formedpersonalities"ofthisminorityofpersonsdoesn'tconformtothe"predominantmodeofbehavior.WhythisissoisamysteryknownonlytoGod."ItexpressesgratitudefortheministryofhomosexualsinEpiscopalministry,notallofwhomhavebeencelibate.Ofhomosex-ualrelationships,itadds,"Fromsuch relationshipswecannotbelieveGodtobeabsent."Itaffirms,also,the"responsible, caring,andnon-exploitativestruggles"ofsuchpersons"inmoretransientrelation-ships."ThedissentingbishopschargethattheGeneralConventionactionmakesofhomosexuals"second-classcitizensinthechurchoftheirbaptism."Itconcludes,"WegivenoticethatasweareanswerablebeforealmightyGodthatwecannotaccepttheserecommendationsorimplementtheminourdioceses."
Anglicanreportfavorable
TheChurchofEnglandhaspublishedareportassertingthathomosexualrela-tionshipscanbejustifiedandrecommend-ingthathomosexualsnotbebarredfromthepriesthood.Thereport,whichgoestotheGeneralSynodin1981fordebate,wasproducedbyacommitteeof11menandtwowomen,headedbytheBishopofGloucester.Itwasrequestedbythechurch'sBoardforSocialResponsibility,headedbytheBishopofTruro,astaunchtraditionalistwhodoesn'tlikethereport. Ifitbecomespolicy,therecommendation willgivebishopsauthoritytoordainoremploygaypriestsanddeacons,ortodeclinetodoso.
Disciplesbargays
OrDoThey?
AndthenthereweretheDisciplesofChrist,hereandtherebetterknownastheChristianChurch.TheyhadtheirbiennialGeneralAssemblyinSt.LouisinNovem-ber.TheDiscipleshave1.2millionmem-bers.They'velaunchedonasix-yearprojectthat'ssupposedtoresultinmergerwiththeUnitedChurchofChrist.TheirAssemblyproducedthisambiguousstate-ment:
Recentstudieshavenotconvincedusnorthechurchatlargethattheordainingofpersonswhoengageinhomose:ualpractices
is
inaccordwithGod'swillfortheChurch.
ConsistentwithDisciplespreferencefordiversityandlocalautonomy(adenom- inationbroadenoughtoincludebothJimJonesandChicago'sprogressiveUniversityChurch),theAssemblyaffirmedtherightofregionsorcongregationstotakerespon-sibilityfordecidingwhoshallbeordained.
PopevisitsUS:tellsAmericanswhereit'sat
BarsGays,Women, Contraceptives,Divorce, Abortion,FoolingAround,and Euthenasia;SaysNuns'Place inHabit
Finally,thePopecarnetotheU.S.totellAmericanCatholicstoquittryingtochangethings.Havingassuredthatno womenwouldbeinvolvedindistributingcommunion,hewasreadytobeginhismissionamongadulatingmassesinseveralEasternCities.InPhiladelphia,hemadeaspeechabouthowhe'dneverputupwiththeordinationofwomen,andhownunsshouldweartraditionalhabits.InChicago,whereanarchitecturalfirmwasengagedsolelytoarrangethe60,000mumsontheplatformforthePapalMassinapark,herepeatedotherthemesofhistripinaspeechtosome
TGC:3
of 00

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