Date: Sun, 13 Dec 98 8:52:34 EST From: James Anderson Subject: Jan-Feb 1999 MORE LIGHT UPDATE (151 K) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MORE LIGHT UPDATE *We limit not the truth of God To our poor reach of mind, By notions of our day and sect, Crude, partial and confined. No, let a new and better hope Within our hearts be stirred: for God hath yet more light and truth To break forth from the Word. -- Pastor John Robinson, sending the Pilgrims to the New World, 1620; paraphrased by the hymnwriter George Rawson, 1807-1889. For all ministers, elders, deacons, members and friends of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) January-February 1999 Volume 19, Number 3 More Light Presbyterians (Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns) James D. Anderson, Editor P.O. Box 38 New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038 732-249-1016, 732-932-7501 (Rutgers University) FAX 732-932-6916 (Rutgers University) Internet: jda@mariner.rutgers.edu (or jda@scils.rutgers.edu) Email discussion list: mlp-list@scils.rutgers.edu (to join, send email to: Majordomo@scils.rutgers.edu; in body of message put: subscribe mlp-list; to leave list, put: unsubscribe mlp-list) MLP home page: http://www.mlp.org Masthead, with Publication Information at end of file. Note: * is used to indicate italicized or boldface text. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONTENTS OUR COVER: Doing Gospel in Chicago. SCAM CONTINUES: Don't Be Scammed DEDICATION: To Louis Dean Hay, 1930-1998 JOIN MORE LIGHT PRESBYTERIANS: A Letter from Your Moderators KEEP THE MORE LIGHT UPDATE COMING TO YOU: Getting the *More Light Update.* NOMINATIONS for MLP's Board of Directors WE NEED YOUR PHOTOS RESOURCES: Check out these websites TV Spots for Outreach to LGBT Community EVENTS REQUESTS: Study of Lesbians and Their Sisters MAIN FEATURE: The Faces of Hate The Crucifixion of Matthew, A Chaplain's Reflection They Were Killed Because of Who They Were!! -- Mike Dennehy Matt Shepard, ... Editorial in The New York Times Brutal Bigotry, Editorial in the Christian Century PC(USA) Leaders Issue Statement on Anti-gay Murder in Wyoming PCUSA Policies Omitted from Our Leaders' Letter BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS AND A VIDEO: Reviews Called Out With: Stories of Solidarity in Support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Persons Unleashed: The Wit and Wisdom of Calvin the Dog, translated by Chris Glaser Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity, by Bruce Bawer Moral Understandings: A Feminist Study in Ethics, by Margaret Urban Walker Erotic Justice: a Liberating Ethic of Sexuality, by Marvin M. Ellison It's Elementary [videorecording]: Talking About Gay Issues in School Sex and the Church: Gender, Homosexuality, and the Transformation of Christian ethics, by Kathy Rudy: DELETED FROM ELECTRONIC VERSION. Permission to reprint did not extend to electronic or internet publication. Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile: A New Reformation of the Church's Faith and Practice, by John Shelby Spong Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America, by Mel White Prayers for Bobby: a mother's coming to terms with the suicide of her gay son, by Leroy Aarons Brief Blurbs: Reclaiming the Spirit: Gay Men and Lesbians Come to Terms with Religion, by David Shallenberger Loving Men: Gay Partners, Spirituality, and AIDS, by Richard P. Hardy ON THE FRONT LINES Three Women of Faith, by Lisa Larges Living Faithfully in the Church When We Disagree: The Covenant Network's Conference, by Hal Porter Preparing for Church Trials, by Donna Riley WCC: THESE WCC STORIES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRINTED VERSION World Council Faces Lesbian & Gay Exclusion: WCC Cannot Close its Eyes to Homosexuality, Says Leading Official, by Edmund Doogue Churches Pledge to Make Gays an Issue at World Council Assembly, by Douglas Todd The Milwaukee Overture MORE LIGHT PRESBYTERIANS ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Before Us An Open Door MLP OFFICERS AND CONTACTS MLP Board of Directors MLP Coordinators & Liaisons PRESBYTERIAN ALLY ORGANIZATIONS MASTHEAD (Publication Information) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OUR COVER: Doing Gospel in Chicago. Cafe Pride volunteers in Chicago, about to take their place in the Chicago Pride Parade, June 28, 1998: Scott Gable, Christine Browne, Karen Tompkins, Kayla Davis, Cris Tuk, Marilyn Nash, and Ivan Perez (on top); Stu Smith and Joe Gregersen are in the background. Cafe Pride is a safe place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and straight people under the age of 21. It's a fun place to hang out, make friends, dance, drink coffee, enjoy snacks, play games, chat and more. Cafe Pride is open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 8:00 p.m. til midnight. We meet at the parish house of Lake View Presbyterian Church in Chicago. -- Marilyn Nash. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SCAM CONTINUES Don't Be Scammed Our long-running scam has returned in full force. Don't fall for it. If any one calls you, especially collect, and claims to be Scott Anderson, Jim Anderson, Ralph Carter, or other MLP leaders, or any other person from your area and connected with MLP or PLGC or MLCN, etc., DON'T SEND THEM ANY MONEY without first checking with MLP (see contact info. at end of file). Churches and individuals all over the country have fallen for this scam. So far, neither the FBI nor local efforts have managed to squelch it. So be wary! -- Jim Anderson. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * DEDICATION Dedication Louis Dean Hay December 18, 1930 -- November 17, 1998 I dedicate this issue of the *More Light Update* to our friend and brother, the Rev. Dean Hay, who died on Tuesday, November 17. I compiled these notes as I remembered and celebrated the many gifts Dean gave to me, to our movement, and to our church. Join me in remembering and celebrating. -- Jim Anderson. Dean was a long-time member of PLGC and in recent years served as an activist coordinator for PLGC in Utah, then Southern California, and most recently in Southern Illinois. In a recent email message to a new email friend, Dean summarized his life and ministry in this way: Your assumption is correct. I am gay, retired in good standing in the Presbytery of Chicago whose executive staff knew it when I transferred in. In fact, because of credentials out my past experience, I was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Presbytery three months after becoming a member of Presbytery. Aside from pastorates at the beginning and ending of my career, I served on the executive staffs of Nebraska Synod, New Jersey Synod/NE (paid by the Synod but permitted to "elect" a standing that did not make me an official synod staff member since I anticipated the turmoil of the new regional synod -- and it saved my job!), then to Blackhawk Presbytery. My accountability was for programmatic, administrative, and fiscal function for the total operations. My motivation was a concern for children, youth, young adults, and families. Over 20 (26?) of the young adults who worked with me ended up in ordained ministry and others have been or are active in Presbyterian churches across the country. I am in correspondence, snail mail or email, with several of them. Among his many ministries, working with church camps and young people were his favorites. He served as national president of Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Executives, and also of the Nebraska Section of the American Camping Association. For several years he taught youth ministry in the Iowa Synod school. After he came out, he had a special passion was the needs and struggles of gay, lesbian, bi and transgender youth. A special joy to Dean was his partner Chris. Dean wrote in his autobiography *Disturbed by Joy* (of which an archival copy is included in the PLGC/MLP archives): "I learned in loving Chris what it is to love a man. I ached for completeness. I loved Chris as I had never known love before. I was loved as I had never been loved before." And those of us who have been blessed by Dean's love know that he knew how to love! In his "volunteer advocacy" resume distributed in Southern California, Dean wrote of Chris: "Having Power of Attorney for Health, in late 1993 I fulfilled a promise to my partner and held him in may arms after instructing the physician to remove his life support system. He was honored posthumously by the Governor in the Capitol Rotunda at Helena as the 1993 AIDS Educator of the Year for Montana. I am continuing the advocacy work we did together." Dean never paused in his outreach and advocacy. Dean was proud of his heritage. In his autobiography, he wrote: "Gay Presbyterian clergy may have their roots in heterosexual families with a long history in the Presbyterian Church -- solid, stable, pioneering, somewhat conservative families. It is a myth that holds homosexual orientation occurs only in dysfunctional or 'weird' families. Mine has never made a big deal our of our Revolutionary War heritage, but my father notes that 27 of the 60 men who took park in the skirmish at Lexington were members of the Stone family, including Captain Parker. Harvard University stands on the land right next to that of Gregory Stone, who arrived in America in 1635. He, along with several other prominent men, petitioned the drop of witchcraft charges against a neighbor woman -- and won. Concerns for justice and being 'against the stream' are part of the family heritage." Recently, Dean became a very active participant on the MLP email discussion list, making lots of new friends (as was his way, wherever he went). Here are excerpts from the on-line memorial service that erupted on the list as soon as Dean's death was announced: What a shock. Dean had been helping me with a problem, and had not replied, which was totally unlike him. He was a warm loving soul, and will be missed. The news about Dean just makes me feel very sad. I enjoyed his thoughts. I enjoyed the banter with him. I need that friendly creative ferment and supportive presence. I guess I can't express my feelings any better at the moment. I did not know Dean very well, only from his posts on this list. In them I experienced a warm heart and a strong mind and a caring spirit. I will miss him and mourn his loss. When I shared some of my concerns with this list as a Transsexual woman, the T in GLBT, Dean reached out to me with understanding and friendship and shared a wonderful personal story of his relationship with a long time friend who also is Transsexual. I know she, and all who knew him, loved him and miss him dearly. My prayers are with them. -- Thanks, Dean. At first, I found the frequency of "Louis Dean Hay" appearing on my email screen -- and the tiny scroll bars next to his messages -- quite annoying. I considered anyone who read all his messages in a given week to be a spiritual giant. Then, I began to read at least most {!} of what he wrote. What a wealth of church experience he passed on to us! What a pastoral spirit he conveyed -- even on this, a most impersonal medium! And what a tragedy, his loss. For his family. For us. Here's to you, Dean Hay. Your words were many. Your life was too short. No matter how old & fat you said you were. I have only known him for the past few months as we corresponded, at first on this list and then privately. No matter how much we disagreed about a given topic, he never failed to assure me of his love and caring. Lately, he had been extremely supportive of my efforts to expand my career as a fiction writer, offering many kind words and much encouragement, which I've greatly appreciated. I will miss him terribly. I find it very hard to accept that my mailbox will no longer be filled by messages from him. I trust he'll be watching over us as we carry on. He attended Park College. ... Dean had a lively mind, and was recently pursuing hints of homosexuality in Augustine's "Confessions." Since I am so far behind in reading my email, I will continue to be enlightened by what Dean has to say posthumously (most recently for me the collection of children's garbling of biblical ideas -- what a hoot!). Knowing Dean made an impression on a number on this list -- even in his brief time on here (that was like him) .... Since he touched our lives (as he did many across the country), he will be honored in prayers and remembrance in the morning and evenings services this Sunday at the Good Shepherd Parish, Metropolitan Community Church, in Chicago. From Dean's son: On Tuesday, 17th of November, Dean was killed in a car crash outside Carbondale, IL. Memorials can be given to Camp Calvin Crest of Fremont, Nebraska in Dean's name. Funeral Service will be held Monday at 10:30 am at the Mercer Funeral Home in Holton, KS. -- son, Daniel J. Hay * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * JOIN MORE LIGHT PRESBYTERIANS A Letter from Your Moderators: "...I believe that excluding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from full membership in Christ's church is sin. The PCUSA continues in this sin, and continues to benefit from a long history of talented gay and lesbian clergy, elders and other church workers; the only requirement is silence, self- hatred and lying." -- Mary Foulke, former PCUSA pastor to the Presbytery of Boston requesting that her ordination be set aside. Dear Friend, Let's be clear about our church and inclusiveness: Full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the Presbyterian Church will not happen tomorrow. What is assured right now and forever is that God loves us. **But a church that does not fully include its gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people can never be a church built on God's love.** Today our Presbyterian Church, as a matter of policy and action, denies God's call for ministry and service to thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people simply for living openly as God meant them to be. Still too many of our fellow Presbyterians promote misinformation and accuse gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of sin -- and wrongly use the Bible to support their beliefs! Far too often these misguided beliefs reinforce intolerance and exclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in our communities and places of worship. As a result gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are spiritually harmed and alienated from the church they love or, as we have seen in the news recently, they become targets of violence or murder like Matthew Shepard. That is why we urgently need your help to bring the message of God's inclusive love into our communities and churches: It's time for us to bear witness to the faithful service of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people at all levels in the Presbyterian Church. By becoming a member of the More Light Presbyterians with a contribution of $50 or more, you will help ensure that the message of God's inclusive love is shared and embraced by the Presbyterian Church. Speaking out loudly with a unified voice in 1999 For years both Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns (PLGC) and the More Light Churches Network (MLCN) have worked diligently to build a Presbyterian Church that acts with justice and loves equally, regardless of sexual or gender orientation. While PLGC focused on advocacy issues, MLCN provided pastoral care and congregational development for thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Presbyterians across the country. Both organizations were working for full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender in the Presbyterian Church. Now these two justice-seeking organizations have merged ministries to form More Light Presbyterians (MLP). The unification of PLGC and MLCN symbolizes the joining of two powerful witnesses of God's inclusive love. Moreover, it broadens the impact of our mission, increases our voice inside the Presbyterian Church, and represents a more effective stewardship of our resources. Strengthening our mission as More Light Presbyterians (MLP) The new More Light Presbyterians Board of Directors has proposed the following mission statement for its membership: Following the risen Christ and seeking to make the church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Already the board has taken a bold step to advance this mission: In early 1999 More Light Presbyterians will hire a full-time staff person to work as a Field Organizer whose charge it will be to: > Develop and implement strategies to expand the number of MLP chapters and congregations; > Create and implement leadership training events; > Provide strategic leadership for MLP's interaction with governing bodies, agencies and leaders of the PCUSA; > Network and collaborate with other justice organizations that support the mission of MLP; > and conduct grassroots organizing in areas of the country where PLGC and MLCN historically have had little presence. Building an inclusive Presbyterian community with you The merger of our two organizations brings a synergy to our movement for justice and inclusion in the Presbyterian Church and a more efficient use of our financial resources. We ask that you join with More Light Presbyterians during this exciting and historic time to ensure the success of our new organization by becoming a member of More Light Presbyterians. Together we can transform the hearts and minds of Presbyterians across this denomination, presbytery by presbytery and congregation by congregation. It is vital that we redouble our efforts to demonstrate the strength of God's inclusive love through our faith and actions. More Light Presbyterians will continue to have a presence at each General Assembly to let the church know that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are God's children, created by God, and loved by God just as they are. At the 1999 General Assembly, MLP plans include a speaking event with Mel White to raise awareness of the spiritual gifts of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Presbyterians. Beginning now and continuing into 1999, More Light Presbyterians will actively pursue ways to advance its mission on the Presbytery level by: > Revitalizing and building new MLP chapters and inclusive congregations around the country; > Providing a ministry of care for inclusive congregations throughout the denomination; > Giving resource materials to members, elders and pastors that will educate congregations and leaders to the truth of Christ's inclusive gospel; > Training leaders in congregations and presbyteries to advocate for the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians in the life and ministry of the Presbyterian Church; > Bringing the message of inclusiveness of all God's people to Presbyterians through the More Light Update; > Funding proactive work in passing overtures that eradicate homophobia and injustice in the Presbyterian Church; > and bearing witness to individual God-given gifts of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Presbyterian Church. Ensuring success in 1999 with your help We ask you to join More Light Presbyterians with a membership contribution of $50 -- or whatever you can afford -- to ensure that our newly energized ministry of hope and more light will reach individuals, congregations, and leaders throughout the Presbyterian Church in the coming year. With generous contributions from you and a $30,000 matching fund grant from the McKinley Foundation this past year, it was possible for More Light Presbyterians to secure the full-time position of Field Organizer. But we still need your help to ensure that this important outreach position continues past 1999. Your membership contribution provides the necessary resources MLP needs to let the MLP Field Organizer continue to bring the hopeful message and support of God's inclusive love to Presbyteries and individuals into the next year. Please, while this *More Light Update* is in your hands, become a member of More Light Presbyterians. Use the enclosed envelope. Our burden is not one of sin; it is the hope that our message of inclusiveness will be heard by the Presbyterian Church. But the hope of the future does not come from one, it comes from brave individuals banding together and bearing costly witness to proclaim God's inclusive love out loud. Through the affirming love of God, Scott Anderson and Mitzi Henderson, Co-moderators, MLP P.S. Get a FREE one-year subscription to *More Light Update with membership* P.P.S. Your help is needed more than ever at this critical time. A tax deductible membership contribution of $50 -- or an amount affordable to you -- supports the ministry of the More Light Presbyterians. Your membership will ensure that our new Field Organizer can bring the good word of God's inclusive love to Presbyteries around the country throughout 1999. Let us count on your help today: Please return your check or credit card contribution in the enclosed envelope right away! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * KEEP THE MORE LIGHT UPDATE COMING TO YOU Getting the *More Light Update.* As we enter this new era of ministry, outreach, and advocacy, our board has decided to shift the distribution of the *More Light Update.* After a few months of transition, it will go only to members of MLP, or to persons and organizations who subscribe for the annual fee of $18.00, or on exchange with other organizations. So if you want to continue receiving the *More Light Update*, you need to take some action: > Join MLP, with a dues contribution of $50, or *whatever you can afford*. If you can't afford even $1, then no contribution is required, but you wil still need to join! > Subscribe to *More Light Update* for $18 per year. > If your organization would like to exchange publications, please write to James D. Anderson, Editor, *More LIght Update*, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038, or email to: . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Nominations for MLP's Board of Directors Here are the nominations submitted thus far by the MLP Nominating Committee (Cathy Blaser, Tony De La Rosa, Susan Leo, Dick Lundy, and Mike Smith) for the new MLP Board of Directors. Names followed by an "I" are nominated to represent individual members; names followed by "G" are nominated to represent governing body members. Candidates in the class of 2000 are nominated for one year of service; those in the class of 2001 for two years of service; and those in the class of 2002 for three years of service. Beginning next year, the Nominating Committee will submit five candidates each year for terms of three years, three representing individual members and two representing governing body members. Class of 2000: Scott Anderson-I Tammy Lindahl-I Joanne Sizoo-I Ralph Carter-G Lisa Larges-G Class of 2001 Donna Riley-I Jim Anderson-I Bill Moss-I Mitzi Henderson-G Tricia Dykers Koenig-G Class of 2002 Rob Cummings-I Gene Huff-I Bear Ride-G Yet to be named-I Yet to be named-G According to the interim MLP bylaws, which will be presented for approval at the 1999 Annual Meeting, the election of these nominees shall take place at the annual meeting during the MLP Conference in Oklahoma City (May 21-23, 1999): "If a candidate on the Nominating Committee's slate is not challenged by the petitioning procedure described in Section 4, no balloting shall be necessary and that candidate shall be declared elected by unanimous consent at the annual meeting of the MLP membership" (IV.5). Section IV.4, "Nomination by Petition," provides: "Any twenty (20) individual members or any five (5) governing body members may nominate by petition candidates for election to the Board of Directors in addition to those proposed on the Nominating Committee slate. Such petition shall identify the specific candidate or candidates of the Nominating Committee's slate whose nomination is being challenged by the petition nominee or nominees. The petition must be received by the Secretary of the Board of Directors [Rob Cummings] no later than ninety (90) days in advance of the Annual Meeting. Ballots listing the Nominating Committee candidate(s) and petition candidate(s) shall be prepared and distributed to the relevant MLP class members for a vote. All votes shall be tabulated no later than seven (7) days before the Annual Meeting." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * WE NEED YOUR PHOTOS Hey folks, if you like the photos we've been putting in the *Update*, then we need your photos! Please send us all your MLP-related pictures. We can use colored pictures just fine. Don't be bashful -- send them in! The photos in this issue were provided by Marilyn Nash, Bill Moss, Victoria Moss, Jack Hartwein-Sanchez, PFLAG, Jane Loflin, Mitzi Henderson, plus a drawing by Mike Dennehy. We regret that these wonderful pictures are NOT in the electronic version! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * RESOURCES Check out these websites: The new More Light Presbyterians website at: . For news of judicial cases in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) of interest to More Light Presbyterians see: . Out Presbyterians: Linda Malcor has kindly agreed to take over maintenance of "Presbyterians OUT on the Internet," the directory of GLBT Presbyterians and their supporters. The directory is now located at: . Many thanks to Linda for taking on the maintenance and updating of this site, which I hope you all have found useful. -- Richard Jasper * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TV Spots for Outreach to LGBT Community Two 30-second commercials for use by Christian congregations and organizations with a specific outreach to the gay and lesbian community have been prepared by Word of Life Ministries of New Orleans. The TV spots were premiered in September in the New Orleans market on BET, A&E, MTV, and TLC. For an information packet on airing the TV spots in your market and inviting gays and lesbians in your mission field to your church, please email Word of Life Ministries at tv4gayxian@aol.com. (USPS address needed to receive packet.) Thank you -- Jim Bailey, Administrator, Word of Life Ministries * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EVENTS January 12, 1999, 7:15 p.m. Barbara Wheeler of Auburn Seminary will repeat her talk on Harry Emerson Fosdick (given at the 210th GA in Charlotte last June) at The First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York, 12 West 12th Street at 5th Avenue on Tuesday evening, preceded by a light supper. Co-sponsored by First Presbyterian and Presbyterian Welcome, Inclusive Churches Working Together, of New York City. Harry Emerson Fosdick, a Baptist preacher, preached at First Presbyterian from 1919-1925. January 25-30, 1999. Pre-Lenten Pastors Workshop at Ghost Ranch, led by MLP Board member Mike Smith, Grinnell, IA and Sue Westfall, Tucson, AZ. An opportunity to prepare spiritually and intellectually for Lent. Workshop will include: textual exegesis, homiletic ideas and material, liturgical and musical resources, discussion of theological themes with colleagues, and plenty of quiet to refresh your spirit. Contact Ghost Ranch, HC 77 Box 11, Abiquiu, NM 87510 505-685-4333, fax 505-685-4519. February 5-7, 1999. Celebrating Lesbian Relationships. Join together to explore boundaries, power, sexual behavior, being single or in a couple, and racial issues within relationships and within our communities. Rowe Conference Center, Kings Hwy. Rd. Box 273, Rowe, MA 01367, 413-339-4954 or 4216, fax 413-339-5728, email: Retreat@RoweCenter.org March 19-21, 1999 . Eighth Annual National Conference for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Seminarians and their Allies, Chicago Theological Seminary and Meadville-Lombard Theological School, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The theme for the conference is "Common Pain, Common Hope." It will be a weekend of learning, worship, and fellowship. More information forthcoming. If you have questions, contact Michael Cooper (m- cooper@mindspring.com), Tanya Denley (TDenley@juno.com), Marilyn Nash (mnash100@aol.com), or Ken Stone (kstone@chgosem.edu). April 29-May 1, 1999. Unity and Diversity Conference, mandated by the 1998 General Assembly (proposed by a group of African American Presbyterian Leaders). Details forthcoming. April 29-May 2, 1999. That All May Freely Service conference, Rochester, NY. Contact Jane Adams Spahr, 415-457-8004, email: Janie_Spahr@pcusa.org May 13-16, 1999. Voices of Sophia Annual Gathering, Washington, DC. "Embracing Sophia-Wisdom: Celebrating Her Voices." Keynote Speaker: Clarice Martin, Professor of New Testament, Colgate- Rochester; also ethicist Beverly Harrison, Union Theological Seminary, NY. Contact Registrar, Madeline Jervis, 703-527-9513. May 21-23, 1999. More Light Presbyterians Annual Conference, Oklahoma City. See registration form in this *Update*! June 19-26, 1999. General Assembly, PCUSA, Fort Worth, TX. July 24-31, 1999. 27th Annual Thornfield Workshop on Sexuality, Cazenovia, NY. Designed for every person, regardless of profession, who wishes to become more knowledgeable and comfortable with the multiple aspects and expressions of human sexuality, with particular attention to gender and orientation. Alison Deming, psychotherapist, certified sex educator and sex therapist, director; also Brian McNaught, author of *Now That I'm Out, What Do I Do?*, and others. Contact Carol Dopp, Coordinator, P.O. Box 3158, Oakton, Virginia 22124, 703-532-3702. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * REQUESTS Study of Lesbians and Their Sisters I'm a lesbian researcher at the University of Vermont, conducting a study of how lesbians and their sisters are similar or different. If you are a lesbian with at least one sister (who can be of any sexual orientation), would you contact me and I'll send you copies of the survey for you and your sister. If you have more than one sister who is willing to participate, please let me know how many surveys you want. When you receive the surveys, you will see that the survey does not say anywhere that this is a study about lesbians. Only two items ask about sexual orientation, and these are among many other items about demographic data. This is so you can send surveys to sisters to whom you are not "out." If you have questions, feel free to contact me at 802-656-4156 (work and voicemail) or esther.rothblum@uvm.edu (email). My address is: Esther Rothblum, Box 906, John Dewey Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405. Thanks for your assistance with this project! -- Esther Rothblum. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MAIN FEATURE The Faces of Hate Hate takes many forms. The crucifixion of Matthew Shepard, the burning of churches, demeaning graffiti and slurs are among its forms. Sometimes hate is institutionalized into laws, regulations and traditions in which good people participate without always realizing that they are perpetuating institutionalized hate. Infamous examples of institutionalized hate include the legal persecution of the Jews and other minorities by the German state under the Nazis, the apartheid regime of South Africa, slavery and segregation in this country. The institutionalization of hate has been too common in the church as well, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) included. Any law, policy or regulation that places a group of people in a second class category and denies to them the rights, privileges and responsibilities granted to others because of who they are constitutes this kind of institutionalized hate. The persons primarily responsible for this kind of hate are those empowered to change it, but who do nothing. Worse are those who promote this kind of institutionalized hate. In the following commentaries on hate, we explore the varieties of hate in our culture and our church. -- Hoping for a Day without Hate, James D. Anderson. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Crucifixion of Matthew A Chaplain's Reflection I saw on the news today that Matthew Shepard died. He was the 22 year old man from Wyoming who was beaten and tortured and left to die for no reason other than he was a homosexual. This tragic murder has raised a national debate again, the kind of periodic soul-searching our society goes through whenever a crime of hate startles us into awareness. The burning of Black churches, the bombing of innocent people, the death of a shy young man from Wyoming: these events suddenly shake us out of complacency and remind us that fear, prejudice and rage are always the shadows just beyond the light of our reason. And so people suddenly start to speak out. There are voices of outrage and grief. Voices of sorrow and demands to know why such a thing could have happened. And predictably, there are also defensive voices: the governor of Wyoming trying to explain why his state has no laws to protect people from hate crimes and the leadership of what is called the Christian "right wing" trying to explain why their national ads against homosexuality don't influence people to commit such violence against gays and lesbians. In the days to come, these many voices will fill our media and the cultural consciousness it imprints until we are once again lulled into the more familiar patterns of our lives, dozing off as a nation until the next tragedy rings the alarm of despair. As the chaplain for our own community, I would like to invite us all to consider Matthew's death in another way. Not through the clamor or denials, not through the shouts or cries of anger: but rather, through the silence of his death, the silence of that young man hanging on his cross of pain alone in the emptiness of a Wyoming night, the silence that ultimately killed him as surely as the beatings he endured. Silence killed Matthew Shepard. The silence of Christians who know that our scriptures on homosexuality are few and murky in interpretation and are far outweighed by the words of a Savior whose only comment on human relationships was to call us to never judge but only to love. The silence of well meaning educated people who pretend to have an enlightened view of homosexuality while quietly tolerating the abuse of gays and lesbians in their own communities. The silence of our elected officials who have the authority to make changes but prefer to count votes. The silence of the majority of "straight" Americans who shift uncomfortably when confronted by the thought that gays and lesbians may be no different from themselves, save for the fact that they are walking targets for bigotry, disrespect, cheap humor, and apparently, of murder. Crimes of hate may live in shouts of rage, but they are born in silence. Here at Trinity, I hope we will all listen to that silence. Before we jump to decry Matthew's senseless death or before we seek to rationalize it with loud disclaimers: I hope we will just hear the silence. A young man's heart has ceased to beat. Hear the silence of that awful truth. It is the silence of death. It is the silence that descends on us like a shroud. At Trinity, as in Wyoming, we are men and women surrounded by the silence of our own fear. Our fear of those who are different. Our fear of being identified with the scapegoat. Our fear of taking an unpopular position for the sake of those who can not stand alone. Our fear of social and religious change. Our fear comes in many forms but it always comes silently: a whispered joke, a glance to look away from the truth, a quick shake of the head to deny any complicity in the pain of others. These silent acts of our own fear of homosexuality are acted out on this campus every day just as they are acted out every day in Wyoming. Through silence, we give ourselves permission to practice what we pretend to abhor. With silence we condemn scores of our neighbors to live in the shadows of hate. In silence we observe the suffering of any group of people who have been declared expendable by our society. As a person of faith, I will listen, as we all will, to the many voices which will eulogize Matthew Shepard. I will carry that part of our national shame on my shoulders. But I will also listen to the silence which speaks much more eloquently still to the truth behind his death. I will listen and I will remember. And I will renew my resolve never to allow this silence to have the last word: Not for Matthew. Not for gay men or lesbian women. Not for any person in our society of any color or condition who has been singled our for persecution. Not in my church. Not in my nation. Not in Wyoming. And not at Trinity College. -- The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Chaplain to Trinity College, Hartford, CT, retired Episcopal bishop of Alaska (Reprinted with the author's permission). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * They Were Killed Because of Who They Were!! -- Mike Dennehy, Elder, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bergen County, NJ. [Caption for Mike Dennehy's drawing of Jesus Christ and Matthew Shepard on their crosses, side by side.] Mike writes: The major religions condemn homosexuality as unnatural, prohibit practicing gays from being members of the clergy, and denounce their efforts to marry or adopt children. The Christian Right has an ongoing campaign to "de-program" gays. Others are boycotting a play they find to be "horribly offensive" because it portrays a gay Jesus. Despite these actions, they insist they are not fanning the flames of homophobia or laying the groundwork for atrocities as occurred in Wyoming. Ironically and poignantly, the victim, Matthew Shepard, faced a crucifixion- like death: bludgeoned, bound to a fence post, and left to die. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Matt Shepard ... in death, in a nation sickened by the gratuitous thuggery of his murder, he may do much to dispel the stubborn belief in some quarters that homosexuals are not discriminated against. They are. Hatred can kill. -- Editorial in The New York Times, Oct. 13, 1998. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Brutal Bigotry ... This kind of treatment of gays has not been confined to cowboy country. Assaults on gays have been on the rise throughout the nation, even in presumably safe places like New York City's Greenwich Village and Chicago's North Halsted area. Anti-gay assaults are up 81 percent in New York City this year, and they more than doubled in Chicago from 1996 to 1997. Shepard is not the only gay person who has been killed simply for being who he is. The anti-gay climate has surely been heightened by the rhetoric and activities of the Religious Right, evident in Wyoming and elsewhere. A coalition of Religious Right groups recently sponsored full-page newspaper ads across the country claiming that gays can change their sexual orientation and suggesting that they are lost souls if they don't. ... Religious Right leaders deny, of course, that they condone violence toward gays, insisting that they hate the sin, not the sinner. But such a distinction is dubious given the inflamed rhetoric often used by those on the Religious Right to condemn homosexuality -- some talk of "waging war" against homosexuality, for example, or refer to gays as "sodomites" -- and given the personal danger that homosexuals face. Those who delight in assailing homosexuality in vituperative terms are not entirely innocent when others take delight in assailing homosexuals with physical violence. In this situation, to quote Episcopal Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, we have a "particular responsibility to stand with gays and lesbians, to decry all forms of violence against them -- from verbal to physical -- and to encourage dialogue that can, with God's help, lead to a new appreciation for their presence in the life of our church and the broader community." -- Editorial in the *Christian Century*, November 4, 1998. (Reprinted with permission of the *Christian Century*.) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PC(USA) Leaders Issue Statement on Anti-gay Murder in Wyoming Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: All of us must be burdened with heavy hearts over the senseless and tragic death of Matthew Shepherd, the gay college student tied to a rural fence and beaten to death, ostensibly because of his sexual orientation. Our hearts go out to Matthew's family. We are shocked by the tender ages of the perpetrators. Something is terribly wrong when the message these four young adults have evidently assimilated is that persons of Matthew's sexual orientation are deserving of less than basic human respect. Our beloved denomination has discussed issues revolving around sexual orientation for some twenty years now. Since the 1978 General Assembly, we have never wavered from advocating the protection of basic human rights for all people, irrespective of their sexual orientation. Our most recent Assembly, the 210th, called upon Presbyterians, governments and community organizations to seek responses that will help our society more effectively identify and deal with root causes of such "hate crimes." What happened to Matthew Shepherd is a tragedy, and we must honor his family's plea not to politicize his death. However, surely it must move us to strive to develop ways of responding that will prevent such tragedies from destroying the lives of other young people in other communities of this nation. We call upon each of you to be in prayer: prayer for Matthew's family as they bury their hopes and dreams for his life; prayer for the young people who have taken the life of another; prayer for the families of the four young persons; prayer for all who live in fear of violence and discrimination; and prayer for our church that God will use us to be an instrument of reconciliation in a divided world. We also call upon our church to witness to the love and justice of Christ for all people and to be united in our commitment to human rights and respect for all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation. Our nation needs the people of this great denomination to demonstrate how love might replace hate and how understanding and communication might replace prejudice and isolation. The peace of Christ be with you all! Yours in Christ, Douglas Oldenburg, Moderator, 210th General Assembly; Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly; John Detterick, Executive Director, General Assembly Council. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PCUSA Policies Omitted from Our Leaders' Letter ... homosexuality is not God's wish for humanity. ... God's will precludes the ordination of persons who do not repent of homosexual practice. ... unrepentant homosexual practice does not accord with the requirements for ordination. -- Policy Statement and Recommendations, 190th General Assembly (1978). ... Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a women, or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament. -- "Amendment B," *Book of Order*, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BOOKS AND A VIDEO Books Books Books and a Video Called Out With: Stories of Solidarity in Support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Persons. Edited by Silvia Thorson-Smith, Johanna W. H. Van Wijk-Bos, Norm Pott, and William P. Thompson. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1997. xi, 166 p. ISBN 0-664-25719-4. Reviewed by by Scott D. Anderson for the *Princeton Seminary Bulletin*. Printed here with the author's permission. The sex wars that have been raging in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over the last two decades have had little impact on the lives of individual believers in our pews. This irony finds its roots in the politicization of sex, particularly of the homosexual variety, as the right and left wings of our denominational troops engage in battle at the denomination's annual General Assembly. Church fights are never any fun. This struggle, in particular, is not for the weak-stomached or faint-hearted; too much is at stake. Conservatives fear that acceptance of homosexual behavior will collapse the church's historic standards of sexual ethics. Liberals worry that the justice of the gospel is being seriously compromised by the church's exclusionary practices towards gays and lesbians. Most garden variety pastors have accurately assessed the situation and found it to their disadvantage to prod their congregants into thoughtful theological reflection on the presence and gifts of gays and lesbians in our church. Contemporary writer Chris Glaser refers to this as "econophobia:" the fear of losing members and money if the minister dares to open the pandora's box of sexuality from the pulpit or in the adult education class. We have paid a dear price for this deafening silence. The fine art of biblical study and interpretation in local congregations, which is the pride of the Reformed tradition, simply doesn't happen around issues of sexuality. Worse still, the humanity that underlies our denominational sex wars has been lost to political posturing and ecclesiastical terrorism. As a result, in most Presbyterian congregations, gays and lesbians -- if we are ever acknowledged -- are "those people" who have no relationship to "us." Presbyterian parents, relatives and friends of gays and lesbians also feel little spiritual and emotional support from their church families as silence remains the solution to our conflicts over sexuality. Fortunately, there is growing body of literature to help pastors negotiate the mine fields of the sex wars and to bring integrity to our theological reflection and pastoral support. In addition to many good, well-balanced biblical and theological resources in recent years (including *Homosexuality and Christian Community* from the Princeton Theological Seminary faculty), there are two volumes that serve as poignant first-person testimonials to the human side of the struggle: *Called Out: The Voices and Gifts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Presbyterians* (Gaithersburg, MD: Chi Rho Press, 1995) is a collection of stories from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). In some cases they are "coming out" stories framed theologically, in others they testify to divine faithfulness in the midst of the very human difficulties and obstacles gays and lesbians face in remaining a part of the Presbyterian family. *Called Out With*, published recently by Westminster/John Knox Press, presents itself as a compendium and complement to *Called Out* by offering stories from heterosexual Presbyterians who have themselves "come out" to support gays and lesbians in the struggle for an inclusive church. The 25 brief vignettes in *Called Out With* come from a remarkable diversity of Presbyterians: pastors, theologians, biblical scholars, church historians, chaplains, a retired seminary president, two former General Assembly Moderators and an array of lay leaders from all levels of church life. One salient theological theme that emerges in *Called Out With* is that a change of heart concerning the place of gays and lesbians in the life of the Presbyterian Church comes through a radical process of conversion. Most of these stories are contemporary illustrations of Acts 10, which describes Peter's conversion to the gospel truth that "God shows no partiality," towards anyone or any group (vs.34) because "God has shown me that you should not call any person common or unclean" (vs. 29). Peter's dramatic conversion is clearly echoed in the chapter written by William P. Thompson, former Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and architect of the denomination's exclusionary policy known as definitive guidance that stood for almost two decades. After a serious study of the Scriptures, a fresh look at the *Book of Confessions* (particularly the Confession of 1967) and interaction with gay Presbyterians, Thompson concludes: "...my mind was changed on this issue over a period of years largely through factors outside of my control. I felt that God was nudging me in the new direction ...." While most of these stories describe heartfelt and life-changing relationships with gays and lesbians, they also include poignant biblical reflections and solid theological discourse. As a whole *Called Out With* accurately brings home the humanity of those over whom this struggle is being waged, and helps to provide the necessary context for any serious biblical and theological reflection that is now missing in most Presbyterian congregations. *Called Out With* is a treasure trove of illustrations and anecdotes for the pastor brave enough to responsibly engage the sex wars in the classroom and from the pulpit. For those who believe that our pastoral silence is not helping resolve this church conflict, sharing *Called Out With* with the folks in the pews could be an important step in discovering that sex and theology are not mutually exclusive. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Unleashed: The Wit and Wisdom of Calvin the Dog, translated by Chris Glaser; illustrated by Jim Kelley. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, c1998. 91 p. ISBN 0-664-25773-9. Reviewed by Jud van Gorder. This is a fabulous book in the tradition of Aesop, La Fontaine, and James Thurber. That is, a book of fables: "short literary compositions conveying universal moral truths and placed in the mouths of animals who are given the attributes of human beings." It's pretty good, too. Calvin, a mixed breed adopted from the Humane Society, lives with Chris Glaser and his life partner in Atlanta; so the author sounds much like the translator. Jim Kelley illustrated the book and designed the cover. The dedication is "To all the homeless philosophers in shelters throughout the world." Calvin's hope is for a "world in which we smell one another's delicious scents, see the wonder of all creation, dig out a safe lair for all (especially puppies), perk up our ears at worthy lead dogs, take opportunities to rest and play and nest, and sense the presence of our Mother Dog watching over all of us" (p. 91). Along the way, we listen to Calvin on Going to Church, Leashes, Fleas, Death and Resurrection, and 20 other topics. This modest- sized volume can be consumed in under an hour, and easily slipped into purse or fanny-pack. However, it may best be used for personal reflection, a chapter at a time, as a kind of "Upper Den." (At least I think that's how Calvin would render that devotional magazine.) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity, by Bruce Bawer. New York: Crown Publishers, c1997. x, 340 p. ISBN 0-517- 70682-2. Reviewed by Bob Patenaude. Reprinted, with much thanks, from *Lazarus Rising*, the newsletter of the Lazarus Project, no. 66, Fall 1998, pp. 4-6, West Hollywood Presbyterian Church, 7350 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90046, 213-874-6646, 909-624-2401, nnodc@aol.com. With a compelling personal voice, Bruce Bawer presents a frightening picture of the struggle between legalistic and nonlegalistic Christianity in America in his most recent book, *Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity.* Emerging in this book as a fine religious critic, Bawer is able to say not just what separates these two groups and why they believe the way they do, but also what social forces over the last few centuries led to the conflict. He begins with an encounter so common that each of us must have experienced something similar: A stranger in a public place asks him, "Are you a Christian?" Bawer says that yes, he is. The man presses on. "Are you born again?" Bawer hesitates, and then says "I think I am." After a question about doctrine is answered, the stranger assures him that he is indeed saved, and admonishes Bawer to be more forthright in testifying for Jesus in the future. The encounter upsets Bawer. On the one hand he is angered by the gall of those who appropriate the name of Christ for themselves in such a way that it is denied to others who regard themselves as Christian. (Bawer is Episcopalian and intellectual and gay, so the stranger might not have been so affirming had he known more.) On the other hand Bawer grudgingly admires the willingness of the stranger to share his faith. Christianity in America, Bawer says, is profoundly divided by theology. On the one side is the Church of Law, whose adherents see Jesus' death on the cross as a divine transaction through which Jesus was sacrificed instead of humankind. They regard Jesus' life as mere prelude to this event, perceive salvation in personal terms, see Satan as a real creature, and read the Bible for literal truth. They believe in the Great Commission: Make disciples of all the nations. On the other side, Church of Love adherents see Jesus' crucifixion as a mysterious symbol of God's undying love for humanity. They view Jesus' life as evidence of that love, perceive salvation as a kind of unity with God outside of time and space, see evil as real but resident in human hearts, and regard the mind as a God-given gift to bring to the study of the Bible. They believe in the Great Commandment: Love your God, and love your neighbor as yourself. Throughout the book, Bawer invokes Paul Tillich's image of two kinds of experience, horizontal and vertical. Horizontal experience is relentlessly anti-intellectual, flat, literal. Vertical experience is transcendent, spiritual, symbolic. The Church of Law is trapped, Bawer claims, in the horizontal, while the Church of Love at least strives for the vertical. So why does the Church of Law get all the press? Bawer gives one reason early on. Legalistic Christians have caused the name Christian to be associated, in the mind of nonlegalistic Christians, with so many uncomfortable notions -- ignorance, bigotry, rigidity -- that they shy away from the name for themselves. Nonlegalistic Christians (there must be a better descriptor!) also see religion as an intensely private matter. They can be reluctant to talk about their faith even in church. Bawer also blames the current media. Full of nominal Christians and secularists, the media seems unable or unwilling to report on religious ideas, often reporting fluff instead. Bawer offers as evidence a kid-gloves treatment of the Mormons by the ordinarily aggressive television show *60 Minutes*. Or the media avoid the subject altogether. Bawer regards a 1995 expose*' in the *New York Review of Books* of Pat Robertson's anti-Semitism as coming remarkably late. Bawer goes on to give centuries worth of reasons. He does acknowledge the role of the Apostle Paul and American Puritans in establishing doctrinaire religion. But he basically starts the fascinating history of American legalistic Christianity in the middle of the nineteenth century, and carries it forward to the present day. He lets the legalists speak for themselves -- often to their detriment -- but he also plays relentless critic. Fundamentalism is a remarkably recent phenomenon. Religion in nineteenth century America was definitely a growth industry, but the putative founder of fundamentalism was British. Trained first as a lawyer, then ordained an Anglican clergyman, John Nelson Darby founded in the 1840s what remains a minuscule sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but in the process laid out the basis of today's fundamentalism, a remarkable set of beliefs awkwardly called premillennial dispensationalism. Delving deep into the Book of Revelation, he divided history into ages, called dispensations, during each of which humans beings lived under a different set of criteria for salvation. The current age is the church age, the sixth dispensation. But the next age is a doozy -- the Rapture, the Great Tribulation and the Beast. Why did this new interpretation of scripture take hold so strongly that by the 1880s it was the standard for non-mainline Protestants? Bawer believes that numbers of less educated people were panicked by two developments. One was the publication of Charles Darwin's *On the Origin of Species*, which laid out evolution and natural selection as the means by which all life differentiated. The other was the rise of biblical scholarship, the so-called Higher Criticism. People who had read the Bible naively were shaken, and Darby's thesis offered an explanation, free of ambiguities yet as complex as any scientific thesis, about astonishingly literal End Times, where adherents (and only adherents) would be rewarded for their steadfastness. A critical addendum to Darby's work was the *Scofield Reference Bible*, published by a Texas preacher in 1907. It contained enough footnotes to key parts of the Bible that it became like a second set of scriptures, the definitive text of fundamentalism. It remains perennially popular, yet it is virtually unknown in outside circles. Major libraries and bookstores may have no copies, but Christian bookstores do. Bawer presents Walter Rauschenbusch as a countervailing force. Trained at Rochester Seminary in the orthodoxy of the day, Rauschenbusch had a change of heart after an encounter in 1886 with a Roman Catholic priest. He wrote that it was more important to live like Christ than to believe a prescribed doctrine about Christ. The Social Gospel, as his theology came to be known, was attacked from the start as abandoning "traditional Christianity." Rauschenbusch was unrepentant: "Whoever uncouples the religious and the social life has not understood Jesus," he wrote in 1907. Bawer clearly admires Rauschenbusch, but feels he gave "insufficient attention to the cultivation of individual spiritual experience." The adherents of Rauschenbusch's movement came to be known as modernists, as opposed to fundamentalists. Henry Emerson Fosdick, a Baptist in a Presbyterian pulpit in New York City, was the very personification of modernism. In what might be the best part of the book, Bawer recounts Fosdick's 1922 showdown sermon, "Shall the Fundamentalists Win?" In it Fosdick fearlessly laid out the case for modernism. Modernist Christian life conforms with historic Christian faith, Fosdick said, avoiding the "static and mechanical theory of inspiration [which] is a positive peril to the spiritual life." What a storm! Conservative Presbyterians drove Fosdick from his pulpit, but he continued to flourish elsewhere, at the venerable Riverside Church. What is so exciting about this section is the public nature of a debate over *theology.* *The New York Times* covered the controversy repeatedly on its front page, as it did the celebrated Scopes trial in 1925. Many then may have wrongly felt that modernism had triumphed, much as Jefferson thought, a century earlier, that "Every young man alive today will die a Unitarian." But modernism had not triumphed. Bawer believes that the subsequent "legalistic boom" was made possible by mass communication. Fundamentalist preachers, denied access to the radio waves by the mainline religious establishment, syndicated their programs through local stations and achieved a wide audience. Tents were no longer necessary for this new style of evangelism. Bawer's otherwise commendable history has a huge gap, about 1930 to 1980, where more might be learned about the source of present conflict. When Bawer resumes, it is with the sad story of the takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention during the 1980s, a process that turned on its head the wonderful Baptist notion of the primacy of the believer's conscience. In a series of chapters Bawer then turns to the leaders of the current Religious Right. The loosest cannon is Pat Robertson, born to privilege but holding a deeply disturbing world view arising from his appalling End Times theology. He founded the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960, and brought Ralph Reed on board in 1989 to head the Christian Coalition. Compared to Robertson, Reed is far calmer, but just as committed and far more politic. James Dobson, a psychologist heading up Focus on the Family, is seen as nostalgic for a more innocent past, serving up portions of tough love to disempowered female followers. In the same Colorado neighborhood, Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers, is given credit for breaking down racial barriers and for addressing the angst of midlife married men. Bawer criticizes him, however, for promoting male dominance and competitiveness, using martial metaphors, and being relentlessly anti-gay. Bawer takes an excursion into the entertainment-oriented churches like Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago, complete with bowling alley, food park and cinema. He certainly makes one wonder how its members (one of whom says, "I like to be around other successful people on Sunday mornings") square their faith with the life of Jesus. Although megachurches claim orthodoxy, Bawer does not make clear how they, eager to market-analyze the desires of their suburban members, are related to the highly disaffected fundamentalists and the Religious Right organizations these fundamentalists support. Bawer makes a similar excursion into the superficial treatment Hollywood gives religious life in film and television, treating churches as props for weddings and funerals and reducing ministers, priests and nuns to mawkish stereotypes. (If Bawer wants a counterexample, the reviewer recommends the final scene of the film *Places in the Heart*, where a communion service makes a powerful statement about forgiveness.) This chapter is great fun and clearly an area of expertise for Bawer, but again it is hard to see the connection with his main thesis stated in the book's subtitle. (In contrast, a mocking, negative review, "The church of luv," of Bawer's book in the conservative magazine *National Review* found these two questionable excursions interesting!) Perhaps Bawer means to show merely that the entertainment industry, like the news industry, often seems incapable of treating religious life and ideas meaningfully. Bawer concludes with a search for faint signs of a mainstream reaction, such as the founding of the Interfaith Alliance in 1984 and the Call to Renewal in 1995. He also has advice. He urges these groups to take up the cause of gays, the group most consistently reviled by the Religious Right. And he asks nonlegalistic churches to acknowledge evil more, and to place greater emphasis on individual spiritual experience. The book is not without its faults. Even as Bawer acknowledges the snobbery of mainline churches in the past, he cannot contain his disgust when he visits a fundamentalist congregation in the Georgia hinterlands. He faults its music as well as its theology. It is hard to imagine Jesus criticizing such powerless people. One reviewer took Bawer to task for focusing on a piece of minutia -- an undetected error in one of Robertson's books; indeed that rant did make Bawer look pedantic. Bawer is madly in love with the Anglican tradition; for the most part this is charming, but it sometimes interferes with his treating other styles of worship evenhandedly. *Stealing Jesus* is nonetheless a superb book, well-written and trail-blazing in the way it rightly subjects religion to the same fiery critical tests that others have long subjected literature and society. I recommend it for anyone who wonders why we and our opponents, Christians all, are so far apart. Note: Stealing Jesus was also reviewed by Peter J. Gomes in the Winter 1998 issue of the Wilson Quarterly, the journal of the Smithsonian Institution's Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars. Gomes called it "a passionate, articulate, timely, and utterly useful book." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Moral Understandings: A Feminist Study in E"thics, by Margaret Urban Walker. New York: Routledge, 1998. xiii, 251 p. ISBN 0-415- 91421-3 (pbk.). Reviewed by Sue Spencer. There are three great reasons for reading Margaret Walker's *Moral Understandings*: 1) because of the way her prose captures what is involved in being marginalized; 2) because of her discernments about how moral decisions are made and 3) because of her solution of transparency. Ms. Walker writes of people who "are not allowed (or are just unlikely) to be seen or heard on podiums and pulpits, or in classrooms, courtrooms, or councils." Some people, she says, "and what happens to them are kept in their own spaces where others mostly do not go." Sound familiar? Read on. The pain, shame, suffering or humiliation of these persons may never surface because of what Walker calls "diminished moral regard, "which may include lesser respect, concern, compassion or reciprocity. It stems from our moral training. "We have not learned accurately to recognize all that we could." For example, she says, "we might not have learned to recognize in certain *kinds* of people things we know how to see in the cases of others, or have learned not to interpret them in similar ways, or have learned to pay attention only to certain things, or have learned not to bother." Shifting from the second person to the first, Walker reveals, I might "not notice someone's state because I do not feel obliged or moved to pay enough attention to that person to notice this. I might not pay attention to what another is expressing because I am sure I already know what I would see or hear. I might have a habit of noticing only certain things about some people no matter what is there to be noticed. Or, I might see what there is to be noticed, but count what I see differently in some people's cases than in others." This training deepens the difficulty marginalized people have in conveying a sense of who they truly are. "If I am perceived," the author points out, "as less than standardly human, as parahuman, or as differently human," I may never be able to present myself accurately to "those others who so see (or mis-see) me." Ms. Walker spells out so clearly what it means to be "cognitively impaired"! Moral Decision-making The author traces our society's shortsightedness back to our moral philosophers and the technique they use for arriving at moral decisions. Since so many Church moralists use a similar technique, Ms. Walker's criticism applies in both the secular and religious arenas. Philosophers hold that there is a timeless, contextless pure core of moral knowledge that "resides," like cyberspace, above and beyond everyday existence. In order to find out what-is-the- right-thing-to-do, the seeker taps into this pure core via his or her intuition. The answer the philosopher receives is then applied across the board to one and all similar persons and/or situations. Many Christian moralists do the same thing, simply substituting the Bible for the core of pure knowledge. Transparency Ms. Walker finds fault with this. It turns out, she says, that systems are for the most part "imbalanced, one-eyed, mystifying and rigged." She declares that "Morality arises and goes on between people." Shades of Jesus! If we are to discover whether or not we are moral, we must find out "what's really happening to whom and why." Transparency is called for. Stories and accounts of abuses and neglect which, heretofore, have been hidden and submerged must come out into the open. What dominant people in a society repeat over and over again as what-everyone-in-this-society-accepts must be exposed for what it usually is: a set of imposed standards that keep the top dogs on top and the underdogs, under. Transparency requires that we check to see "if things are as we think (they are), if they are good in ways we think (they are)," and if there are ways they could be better. But such checkups are tricky. They pose a threat to "the most favored," Walker points out -- those "who have most to lose in seeing unexpected or unflattering images of themselves mirrored back to them by means of others experiences." The word "study" in the sub-title of the book is accurate. *Moral Understandings* is not an easy read. Those who are not familiar with the various moral philosophers she analyzes may want to skip some of her more intricate arguments with them. But if you crave a clearer grasp of how some groups of people always end up holding the short end of the stick, set aside a time and read Walker. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Erotic Justice: a Liberating Ethic of Sexuality, by Marvin M. Ellison. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, c1996. xii, 142 p. ISBN 0-664-25646-5. Reviewed by Daniel T. Spencer, Drake University. Reprinted with permission from *The Princeton Seminary Bulletin*. My hometown newspaper, the *Des Moines Register*, recently commented, "State lawmakers seem obsessed with sex this year. There are bills dealing with abortion, outlawing nude dancing, teaching homosexuality in the schools, and preventing teen pregnancy. Sometimes the debate gets so hot and heavy that lawmakers get tripped up. Like the time one suggested that the way to get teen-agers not to have sex was to have them get married. And recently the house Speaker referred to sex- education programs as "abstinence prevention." With the current furor over the character "Ellen" coming out as a lesbian on national television, it is clear that it is not only in state houses that confusing and polarizing rhetoric about sexuality abounds. More words and increased volume with less clarity and further polarization seem to characterize discussions about sexuality, ethics, and the public sphere today. It is with relief and gratitude, then, that I read Marvin Ellison's new book, *Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality*. In this articulate, passionate, and very accessible short volume, Ellison succeeds better than any other Christian ethicist I know in explicating the complicated context of our day and developing a liberating sexual ethics within a framework of social justice. As co-author of 1991 Presbyterian sexuality study document, *Keeping Body and Soul Together: Sexuality, Spirituality, and Social Justice*, Ellison is a veteran of many years of debate and struggle around issues of sexuality and especially homosexuality in church and society. He understands the complexity of these issues, and knows that naming the problem correctly is the key starting point for good ethical analysis. "Everywhere in this culture people realize that sexuality and family life are in crisis, but no consensus exists about the nature of the problem or its solution ... we need an alternative discourse that understands the political, as well as the personal, dimensions of this crisis." Key to understanding where the moral problem lies is recognizing "sexual injustice, not sexuality, as the moral problem in this culture." Hence Ellison begins by proposing a shift in Christian ethical-thinking from a love-centered liberal ethic which traditionally has privatized sexuality as a concern for individuals, to a justice-centered liberation ethic that connects people's personal experience with larger socio-cultural dynamics. Particularly important in this is recognizing how the increasing globalization of capitalist economies has led to a thorough commodification of sex and sexuality, distorting or blocking the capacity of the erotic to serve as a vehicle of justice and mutuality. A distinctive contribution of *Erotic Justice* is Ellison's structural analysis of how sexuality in our culture is thoroughly interwoven with ableism, racism, sexism and heterosexism. Ellison goes beyond the "isms" labels to examine the concrete dynamics of how each functions to reproduce eroticized relations of power, domination and control in distinctive ways. With this problematic context, where do we turn for sources to construct a liberating Christian alternative? Ellison provides a concise and incisive analysis of the shortcomings of traditionalist, libertarian, and liberal responses, and then draws on insights of feminist, antiracist, gay and lesbian, and profeminist men's movements to lay out an ethic that is both sex- positive and anti-abuse. Learning from those on "the underside of history" means shifting the moral task from an *apologetic* to a *reconstructive* project: "The more substantive work [of liberating moral praxis] is to change the rules of church and society that rank differences in terms of superiority and subordination .... The fundamental ground rule for liberating sexual ethics is that voices from the margins must be brought into the enter of the conversation *on their own terms*." Key to this is for men to actively engage in confronting male violence. Ellison's chapter on this, "Securing the Sanctity of Every Body: Men Confronting Men's Violence," is the best single essay I have read on this critical issue. Ellison's book is especially strong in drawing on the moral wisdom of gay people to move beyond a single-minded focus on struggle to foster an erotic "spirituality of earthly delight." To a wonderful extent he succeeds. My only critique is that I wish he would more explicitly connect erotic justice with ecological justice. A critique of anthropocentrism, our self- centered isolation from and oppression of the earth and otherkind, would reveal more clearly the eros of the earth. It is not only our erotic connection to our bodies and to others in mutual relation that should ground a liberating sexual ethic, but our erotic connection to the earth itself. Still, this is a marvelous book, one that should be required reading for all who care about the integrity of our bodies and our relationships, in church and society. Discussion about sex and sexuality needs to go far beyond legislation about "abstinence prevention." *Erotic Justice* provides much ethical wisdom for the conversation. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * It's Elementary [videorecording]: Talking About Gay Issues in School, by directed by Debra Chasnoff; produced by Helen S. Cohen and Debra Chasnoff. San Francisco, CA: Women's Educational Media, c1996. 1 videocassette (VHS) (78 min.): sd., col.; 1/2 in. Reviewed by Rhoda Moeller That the documentary film *It's Elementary* has won a long list of film awards comes as no surprise. It is an incredible film that will warm your heart and give you hope. I first saw the film at the 1997 joint Annual Meeting of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. The response from the viewers was overwhelmingly positive. Subsequently I have shown it to social work graduate students and the Taskforce on Inclusivity of our local congregation. Again, the response was wholeheartedly favorable. For the most part, the setting of the film is elementary and middle school classrooms with teachers engaging students in dialogues about gay prejudice and stereotypes, civil rights and family diversity. It makes very clear the mandate that adults take the lead in stopping anti-gay behaviors such as name calling (which we know occurs frequently even among the youngest children). As one observant third grader remarks, "It's amazing how teachers don't notice all the stuff that's going on." The most poignant moments in the film come when children speak of their own experience living in families in which there are lesbian or gay members. Watching a young girl read her Mother's Day essay about her two lesbian moms is just too much for dry eyes. The most unsettling moments of the film come when adult prejudices and ignorance are heard through the voices of children. For churches, the film's usefulness is in its ability to generate discussion among church school teachers, youth leaders and parents -- discussions about opportunities and strategies for teaching children about diversity and God's love, about celebrating diversity, about behaving kindly and respectfully toward all people and about what children already know. (Many adults will be shocked to hear what children already know!) It is important to understand that *It's Elementary* is not a film about sex. It is a film about community relationships. Apparently the film is good enough to be threatening to right wing groups across the country because they are launching aggressive attacks on it. A right wing attack is a solid endorsement, wouldn't you say? *It's Elementary* is available in two versions: the 78 minute full length version ($99) and the 37 minute training version ($75). Both come with a viewing guide that outlines why gay issues are appropriate for discussion with children, provides tips on how to use the film, and addresses concerns that parents and educators may have about how this topic is handled at school. For more information contact Women's Educational Media, 2l80 Bryant St. Suite 203, San Francisco, CA 94110; phone: 415- 641-4632; Email: wemfilms@womedia.org; or visit their website at www.womedia.org. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sex and the Church: Gender, Homosexuality, and the Transformation of Christian ethics, by Kathy Rudy. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, c1997. xvii, 157 p. ISBN 0-8070-1034-0. Reviewed by Ann M. Wilson. Reprinted from *Affilia* 13(3):374-375, Fall 1998, with publisher's and author's permission. (c) 1998 by Sage Publications, Inc. DELETED FROM ELECTRONIC VERSION. Permission to reprint did not extend to electronic or internet publication. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile: A New Reformation of the Church's Faith and Practice, by John Shelby Spong. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, c1998. xxiii, 258 p. ISBN 0-06-067536-5 (pbk.). Reviewed by Arnold Dyson. Reprinted, with thanks!, from *The PLGC Press*, the newsletter of Greater Houston PLGC. I believe that we, like Bishop Spong, are among those who desire to worship as citizens of the modern world and still be able to think as we worship. If we are true to ourselves and our beliefs, we must admit that like the Hebrew people of old, we are a people in exile. We find ourselves caught in an institution that refuses to move beyond a Middle Ages understanding of a theistic God in a three tiered world. Before you become alarmed by what I am I saying, let me assure you: For me, Bishop Spong took away nothing without replacing it with a stronger, deeper, truer understanding of Jesus as Messiah or Christ. Allow me to quote a few sentences from the book: "Institutional Christianity seems fearful of inquiry, fearful of freedom, fearful of knowledge -- indeed, fearful of anything except its own repetitious propaganda, which has its origins in a world that none of us any longer inhabits. The Church historically has been willing to criticize, marginalize, or even expel its most creative thinkers. This institution seems far more eager to expend its energy defending its limited truth than to see its holy words for what they are -- mere pointers toward the reality that limited words always distort and can never finally capture. Yet, when I seek to put my understanding of this God into human words, my certainly all but disappears. Human words always contract and diminish my God awareness. They never expand it." "The God I know is not concrete or specific. This God is rather shrouded in mystery, wonder and awe. The God I know can only be pointed to; this God can never be enclosed by propositional statements." I challenge each of us to study Spong's book in depth. I earnestly believe it will make us stronger Christians in our fight against homophobia and all of the other injustices of the church. My prayer is, "Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the living of these days." Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America, by Mel White. New York: Plume, 1995. 347 p. ISBN 0-452-27381-1 (pbk.). Reviewed by Harry, reprinted from the internet without permission because I haven't been able to locate Harry! (Thanks, Harry!!) -- JDA. Although many titles of books have been listed, there has been one that I read that really made me feel good about my sexuality and spirituality as a gay man. *Stranger at the Gate* by Mel White for me was very powerful. I struggled through my teen years with a desire to work in the ministry, went to college, then felt I could not continue my plans because I knew inside I was gay. His book and his past dealings with many high up religious figures, Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, to name just a few, helped me realize my place in Gods scheme of things. In all honesty, I think it also helped me realize that I needed to move on with my life to truly find my happiness. After I read the book, I sent him a letter, something no other book has inspired me to do. Just last week, I received a postcard from Mel with his current address and email. Since then we have corresponded a few times and I just knowing his shared interest and concern keeps me looking up and keeping even strides with my day to day struggles. Anyone out there struggling with their relationship with God, really should read this book. I was so moved and captivated that I found many times I would just break down and cry, identifying with the fears that I'm sure we have all been faced with. (You would think I was receiving commissions!!!!) -- Hugs, Harry. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Prayers for Bobby: a mother's coming to terms with the suicide of her gay son, by Leroy Aarons. [San Francisco, Calif.]: HarperSanFrancisco, c1995. xii, 271 p. ISBN 0-06-251123-8 (pbk). I wanted to alert those of you not familiar with it, that Leroy Aarons' important non-fiction book *Prayers for Bobby* is now out in soft cover. This best-selling work chronicles the true and incredibly poignant story of Bobby Griffith, a young man engulfed by social, religious and family hostility, who jumped from a freeway bridge in the path of a tractor-trailer a dozen years ago. But he left behind a four-year diary that triggered a powerful transformation in his fundamentalist Christian mother. Mary Griffith became a crusader for other gay children and a national symbol of the tragic consequences of prejudice, which still exists today. Aarons, an award-winning journalist and playwright, imbues the story with the urgency of a news account, yet layers it with compassion and the context of the larger struggle involved. I recommend it highly as course material, but most importantly as a story and message that speaks to all, gay or heterosexual, youth and adult alike. "SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR EVERY PARENT, EVERY SCHOOL- TEACHER, AND ANYONE WHO HAS EVER DOUBTED THAT WORDS CAN KILL." -- The Washington Post * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Brief Blurbs We have received review copies of these books. If you would like to write a review, let Jim Anderson know (see masthead for contact info.). Reclaiming the Spirit: Gay Men and Lesbians Come to Terms with Religion, by David Shallenberger. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, c1998. x, 281 p. ISBN 0-8135-2488-1. "Kudos to Rutgers University Press for publishing Shallenberger's new paradigm research! Allowing lesbian and gay people to describe their sexuality-spirituality connection in their own voices enables us readers to feel some of the grace, power, and growth that arises out of honest struggle. This book is a meaningful and joyous experience. -- Virginia Mollenkott (book jacket blurb). "*Reclaiming the Spirit* is like spending a weekend at a cozy retreat with a dozen new friends whose spiritual quests are as intriguing, endearing, and insightful as they are honest and varied. Shallenberger has carefully captured the spectrum of lesbian and gay religious experience within a cogent framework of interpretation and understanding." -- Chris Glaser (book jacket blurb). Loving Men: Gay Partners, Spirituality, and AIDS, by Richard P. Hardy. New York: Continuum, 1998. 191 p. ISBN 0-8264-1138-X. "Richard P. Hardy, who lost his own partner to AIDS, is currently adjunct professor of spirituality at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific." -- book cover. "Richard Hardy convincingly argues throughout this gem of a book that an authentic spirituality must be both embodied and relational. Nowhere is that more poignantly demonstrated than in the lives of gay male partners struggling with HIV/AIDS in their coupled relationship. While Hardy certainly makes a significant contribution to the extant corpus of AIDS-related literature, this volume is also of immeasurable value as a testimonial that, despite religious fundamentalism's objections, same-sex marriages are clearly holy in the eyes of the divine." -- J. Michael Clark, author of *Defying the Darkness: Gay Theology in the Shadows (book cover blurb). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ON THE FRONT LINES Three Women of Faith by Lisa Larges Here's my vote for a fail-safe stealth strategy for More Light Presbyterians -- send in the parents. As we in the More Light Presbyterian movement redouble our efforts to build a strong grassroots network, among our best assets are the Presbyterian parents of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered sons and daughters. On the political side of the ledger, parents have a kind of clout that allows them to say things (especially sharply critical things) and be heard. One of the surest ways to confound anti- GLBT rhetoric is to have a parent simply stand and say: "When you say those things, I want you to know that you are talking about my kid." After that the tone changes. On the more important pastoral side, it is imperative that our churches begin to realize how many parents of GLBT children attend each Sunday shrouded in a veil of silence. Why parents can't share openly and freely their pride and their concern for their gay or lesbian son or daughter is an indictable question. In the history of our movement the honor role of parents who have made a courageous stand for justice is a long one. Here I want to mention just three such honorees who, by a convergence of the stars, have each reached a notable milestone in their ongoing ministries of transforming our church and our nation. Kirsten Kingdon, a long-time Presbyterian and active member at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, was called this summer to be the new executive director of Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). This year Presbyterian Parents of Gays and Lesbians (PPGL) celebrates five years of providing faith-based support to parents and honors the hard work of founder Jane Loflin as she approaches retirement at the end of this year. Mitzi Henderson, a past president of PFLAG, has been elected co-moderator of the board of the newly formed More Light Presbyterians. Contact information for PPGL and PFLAG is given below. In the fall of 1991, Kirsten Kingdon was just coming out of the closet as the mother of a gay son. Living in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the time, Kirsten took part in the discussions her Presbyterian church was holding on the report on human sexuality, *Keeping Body and Soul Together*. But her spiritual awakening came at city hall. The city council was holding hearings at that time on a proposed domestic partners ordinance -- and Kirsten felt compelled to testify. "It was very interesting," she said, recalling the evening, "to go to a hearing at a city council meeting and find it to be more spiritual than the discussions at church. Even though it came in an unexpected place, it gave me a vision of the spiritual benefits of speaking out and of joining with others -- others who were speaking out because of their religious convictions, not in spite of them." The next year she took a job as an attorney in Washington D.C. She arrived in the capital just as the controversy around "gays in the military" was heating up. Some years before, when her son first told his parents he was gay, Kirsten discovered the vital support of PFLAG and formed a lasting friendship with another Presbyterian couple, Mitzi and Tom Henderson. Arriving in D.C. she quickly became involved with PFLAG's advocacy and educational work, and also with her new congregational home, New York Avenue Presbyterian. Of New York Avenue's multi-year multi-faceted process of discussing gay and lesbian issues, Kirsten said, "I have felt so privileged so many times to see us all working together on this, coming together from different perspectives." Some twenty years before, PFLAG was coming to flower. One of its early founders, Jean Manford, witnessed on television the beating of her gay son. In response to this traumatic event, Jean joined in the 1972 pride march in New York City carrying a sign that read, "I love my gay son." Today, PFLAG has some 80 thousand on its mailing list, and 425 chapters across the United States with 30 international chapters. In addition to providing peer support for parents, PFLAG has a strong commitment to advocacy and education. It has developed many successful media campaigns and a vast array of educational resources. As Kirsten was coming on board as the new executive director, a coalition of Christian and political organizations launched a media blitz promoting so-called "ex-gay" ministries. PFLAG was on the front lines combating the misinformation spread by those campaigns. When the brutal killing of Matthew Shepard put hate crimes against gays and lesbians under the media spotlight, PFLAG again was there. Every pastor should know about the resources and support that PFLAG offers because every pastor, if she or he is doing their job, will probably be called on to minister to parents or family members of GLBT folk. Moreover, every Presbyterian pastor should know about Presbyterian Parents of Gays and Lesbians (PPGL.) Five years ago, Jane Loflin was just at the point of thinking about retiring from a lifetime of professional service to the Presbyterian Church. But another call was beckoning. The mother of a gay son, Jane felt the call to provide a support network specifically for Presbyterian parents. Soon she had established several support groups throughout her home state of Texas. In just these few years since, new support groups have been started in other parts of the country, including Washington state, Florida and southern California. Strongly and succinctly, PPGL declares its mission to "... provide a support network of pastoral care and information about homosexuality to parents of gay and lesbian children in an environment of faith that is safe, nurturing and confidential so that parents may strive toward understanding, acceptance and affirmation of themselves and their sons and daughters." In 1997, *Presbyterians Today* chose Jane as one of ten Presbyterians "making a difference" for her work in founding PPGL. Now looking forward to her postponed retirement, Jane asks for our continued prayers and support for PPGL as its board develops a vision for its future. Echoing the sentiments of Kirsten and Jane, Mitzi Henderson said of her many years with PFLAG and as a powerful advocate of GLBT concerns in the Presbyterian church, "For me it was a call to ministry, and I believe it is a call for many families to step forward and speak out." In her four year term as PFLAG board president (1992-1996) Mitzi crisscrossed the country several times. Beyond her official work with PFLAG, Mitzi pursued a personal agenda. Wherever she went she met with local clergy, urging them to at least take the minimal step of getting acquainted with the resources available on homosexuality. Always active in the church, Mitzi remembered when their son first came out to her and Tom. For several years afterward, they felt isolated in the church, cut off from its nurture and ministry because of fear. Mitzi soon found that clergy she approached, however well-meaning, were at a loss to offer any help or resources. When asked for her estimation of how many PFLAG members had a church connection, Mitzi said, "We have a lot of drop-out parents; parents who feel that their church is no longer a welcoming place for them" -- another bleak sign of the failure of the church to provide pastoral care to families who need it. During her term as board president, Mitzi helped guide PFLAG through an important transition. With a growing need for reorganization, PFLAG moved from a loosely joined federation of local chapters to a national organization. With the change PFLAG hired its first national staff, and expanded its advocacy and educational work. By God's whimsical providence Mitzi comes well prepared to her work as the new co-moderator of More Light Presbyterians, helping to build a new stronger organization out of the merger of PLGC and the More Light Churches Network. Mitzi Henderson holds passionate convictions. On the spiritual discipline of speaking out as parents of GLBT children, Mitzi says, "Its a risk for parents to speak out, but its a risk that has tremendous rewards because you help people to grow and you liberate them. I believe in the liberating power of the gospel." Then she added, "To say that the Church is the last place where people can be honest and real is an indictment. To insist that people stay closeted, particularly about their closest family members is diabolical -- and I mean that literally." Kirsten Kingdon, Jane Loflin and Mitzi Henderson each know too much about the terrible cost exacted by churches of families of GLBT women and men, and each has made a commitment to change that sad situation; each knows as well of the tremendous dividends that come by taking the risk of speaking out; and Jane, Mitzi, and Kirsten each demonstrate to a world and a church desperate to know of it, the "liberating power of the gospel." For information about PFLAG including resource materials check (if you have access to the internet) their website at WWW.pflag.org, or write to PFLAG, 1101 14th St. NW, Suite 1030, Washington DC 20005, phone: 202-638-4200, fax: 202- 638-0243, email: info@pflag.org or check your local telephone directory for PFLAG chapters in your area. For information about PPGL, contact Jane C. Loflin, Director, P.O. Box 781-591, Dallas, TX 75378, 214-902-0987, 904-9695 fax. Coming Up I was deeply moved to hear Tyler Carver speak at the last More Light Conference. He made me want to discover more about the emergence of a "transgendered theology." That is, the experience of being transgendered is (or can be) a profoundly spiritual experience and expands the dimensions of Christian theologies, specifically liberation theology. The transformative power of the spirit, liberation, being truly human, embracing truth, exploring the intersection of gender and spirituality, the incarnation -- these are just some aspects of theology I would posit are informed in a unique way by transgendered experience. In my next column for the *More Light Update* I'd like to devote the space to the words and reflections of transgendered women and men in our church. (Though I know "transgendered" is not universally accepted as an umbrella term I am using it provisionally.) Obviously space limitations will only allow for a brief sampling of thoughts and ideas. I warmly invite any transgendered person to send me their thoughts. Here are some questions to spark your thoughts: Are there passages in Scripture which speak to your experience as a transgendered person? In what ways is coming to terms with gender identity a spiritual quest? How has your experience as a transgendered individual shaped your understanding of: the incarnation; liberation; the power of the spirit; holy truth; being called; facing fear, rejection or misunderstanding; loving yourself? The "Special Resources" issue of the 1999 Summer *More Light Update* will focus on "ex-ex-gays"; that is, women and men who have gone through ex-gay ministries and embrace their orientation as gay, lesbian, bi or trans. I'm looking for material -- especially personal stories! If you would like to write a piece, be interviewed, know of resources, or have other leads, please pass them along to me. Info. on how to get in touch with me can be found on that handy back cover of the *More Light Update.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Living Faithfully in the Church When We Disagree The Covenant Network's Conference by Hal Porter Hopefully by the time you read this you will have examined other summaries of the Covenant Network's first open conference seeking to redress and, yes, remove, the unjust and ill conceived addendum to our ordination requirements known as Amendment B. More power to them! But let me give my own reflections of the meeting which was also attended by several other More Light Presbyterians. First, under the above theme, the convention brought together over 300 persons, mostly from what the Network would describe as the middle, progressive constituency of the Presbyterian Church. The meeting was certainly well organized with excellent speakers, resources and meaningful worship experiences. Truly a spirit was present in both the presenters and those attending, ready to work more diligently for a more inclusive and diverse church. This was clearly seen in the stirring key note address by Michael Livingston. In a most civil and compassionate manner, he made clear how we have failed to extend God's grace to those in the church who have a minority sexual orientation. It was my first acquaintance with Livingston, which led me to read his gripping confession in the book *Called Out With* -- how he as Chaplain and Pastor to Princeton Seminary had failed to speak with "the kind of specificity and clarity" required today to promote the full embrace of gay and lesbian persons. He need apologize no longer. Secondly, it was apparent, in the workshops and private discussions, that many who had gathered in Denver, came from churches who practice the rule "don't ask, don't tell." Many feel this is the only way to circumvent Amendment B's restrictions. Of course, they are uncomfortable with this and I am sure they would prefer a policy of "don't ask, tell if you wish." But many appeared fearful, or unwilling, to behave in direct conflict with the Constitution. Even though the Covenant Network continues to advocate a sabbatical on legislative and judicial actions, its leadership does seem more prepared, as they declared, to "stand with those who are hurt by our constitution" and will seek to "provide (those so hurt) with legal and financial support." The Network's future efforts will concentrate on increasing its membership, being more visible, and, through educational efforts, seek to raise the conscience of the church to be more inclusive and diverse in its body. The Network will also continue to seek endorsements from churches and individuals of their "Call To Covenant Community" (see *More Light Update* July-August 1998, p. 20-21). I believe we should all be able to sign it. After all, the newly articulated mission statement of More Light Presbyterians, which stipulates that a member is one who will work to transform the Presbyterian Church to include the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith in its life, ministry and witness, certainly sounds compatible with Covenant Network's own mission. Of course, we are distinct in our efforts. MLP cannot, and will not, abide a sabbatical on legislative or judicial action. Indeed, we rejoice and join with Milwaukee Presbytery as it again has overtured the General Assembly to repeal Amendment B (see the Milwaukee overture below). And yes, we rejoice and support the efforts of churches, such as Christ Church Presbyterian, Burlington, Vermont and others, who have openly refused to abide by the onerous constitutional requirements of Amendment B and are now facing discipline. After all, do we think Jesus would be bound by anything in our constitution that prevents loving gays and lesbians or wait until a consensus was reached? Jack Rogers gave an excellent paper at the conference. His point was clear. The exclusion of gay and lesbian persons in the life of the church is as wrong as our past failure to interpret scripture rightly over the issues of slavery and segregation, the subordination of women and the legalisms we imposed on divorce and remarriage. The conference ended with a fine sermon by John Buchanan. No longer robed in moderatorial vestments, he has become even stronger in his disagreement with our ordination standards. Obviously he and his fine staff at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, as with many other churches represented at the conference, are ministering to the gay and lesbian members of their churches and do not consider them second class disciples of Christ. I was encouraged by many of these churches even though they have not become an open part of the More Light Movement. Finally, while it is true that the Covenant Network generally avoids references to gays and lesbians and organizationally keeps some distance from them and other groups such as MLP (a policy they would do well to change), they certainly are on the right course, and we need to affirm their efforts. We can promote their covenant statement as well as our own mission statement. Covenant Network appears to realize that gay and lesbian persons, who affirm their sexuality and celebrate it, are not to be considered in any different light than the rest of us. Let us hope they will realize this more and more, and that there is no real middle ground on this to stand. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Preparing for Church Trials by Donna Riley Two challenges to inclusive churches are emerging in the greater New York city area. The case against the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, Connecticut, is going forward after a public pre-trial hearing held November 7. The Presbytery of Southern New England's Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) heard 30 minutes of arguments from counsel for the complainants and the respondents (defendants), asked questions, and held a settlement discussion, which did not yield a resolution. A January trial date will be set. This trial will be open to the public. The complainants' counsel argued that the session's examination of an elder who is gay was irregular and in violation of Amendment B because the elder is in a "same-sex relationship." When asked by the PJC if they believed a "same-sex relationship" is the same as a sexual relationship, the complainants' counsel answered "yes." The respondents' counsel stated that because the elder revealed his sexual orientation, the session believed they were required to examine him further and to ask about his sexual behavior, due to the precedent set in the Lisa Larges case (LeTourneau et al. v. Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area). The elder answered many questions in regards to his sexual orientation but when asked if he was sexually active, he declined to answer. No one on session pushed the issue any further. The case hinges on whether a session is not only required to ask, but also required to receive a positive declaration of *celibacy* in order for the church to move forward and ordain or install a gay candidate. The complainants' counsel argued that declining to answer the question was tantamount to admitting sexual behavior. "We think the question was answered in the body of evidence -- circumstantial but nonetheless evidence -- about the relationship, about declining to state he was celibate, therefore he did say he was sexually active." The PJC replied, "That is the inference you'd like us to draw from what he said," and the complainants' counsel answered, "Yes, when a person declines to answer a question, inferences can be drawn." The respondents stated, "What is presumption and what is fact. The elder has stated he is gay, he has never stated that he is practicing, there is no self-acknowledgment whether practice exists or does not. Trying to discern the will of God is a community process and it doesn't come down to a couple of answers to a couple of questions." The complainants' counsel also made personal attacks on the elder, though the respondents' counsel noted on several occasions that the elder is not on trial. They claimed the elder "refused to hold his conscience captive to standards of the church, to the Word of God ... as expressed in the standards of the church." They questioned his ability to uphold his ordination vows and the church's constitution. Several of the church's candidates for ordination expressed that they had [*Book of Confession*] sins about which they were unrepentant and described those sins to the session. All were ordained and/or installed. When the complainants' counsel were asked if there is a question about the session's examination of the other candidates, they replied, "No, all we are questioning is Mr. [...]'s." The second dispute has received national press coverage in *The New York Times*. South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry, NY (Hudson River Presbytery) is under fire for performing same-sex unions. The complaint focuses on using church property for union ceremonies, and a presbytery administrative commission has been set up to investigate the situation. Stay tuned. (For a summary of PCUSA positions on same-sex union ceremonies, see *More Light Update* March-April 1997, p. 6-8.) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [THESE WCC STORIES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRINTED VERSION] World Council Faces Lesbian & Gay Exclusion We present two stories distributed by PCUSA NEWS. WCC Cannot Close its Eyes to Homosexuality, Says Leading Official by Edmund Doogue, Ecumenical News International Amsterdam, The Netherlands. -- The World Council of Churches (WCC) cannot "close its eyes" to the issue of homosexuality -- one of the most controversial issues facing many of the world's churches -- according to the organization's general secretary, Dr. Konrad Raiser. In answer to questions at a symposium -- Faith in the City: Fifty Years of the World Council of Churches in a Secularized Western Context -- held in Amsterdam on 19 September to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the WCC in the Dutch city in 1948, Dr. Raiser described the issue as a challenge to the ecumenical movement. The WCC is the world's principal ecumenical organization, grouping more than 330 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches. Homosexuality is one of the most sensitive issues facing the churches, and at the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops in Canterbury in August this year the issue dominated media coverage and caused division among the participating bishops. Dr. Raiser told more than 600 people at the Amsterdam gathering that he hoped the WCC's next assembly, to be held in December in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, would "open the way" to explore issues of personal and interpersonal morality, areas which up to the present had hardly been tackled in ecumenical dialogue. His remarks indicate a growing willingness by the WCC's leadership to face up to an issue which the organization has generally regarded as too divisive for its member churches to allow a robust debate, and which is not on the official agenda for discussion at the Harare assembly. Sexual orientation is a particularly controversial matter for the Harare assembly because the president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has condemned homosexuality as un-African. Most African churches also reject homosexual practices, pointing out that they are forbidden by scripture. Many churches in other regions, particularly the Orthodox churches, believe the issue should not be discussed by ecumenical bodies such as the WCC. Dr. Ineke Bakker, general secretary of the Council of Churches in The Netherlands, told the symposium that while the ecumenical movement had resolved many issues of "social ethics," there was "still a lot of work for the WCC and the churches to do" on the issues of personal ethics, including homosexuality. (Several Protestant churches which are members of the Council of Churches in The Netherlands will hold a workshop on homosexuality at the informal Padare [meeting-place] of the WCC Harare assembly to explain how the Dutch churches -- which in general hold liberal views on homosexuality -- have dealt with division on the issue.) A German ecumenist and member of the WCC's executive committee, Dr. Margot Kaessmann, who took part in the symposium, said she believed that the Harare assembly would commission a study of the churches' views on homosexuality. During a presentation to the symposium, Dr. Anton Wessels, Professor of the History of Religion and Missiology at the Free University, Amsterdam, called for the three scripture-based faiths -- Islam, Judaism and Christianity -- to reread their holy books and to question their condemnations of homosexuality. "I might cause embarrassment by having brought up the subject," he said. "We are facing a common problem of reference to holy books. These holy books are quite difficult because of the discrimination of women and the discrimination of homosexuals. It might be necessary to delete some sections because they are the products of their times." However, according to Dr. Raiser, recent analysis had shown that in most cases churches which had changed their views on homosexuality had not done so because of a new reading of scripture, but because "change occurred in society, and that obliged the churches to take another look at the issue." Churches and their members should, he said, be aware that their moral stance was "cultural" and not rooted in scripture as they believed. He urged all to be aware of the underlying assumptions on which their assertions were based and of which people were generally "not even conscious." At a press conference after the symposium Dr. Raiser told journalists that any further action on the homosexuality issue would depend on decisions by the delegates at the assembly. There was, he said, "no firm proposal" for any action. "At least we are opening up the possibility. We now await the advice of the assembly itself." Asked about a decision by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of The Netherlands not to send delegates to the Harare assembly because of the anti-homosexual remarks by President Mugabe, Dr. Raiser said he regretted the decision by the church "which seems to have strong convictions on this issue" and would have provided an important contribution to the discussion. He suggested that it might not be "too late" for the church to "review" its decision. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRINTED VERSION] Churches Pledge to Make Gays an Issue at World Council Assembly by Douglas Todd, Religion News Service Washington, DC. -- Two major North American Christian denominations -- one from Canada and one from the U.S. -- will be at the center of an expected typhoon of controversy over homosexuality at the upcoming World Council of Churches Assembly in Zimbabwe. The United Church of Canada and United Church of Christ, which are among the few Christian denominations in the world that ordain sexually active gays and lesbians, will be raising the stormy topic of homosexuality in a country where President Robert Mugabe has criticized the WCC for allowing any sort of discussion of the issue. Mugabe, a Christian, recently said homosexuals were lower than jungle animals. "Will not God punish us for such practices?" he said. Homosexual acts are punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment in Zimbabwe. Marion Best, a former moderator of the United Church of Canada and a current member of the World Council of Churches executive committee, said she worries homosexuality could create an even bigger explosion in Zimbabwe than it did at the recent once-a- decade Lambeth meeting in England of 800 Anglican bishops. The WCC, which meets every seven years, represents 400 million Christians from more than 300 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox denominations. United Church of Canada staff member David Hallman admits he's anxious as he prepares to lead a contentious workshop on homosexuality when the WCC gathers in early December at the University of Harare. The Ontario-based United Church of Canada staff member -- who is openly gay -- has had to worry about both his personal safety and his chances of entering the politically volatile, mostly- Christian African nation. Mugabe, elected leader of Zimbabwe in 1980 after the once white- ruled country changed its name from the colonial Rhodesia, is under pressure from many Christians in his country to cancel the WCC meeting. "Mugabe accuses the WCC of bringing Western decadent values to Africa," Hallman said. So far the WCC has been able to sign what some consider a fragile memorandum of agreement with the Zimbabwe government. It's meant to ensure that none of the WCC assembly's 4,000 participants, including hundreds from Canada and the U.S., will be detained or harassed in Zimbabwe for either being homosexual or speaking up about it. Still, the subject of homosexuality is not being permitted on the official agenda of the WCC assembly -- in part because of opposition by Mugabe, but also because, as Best said, most of the African and Asian church leaders as well as representatives from Orthodox denominations in the WCC are deeply opposed to homosexuality, saying it is condemned in the Bible. Instead of being discussed at WCC plenary meetings, homosexuality will be the focus of workshops, called pedares. Two years ago the United Church of Canada -- the largest Protestant denomination in Canada, with 800,000 members -- asked the United Church of Christ, one of the United States' most liberal mainline Protestant denominations, for help in running the two workshops. One will be on human rights and homosexuals, the other on educating church members about homosexuals. The North American denominations have also convinced the Congregationalist Church of South Africa and the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa to participate in the workshops. The two African denominations are among the few on that continent to express tolerant attitudes to homosexuals. As at Lambeth, Best expects there will be a showdown at the assembly between more liberal Western church leaders and more conservative Christians from Africa and Asia. They will be joined in opposition to enhanced homosexual rights by Orthodox Christians from countries such as Russia and Greece. Hallman, who works as an ecology specialist for both the United Church of Canada and the World Council of Churches, said the WCC has received warnings that the 4,000-person assembly will be disrupted by anti-homosexual militants, some of whom are Christians. "I'm very nervous, and my partner, who isn't going, is even more nervous for me," said Hallman. "But I feel it's an obligation for me as a United Church person to deal constructively and spiritually with this issue. It's important for people to see we are real human beings." The WCC's general secretary, the Rev. Konrad Raiser, said Sept. 19 the organization cannot "close its eyes" to the issue of homosexuality. In answer to questions at a symposium -- "Faith in the City: Fifty Years of the World Council of Churches in a Secularized Western Context" -- held in Amsterdam to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the WCC in the Dutch city, Raiser described the issue as a challenge to the ecumenical movement. His remarks were seen as indicating a growing willingness by the WCC's leadership to face up to an issue which the organization has generally regarded as too divisive for its member churches to tackle in open debate. Hallman said Mugabe shut down an earlier conference in Harare that included participation by the banned gay-rights group, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe. The group has expressed interest in taking part in the WCC event. Canadian Senator Lois Wilson, a former moderator of the United Church of Canada and former president of the WCC, will chair one of the workshops on homosexual rights. Outspoken United Church Moderator Bill Phipps and Canadian Anglican Primate Michael Peers, both of whom have said they favor homosexuals taking a greater role in church life, will also attend the assembly and monitor the workshops on homosexuality. But both Best and Hallman said they worry the homosexuality controversy will overshadow equally important issues at the WCC assembly. These include how to respond to Third World debt, persecution of Christians in Muslim-led and Asian countries, global warming, dialogue over the relationship between science and religion, the churches' response to the AIDS crisis and a host of theological concerns over what it means to be a Christian in a pluralistic world. With the strain growing with the WCC between Western Protestants and the Orthodox churches, as well as between Western church leaders and African and Asian denominations, Best believes the future of the WCC will be determined in Zimbabwe. As for the homosexuality debate, Hallman insists he is not trying to cause controversy by leading a workshop on the subject. "If homosexuality becomes a huge issue at the assembly," he said, "it will not be because we made it one, but because the opposition did." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Milwaukee Overture On Striking G-6.0106b ("Amendment B") from the Book of Order, from the Presbytery of Milwaukee. WHEREAS, our synod has urged us to use the processes of our *Book of Order* to express our concerns about G-6.0106b, and WHEREAS, the 210TH General Assembly approved an authoritative interpretation of the constitution, affirmed the denomination's commitment to "consider the lives and behaviors of candidates for ordination as individuals ... and not to exclude anyone categorically," and WHEREAS, the Presbytery of Milwaukee has covenanted to trust sessions and presbyteries to ordain those called by God through the voice of the church; and WHEREAS, for the peace, unity, and purity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) G-6.0106b should be stricken from the Book of Order, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Presbytery of Milwaukee respectfully overtures the 211th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendment to the Presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes: Shall G-6.0106b be stricken from the Book of Order? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MORE LIGHT PRESBYTERIANS ANNUAL CONFERENCE Before Us An Open Door "I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name" -- Revelation 3:8 (NRSV) More Light Presbyterians-Annual Conference May 21-23, 1999 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Don't miss this great opportunity to participate in an historic event! This will be the first conference since Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (PLGC) and the More Light Church Network joined to form one organization - More Light Presbyterians. Packed with dynamic workshops, outstanding keynote speakers and inspiring worship, the conference will have something for everyone! + Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. on Friday + Optional local excursion available on Friday afternoon + Conference begins with dinner at 6 p.m. Friday and ends at noon on Sunday + CONFERENCE OVERVIEW KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Scott Anderson - The Executive Director of the California Council of Churches, Scott is a former Presbyterian Minister. He currently serves as the Co-Moderator for PLGC. Tony de la Rosa - A long-time PLGC member and activist at general assemblies and in the LA area, Tony has both an M.Div. and a law degree. He is currently the Executive Director of the LA Center for Law and Justice. WORKSHOP TOPICS GLBT Spirituality Doing Evangelism Racial Ethnic Issues Coming Out Strategies for Dealing with "Change Ministries" Grassroots Organizing Working Ecumenically Ideas for Starting GLBT Conversations in our Churches Becoming a More Light Church So You're a More Light Church - Now What? SUNDAY MORNING - MINISTRY OF PRESENCE On Sunday morning we plan to participate in various worship and Sunday Schools throughout the OKC metro area. Your presence as a More Light Presbyterian will be a powerful witness to area churches. If at all possible, we hope you will plan to be available for this important Ministry of Presence in the heartland of America. OKC! -- FRIDAY AFTERNOON EXCURSIONS National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center - A world-class museum and facility, the magnificent Cowboy Hall of Fame has just completed a $32 million expansion program. From the fine art of Russell, Remington, Bierstadt and Moran, to works by Fechin, Berninghaus, Blumenschein and Couse, visitors experience how these great artists depicted the realism and romance of the West. Artifacts reveal the legacies left by cowboys and Native Americans. National Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial - In the aftermath of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, the site was designated a National Memorial. The site, the remarkable fence which continues to be filled with gifts and mementos from visitors all over the world, the chapel, and the survivor tree all are a testimonial to the human spirit and to life itself. "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity." FACILITIES The conference will take place on the campus of Oklahoma City University, a United Methodist affiliated university which is twenty minutes from the airport. Housing will be in dormitory rooms and meals will be held in campus dining facilities. Worship and workshops will take place in the Angie Smith Memorial Chapel building. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS Journey House Travel, Inc. of Oklahoma City (1-800-727-9447) has been designated the official travel agency for the conference. Ask for Brenda Kelly or Kate Sebrant. Discounted rates with American Airlines are from 5-10% (10-15% if booked 60 days prior to departure). When you arrive at OKC's Will Rogers World Airport, you will be welcomed in the baggage area by MLP volunteers, wearing straw cowboy hats with rainbow bands. Transportation to and from the airport will be provided by airport Express for $3. Further information will be included with the registration confirmation letter. CHILDREN Your children are welcome! Age appropriate care and activities will be available during the main conference events. The full child registration covers all meals, lodging and care for a child aged 3-12. There is no fee for a child under 3. REGISTRATION Registration is due by May 1, 1999. Please complete and return the registration form and send with your check to More Light Presbyterians - Oklahoma, P. O. box 54606 - Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1606. Upon receipt of your registration, we'll send a confirmation letter and additional information about the conference. Questions? Contact John McNeese - 405/848-2819 or john33@ix.netcom.com REGISTRATION FORM - 1999 MORE LIGHT PRESBYTERIANS CONFERENCE Name(s) (please print) Street Address Mailing Address (if different from above) City, State, Country, Zip Code Phone # Email Address Home Church Home Presbytery Special Needs/Accommodations (dietary or disability) Travel Plans, if known at this time (fly/drive - time of arrival/departure, etc) Registration Fees Adult Participants Full Conference, single room ____@ $145 Full conference, double room ____@ $130 Full Conference, no lodging ____@ $ 90 Friday Only (dinner, worship) ____@ $ Saturday Only (workshops & 3 meals) ____@ $ 55 Total Adult Registration Fees $_____ Children Full Conference (ages 3-12) ____@ $75 Conference, no lodging ____@ $30 Total Child Registration Fees $______ Optional Friday Afternoon Excursion National Cowboy Hall of Fame And Western Heritage Center, and Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Site _____@ $20 Total Excursion Fee $_____ Total All Registration Fees $_____ - Due by May 1, 1999 Send Checks and Registration Forms to: More Light Presbyterians - Oklahoma P. O. box 54606 - Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1606 Questions? Contact John McNeese - 405/848-2819 or john33@ix.netcom.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MLP OFFICERS AND CONTACTS MORE LIGHT PRESBYTERIANS, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903- 0038, 732-249-1016, http://www.mlp.org CO-MODERATORS: Scott D. Anderson (1999), 5805 20th Ave., Sacramento, CA 95820-3107, 916-456-7225 h., 442-5447 w., email: Scott_Anderson.parti@ecunet.org; Mitzi Henderson (1999), 16 Sunset Lane, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6732, 650-854-2598, fax -4177, email: MHenderson@pcusa.org; Laurene Lafontaine (1999), 1260 York St. #106, Denver, CO 80206, 303-388-0628, PNet: Laurene Lafontaine; email: Lafden@aol.com; Dick Lundy (1999), 5525 Timber Ln., Excelsior, MN 55331, 612-470-0093 h., email: dick_lundy@pcusa.org COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY: Donna Michelle Riley (1999), 271 Varsity Ave. #6, Princeton, NJ 08540, 609-720-0954, dmriley@alumni.princeton.edu RECORDING SECRETARY: Rob Cummings (1999), P.O. Box 394, Jackson Center, PA 16133-0394, 724-475-3285, email: robcum@toolcity.net TREASURER: Joanne Sizoo (1999), 5901 Cleves Warsaw Pkwy., Cincinnati, OH 45233, 513-922-8764 h., email: joanne_sizoo@pcusa.org MLP Board of Directors Officers listed above are also MLP Board Members James D. Anderson (1999), P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903- 0038, 732-249-1016, 732-932-7501 (Rutgers Univ.), FAX 732-932- 6916 (Rutgers Univ.), email: jda@scils.rutgers.edu Cathy Blaser (1999), 350 West 85th St., New York, NY 10024, 212-595-8976 h. Ralph Carter (1999), 111 Milburn St., Rochester, NY 14607- 2918, 716-271-7649, email: rcarter@rpa.net Tony De La Rosa (1999), 5850 Benner St. #302, Los Angeles, CA 90042, 213-256-2787, PNet: Tony De La Rosa; email: tony_de_la_rosa.parti@ecunet.org or tonydlr@ix.netcom.com Tricia Dykers Koenig (1999), 3967 Navahoe Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44121, 216-381-0156, PNet: Tricia Dykers Koenig, email: tricia_dykers_koenig.parti@ecunet.org Gene Huff (1999), 658 25th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94121, 415- 668-1145, email: huffrevs@hooked.net, or Eugene_Huff.parti @ecunet.org; PNet: Eugene Huff Lisa Larges (1999), 565 Mountain View #2, Daly City, CA 94014, 650-994-1815, email: LLL@igc.org Susan Leo (1999), 3401 SE 36th Ave., Portland, OR 97202-1817, 503-235-6986, email: sleoclu@aol.com Tammy Lindahl (1999), 57 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55405, 612-377-2191 h., PNet: Tammy Lindahl, email: tammy_lindahl.parti@ecunet.org Chuck McLain (1999), 932 E. 28th St., Oakland, CA 94610, 510- 261-4696 h., 451-8639 fax, email: mcpresby@aol.com William H. Moss (Bill, 2000), 535 Steiner St., San Francisco, CA 94117, 415-864-0477, email: WHMoss@aol.com Harold G. Porter (1999), 4160 Paddock Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45229, 513-861-5996, email: hgporter@hotmail.com Mike Smith (1999), 1211 West St., Grinnell, IA 50112, 515-236- 7955, PNet: Michael D Smith; email: Michael_D_Smith.parti@ecunet.org Richard Sprott (1999), 531 Valle Vista Ave., Oakland, CA 94610, 510-268-8603 h., email: richard.sprott@pcusa.org Howard Warren, Jr. (1999), 2807 Somerset Bay, Indianapolis, IN 46240, 317-632-0123 w., 317-253-2377 h. Ken Wolvington (1999), 118 Shore Rd., Burlington, VT 05401-2658, 802-862-6605 h., email: ken.wolvington@pcusa.org MLP Coordinators & Liaisons MORE LIGHT UPDATE, James D. Anderson, Editor, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038, 732-249-1016, 732-932-7501 (Rutgers Univ.), FAX 732-932-6916 (Rutgers Univ.), email: jda@scils.rutgers.edu CHAPTERS: Gene Huff -- see Directors; Johanna Bos, college/seminary chapters, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1044 Alta Visa Rd., Louisville, KY 40205-1798, email: jbos@lpts.edu ISSUES: Mike Smith -- see Directors. JUDICIAL ISSUES: Tony De La Rosa -- see Directors; Peter Oddleifson, c/o Harris, Beach and Wilcox, 130 E. Main St., Rochester, NY 14604, 716-232-4440 w., 716-232-1573 fax. BISEXUAL CONCERNS: The Rev. Kathleen Buckley, 2532 Rosendale Rd., Schenectady, NY 12309-1312, 518-382-5342; Skidmore College chaplain 518-584-5000 ext 2271, email kbuckley@skidmore.edu; Union College protestant chaplain, 518-388-6618, buckleyk@gar.union.edu TRANSGENDER CONCERNS: Carla T. Pridgen, M.Div, M.Ed., 5 Delano Rd., Asheville, NC 28805, 704-285-9752, CarlaP@worldnet.att.net STOLES PROJECT: Martha G. Juillerat, Director, 57 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55405, 612-377-8792, PNet: Martha Juillerat, email: Martha_Juillerat.parti@ecunet.org PRESBYNET: Dorothy Fillmore, 7113 Dexter, Richmond, VA 23226, 804-285-9040 h., 804-828-8420 w., 804-274-0874 voice mail, email: dfillmore.parti@ecunet.org, dfillmor@atlas.vcu.edu, PNet: dfillmore WEBSITE: Jim Tiefenthal, 370 Barrington St., Rochester, NY 14607, 716-271-2885, Jim@Tiefenthal.com LIAISON FOR ECUMENICAL CONFERENCE: Dick Hasbany, 2245 NW Hazel, Corvallis, OR 97330, 541-753-6277, hasbanyd@ccmail.orst.edu LIAISON TO THAT ALL MAY FREELY SERVE: Chuck Lundeen, Session of Downtown Presbyterian Church, 121 N Fitzhugh St., Rochester NY 14614, 716-325-4000, LIAISON FOR PRISON MINISTRIES: Jud van Gorder, 915 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3440, 831-423-3829. LIAISON TO PRESBYTERIAN AIDS NETWORK (PAN): John M. Trompen, 48 Lakeview Dr., Morris Plains, NJ 07950-1950, 201-538-1655 LIAISONS TO PRESBYTERIAN ACT-UP: Susan Leo -- see Directors; Lisa Bove, 1707 Micheltorena St. #214, Los Angeles, CA 90026, 213-664-8654; Howard Warren, Jr., 2807 Somerset Bay, Indianapolis, IN 46240, 317-632-0123 w., 317-253-2377 h. EUROPE: Jack Huizenga, Voice of America, 76 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3JB, U.K., email: jwhuizen@dircon.co.uk, tel: (171) 410- 0960, preceded by 011-44 if calling from the U.S. ALASKA-NORTHWEST (AK, WA, No. ID): Lindsay (Lin) Thompson, P.O. Box 2631, Seattle, WA 98111-2631; 200 W. Mercer St., Suite 207, Seattle WA 98119, 206-285-4130, fax 206-285-4610, LThomp6394@aol.com; Richard Gibson, 4700 228th St., SW, Mount Lake Terrace, WA 98043, 206-778-7227. COVENANT (MI, OH): Rev. James J. Beates, 18120 Lahser Rd. #1, Detroit, MI 48219, 313-255-7059; Mary Rose, 821 N. 4th St., #2, Marquette, MI 49855, marrose@nmu.edu LAKES AND PRAIRIES (IA, MN, ND, NE, SD, WI): Cleve Evans, 3810 S. 13th St., #22, Omaha, NE 68107-2260, 402-733-1360, email: cevans@scholars.bellevue.edu; Richard Winslow, 111 E. Water St., #100, Appleton, WI 54911-5791, 414-731-0892 LINCOLN TRAILS (IL, IN): Mark Palermo, 6101 N. Sheridan Rd. East, #31-A, Chicago IL 60660-6819, 773-338-0452. LIVING WATERS (KY, TN, MS, AL): Michael Purintun, 522 Belgravia Ct., #2, Louisville, KY 40208-2123, 502-637-4734, PNet: Michael Purintun, email: michael_purintun.parti@ecunet.org; Glyndon Morris, 1150 Vultee Blvd. #B-204, Nashville, TN 37217-2152, 615- 361-9228, PNet: Glyndon Morris, email: glyndon.morris@vanderbilt.edu MID-AMERICA (MO, KS): Jeff Light, 4433 Campbell, Kansas City, MO 64110, 816-561-0555, JeffLight@aol.com; Victor Force, 412 N. 8th St., Manhattan, KS 66502-5939, 913-539-5307, rabbif@KSU.edu MID-ATLANTIC (DE, DC, MD, NC, VA): Marco Antonio Grimaldo, Grimaldo & Associates, 2848 Fairhaven Ave., Alexandria, VA 22303, 703-960-0432, 202-210-3780, email: mgrimaldo@juno.com; Brent Bissette, 11 Colton Ct., Durham, NC 27713-8885, 919-544-9932. NORTHEAST (NJ, NY, New England): Gary Ireland, 10 Winter St., Montpelier, VT 05602, 802-229-5438; John Hartwein-Sanchez, 149 Bramble Way, Tiverton, RI 02878, 401-624-6698; Charlie Mitchell, 56 Perry St., #3-R, New York, NY 10014, 212-691-7118; Kay Wroblewski, 74 Freemont Rd., Rochester, NY 14612, 716-663-6632. PACIFIC (No. CA, OR, NV, So. ID): Richard A. Sprott, 531 Valle Vista Ave., Oakland, CA 94610-1908, 510-268-8603, fax, 510-271- 0127, email: sprott @cogsci.berkeley.edu; Dick Hasbany, 2245 NW Hazel, Corvallis, OR 97330-3904, 541-753-6277, hasbanyd@ccmail.orst.edu ROCKY MOUNTAINS (CO, MT, NE Panhandle, UT, WY): Laurene Lafontaine -- see Officers. SOUTH ATLANTIC (FL, GA, SC): Victor Floyd, 853 Willivee Dr., Decatur, GA 30033, 404-636-1429 ch., 404-633-6530 h., RuVic@aol.com; Jim Earhart, P.O. Box 8362, Atlanta, GA 31106- 0362, 404-373-5830, JimEarhart@juno.com; Laurie Kraus, 5275 Sunset Dr., Miami, FL 33143, 305-666-8586 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND HAWAII: Tony De La Rosa -- see Directors. SOUTHWEST (AZ, NM): Linda Manwarren, 7720 Browning Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109-5303, 505-858-0249; Rosemarie Wallace, 710 W. Los Lagos Vista Ave., Mesa, AZ 85210, 602-892-5255 SUN (AR, LA, OK, TX): Greg Adams, 314 Steven Dr., Little Rock, AR 72205, 501-224-4724; Jay Kleine, 1108 Toyath St., Austin, TX 78703-3921, 512-477-7418 h., 471-5217 w.; John P. McNeese, P.O. Box 54606, Oklahoma City, 73120-1404, 405-848-2819, email: mcneese@theshop.net; Gail Rickey, 13114 Holston Hills, Houston, TX 77069, 713-440-0353, 713-440-1902 fax, email: patrickey@aol.com TRINITY (PA, WV): Rob Cummings -- see Officers (Recording Secretary); Eleanor Green, P.O. Box 6296, Lancaster, PA 17603, 717-397-9068; Jim Ebbenga & Kurt Wieser, 203 E. Prospect Ave., North Wales, PA 19454-3208, 215-699-4750 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PRESBYTERIAN ALLY ORGANIZATIONS This is a list of other organizations working for a truly inclusive Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Please send me additions and corrections. -- Thanks! Jim Anderson. Covenant Network of Presbyterians CNP is a network of Presbyterians who care about our church and its witness, considering what it means to be faithful Presbyterians in a time of challenging controversy. How can we and our congregations live with the new ordination standard, G- 6.0106b, in our Book of Order and still be faithful to our own understanding of the Gospel. Pam Byers, Exec. Director. Administrative Office: c/o Calvary Presbyterian Church, 2515 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94115, 415-351-2196, fax 415-351- 2198, www.covenantnetwork.org Hesed (Hebrew: The Covenant of Steadfast Love) Hesed is an informal coalition of PC(USA) ordained and lay church leaders dedicated to the affirmation -- in obedience to Scripture and within the Reformed Tradition and Presbyterian polity -- of the inclusiveness of God's Grace and of the love of Jesus Church for all his followers. Virginia L. Lewis, Moderator/Webmistress, 600-B Hedgewood Dr., Georgetown, TX 78628, 512-863-1802, 512-863-1846 fax, email: lewisv@southwestern.edu, website: http://www.southwestern.edu/lewisv/Hesed/Hesed.html The Lazarus Project "A Ministry of Reconciliation," The Rev. Donn Crail, Director, West Hollywood Presbyterian Church, 7350 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90046. Presbyterian AIDS Network (PAN) PAN is one of 10 networks of the Presbyterian Health Education & Welfare Association (PHEWA). PHEWA is a related ministry of the National Ministries Division, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). PHEWA provides resources to individuals, congregations, and middle governing bodies in the fields of social welfare and justice ministries. PHEWA also works to make the church more responsive to the needs of the excluded and suffering. Alice Davis and Phil Jamison, co-moderators; Bob Gillespie, treasurer; Marge Marsh, secretary; Daniel Kendrick, at large member to the Executive Committee and PHEWA board; James Hicks, Annie Long, Dora Carrera, Marco Grimaldo, Lorna Jean Miller, Howard Warren, leadership team members. Address: c/o PHEWA, Room 3041, 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202-1396. Presbyterian Parents of Gays and Lesbians Caring for Each Other: A support group for parents. Jane C. Loflin, Director, P.O. Box 781-591, Dallas, TX 75378, 214-902-0987, 904-9695 fax. Presbyterian Partnership of Conscience (P.P.C.) P.P.C., a partnership project of PLGC, the MLCN, That All May Freely Serve, the Witherspoon Society, Semper Reformanda, Voices of Sophia, the Stole Project, and friends, helps coordinate faithful action and statements of conscience and supports *pro bono* legal counsel in defense of individuals, congregations, and governing bodies targeted for judicial action in the courts of the church. Contact Bear Ride Scott, Coordinator, c/o United University Church, 817 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007, 213- 748-0209 ext. 13, PNet: Bear Scott Presbyterian Welcome "Inclusive Churches Working Together," Cliff Frasier, Coordinator, Jan Hus Church, 351 E. 74th St., New York, NY 10021, 212-288-6743. Semper Reformanda Semper Reformanda (Always Being Reformed) is a network of groups and individuals within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) formed to share information and develop support on current issues of liberation, justice, and the integrity of creation. We are called by God's spirit to renewed commitment to, understanding of, and witnessing for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, open to new expressions of our faith. We welcome those who are committed to compassion, mutual respect, and continuing reformation, moving toward shalom. Kenneth R. Smith, Moderator, 16240 N. Park Dr., #102, Southfield, MI 48075, 248-569-1223; June Ramage Rogers, Vice Moderator, P.O. Box 23, Hanover, IN 47243-0023, 812-866- 3334; John N. Gregg, Secretary/Communicator, 1018 S. 28th St., Milwaukee, WI 53215-1612, 414-385-0311, PNet: John Gregg; Mae Gautier, Treasurer, 4242 Elmwood Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121, 216- 691-9558. That All May Freely Serve (T.A.M.F.S.) T.A.M.F.S. focuses on a national effort to give voice to those disenfranchised by the Church's policies toward ordination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons and to educate others regarding biblical and theological connections supporting full inclusion. Contact the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr, Lesbian Evangelist, P.O. Box 3707, San Rafael, CA 94912-3707, 415-457- 8004, 454-2564 fax, website: http://www.tamfs.org Send Contributions to: Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614, 716-325-4000, -6023 fax. That All May Freely Serve, Baltimore We are churches and individuals in Baltimore who envision a just and inclusive church in which *all* may freely serve. Our mission is to develop a program of education, reconciliation and advocacy that honors diversity and strives to gain full membership for all Presbyterians regardless of sexual orientation. In 1998/99, we plan to hire a minister of outreach and evangelism to work full time proclaiming our vision and working toward our goals in Baltimore. -- That All May Free Serve: Baltimore, 5828 York Rd., Baltimore, MD, 21212. Voices of Sophia Voices of Sophia is a community of women and men in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that affirms feminist / womanist / mujerista theologies and seeks to be faithful to God's Spirit in our lives. We call the church to reclaim the fullness of God's image, embrace the diversity of the world, work for justice and inclusiveness in church and society, and celebrate the voices and gifts of women. Voices of Sophia sponsors national and regional gatherings, as well as an annual breakfast at General Assembly. Ecumenical partners are invited to join. Membership is $20/year and includes the newsletter *Illuminations*. Contact Voices of Sophia, 223 Choctaw Rd., Louisville, KY 40207. The Witherspoon Society The Witherspoon Society is a society of justice-seeking Presbyterians ... advocating for peace, justice, the integrity of creation, and the full inclusion of all God's people in church and society. The Rev. Dr. Eugene TeSelle, president, The Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, 615-297-2629 h., 322- 2773 w., PNet: Eugene TeSelle The Rev. Robb Gwaltney, vice president, 5303 Indian Woods Dr., Louisville, KY 40207-2079, 502-895-2079, PNet: Robb Gwaltney The Rev. Jean Rodenbough, secretary/communicator, 313 S. Market St., Madison, NC 27025, 910-548-6158 h., PNet: Jean Rodenbough The Rev. Hank Bremer, treasurer, 4355 Kenyon Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066, 310-397-6916 h., 435-1804 w., 495-2223 fax, email: 72066.543@compuserve.com The Rev. Chris Iosso, issues analyst, 191 Revolutionary Rd., Scarborough, NY 10510, 914-944-8070 h., 941-1142 w., PNet: Christian Iosso The Rev. Tom Heger, membership coordinator, P.O. Box 1359, Manchaca, TX 78652, 512-282-7586 h., -6200 w., PNet: Tom Heger Ray and Betty Kersting, membership secretaries, 305 Loma Arisco, Santa Fe, NM 87501, 505-982-4548, PNet: Ray and Betty Kersting The Rev. Doug King, newsletter editor, 7833 Somerset Cir., Woodbury, MN 55125-2334, 612-731-4885 h., PNet: Doug King * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MASTHEAD (Publication Information) MORE LIGHT UPDATE, Volume 19, Number 3, January-February 1999. ISSN 0889-3985. Published bi-monthly by More Light Presbyterians (Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns), an organization of Ministers, Elders, Deacons, Members, Congregations and other Governing Bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Elder James D. Anderson, Editor, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903- 0038, 732-249-1016, 732-932-7501 (Rutgers University), fax 732- 932-6916 (Rutgers University), Internet: jda@mariner.rutgers.edu (or jda@scils.rutgers.edu), DeWitt House 206, 185 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Editorial Associate: Lindsay Thompson; Printer: Ken Barta, Brunswick Typographic Inc.; Production Associate: Caridad de las Mercedes Catala. Electronic version available via email. Email Discussion List: mlp-list@scils.rutgers.edu (To join, send email to: Majordomo@scils.rutgers.edu; in body of message put: subscribe mlp-list; to leave list, put: unsubscribe mlp-list. MLP home page: http://www.mlp.org Send materials marked "For publication" to the editor. PUBLICATION DEADLINES: 6 weeks prior to issue months. Most material appearing in MORE LIGHT UPDATE is placed in the public domain. With the exception of individual articles that carry their own copyright notice, articles may be freely copied or reprinted. We ask only that MORE LIGHT UPDATE be credited and its address be given for those who might wish to contact us. Suggested annual membership contribution to MLP: $50.00. Annual subscription (included in membership) to MORE LIGHT UPDATE: $18.00. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * corrected version 12-13-98