BMC NewsNet
Vol. 7, No. 8
December, 2007
Quiz:
The state or country associated with each of the flags pictured below has recently created laws giving more rights to same-sex couples. More information on each location can be found in this issue of NewsNet. Can you name the location represented by each flag?
A)  B)  C)  D)  E) 
1) Community Organizing Training – February 15-18, 2008
2) Faith Mennonite Seeks Pastor
3) BMC Convention – Get it on Your Calendar!
4) Call to Non-Violent Resisters
5) BMC Booth Request for 2008 Annual Conference
6) New SCN Community
7) YYA Meeting with the Institute for Welcoming Resources
8) Many Stories, One Voice Conference
9) January 1st Brings Changes in New Hampshire and Oregon
10) Global Victories
11) Happy New Year
1) Community Organizing Training – February 15-18, 2008
BMC is very pleased to announce Towards a Welcoming Church, the first of many training opportunities to equip individuals for the important task of helping their congregation or other congregations to become welcoming of lgbt people. The training will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 15-18, 2008, and will help participants to develop the skills and information necessary to address issues related to human sexuality, gender identity, hospitality and justice. Topics include biblical material, an understanding of congregational conflict theory and resolution, faith based community organizing techniques, skills in dealing with difficult conversations, and strategies for helping congregations discern the call to be welcoming communities.
The training has been primarily developed by Anita Bradshaw, the National Field Organizer whose work is supported by a grant from the Arcus Foundation to a coalition of welcoming church programs that includes BMC. Cost for the training is $85. Pastors, congregational leaders, denominational, district or conference staff, and anyone interested in creating a more just and inclusive church, are invited to participate in this training. To find out more, please contact the BMC office at bmc@bmclgbt.org or call at 612.343.2060. Registration forms are available on the BMC website at www.bmclgbt.org.
2) Faith Mennonite Seeks Pastor
Joan Kreider, chair of the pastoral search committee at Faith Mennonite Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, requested that we list the following job announcement, and we are pleased to comply:
Faith Mennonite Church—a progressive, urban, welcoming Christian congregation affiliated with Mennonite Church USA—seeks pastoral leadership. In addition to traditional pastoral duties, FMC is looking for a pastor/pastoral team who is approachable, personable, and skilled at working with a team that includes strong lay leadership. FMC is looking for a candidate with gifts in relational ministry to serve a growing membership of young adults and young families as well as older adults approaching retirement. We seek a candidate who can inspire us and model Anabaptist faith in areas of peacemaking, service, and simple living. We seek a candidate who will witness both pastorally and prophetically for the rights and dignity of GLBT people within the church and the wider community, as well as for others who have found themselves on the margins of church and society. As a congregation with equal membership of “birth” Mennonites and those with a background in other faith traditions, we seek a pastor who is solidly grounded in Mennonite theology, but is also conversant with other traditions. The candidate should have a familiarity with MCUSA and be able to articulate our voice within the conference and denomination. We appreciate variety in worship and actively desire creative and unique worship experiences to inspire us and raise our awareness of the Divine. We seek pastoral leadership to help us discern new commitments in our growing desire for more focused outreach in our community. As an urban congregation, FMC is looking for a candidate who can join and guide us in being a light of God’s healing and hope in our community, city, and world. Interested candidates can contact Joan at 651-645-2660.
3) BMC Convention – Get it on Your Calendar!
Join us for our biennial convention, October 10-12, 2008 at the Pokagon State Park near Angola, Indiana. Pokagon State Park borders Lake James and Snow Lake and offers a variety of recreational opportunities including fishing, swimming, boating, camping, horseback riding, hiking, and much more. The Potawatomi Inn, located in the park, will be the site of BMC convention activities.
The focus of this 2008 convention is queer creative expression. It promises to be a time of artistic expression, creative reflection and fantastic fun. Updates about the BMC Convention, including information about registration, will continue to be posted to our website, so be sure to stay up to date! Contact the BMC office with any questions. 
4) Call to Non-Violent Resisters
We need your ideas! The more creative, the better! The Program and Arrangements Committee of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, has effectively denied BMC a place at the denominational table by putting on indefinite hold our request for exhibit space at Annual Conference. BMC is seeking creative, original and bold ideas for a meaningful and faithful witness at the 2008 Annual Conference. The celebration of the 300th anniversary of Brethren beginnings offers a unique opportunity to emphasize the radical nature of that early witness and claim again that spirit of faithfulness and hope. Send your best ideas to bmc@bmclgbt.org. We’ll even toss in a prize for the one selected.
5) BMC Booth Request for 2008 Annual Conference
Working directly from the 1983 Statement on Human Sexuality, BMC proposed a booth that would focus specifically and solely upon hate crimes and job and housing discrimination directed towards those perceived to be lgbt. Flushed out of its prior cover that BMC has been denied because of Annual Conference statements, the committee elected to skirt the issue by sending a query (which it technically has no authority to do) to Standing Committee to “review the section of the 1983 Statement on Human Sexuality that deals with ‘homosexual persons and sexuality,’ and engage the denomination in study and dialogue, in order to clarify the church’s response to homosexual persons.” The actual booth request has been put on an indefinite hold. In evaluating the committee’s response, it is interesting to remember that the initial paper clearly called for study and dialogue, a task the denomination has ignored, as well as note that the committee dodged the audience that BMC was addressing: those straight and/or closeted people who behave in violent ways towards those whom they perceive as being lgbt.
The BMC board is formulating its response. Watch for future NewsNets and BMC website for additional information and suggestions for action.
6) New SCN Community
BMC is pleased to welcome the Emerging Welcomers, a part of the Turkey Creek Church of the Brethren in Indiana, as a member of the Supportive Communities Network (SCN) of BMC. Their statement of welcome to lgbt people includes, “Emerging Welcomers…affirm this [Acts 15] same inclusive equality which does not exclude any because of race, ethnic heritage, gender, sexual orientation, various disabilities, or economic class. Among these are the keys to God’s new, upside-down order (Matthew 25). As followers of Christ we humbly and courageously proclaim God’s hospitality and move with others in the emerging welcome that embodies grace, justice and peace.” We are delighted to welcome this group as a new SCN community!
7) YYA Meeting with the Institute for Welcoming Resources
On December 7-8, leaders in the youth and young adult movements from multiple faiths met at the Macalester-Plymouth Church in St. Paul. Groups represented were the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns, Reformed Church in America Room for All, MOSAIC of the United Methodist Church, Lutherans Concerned, and Kaleidoscope from BMC. Attended by both Carol Wise and Maggie Miller, the workshops and discussions focused on creating a network among the groups for the youth and young adult programs, as well as the IWR conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, September 4-7, 2008. The conference will focus on youth and young adult leadership in the movement towards an all-inclusive church, and all are welcome to attend. Contact the BMC office with any questions about this exciting opportunity!
8) Many Stories, One Voice Conference
The Institute of Welcoming Resources, of which BMC is a member, announces Many Stories, One Voice, an ecumenical conference to celebrate and further the welcoming movement. Scheduled for September 4-7 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the conference will gather individuals across racial, theological and cultural lines for celebration, inspiration, community-building, and to plan actions that will further the welcoming movement. An opportunity to participate in a flood-related service project in New Orleans through RainbowCorps, a program of More Light Presbyterians, is also available two days prior to the conference start. For more information about these exciting events, contact the BMC office or go to the website of the Institute for Welcoming Resources at www.welcomingresources.org.
9) January 1st Brings Changes in New Hampshire and Oregon
Beginning January 1st, laws in New Hampshire will change to grant same-sex couples more legal rights through a civil union statute. In granting civil unions, New Hampshire joins New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont. New Hampshire officials estimate that 3,500 to 4,000 couples will get civil unions in 2008, roughly double the 1,704 unions performed in Vermont in 2000, the first year they were offered in that state.
Oregon’s laws were scheduled to change to provide a formal domestic partnership registry for same-sex as well as opposite-sex couples to form partnerships recognized by law. However, a federal judge has placed a hold on the domestic partnership registry. Updates will continue to be provided regarding the changing laws in Oregon.
10) Global Victories
The Supreme Court of Nepal ruled on December 21st that new laws must be created by the government to protect gay rights and change current laws which may result in discrimination. Sunil Pant from Nepal’s main gay rights group, the Blue Diamond Society, said in an interview with the Associated Press, “It was a bold decision by the highest court in Nepal, where homosexuals frequently face harassment, including by police. It was an extremely positive decision and a pleasant surprise for us. It would set a precedent for other conservative countries like Nepal.”
Uruguay has become the first country in Latin America to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples. Although some cities and areas within Mexico (Mexico City, Coahuila State), Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul State), and Argentina (Buenos Aires) have passed civil union legislation, the ruling in Uruguay is one of a kind.
Not effective until January 2009, Hungarian lawmakers have ruled to bring The Registered Partnership Act into law. It will allow gay and lesbian couples to register their relationships and provides many rights associated with the rights of marriage. The Act does not, however, allow for adoption and/or fertility treatments for same-sex couples.
11) Happy New Year
The end of the calendar year is a good time to thank everyone who is a part of this marvelous and ever evolving community known as BMC. Despite many challenges from hurting Church of the Brethren and Mennonite denominations, it has been another good year for BMC. Led by a vision of a just church and world that is welcoming to lgbt people, our families and friends, together we offer a powerful witness that offers healing from the fear that bind us, strength for the living of our days, and hope for the possibility of real transformation. On behalf of the BMC Board, best wishes for a Happy New Year.
It’s not too late to make a financial contribution for the 2007 tax year! Send your check to BMC/Box 6300/Minneapolis, MN 55406, or contribute online by going to our website at www.bmclgbt.org and clicking on the Donate Now button. Contributions to BMC Canada may be made by sending a check to BMCC/ Box 57032 / Jackson Station / 2 King Street West / Hamilton ON L8P 4W9. Thank you!
BMC NewsNet is an electronic newsletter produced by Carol Wise and Maggie Miller for the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Interests (BMC). BMC seeks to provide programming, support and advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals and their families and friends. For questions, comments or to unsubscribe from this list, contact the BMC office at PO Box 6300, Minneapolis, MN 55406-0300, USA; bmc@bmclgbt.org; or 612.343.2060.
To donate to BMC, go to our website at www.bmclgbt.org and click on Donate Now. You can also send a check to the BMC office, PO Box 6300, Minneapolis, MN 55406. Thank you for your generous support!
BMC Staff
Carol Wise – Executive Director, SCN Coordinator
Maggie Miller – Kaleidoscope Coordinator, BMC Volunteer
Randall Friesen – Outspoken Editor
Quiz Answers:
A - New Hampshire
B - Hungary
C - Uruguay
D - Oregon
E - Nepal
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