BMC NewsNet
Vol. 6, No. 6
July 2006

Pictures clockwise from top: Becky Kreps speaks at BMC luncheon: Josih Hostetler and Jon Magley lead the witness procession:  David Hupp and James Towns perform in the BMC/VOS hospitality room: Brethren gather for public witness. Photos by Dale Seese.

1)    BMC Active at Church of the Brethren Annual Conference
2)    Mennonite Church Canada Assembly
3)    Together in Toronto: One More Chance!
4)     2nd Annual Welcoming Dialogue Potluck Picnic
5)    Seattle Pastor’s Credentials Restored
6)    Midwest Holy Relationships Conference
7)    Ecumenical Updates
8)    Staff Travel Schedules

1)  BMC Active at Church of the Brethren Annual Conference

Luncheon:  BMC had an active presence at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, held in Des Moines, Iowa. Sunday, July 2nd was a particularly active day for BMC. Becky Kreps, BMC board member, was the featured speaker at a luncheon held at the publicly affirming St. John’s Lutheran Church. At the event, which drew over 80 people, Kreps reminded listeners that, “There comes a time when dialogue is not effective – particularly when the dialogue is truly a monologue or when the dialogue is about how to “keep the peace” without addressing the underlying issues.” Kreps presentation will appear in the next issue of Outspoken.

Public Witness:  Later that afternoon over 250 people gathered in the exhibit hall to participate in a BMC sponsored public witness. This was the second year for the witness, which was organized to call attention to BMC’s more than twenty year exclusion from the Conference exhibit area. The witness began as individuals carrying communion elements led a procession around the exhibit hall area. Using salt as a metaphor, participants reflected on the ways that the welcoming community is salt for a hurting church. “Salt is used in the winter to melt ice,” said SCN pastor Andrew Sampson, “Perhaps SCN churches are the salt that will help melt hearts of ice in the Church of the Brethren.” The service concluded with an open invitation to share communion.

Hospitality Room:  The day ended with a community gathering at the Voices for an Open Spirit/BMC Hospitality Room. Musicians David Hupp and James Towns offered up some inviting sounds as a packed house relaxed, chatted and enjoyed the music.

2)  Mennonite Church Canada Assembly
The General Board of MC Canada sponsored an evening session for families, friends and pastors with lgbt members at the MC Canada Assembly, held July 4-7 in Edmonton, Alberta. Esther Peters and Garth Ewert Fisher, both from the General Board, facilitated the meeting, the purpose of which was to promote conversations and understanding. Approximately thirty people participated and shared their experiences and stories.

3)  Together in Toronto: One More Chance!
One more chance! If your schedule has suddenly changed or if you just realized that you don’t want to miss the best conference of the year, it is not too late to participate in Together in Toronto: Claiming an Open Spirit. Registration can be made at the door, with the following day rates:

Thurs. $50 (supper)
Fri: $100 (lunch & supper)
Sat: $100 (lunch & supper)
Sun: $50  (lunch)

BMC board member Shannon Neufeldt from Toronto, Ontario, has done amazing work as the co-coordinator of this conference. To learn more about it, go to www.openspirit.ca.

4)  2nd Annual Welcoming Dialogue Potluck Picnic
The Welcoming Dialogue Group of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, an SCN community, is hosting its second annual potluck picnic on September 16, 2006, from 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The Ephrata Park (Grater Community Park), Pavilion #1 is the selected spot for the festivities. Bring a potluck dish to share, paper products and beverages will be provided. Sexual minority friends and allies are invited to come and enjoy a delightful afternoon with plenty of good food, fun and fellowship.
Please RSVP by September 1 to Marilyn Denlinger (717-687-7154); Esther Becker (717-768-8242) or Ken Beam (717-721-9050). They can also help with directions and information.

5)  Seattle Pastor’s Credentials Restored
Weldon Nisly, pastor of the Seattle Mennonite Church, has had his ministerial credentials restored by the Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference with an “at variance” designation and a promise by Nisly not to perform any same gender covenant services for one year. Nisly’s credentials were suspended in April 2005 after he officiated at a same sex covenant service for two members of his congregation. Nisly and the Pastoral Leadership Committee of PNMC issued a joint statement describing their process and mutual commitments. A copy of the statement is available from the BMC office (bmc@bmclgbt.org). Nisly is interested in reactions from the BMC community.

6)  Midwest Holy Relationships Conference
Register today for the pro-lgbta Holy Relationships Midwest Regional Conference, which will be held October 19-21, 2006 at the Sheraton Hotel in Iowa City, Iowa. This ecumenical conference will feature keynote speakers Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock (author, Journeys by Heart: A Christology of Erotic Power) and the Rev. Dr. Mel White (co-founder of Soul Force, and author of Stranger at the Gate). The conference is for both people of faith and people of good-will. Non-theological workshops will be offered in the areas of race, gender, and, sexuality, college-issues, familial relationships, and ethics. Register today by going to www.holyrelationshipsmidwest.org. (This conference is nationally co-sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign)

7)  Ecumenical Updates
The Episcopal Church, USA, ended nine days of meeting in Columbus, Ohio, by rejecting calls from fellow Anglicans for a moratorium on the consecration of gay or lesbian bishops, instead urging restraint in consecrating bishops “whose manner of life presents a challenge to the church.” The Episcopal Church has been under pressure from the wider Anglican Communion for its welcome of lgbt people and its consecration of Gene Robinson as an openly gay bishop. h. The convention also elected Katherine Jefferts Schori as the first female presiding bishop, an election that further strains relations with the full Anglican Communion. Bishop Jefferts Schori told the House of Deputies that she is “fully committed to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians in the Church.”

The Presbyterian Church USA at its denominational meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, left intact a church law that requires ministers and lay leaders to practice “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness,” while also agreeing to let local and regional governing bodies decide whether to ordain lesbian or gay ministers on a case by case basis. In responding to the decision, Michael Adee, National Field Organizer for More Light Presbyterians (ecumenical partner to BMC) stated, “I kept thinking that being in Birmingham would challenge and inspire our Church to do justice now. And in the midst of the Assembly's decisions today, the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. give me hope: 'The arc of history bends toward justice.’”

8)  Staff Travel Schedules
The BMC staff will be participating in various events in the coming months and are very interested in meeting with local individuals and/or groups. If you would like to meet with Katie or Carol, please contact the BMC office at bmc@bmclgbt.org or call 612-343-2060. Here are tentative travel dates:

July 27-30 – Katie and Carol at Together in Toronto
August 12-14 – Katie and Carol in Elgin, IL for denominational conversations
August 22-25 – Carol at Welcoming Church Program Leaders meeting in Minneapolis
September 9-11 – Carol in Dallas, TX for Bishops and Elders Gathering
October 6-8 – Carol at BMC Mennonite Brethren event in Fresno, CA
October 13-15 – BMC Board in Minneapolis, MN

BMC NewsNet is an electronic newsletter produced by Carol Wise and Katie Hochstedler 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.

BMC Staff
Carol Wise – Executive Director, SCN Coordinator
Katie Hochstedler – Kaleidoscope Coordinator, BMC Volunteer
Paul Hawkins – Development Coordinator

To donate to BMC, go to our website at www.bmclgbt.org and click on Donate Now or contact Paul Hawkins, Development Coordinator, at phawkins@bmclgbt.org or 260.341.6387.  Thank you for your generous support!