BMC NewsNet
Vol. 7, No. 3
April 2007

BMC NewsNet

Vol 7, No 3

April 2007

1)  BMC/SCN Conference Registration Available Online

2)  COB Annual Conference Activities

3)  Wilderness Wind BMC Canoe Trip

4)  Connecting Families Weekend Report

5)  No Comment

6)  LaVerne COB Offers New LGBT Youth Group

7)  Ruth Moerdyk Ordained in the UCC

8)  New Hampshire Offers Civil Unions

9)  Washington State Enacts Domestic Partnership Law

1)  For Just Such a Time: Living Out the Call

BMC/SCN Conference Registration Available Online

Information and registration materials for the BMC/SCN Conference, For Just Such a Time: Living Out the Call, is now available on line. Scheduled for June 30-July 1 in San Francisco, California, this promises to be an inspirational, informative and lively event designed to empower the movement for lgbt justice within the Mennonite and Brethren traditions. All are welcomed and encouraged to bring a friend. To register or learn more about the conference, go to www.bmclgbt.org and click on the For Just Such a Time brochure.

2)  Proclaiming the Power of God’s Peace and Justice

COB Annual Conference Activities

BMC, Womaen’s Caucus and Voices for an Open Spirit (VOS) are collaborating on a hospitality center at the Holiday Inn Select that will be the center for conference activities June 30 through July 4th.  Proclaiming the Power of God’s Peace and Justice will be the theme that will guide the numerous worship, education, meditation and insight sessions being planned for the space. Insight sessions that relate more specifically to BMC include an On Earth Peace offering, “Safety for LGBT Youth in the Church” on Monday evening and a session on “How Homophobia Hurts the Church” scheduled for Tuesday.  A Love Feast on Saturday evening will set the tone for the conference experience.

As an act of solidarity and conscience, Womaen’s Caucus and VOS declined the invitation to have a booth in the Annual Conference Exhibit Hall, opting instead for a shared hospitality space. BMC appreciates this gracious act of generosity and justice.

If you would like to help contribute to the cost of renting the hospitality space ($3000), please send your tax-free contribution to: Dan McRoberts, Treasurer/6677 W. Mill Run SE/Caledonia, MI 49416. Checks should be made out to VOS with Annual Conference noted in the memo line. Thank you for your support.

3)  Wilderness Wind BMC Canoe Trip

We received some responses to a BMC Wilderness Wind Canoe Trip this summer in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, but need a few more people with a little higher level of interest to plan a trip.  The trip will likely be at the end of August or the beginning of September. The group size can be from 3-8 people, with 3-5 days on the water and one day of orientation. Depending on group size and length of trip, costs range from $360 to $600 plus transportation to Minnesota. Wilderness Wind is a camp and wilderness outfitter in Ely, MN and part of the Mennonite Camping Association. Food, equipment and a guide are provided by Wilderness Wind as part of trip fees. For more information about Wilderness Wind, go to www.wildernesswind.org. In order to begin planning this trip, we need to hear from you in the next week or two. If you are interested, please email bmc@bmclgbt.org with the following information:

• Your name and names of those interested in attending with you
• Level of interest (1= “I might be interested, put me on a list for more information”   5= “I’m so interested, I’d like to help plan this trip”)
• Skill level (Beginner, Mid-level, Advanced)
• How long do you want to be on the water? (4-7 days plus 1 for orientation)
• General idea of dates that would work for you (August through  early September)

4)  Connecting Families Weekend Report

Nearly 70 Mennonites and Brethren enjoyed the beautiful grounds of the Antiochian Village, an Orthodox conference center in Bolivar, Pennsylvania, for an April weekend of sharing, education, growth and plain fun. Ann Showalter, author of the recently published book, Touched by Grace: From Secrecy to New Life (Cascadia Publishing House, 2006) provided capable leadership on the theme Journey Towards Wholeness. Connecting Families, committed to providing mutual support for families with lgbt members, sponsors this annual weekend. Members of Connecting Families are also available to offer personal support or information for anyone in need of their services throughout the year. Simply contact the BMC office at 612.343.2060 or bmc@bmclgbt.org for a referral.

5)  No Comment

In February, the planning committee for Connecting Families sought to place an ad in the Mennonite Church USA publication, The Mennonite, for its weekend event.  Here is the response from the editor of the publication:

“I regret that we will not be able to place your classified ad in The Mennonite, as requested by your Feb. 1 email.  

Although we have run classified advertising for the Connecting Families event in the past, we are no longer able to do so with the change in our status as a denominational magazine. At the Charlotte 2005 Convention, delegates amended the Mennonite Church USA Bylaws to include The Mennonite for the first time. It is my judgment that we would not be able to show how an advertisement for your event would satisfy the purposes listed in those new bylaws.”

To view the by-laws, go to www.mennoniteusa.org and click on Important Documents.

6)  LaVerne COB Offers New LGBT Youth Group

The La Verne Church of the Brethren is exploring the start of a new group that will reach out to lgbt youth and their parents to offer strength, safety and support. La Verne pastor Janet Ober became interested in some sort of outreach after two families from the congregation expressed a need and she discovered that community resources are scarce. She and congregational member Lori Dick have contacted area high schools and congregations, inviting interested youth and/or their parents to a sharing session to discern the level of need and interest.

7)  Ruth Moerdyk Ordained in the UCC

BMC congratulates Ruth Moerdyk, a former editor of the BMC publication Dialogue, upon her recent ordination as a United Church of Christ minister. Ruth, a graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary, was called to the ministry by the Skyridge Church of the Brethren. However, as a lesbian woman, Ruth was stymied in her attempts for ordination in the Church of the Brethren, causing her to move to the UCC. Ruth has been called to serve the Congregation for Reconciliation, a UCC congregation in Dayton, Ohio, that was formed in 1968 in response to the civil rights movement and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. The congregation has a mandate to work for social justice, considering it the cornerstone of church life. Members of the Skyridge COB community participated in the ordination, which included an anointing for healing. Congratulation, Ruth!

8)  New Hampshire Offers Civil Unions

The governor of New Hampshire announced that he will sign legislation approved by New Hampshire lawmakers to authorize civil unions. According to the governor’s spokesman, Colin Manning, the legislation “is in keeping with New Hampshire’s proud tradition of preventing discrimination.” With this legislation, the state joins New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont in recognizing civil unions. Its neighbor, Massachusetts, has recognized gay marriage since 2004. The measure will take effect on January 1, 2008.

9)  Washington State Enacts Domestic Partnership Law

Washington joins California, Maine, Hawaii, NYC and Washington DC in providing for a domestic partnership registry for lesbian and gay couples. In addition to state recognition of the relationship, the measure will provide enhanced rights including hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights where there is no will. Unmarried heterosexual couples are also eligible for domestic partnership if one partner is at least 62. The new law will take effect on July 21, 2007.

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.

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. You can also send a check to the BMC, PO Box 6300, Minneapolis, MN  55406. Thank you for your generous support!

BMC Staff

Carol Wise – Executive Director, SCN Coordinator

Katie Hochstedler – Kaleidoscope Coordinator, BMC Volunteer

Paul Hawkins – Development Coordinator