Selected Newsletter Articles
wSelected articles from the March/April
1998 MCC-B Newsletterw
Is Membership
For Me? Really?
Message from Pastor
Kelly Byrnes
March is a month for us
in MCC in Logan to look at ourselves in relationship with our church.
Membership. Being a member of. A part of. Necessary to
the functioning of the whole. Every member a minister. Everyone
gifted in special and unique ways.
Groucho Marx said that
he'd "never belong to a club that would have him as a member." Although
we hear this as a joke, we know what he meant. Who'd want a joker?
Someone who wouldn't treat their institution with reverence and awe, fear
and trembling? Well.... WE would!
Yeah, that's exactly
what we need here at MCC in Logan! Someone who agrees to join in
committed service to the idea that questions are not bad, not asking questions
is bad. Yes, I said agrees to join. No one is forced to make
a decision about membership. No one wears a membership button.
Can't tell from the outside. Just the way God wants it too!
God doesn't care about the dressing but about the ingredients of the salad.
And the last time I checked, a green salad was still pretty boring.
Needed carrots, onions, sunflower seeds, raisins. And more too.
While a good salad
has lots of ingredients, so does a good member. Someone who agrees
to regularly attend the worship services of the church and support the
other activities. A person who gives identifiable financial support.
Not 10%. Not $1,000 a month. Just identifiable. Someone
who identifies with the mission of the church and is no more ashamed or
afraid of a relationship with God, a search for a spiritual centering in
their lives, identifying themselves with the community of searchers here
at MCC. Last and definitely not least, a person must make a commitment
to serving in the church. As St. Peter has described each of us within
the "priesthood of all believers," all of us have something to share.
A gift for praying, for caring, for helping, for serving, for giving, for
teaching, for administering. So many ways to say "here I am... use
me!"
I hope through the
teaching in March that you will be inspired to make a decision to commit
yourself to a greater level of involvement within MCC here in Logan.
There are so many questions yet to ask. So many challenges to face.
And to overcome. Together. As members, brothers and sisters
in the work and in God's glory. Come with us! Who knows where
we'll wanna end up. Come, help us decide. We need you.
We need each other.
And so if you don't or can't become a member of MCC, what
then? Are you less than? Unwanted? Certainly not.
We need you too! As a Friend of the church. Supportive, caring,
involved, contributing to the life of the church as you are able.
Without the help of a number of friends, this newsletter would not still
be here in your hand. There's worth and
a place for everyone. Here at MCC in Logan. Let's find
it!
And on Easter Sunday,
April 12th, we'll celebrate with each other our commitments to the service
of the church, to the service of our good and gracious God. And each
other. A real UP-rising in OUR church.
UFMCC'S PERRY RECEIVES INVITATION
TO WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON HATE CRIMES
National Conference To Be Held November 10, 1997
More Than 20 UFMCC Churches Bombed, Arsoned!
Los Angeles -- The Rev. Troy D. Perry, founder of the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, the
world's largest gay and lesbian spirituality organization, has received
an invitation to participate in the upcoming White House
Conference on Hate Crimes on November 10, 1997.
The conference was announced in June by US President Bill
Clinton during an address to the nation in which he called for all
Americans to "use the full talents of all of our people, regardless
of race or religious faith, national origin or sexual orientation,
gender or disability." The White House Conference on Hate Crimes will
explore both federal options for addressing hate crimes as well as community-based
remedies.
In a letter to the President, Perry noted that, "UFMCC
members and congregations have suffered a two-fold victimization by
hate crimes — crimes against our worship facilities because of our
faith and crimes against our predominantly gay and lesbian
members because of their sexual orientation.
"Since its founding in 1968, more than 20 UFMCC churches
have been bombed or arsoned, said Perry, "while many others
have been vandalized, desecrated or threatened. Proportionally, no
other institution in America has been the recipient of as
much arson, bombing, vandalism and desecration motivated by hate crimes
as have the churches of UFMCC. An astounding
and shocking seven percent of our congregations have been targets of
bombing or arson."
Perry will represent the more than 42,000 members of UFMCC
congregations at the White House Conference. "I intend to
use my voice to call for enactment of broad protections for our lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens," said Perry.
UFMCC was founded in 1968 by the Rev. Troy D. Perry, who
serves as moderator of the fast-growing denomination. A
frequent international speaker at churches, universities, and conferences,
Perry has appeared on C-SPAN, 60 Minutes, Phil
Donahue, Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, and The Mike Douglas Show. UFMCC's
story has appeared in virtually every
international news magazine. Perry is the recipient of awards from
the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights
Campaign, and the Gay Press Association.
UFMCC is composed of more than 300 local congregations
in 15 countries. With a combined budget in excess of $15 million, the UFMCC
churches comprise the largest predominantly gay organization in the world.
Additional information on UFMCC's participation in the
White House Conference on Hate Crimes is available by e-mail from info@ufmcchq.com.
For Additional Information, Contact:
James N. Birkitt, Jr. UFMCC Director of Communications
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd Floor West Hollywood, CA 90069
Phone: (310) 360-8640 Fax: (310) 360-8680 E-mail: info@ufmcchq.com
website: http://www.ufmcc.com
