Religious Left

While most churches condemn homosexuality and many African governments ban it outright, a Nigerian minister has set up a ministry for gay Christians in West Africa's largest city, reports WALDIMAR PELSER [ City Press ] from Lagos . Reverend Jide Macaulay (42) has gained notoriety in Nigeria by speaking out in the House of Representatives in February last year – barely two months after South Africa passed Africa’s first act legalising gay marriages in December 2006 – against a bill that imposes a prison sentence on anyone who speaks out or forms a group supporting gay people’s rights. If passed, Nigeria will be one of the most dangerous places in the world to be gay . His ministry, House of Rainbow Church , has become a refuge for about 30 gay Christian men in West Africa’s largest city. Some have lost their jobs, been thrown out by their families and suffered abuse by friends or the police because of who they choose to love. Mission Statement • House Of Rainbow is committed to b...

By CHRISTINE HAWES CORRESPONDENT Herald Tribune Florida - More than 20 churches, congregations and spiritual groups that welcome members of the gay and lesbian community will host an interfaith worship service Thursday as part of Sarasota's Gay Pride Week. Hosted by Church of the Trinity Metropolitan Community Church -- one of two gay-identified MCC congregations in Sarasota County -- the third annual service is a collective effort by local spiritual leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist and New Thought faiths. full article

by Harley Dennett Sydney Star Observer Homosexuality as an intolerable sin was not a doctrine of Christianity, the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruled last month, because there were many dissenting views on the subject among Christian groups generally, and specifically within the Uniting Church. As long as gay-friendly congregations like Metropolitan Community Church exist, this ruling means Christian organisations don’t have a license to legally discriminate against gays, Brisbane lawyer Stephen Page said. full article

When the first congregation of the Metropolitan Community Church was formed 40 years ago, it became a place of worship and solace for homosexuals who were shunned from other Christian institutions. Alive and thriving four decades later, MCC has hundreds of congregations around the world. Also still rampant is the homophobia that exists in churches black, white or otherwise. MCC has chosen St. Louis, a city rich in diversity, to play host to the 2008 People of African Descent, our Friends and Allies conference, April 17 to 19, at the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet. Program topics will include Homophobia and the Black Church, Leading and Building an Inclusive Church and the State of HIV/AIDS in the Black Community, among others. The Rev. Elder Darlene Garner will attend and moderate some programming, as well as perform the Sunday services at MCC. While members of the St. Louis MCC are planning to attend, the conference is also attracting visitors from outside the area — record numbers...

By REV. DR. CYNTHIA LOVE On Tax Day, April 15, clergy are gathering outside Atlanta's regional post office to protest the financial and legal inequities facing their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parishioners. To some it might be surprising to see faith leaders standing up for economic justice. Aren't faith leaders supposed to be concerned with our souls? Why are they coming out on tax day to talk about our pocket books? As faith leaders it's time to clarify what we mean by economic justice and why it is a fundamentally religious issue. Economic justice is not about getting a tax break to go to the Bahamas. Economic justice is about the life and death decisions that affect all of us. It's about who will take care of the kids if a partner suffers from an unforeseen illness; it's about older LGBT couples making the gut wrenching decision to go 'back in the closet' in order to get assisted living care; it's about establishing a nest egg for our par...

Four gay groups (Soulforce, the National Black Justice Coalition, Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE), and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches) have organized a nationwide event, hoping to bridge the gap between Straight and Gay Christians. They call it "American Family Outing", and the groups hope to hold potluck dinners, picnics, and have "soulful talk" with the mega-church members. The following churches have come online: Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr. and Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland (near Washington, D.C.) Bishop Eddie Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia (near Atlanta) Bill Hybels and Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois (near Chicago) Dr. Rick Warren and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California more information available at the SoulForce site O...

A group of Christian ministers from mainstream denominations will march in the Mardi Gras parade to apologise for the church’s hostility to gay and lesbian people. The apology statement by the group calling itself the 100 Reverends asked for forgiveness, but insisted the signatories were individuals and not official representatives of any denominations. “The church has been responsible for fostering hatred towards and exacerbating the marginalisation of the GLBT community,” Pastor Mike Hercock said. “We choose to stand with the Lord of the church and offer friendship and welcome.” Metropolitan Community Church, which caters to gay and lesbian Christians, has given support to the statement and float, but will not play a major role. “Not everyone who is part of that approves of homosexual people, they’re just apologising for the way the church has behaved,” MCC Reverend Karl Hand said. “I don’t think anyone stands to gain from mainstream churches demonising gay and lesbian Christians. MC...

As a gay man I have memories of days gone by when "gay bars" had "signals" of warning. The signal would be something like a certain light flashing on and off or some such. When the signal was activated you would switch dancing partners (hopefully there were enough women present to facilitate this). Everyone in the bar would try to give the "appearance of normalcy". Many things have changed since that time. But through it all the Metropolitan Community Church has been there. If you are in search of an inclusive church you might want to visit the Metropolitan Community Church website: http://www.mccchurch.org/

"There's a saying that when a door closes, God opens a window. That's also true of LGBT activists," says Perry, who found creative ways to share the message of LGBT rights in Singapore. During 40 years of human rights activism, Rev. Dr. Troy D. Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Churches, has been picketed, taunted by extremists, and arrested for civil disobedience. Perry knows what it is to be the target of hate mail campaigns and the recipient of death threats. Occasionally, a church or organization has canceled a speaking engagement by the outspoken human rights leader. But recent actions by Singapore marked the first time an entire country had banned Perry from public speaking engagements. Rev. Perry was part of a recent six-member delegation to Southeast Asia from Metropolitan Community Churches. The delegation, led by Rev. Pat Bumgardner, chair of the Moderator's Global Justice Team of MCC, was scheduled to conduct speaking engagements, workshops...