| Take Action! |
Help change our Church and world:
| |
| Upcoming Events... |
Friday, Sep 10
Friday, Sep 24
Saturday, Oct 09
Friday, Nov 05
Friday, Nov 05
Friday, Nov 12
Monday, Nov 15
Friday, Nov 19
More events... | |
|
|
 |
Saturday, May 16 2009 @ 12:53 PM by Michael Adee
 As our "Answering God's Call to Serve!" YES on Amendment 08-B draws to a close on May 30, now more than ever it is important for us, for our Church, to recognize and celebrate the presence and gifts of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and their families in our local congregations. We believe in a Gospel and a Church for all God's children.
While we do recognize and give thanks for the extraordinary, history-making progress made during the Amendment 08-B Campaign, we also reckon with the reality that its ratification was narrowly defeated. This is a time of mixed emotions, celebration and lamentation.
So, we celebrate that a record number of 77 presbyteries so far have affirmed fair and equal ordination standards; and we lament that 92 have held to the status quo of discrimination against faithful LGBT Presbyterians simply seeking to answer God's call to serve. So, it is time for us to gather in community in every possible congregation, MLP Chapter, campus or seminary group for a time of reflection, prayer, healing and solidarity. |
|
|
|
|
Friday, May 15 2009 @ 03:50 AM by Michael Adee
 On May 12, by a vote of 100 - 90 - 3, the Pacific Presbytery became the 33rd presbytery to "flip" from opposition in 2002 to support for LGBT equality and justice in 2009.
The same day, the Presbytery of East Iowa voted Yes on 08-B, 74 to 21, which is a 25% pro-LGBT shift from its vote in 2002.
Pacific and East Iowa's approval of 08-B reached historic milestone records as the 76th and 77th presbyteries that support ordination standards based upon faith and character, not marital status or sexual orientation. We rejoice that 77 presbyteries call for the end of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians who are gifted and called by God to serve as Ministers, Elders and Deacons.
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, May 13 2009 @ 04:28 AM by Michael Adee
Four presbyteries vote today on the 218th General Assembly's Ordination Amendment 08-B. On April 25, national ratification narrowly failed as did the opportunity for the Presbyterian Church (USA) to remove discriminatory laws against LGBT Presbyterians in terms of full membership, ministry and service. Consideration of this important "discrimination-ending" ordination amendment continues with the last presbytery vote set for May 30.
And, the work for justice and the end to discrimination against LGBT persons and their families in our Church continues not only with Amendment 08-B, but the Session of Northside Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan, a More Light Church, joyfully announced on April 25 that it has approved a Ordination Overture for the 219th General Assembly in 2010.
As important as the extraordinary progress is toward acceptance of LGBT people in our Church, and the incredible accomplishment by the 218th General Assembly by removing the anti-gay policy of the "1978 Definitive Guidance," it is not soon enough for our Church to lose faithful and gifted Presbyterians to more accepting denominations such as the United Church of Christ, Metropolitan Community Church and the Episcopal Church. |
|
|
|
|
Monday, May 11 2009 @ 07:38 PM by Michael Adee
 Giving you opportunities to gather with other members of your congregation to pray, to learn, to share, and to work together to transform your lives, your congregation, and your world into a loving place in which God’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families can thrive.
All in God’s Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families - New Curriculum!
If you want your local congregation, campus ministry or seminary community to be genuinely welcoming and affirming of LGBT Families, this new curriculum is for you.
More Light Presbyterians is a founding and sponsoring organization of IWR, the Institute for Welcoming Resources, the faith project of NGLTF.
I encourage you to order this curriculum today. This would be a great resource and complete curriculum for your Fall 2009 Christian Education program offerings.... or anytime. |
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, May 05 2009 @ 04:24 AM by Michael Adee
 Support for Amendment 08-B continues as does MLP's campaign work in every presbytery yet to vote even after the opposition to ratification secured the simple majority vote of 87 votes on April 25. In recent days, 4 more presbyteries voted YES on O8-B, with 3 of those presbyteries shifting from opposition in 2002 to support in 2009.
Detroit Presbytery approved the 218th General Assembly's Ordination Amendment 08-B by a vote of 141 - 92. Lehigh Presbytery, in Pennsylvania, voted 60 - 46 - 2 for Amendment 08-B. The Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys voted 44 - 37 - 1 to approve Amendment 08-B.
Detroit, Lehigh and Minnesota Valleys became the 29th, 30th and 31st presbyteries to "flip" from opposition to ordination equality in 2001-2 to support for Amendment 08-B in 2009.
The Presbytery of Southern New England voted 97 - 50 for Amendment 08-B, a significantly higher margin of support for ordination equality than in 2002.
We now stand at 73 supportive presbyteries which is already 31 more than the final count of 42 in 2002 with a dozen presbyteries yet to vote. The last presbytery vote is scheduled for May 30. |
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, May 05 2009 @ 04:17 AM by Michael Adee
 Clergy Call for Justice and Equality 2009
Hello from Washington DC. I am here representing More Light Presbyterians lobbying for the Hate Crimes Law and ENDA, Employment Non-Discrimination Act with hundreds of faith leaders from around the country. We meet with members of Congress tomorrow in a special pro-LGBT faith leaders' lobby day focused on these two common sense, fair and just laws.
PEP, the Presbyterian Equality Project, of More Light Presbyterians is the initiative that works to end discrimination in civil society against LGBT people and their families and to secure equal rights and fairness for all.
Presbyterian ministers and other leaders will converge on our Nation's Capital joining hundreds of other pro-LGBT faith leaders as part of the Human Rights Campaign Religion and Faith Program's second Clergy Call for Justice and Equality. MLP is absolutely committed that both the Hate Crimes Law and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act include gender identity and transgender, in addition to sexual orientation. |
|
|
|
|
Saturday, May 02 2009 @ 06:35 AM by Michael Adee
 Bangor Daily News, April 18, 2009.Guest Column
By Rev. Marvin M. Ellison
As a Christian theologian, I support marriage equality because I take the Bible seriously. More importantly, I take the God of the Bible seriously. The God I worship has a divine passion for justice that compels me to respect all neighbors and defend their human rights, including the freedom to marry regardless of the gender of the two people. |
|
|
|
|
Monday, April 27 2009 @ 03:35 PM
 On Faith.Guest Voices Essay.
By Rev. Dr. Janet Edwards
Co-Moderator of the More Light Presbyterians
"Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."
Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke those prophetic words at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1967. From a different time and a different movement, his words resonate with me today as I absorb the news from my church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), that ordination of our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) sisters and brothers in Christ will not happen this year. The national governing body of our church passed an amendment last summer that opened that door, but a majority of local church bodies across the country have failed to ratify it. |
|
|
|
|
Monday, April 27 2009 @ 03:15 PM
 Written by Leslie Scanlon, Outlook national reporter
Saturday, 25 April 2009 00:54
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has once again voted to uphold a requirement that those being ordained practice fidelity in marriage or chastity if they’re single – the third time the denomination has voted to retain the “fidelity and chastity” standard since it came into effect in 1997.
On April 25, 2009, the Presbyteries of Northern Plains and Boise became the 86th and 87th presbyteries to vote not to change the standard – meaning that a majority of the denomination’s 173 presbyteries have voted “No” on the proposed amendment to the denomination’s constitution. Some presbyteries have yet to vote – under the rules they have until June 28 to do so.
But the result has already been determined: the “fidelity and chastity” standard will stay.
Despite that, however, this vote has convinced virtually no one that the gay ordination issue is now dead and buried in the PC(USA). Why?
|
|
|
|
Home |
About MLP |
Welcoming Churches |
Movement Events |
MLP Resources |
Donate to MLP |
By a vote of 28 to 25, on May 9, the Presbytery of Utah became the 32nd presbytery to "flip" from opposition in 2002 to support for LGBT equality and justice in 2009. 
