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Posted on 10/15/2003 8:10:36 AM PDT by presidio9
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - The Rev. Troy Perry felt he had a simple mission when he gathered a dozen congregants in his living room in 1968 to sing hymns and take Communion: He wanted them to know God loves gay people as much as everyone else.
"I told them, 'God doesn't play favorites,'" recalled Perry, who recruited the 11 men and one woman with an ad in the national gay newsmagazine The Advocate.
"I knew God loved me, and if God loved me, God had to love other gay people," said Perry, an excommunicated Pentecostal minister.
From that service in this trendy, gay-friendly city on the edge of Beverly Hills was born the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, which marks its 35th anniversary with a series of weekend events beginning Friday. It is the world's largest and, organizers say, first denomination whose mission is ministering to and educating the world about gay Christians.
The church, formed a year before the Stonewall riot in New York City that gave rise to the gay rights movement, now claims 44,000 members in 23 countries, including Australia, Mexico, Cuba, Denmark and Great Britain.
Although all people are welcome, the church's primary mission remains providing outreach to the world's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.
Over the years, the denomination has been subject to violence on several occasions. Church officials say there have been nearly two dozen incidents of arson, including a 1973 fire in New Orleans that killed 12 people, including that church's pastor and associate pastor.
Two California pastors have been stabbed to death, one in 1986 and the other in 1999, and earlier this year in Roanoke, Va., two congregants and a pastor were attacked after a Bible study and prayer meeting.
The UFMCC has been granted observer status at the World Council of Churches but continues to be denounced by conservative Christians.
"Homosexuality and Christianity are polar opposites. The Bible is very clear about this," said the Rev. Lou Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition (news - web sites).
Sheldon, citing St. Paul's New Testament condemnation of homosexual acts as "unnatural," encourages gay people to change their lifestyle through prayer and counseling.
Other conservative Christians quote Leviticus 18:22: "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination."
The UFMCC responds with a 10-page pamphlet titled "What Jesus Said About Homosexuality." Every page is blank.
UFMCC officials say they perform more than 6,000 gay marriages annually, and the church led the fight in Canada to legalize gay marriage by challenging the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. In June, courts in Ontario and British Columbia ruled the definition was discriminatory.
Since the founding of UFMCC, congregations have declared themselves "open and affirming" toward gays and lesbians within several U.S. denominations, including the American Baptist Churches, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church.
"We have forced the established church to put us on their agenda," said the Rev. Neil Thomas, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles.
At the same time, there have been setbacks.
President Bush (news - web sites) said in June he would push to ban same-sex marriage, and the Vatican (news - web sites) recently issued a statement warning that "homosexuality goes against the natural moral laws."
More than two dozen conservative groups have said they oppose gay marriage and want to make it the No. 1 social issue in the 2004 election. On Thursday, the groups announced a voter registration drive and designated the week of Oct. 12 as "marriage protection week."
Some large Episcopal dioceses across the country have criticized the church's decision to confirm the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as its first openly gay bishop, and some have withheld thousands of dollars in donations in protest.
Theirs is the god of poopy sex.
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
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. Only half the congregation is kneeling.
Not evangelicals.
Not believing Christians.
Not by Roman Catholics.
Oh yeah, a small percentage of the Episcopalians - and they are under seige!
Oh yeah, a small percentage of the United Methodists - and they are under seige!
Oh yeah, a small percentage of the Presbyterians - and they are under seige!
Oh yeah, a small percentage of the United Church of Christ - and they are under seige!
Sometimes you are known by your friends - and your enemies!
Of course, He loves homosexuals.
That's why He sent his Son to die for them. So that they would accept him and give up their lives of sin.
Whether or not God loves them is not the question.
It really should be turned around. The Bible teaches that IF YOU love God you will keep His commandments.
Two California pastors have been stabbed to death, one in 1986 and the other in 1999, and earlier this year in Roanoke, Va., two congregants and a pastor were attacked after a Bible study and prayer meeting.
I just love this section of the article, especially the part where they show proof that the crimes were committed because the victims were gay or participants in a gay church.
This article gives new meaning to "puff piece".
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