Press Release: October 28, 2003

Affirmation Lifts Up Collecting United Methodist Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in the Church, Strategizes for General Conference 2004

Contact: the Rev. Peggy R. Gaylord, Affirmation Co-Spokesperson 607-723-4091; 607-725-7002 or aMiracleToday@pronetisp.net; the Rev. Kenneth Rowe, Affirmation Co-Spokesperson 415-595-0180 or kianrowe@earthlink.net, Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns

Affirmation Council meeting at the Drew Archives Building.Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns National Council met October 10-13, 2003 in Madison, NJ at the Drew University United Methodist Archives and History Center. Friday evening's meeting opened with Rev. Kenneth E. Rowe, Retired Drew Archivist and Affirmation's designated Historian addressing the need for concern about collecting information related to our history, and later giving a tour of the Archives Building. Rowe advised: "If you don't have the records, the historians can't write about it."

The Program Committee consulted with Dale Patterson, Archivist, with the General Commission on Archives and History of the UMC, on various issues of managing archival projects. The committee later drafted the outline for the new Oral History Project, which may be the first of its kind in a mainline denomination caucus. The project, scheduled to be completed in three stages prior to Affirmation's thirtieth anniversary, will seek to record the life experiences of leaders of the struggle for full inclusion of LGBT Christians in the work and life of the UMC. Patterson also presented a workshop, "Oral History--You Can Help It Happen!!!" Sunday afternoon at the Chatham UMC attended by about twenty persons. He discussed how one can become an integral part of preserving oral history by conducting and recording interviews. The Program Committee's archival project will also target early founders and on-going leaders of Affirmation to solicit donations of their personal papers to the Affirmation Archives at Drew University.

The Lynx Committee and the Council extensively discussed and planned for 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh. Following the tradition of modeling "being the church" since 1980, the strategy is to focus on events or activities which can "open hearts," as Affirmation continues its witness to the church's need to fully include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons, and their families and friends. These will include the daily newsletter, worship, educational events, prayer/meditation, and many other activities to be announced appropriately. At General Conference, Affirmation will also work with other progressive caucus organizations in a coalition movement, "Common Witness," calling the United Methodist denomination to greater racial justice, doctrinal openness, inclusivity, and interfaith dialogue. Affirmation will shortly be soliciting information on suicides or homicides of any lgbt United Methodist people, as we hope to make the point that this is a "life or death" issue for many, not just an issue of church membership privileges.

Late Saturday afternoon the Council met for a time of reflection and brainstorming for the future with some other coalition members in the area, representing the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) and Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA). Participants included Jeff Spelman, Chair of the RMN Board as well as Rev. Dr. Traci C.West and Rev. Dr. Hal Taussig, both of whom had resourced "Voices of Faith," an MFSA gathering for Progressive United Methodists in Atlanta last spring.

Dr. West pointed out that there is not just one way of understanding Jesus; after all, we have four gospels. She also reminded us that though our organizations are predominantly white, we should still be able to be involved in anti-racist work more explicitly. Dr. Taussig observed that when we introduced ourselves, we seemed to talk about our local church experience rather than the larger church, even though we are leaders in the national organizations we represented. We need to look at framing actions nationally and cross-denominationally. It was observed that Methodism is no longer a movement, but rather an organization.

Other business and highlights of the meeting were that the Council:

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Photo: The Affirmation Council met in the archives building at Drew University.

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