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I asked our pastor to have a study on homosexuality,
using the UMC materials.
He told me, "We don't have any of that in our church."
But we do; we have me. |
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UMNS Photos. Used
by permission. |
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United Methodist General Conference 2004
Report from Nancie Hughes |
| Thursday,
April 29th - The Gift of Water |
....Up early, we
ate a quick breakfast and at 6:45 a.m. took the first van to
Smithfield Church, a couple of blocks from the convention center.
This is the center of Reconciling Ministries Activities, home
of the Parents Reconciling Network. Our first job was to sign
up to volunteer here and there and to be commissioned to wear
our rainbow stoles. I then learned that the most useful thing
I could do is find spray adhesive to affix the statements to
each of the "Unseen, Unknown, Unwelcome" silhouettes.
That led to a bus adventure across town to an art supply store,
during which I had a nice visit with a local graduate of the
University of Pittsburgh.
I then checked into the MFSA headquarters...and
began my first witness activity--handing out free bottles of
water to delegates returning to sessions after lunch. Mostly,
everyone appreciated receiving the bottles, and by now they all
expect it. Each day, the bottles are labeled with a new message.
Yesterday it was H2O--Hearts to Open. Today, it was "As
Jesus offers the living water to all, accept this gift of water."
....tomorrow Helen and I will take an even earlier van back to
the center in order to process in white robes with clear bowls
of warm water to the doors of the convention center. There we
will simply say, "Remember your baptism and be thankful"
to the delegates as they enter.
....It is wonderful to spend time with so many people of similar
minds....Today I stuffed envelopes for delegations from Zimbabwe,
Estonia, the Philippines, Russia, England, Germany, Italy--and
from all over the U.S. |
| Friday,
April 30th - Stoles and Silhouettes |
....As I mentioned
last night, 10 of us processed in white robes to the convention
center, offering clear bowls of water that are labeled on the
inside rim "Remember Your Baptism."
Overall, the response was very warm, very positive,
and we were all impressed with the effectiveness of the exercise.
We are known as the water people. When we finished, before returning
to the church, we ceremoniously poured the water into the waterfall
feeding into the Allegheny River.
...After a quick lunch, we Parents Reconciling Network parents
marched to the convention center with the many silhouettes and
spread ourselves out along the path the delegates take as they
exit for lunch, providing enough space between each for folks
to read the signs. Again, we had a very positive response. One
nice young man came up, hugged me, and said, "I support
you and everything you're up to." Of course there were a
few folks who wouldn't look at the signs, and one guy who took
time to express his difference of opinion. But everyone is very
civil. We repeated the silhouette witness as the delegates returned
from lunch and received their daily free water.
Highlights: Seeing the proliferation of stoles
as more and more volunteers arrive in town, looking at the crowd
of silhouettes in the MFSA storefront, seeing my "greater
family" rainbow badges on folks from all over the country,
reading in today's MFSA Social Questions Bulletin the "10
fashion statements made by wearing a PRN rainbow stole,"
seeing Mary Gaddis enter the Common Witness area at the church
(though I haven't seen her since)--well, it goes on and on. Sometime
I hope to actually witness the plenary session. |
| Sunday,
May 2nd - Down to the River |
My
head swims with all we have done in the last day. The Parents
Reconciling Network breakfast was a wonderful event--very moving,
very warm, standing room only crowd. The silhouettes were mounted
on the wall behind the shower of stoles, and were the backdrop
for the speakers. Rainbow stoles abounded.
Afterward, Helen and I joined a march by MoSAIC--Methodist
Student for an All Inclusive Church--to the convention center,
and down through the waterfall to the Allegheny River. There
we participated in another ceremony remembering our baptisms.
As the RMN theme goes--"when you are baptized, you are watermarked.
And watermarked people are powerfully and permanently part of
the family." It was a colorful event and it even made the
Pittsburgh Sunday paper, with a good photo of folks in stoles.
After that, we took a bus to another church
for a "family reunion" lunch and service. Mary Gaddis
spoke about the history of the reconciling movement and had everyone
in stitches. Gil Caldwell spoke briefly to recognize the many
same-sex couples and their long-standing commitments (those who
could stand, did.) And the main speaker was Karen Oliveto, who
received a standing ovation both before and after. She is amazing.
She also received a LONG standing ovation later last night at
the MFSA Ball Awards event at First UMC.
....I'm sorry that my messages don't convey the news of decisions
from General Conference. That will have to wait. I haven't even
had a chance to observe a plenary session, due to our other witness
activities, so I can't report on the presence of stoles on the
plenary floor. One has to choose one's activities wisely, and
I have done what I came to do. It has been exhilarating, exhausting,
and generally great.
The folks on "our" side seem to be
having so much fun and enjoying each other. I must say that the
other side seems mostly driven by fear. |
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