Parish Spotlight: Church of the Redeemer, Morristown, NJ

A congregation with a long history of inclusion has recently placed new energy into "believing out loud".

The Church of the Redeemer, in downtown Morristown, N.J., whose mission statement describes it as "a Christian Liberation community in the Episcopal tradition," has long been a place of radical hospitality. As its marquee has proclaimed for years, persons of every identity and belief system are welcome within its doors.  It recently called a new rector, the Rev. Cynthia Black, D.D., whose dedication to social justice meshes well with the church's history.

Redeemer has a number of public events in the month of October which are of interest to our community:

• On Thursday, Oct. 13th, at 7:30 p.m., members of the congregation will host a discussion of Stephanie Spellers' 2006 book, Radical Welcome: Embracing God, The Other and the Spirit of Transformation.  The book is described as "a practical theological guide for congregations that want to move beyond mere inclusively toward becoming a place where welcoming 'the other' is taken seriously and engaging God's mission becomes more than just a catch-phrase.
•  On Sunday, Oct. 16th at 7:00 p.m., the gospel duo and same-sex couple Jason and deMarco will offer a concert to benefit S.A.F.E., a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing safe housing for LGBTQ youth and young adults throughout the United States. 
• On Thursday, Oct 20th at 7:30 p.m., Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Uganda will speak about his work with LGBT people in his country as part of a nationwide tour organized by the St. Paul's Foundation for International Reconciliation.  Bishop Christopher will also preach at Redeemer's 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, Oct. 23rd.   "Bishop Christopher is one of the most courageous people I know. At great risk to himself and to his family he has been willing to speak truth to power-- in this case, the truth of God's love to the Anglican Church of Uganda, and to the Government of Uganda," said Rev. Black.

Redeemer has long been a Sponsoring Congregation of The OASIS.  The congregation is a Proud Parish Partner supporting the work of Integrity, and is adopting the Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation marque, which was somewhat of a "no-brainer" given its place in the vanguard of LGBT inclusion in our area.

Vestry member Steve Osvold told us, “Redeemer has a long history of social action and LGBTQI inclusion, but we’re definitely seeing a new burst of energy and commitment. Some of that grew out of our response to Tyler Clementi’s death last year, but it also reflects where we are as a parish, with an energetic and visionary new rector and a desire to see what new things we can do to make the world better reflect the world Jesus described in the Gospels. Redeemer’s generally been more interested in what’s possible than in the status quo, I think, and so many people seem to be seizing on that at this moment. It’s really an exciting time to be at Redeemer!”

In the 1980s, the congregation, which at one time was one of the largest in the Diocese of Newark, was coping with dwindling membership and a perceived lack of direction or purpose.  Coping with the reality that the parish must reinvent itself or die, the members called The Rev. Philip Dana Wilson as their fifteenth rector.

Under Wilson's guidance, the congregation responded to the illness and death of one of its own from HIV/AIDS in the early 1990s.  At a time when many still refused to care for AIDS patients, the members set up an AIDS ministry and converted Redeemer's oversized rectory into the Eric Johnson House, a residence for persons with HIV/AIDS who are coping with homelessness or transition in their lives. Today the House is operated by New Jersey AIDS Services, a nonprofit separate from the church, but a symbiotic relationship with the congregation remains.

This focus on caring for the disenfranchised and underserved has blossomed into other ministries and is now at the core of the parish's identity.  These are just a few of the ministries that the congregation now participates in or supports, a textbook example of the response predicted by The Rev. Rebecca Voelkel in her study To Do Justice: A Study of Welcoming Congregations.  In her research, Rev. Voelkel found that congregations who intentionally self-identify as LGBT-welcoming experience a further "hunger and thirst for justice" which leads to further commitment to social ministry.

When the time came to search for a new Rector, the congregation knew it needed someone who shared its commitment to inclusion.  The call went to The Rev. Cynthia Black D. D., who had long served as Dean of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but was herself a product of the Diocese of Newark, ordained here in 1985. Rev. Black's own history of social justice and AIDS awareness work won her the praise of former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, who stated, "Her ability to grasp the many dimensions of any situation and to articulate them clearly and boldly have been a gift to the Council and the church."

• Watch a video of the Celebration of New Ministry for The Rev. Cynthia Black

Today, Redeemer has been blessing same-sex relationships for over twenty years. The congregation also recently started its own LGBTQIA group led by parishioner Leah Thomas, who stated, "With the death of Tyler Clementi, the Church is developing a concerted outreach to the wider LGBTQ community, both local and global. As part of this effort, we are proud to host Bishop Senyonjo to help raise awareness of the situation of LGBTQ people in Uganda."

The OASIS is proud to call Redeemer a partner in the work of furthering equality, and we look forward to participating in this month's events.  Redeemer is located at 36 South Street in Morristown, N.J., within walking distance of the Morristown Station on the Morristown Line of NJ Transit Railroad.

NOM's Former Social Media Strategist: Organization's Grassroots Support "An Illusion"

Louis Marinelli, the social media strategist for the National Organization for Marriage who stunned people on both sides of the marriage-rights debate when he announced he is changing sides, wrote in his blog that NOM's grassroots base is largely "an illusion" and the reality is a handful of people funded by -- and presumably directed by -- anonymous donors.

Marinelli, who organized a publicity tour for NOM this past summer, said the group encountered lackluster support which was overshadowed at most stops by pro-LGBT counterprotests.


The illusion that makes up NOM’s base of support
Two Cents and a Couple of Copecks - Louis Marinelli

NJ Lawsuit Begs Question: Who is a Man?

A Camden County transman's lawsuit against his former employer opens up a set of new legal and ethical questions: What is the ultimate definition of male vs. female, and who gets to decide?

El’Jai Devoureau, who was born biologically female but has identified as male his whole life and is legally so on official records, was fired from his job at a drug treatment center after he refused to answer his boss's questions about whether he has had gender-reassignment surgery. The job he was doing is restricted to men only because it involves witnessing men providing urine samples for drug tests.

A Lawsuit’s Unusual Question: Who Is a Man?
New York Times

Former GOP Senator: Homophobia in Party "Disgusting"

Former senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) called out members of his party for homophobia and sexism. Speaking on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Simpson railed against rhetoric and efforts to thwart the rights of women and gay people.

Bishop Christopher to UN: Decriminalize Homosexuality

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, who has sacrificed his personal livelihood and safety to speak out on behalf of LGBT Ugandans, addressed the United Nations on Friday. Among his key points was that de-criminalizing homosexuality is key the fight against HIV/AIDS. Currently 70 nations consider homosexuality a crime and seven enforce it with the death penalty. Uganda's parliament was presented last month with a bill that would have made it the eighth. Efforts by Bishop Senyonjo and others raised awareness around the world, which led to pressure on Uganda's government to table the bill. Those in favor of it also are encouraged by Western influences: evangelical ministers including Rick "The Purpose-Driven Life" Warren and Scott Lively have toured Uganda in recent years emphasizing scriptural messages that are favorites of anti-gay rhetoric.

Driving Force at NOM Has Epiphany on Civil Marriage

Louis Marinelli, who was the driver of both the "2010 Summer of Marriage Tour" RV and the National Organization for Marriage's social networking presence has told the blog Good-As-You in an exclusive interview that he has had a major epiphany on the subject of same-sex marriage and now supports civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.

In addition to driving the motorhome used for the tour, Marinelli created the Twitter feed and Facebook pages which NOM eventually adopted as its own.

While he still feels that homosexuality is "wrong" and a health hazard, Marinelli now sees religious and civil marriage as two separate things and feels same-sex couples are entitled to the rights and protections afforded by a civil marriage license. While he still considers himself part of NOM, he feels the organization should focus on religious marriage.

Marinelli's views changed, ironically enough, because of the personal encounters he had with gay and lesbian people he met during the NOM tour. He started to see them as "real people" and that "instead of trying to destroy American culture, they just wanted to take part in it." He became alarmed by the hateful rhetoric his social networking efforts had attracted and has distanced himself from some of the more vocal opponents of gay rights. He came out in favor of Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal in December.

Some of his shifts are more nuanced; for instance, he still takes issue with the LGBT community "tacking onto" the black civil rights movement, saying that gay rights is not the civil rights movement, it is a civil rights movement.

Is the Kill-the-Gays Bill in Uganda Dead on Arrival?

There is cause for cautious optimism as a report in the Box Turtle Bulletin blog states that Uganda's "Kill-the-Gays Bill" appears to have been shelved. It had been on the table for discussion by the Parliamentary Affairs Committee, but it appears that someone, possibly President Museveni himself, directed that it be dropped because most of its key provisions are addressed in other existing legislation.

Needless to say, David Bahati, the bill's sponsor whose name it unofficially wears, is furious and is not likely to give up his personal anti-gay agenda easily. Bahati is a member of "the Family" (sponsors of the National Prayer Breakfast) and has connections to ex-Episcopalians at Truro Church in Virginia. Prominent U.S. evangelical preachers, including Scott Lively and Rick Warren, have traveled to Uganda and helped fan anti-gay sentiment among the country's Christians.