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Issue 5 ~ October 2004 |
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Welcome to Associational |
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INSIDE * From the Interim Director * News: - Canadian and U.S. Churches to Gather - Association Seeks Executive Director - Association Seeks Nominations for Council and Committees * Calendar * New Mailing Address * Contributions Dear Brothers and Sisters: I have spent much of the past six months in this interim role talking with pastors and other leaders of the Association. I'm hearing two consistent themes. First of all, folks are weary of the American Baptist denominational battle. Eleven years ago, the Association was formed in the midst of crisis as a way for churches to stand in solidarity with each other and LGBT folk. Since 1993, church leaders have invested considerable energy opposing the disfellowshippings and working through the political compromises that allowed W&A churches to remain in the ABC. Throughout this time, congregations have engaged in meaningful yet difficult work to identify themselves as welcoming. All the while, the people who populate our churches are increasingly less Baptist in heritage and, therefore, less denominationally oriented. So it comes as no surprise today that among W&A churches there is less energy for the ABC struggle. At the same time -- and this is the second consistent theme I'm hearing -- there is great energy for ministry. I have heard passion for youth ministry, for new forms of worship, for spiritual practices, for church growth with integrity. I have heard excitement for leadership development and for new partnerships, even dreams for new church planting. This strikes me as incredibly good news: those who have been exiled have discovered new life. We have found, in the words of the prophet Jeremiah, "grace in the wilderness." We are moving from "woundedness to wholeness," as one person has put it. The turn is part of our conversion toward accepting God's blessing of us individually and corporately. The shift is a welcome change. We've been talking about "A Welcome Change" on the Association council. We're employing this language to describe in broad terms a vision of new life in the Association. And we're using "A Welcome Change" to talk specifically about leadership development -- about cultivating the next generation of LGBT leaders and straight allies. "A Welcome Change" is a way to name the good work underway in our movement, a way to affirm the passion and energy already manifested among our churches. It is a way to declare the hope of our fellowship in Christ. In the coming weeks, the council and I will be sharing more news about "A Welcome Change." It is likely you will hear familiar words, for our work is mainly about echoing and interpreting the aspirations expressed by you. These are exciting days in the Association. Good news gathers us, grace sustains us, and the Word made flesh beckons us to listen to the longings of this Body. If you're up for conversation, let's talk. You can reach me at 919-460-7069. Blessings on your good work, Daniel Pryfogle Interim Director Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists P.S. It appears that the last edition of Associational picked up a worm on the computer of someone who received it. This worm may have sent out virus-infected attachments to people who receive Associational. Although we were not the source of the infected files, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. We have taken steps that should prevent such an occurrence in the future. If you have not done so recently, it is always a good idea to update your anti-virus program's virus definitions and scan your computer regularly. If you missed the last edition of Associational, you can read it online at: http://www.wabaptists.org/associational/2004-09se.htm News * Canadian and U.S. Churches to Gather Welcoming and affirming Canadian and U.S. church leaders will gather in Toronto for an historic conversation October 29 to explore possibilities for greater collaboration across the border. W&A churches are increasingly on the margins in the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec. Since 1994 those churches and their allies have convened as The Gathering of Baptists of Ontario and Quebec. During this same period, life has become more difficult for W&A congregations in the American Baptist Churches. "So we're all looking across the border, recognizing friends and mutual interests, and wondering where fellowship with each other might lead," says Daniel Pryfogle, AWAB's interim director. "I, for one, am excited about the possibilities." The meeting will be held from 3-8 p.m. at Woodbine Heights Baptist Church in Toronto. For those who can stay over, the Gathering of Baptists of Ontario and Quebec will hold its fall meeting on October 30 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can learn more about the fall meeting at: http://www.gatheringbaptists.ca Gathering friends will help arrange housing in Toronto for those who need it. If you are interested in
participating in this important conversation, please RSVP by October 15 to
daniel@wabaptists.org. Associational is a periodic e-newsletter of
the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists, a network of 50 churches
and hundreds of individuals who have joined together to advocate for the
full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons within
Baptist communities of faith. Please forward this e-newsletter to
interested friends. To subscribe, send an e-mail to
e-subscribe@wabaptists.org
with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. To be removed from this list, send an
e-mail to
e-unsubscribe@wabaptists.org
with REMOVE in the subject line. To read back issues of Associational, go
to: http://wabaptists.org/associational.htm. |
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