INSIDE
From the Interim Director
Dear Brothers and
Sisters:
About 10 years ago, I had a conversation with my pastor, friend and mentor
Jim Hopkins that often comes to mind these days. Jim was dropping me off at
home after a meeting at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland. I
remember us talking about the state of the American Baptist Churches, which
had earlier voted on that infamous sentence about homosexuality being
incompatible with Christian teaching and which was now caught up in the
furor to disfellowship welcoming churches like ours. Jim and I were
wondering what would come of freedom-loving Baptists.
At the time, I was a new American Baptist, having joined Lakeshore with my
family just a few years earlier. I grew up Southern Baptist, the son,
grandson and nephew of Baptist preachers, a child of a deeply Southern
tradition even though we lived in California: we sang our hymns with a
twang, eagerly partook of potlucks, Sunday School and Training Union, and
testified in the midst of our little congregation to Godıs "wonder working
power." But you know that a sickness engulfed this denomination. And the
sickness killed the very spirit that had nurtured the body. So with sadness
and some uncertainty my wife and I left the Southern Baptists when we sensed
that to live into the people God called us to be, we had to give up the
institution.
My introduction to American Baptist life came through two writing
assignments for Religion News Service in 1991, and in that early
acquaintance I encountered the best and the worst of the denomination. One
article was on the 30th anniversary of that grand ecumenical experiment, the
Graduate Theological Union, of which the American Baptist Seminary of the
West is a member. (It was an interview with the former seminary dean, the
American Baptist historian Eldon Ernst, which led me to Lakeshore.) The
other article was on the ABC's division over homosexuality, manifested then
in the debate over whether a gay man should be ordained as a chaplain.
As Jim dropped me off that day, he spoke of an impending shaking out in
Baptist life in particular and American Protestantism in general. He saw
progressive Baptists discovering fellowship with other justice-loving
people. Institutional lines would be redrawn and religious families
reconfigured in this future. I suspect Jim's forecasting offered some
relief for us in the midst of distressing denominational debate; but there
was also excitement as we anticipated the future, and I believe our
excitement was a sign of the new thing breaking into our lives even then.
I was reminded of this conversation in early February when I met with the
welcoming program leaders in the United Church of Christ and the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbus, Ohio. We gathered to explore
possibilities for joint ministry. Our coming together was facilitated by
representatives of the Alliance of Baptists, UCC and Disciples, which have
been in partnership dialogue for a number of years.
Around the table in Columbus, we felt a strong sense that our future as free
church folk lies together. There was an ease to our conversation. Though
new to each other, we felt familiar. Perhaps we were predisposed to hear
each other without anxiety or agenda. And we were eager to learn more about
each other's traditions. It was not difficult to turn our minds to
possibilities for collaborative ministry because the varied gifts we would
bring to that ministry were valued from the outset.
The three welcoming programs have agreed to hold a joint gathering of all
our membership June 26-29, 2006, in Indianapolis. I encourage you to set
aside this time for what promises to be a remarkable event.
We also have committed to work together in communications. We are inviting
each other to be present in board governance. We are talking about an lgbt
clergy network as well as collaborative community organizing. We are
entering this relationship with excitement and anticipation for what the
Spirit is about in drawing us together.
For welcoming Baptists, this new partnership is the gift of the Alliance of
Baptists. The Alliance has emerged from the breakup of Southern Baptists
and is experiencing resurrection. My friend Jim, a passionate American
Baptist, now serves on the board of the Alliance along with other American
Baptists. We are in the midst of the shaking out which Jim saw 10 years
ago.
This is a time of dying to what has been, so it is naturally a season of
grief and uncertainty. Yet it is also a moment of creativity as signs of
new life emerge and our hearts leap at the Spiritıs invitation to
participate. May our affirmations of the varied dimensions of this moment
comfort, encourage and sustain us all for the journey ahead.
The Peace of Christ be with you.
Daniel Pryfogle
Interim Director
Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists
News
Two New Churches Join
Association
Peace Community Church of Oberlin, Ohio, and Church of the Savior in Cedar
Park, Texas, have joined the Association. We celebrate with both of these
congregations in their courageous declaration of welcome.
Today there are 54 churches in the Association. To check out this
wonderfully good news, go to:
http://wabaptists.org/wachurches.htm
AWAB Makes Biennial Plans
The Association will gather for prayer, celebration, and
public witness at the American Baptist Biennial July 1-3 in Denver.
The Association's business meeting, open to all, will be held July 1, from
5-6:30 p.m. The AWAB worship service will be held July 2 from 11:15
a.m.-12:30 p.m. Both events will be held in the Denver Convention Center,
site of the Biennial proceedings.
To register for the Biennial, go to:
http://www.abc-usa.org/biennial/index.shtml
If you are interested in helping to plan the Association worship service,
please contact Daniel Pryfogle at daniel@wabaptists.org
LGBT Retreat in the Rockies
Slated:
Registration Online and by Downloaded Form
Registration is
underway for the Association's Retreat in the Rockies, four days of
fellowship for lgbt folk and straight allies July 4-7 following the American
Baptist Biennial in Denver.
The retreat will be held on the campus of the University of Colorado at
Boulder, just north of Denver. The focus of the retreat is on the spiritual
needs of individuals rather than the generally congregational-focused themes
of larger Association gatherings.
This year's retreat leader is the Rev. Dr. Rick Mixon, interim pastor of
First Baptist Church of Granville, Ohio, and a longtime leader in the
welcoming movement. Rick will reflect on "Faith Beyond Resentment," a theme
developed by the gay theologian James Alison in his book of the same title.
The worship leader is the Rev. Jacki Belile, pastor of Grace Baptist Church
in Chicago.
Information and registration materials are available online. The early
registration deadline is April 30. Go to:
http://www.wabaptists.org/retreat.htm
Rochester Reports Online
A historic meeting of 158 American
Baptists was held in Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 18-19, to discuss recent
developments in ABC life. Several documents have issued from this meeting,
and conversations continue. A number of materials, including a petition on
Baptist principles, are available online at the American Baptist Churches of
the Rochester/Genesee Region web site:
http://www.abcrgr.org/summit/index.html
Reflections on the summit are also available on the Baptist Peace Fellowship
of North America web site at:
http://www.bpfna.org/sustenance/050307.html
Calendar
Baptists
Without Borders, a conversation among representatives of progressive
Baptist groups in the U.S. and Canada, will be held April 1, noon-4 p.m., at
Furman University, Greenville, S.C., preceding the Alliance of Baptists
Convocation. To learn more, contact Daniel Pryfogle at
daniel@wabaptists.org.
The 2005 Alliance of Baptists Convocation will be held April 1-3, 2005,
at Furman University, Greenville, S.C. The Rev. April Baker, co-pastor of
W&A member Glendale Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., will give the
opening sermon on April 1. To learn more, go to:
http://www.allianceofbaptists.org
A retreat for youth and children's ministers follows the convocation,
April 3-5, in Brevard, N.C. The Alliance of Baptists Youth and Children's
Ministry Network is organizing the retreat. Registration is $50, which
includes lodging. Transportation to and from Greenville will also be
provided. AWAB is providing a limited number of scholarships. If you are
interested in a scholarship or more information on the retreat, please
contact Brian Ammons at 919-828-0897 or
bammons@pullen.org. The registration deadline is March 21.
Daniel Pryfogle, AWAB's interim director, will preach at Washington Plaza
Baptist Church, Reston, VA., on May 1 at 11 a.m. and speak at the
church's monthly YAWEH (You Are Welcome Here) service at 6:30 p.m. For more
information, go to:
http://www.washingtonplazachurch.com/calendar.html
The Pacific Coast
Baptist Association will hold its 7th Annual Spring Conference May 7, 9
a.m.-4 p.m., at First Baptist Church of Palo Alto, Calif., on the theme "The
Many Faces of Peace." Speakers include Dr. Gary Percesepe, coordinating
director of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, the Rev. Debra
Mumford, director of recruitment at the American Baptist Seminary of the
West, Rev. Catherine Fransson, pastor at W&A member Seattle First Baptist
Church, and the Rev. Dr. Dale Edmondson, member of the AWAB council. To
learn more, go to:
http://www.pcba.org
The American Baptist Biennial will be held July 1-3, 2005, in Denver.
AWAB's Retreat in the Rockies will follow July 4-7 in Boulder. (See
above.) The Association will hold its biennial business meeting July 1 and
special worship service July 2. Go to
http://www.wabaptists.org for more details.
The 20th Annual Gathering of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North
America is slated for August 1-6, 2005, at Linfield College in
McMinnville, Oregon. Speakers include Marcus Borg, Doris Garcia-Mayol, Cam
Watts, and Paul Dekar, with music by Michael Stern. To learn more, go to:
http://www.bpfna.org
New Membership Forms Online
Individuals and
congregations can now access membership applications for the Association
online. Those seeking individual membership can complete the entire process
online.
A special thank-you to AWAB's online editor, Chris Boisvert, for making the
web site such a helpful resource and important ministry. For membership
information and applications, go to:
http://www.wabaptists.org/membership.htm
Contributions
Question:
How does it make you feel to give to the Association in a time of
discouraging denominational news and distressing cultural developments?
Answer: Fabulous!
Question: What if you don't care about all this bad news and instead are
laughing and playing. How does giving making you feel then?
Answer: So fabulous!
Question: Well, is it easy to give?
Answer: Find out at:
http://www.wabaptists.org/donations.htm
New Mailing Address
Please note that the Association has a new mailing address:
The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists
P.O. Box 1423
Cary, North Carolina 27512
Prayer Requests
Please remember
the American Baptist Churches of Ohio as debate swirls around the
denomination and the issue of homosexuality.
Please remember the regional and national staff of American Baptist Churches
as they navigate these stormy waters and take personal and professional
risks.
Please remember the Association and our search committee as we seek a new
executive director.
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.
To learn more about the Association, go to:
http://www.wabaptists.org.
The Peace of Christ be with you. |
