1-HeadlineNews:11July2017Edition

LGBTQMagazineInterviewsInterimModerator

forUpcomingFamilyEditionco-authoredbyLindaBrennerandtheMCCCommunicationsTeam

TheMCCCommunicationsTeamisexcitedtoannouncethatRev.ElderRachelleBrownwillbefeaturedinTheAdvocateintheir"QueerFamilies"issue.ThearticleincludesinterviewswithRev.Brownandhertwopartners:MichelleJestesandDamaElkins-Jestes,andphotosofthefamilywhichincludesAydenwhoisfive-years-old.DiversefamiliesinMCCcontributetothetapestryofourdenomination.MCChasalegacythatacknowledgesmanywaystobeinhealthyrelationshipsthatincludesmultiplepartners,monogamy,polyamory,celibacy,andthechoicetoremainsingle."ThePreamble"forMCC'sStatementofFaithaffirmsthediversityofidentitiesandfamilystructuresinthedenomination:"...Wearepeopleonajourney,learningtoliveintoourspirituality,whileaffirmingourbodies,ourgenders,oursexualities.Wedon'tallbelieveexactlythesamethings.Andyetinthemidstofourdiversity,webuildcommunity,groundedinGod'sradicallyinclusiveloveforallpeople...."Rev.ElderDwayneJohnson,amemberofMCC'sCouncilofElders,echoesthethemeofdiversityandfamily."Sinceourfoundingin1968,MCChasadvocatedfortherighttodefinefamilythroughthebroadlensoflove,notthroughthenarrowlensofexternallyimposedexpectations.Rev.ElderRachelleBrown'sfamilyhasbeenformedthroughthemysteryofGod'slove.Herpartnersandchildbearwitnesstotheintegrityoflove.Rev.BrownandherfamilymakeMCC'slongheldvaluesvisible.Theircourageinlivingtheirloveandtruthwillemboldencourageinotherstoproclaim:Wearefamily,too,"Rev.Johnsonsaid.“Overthedecadesmany,especiallyinMCC,havehiddentheirnon-monogamouspersonalrelationships.ButGodcreatedustolove;whenourloveandcommitmenthasintegrity,wehavenoneedtohidethenatureofourlovefromoneanother,”Rev.Brownsaid.“Oneperson’swaytoformfamilydoesnotapplytoallpersonsnorallgenerations.Evenwithinrelationshipsthereisalivelydynamicofbecomingsomethingnewasourlivesandcontextsevolve.”

2-HeadlineNews:11July2017Edition

"Sinceitsinceptionin1968,MCChasaffirmedhumandiversity,especiallyhumansexualdiversity,"saidRev.Dr.ThomasBohache,ChairoftheMCCTheologiesTeam."Genesis1teachesthatthehumancreaturewasmade'intheimageandlikenessofGod,'soeverywhereweseehumanity,weseeexpressionsoftheDivine.Thegiftofsexualexpressionhasbeenperformedinvariouswaysthroughouthumanhistory,includingadiversityofhumanrelationshipstoexpressintimatecommunity.Weseemodelsforcommunitywhenweexaminescripture,tradition,andexperience.Jesushimselfembodiedandexemplifiedwaysofbeinginrelationshipwithmanytypesofpeople;heexpressedintimacyindifferentwayswithdifferentbeloveds.Further,theChristiandoctrineoftheTrinityitselfcommendsaninterpenetrationofrelationships,themysteryofwhichhumanitystillgrapplestocomprehend.Godislove,andwhenweloveweareinGod."Rev.JoeCobbsaid,"TheMCCGoverningBoardcelebrateswithInterimModeratorRachelleBrownandherfamilyonbeingfeaturedinTheAdvocate.MCC'scorevalueshonorthenatureofinclusiveloveandthegiftofhumansexualityinhermyriadformsandexpressions.WearegratefultoRachelleandherfamilyfortheircourage,vulnerabilityandpassionforleadinginloveandwithgrace."Rev.CobbservesastheClerkfortheGoverningBoard."DuringoursearchforanInterimModerator,wewerecommittedtoanopenrecruitmentprocessacknowledgingandaffirmingallaspectsofhumandiversity.Thus,wemadeourhiringdecisionbasedonRachelle'sexperiencewithemergingchurches,asanInterimPastorwithinMCC,andonthevisionshearticulatedforthedenominationduringthisinterimperiod,"saidSarah-JaneRamage,ViceChairoftheGoverningBoard.In 1999, at theMCCGeneralConferencebusinessmeeting, aproposedamendmenttothebylawstoallowHolyUnionsformorethantwoindividualsinarelationshipcametothefloorbutdidnotgarnerthenecessaryvotestopass.TheAdvocatearticleisslatedfordigitalrelease11July2017.ThelongversionwillbeavailableonAdvocate.com,andaneditedversionwillbeinprintfortheAugust/SeptembereditionofTheAdvocate.