In this issue

MLP at the 218th General Assembly!

More Light Presbyterians has organized an extensive ministry of presence, advocacy, and support at the 218th General Assembly in San Jose, CA.  For the latest information on GA, see these links on the MLP.org web site:

    GA2008 Landing Page
    GA2008 Overtures and Legislative Materials
    MLP 2008 GA Events (pdf)

    218th GA MLP Blog

Overtures Call for End to Discrimination at the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA): It's About Time

"Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly with your God" is the theme for the upcoming 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in San Jose, CA, June 21 - 28. In a time like now, and in the world as it is, the ancient Hebrew prophet Micah's call has a profoundly contemporary and timely ring.
Many important matters of vision and mission face this Assembly and our Church: the election of a new Stated Clerk; the election of the Moderator of our Church; the growing needs of our country and world in terms of peacemaking, economic justice and addressing the real world problems of hunger, homelessness, HIV-AIDS within the USA and around the globe, fair and just immigration policy, etc.
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MLP Nominating Committee Report for 2008

The MLP Nominating Committee is pleased to report to the membership of More Light Presbyterians that it has completed its work for this year.  The candidates, listed below, will be considered at the upcoming National Membership Meeting of More Light Presbyterians, on June 22, 2008 following the National Welcoming and Affirming Presbyterian afternoon worship service hosted by More Light Presbyterians during the PCUSA 218th General Assembly in San Jose, CA.
 
The MLP Nominating Committee is delighted to bring the following slate of persons who have agreed, if elected, to serve on the National Board of Directors of More Light Presbyterians, Class of 2011.
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Where is the Church?

A Presbyterian pastor speaks to a tragic death of a gay teenager...Lawrence King in December 2006.  A 14-year old classmate has been charged in his death.   What will his Church say at the 218th General Assembly in San Jose in June?
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"Five Myths" Series by Ray Bagnuolo

The Rev. Ray Bagnuolo has written an excellent series of articles over the past several weeks uncovering some of the myths that the PC(USA) has been burdened with over the issue of equal justice and full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Christians.  Ray serves as the pastor of Palisades Presbyterian Church, a welcoming and affirming More Light congregation.  We commend these faithful, challenging, and thoughtful teachings and pray that they will enrich the dialog in your churches, presbyteries, seminaries, and other communities of faith.
    Myth Number One: Removing G-6.0106b, Ordination Barriers to LGBT Presbyterians, will split the Presbyterian Church (USA)
    Myth Number Two: Timing Is Everything
    Myth Number Three: Full Inclusion for LGBT Folk Will Produce Schism
    Myth Number Four:Its About "the Middle"
    Myth Number Five: We Can Accept Compromise...

An Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church (USA) from a group of our LGBTQ inquirers and candidates for ministry in the PCUSA

Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
From: Your Candidates and Inquirers for the Ministry of Word and Sacrament who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer
Re: Bush vs. Presbytery of Pittsburgh PJC Ruling Regarding Ordination  Standards and G-6.0106b

We, your sisters and brothers in Christ, your colleagues in ministry, faithful members of Presbyterian churches are saddened by the recent ruling of the Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) which singles out the requirement of fidelity in heterosexual marriage and chastity in singleness as an essential tenet of Reformed faith.  This ruling contradicts some of the most important work of the Peace Unity and Purity Task Force, which put forward a more gracious and open way for us to live together as the body of Christ in the midst of our differences.

This PJC decision puts a wedge between theology and practice, belief and action, being and doing.  It demeans the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer persons by again reducing our lives to sexual acts. It fails to recognize God's ability to choose whomever God wills to serve the Church. It perpetuates the mythology that sexual orientation is simply a matter of behavior. It says that we are not filled with God's grace.
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Marriage Matters: the GAPJC "Spahr" Decision, CA Supreme Court Decision, and the Baltimore Overture

What does marriage mean in civil society?  What does marriage mean in the Church?  How should the Church respond to legal civil marriages of same-gender couples?
 
The journey to marriage equality is being achieved state by state in our country, and it is already settled in a growing number of countries such as Canada, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands and South Africa.  16 more countries offer same-sex civil unions.*
 
The rights and responsibilities of marriage, and the legal protections for spouses, families and children help to sustain quality of life and therefore, support communities and nations.   Same-sex marriage values family, respects commitments and nurtures faithfulness; restrictions of marriage to heterosexual couples only do not. 
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Love Makes a Family: Two Dads, 3 Sons & 1 Church

Reflections on Father's Day, June 15...My beloved father, who really was a saint, died eleven years ago. So, reminders of Father's Day for me, and I guess for many others who have lost their fathers, or did not have fathers present in their lives, have a bittersweet quality.  Steve, my older brother, and I were both adopted. My brother is of Cherokee descent and I claim Norwegian even though I have no real idea of my ethnic origin. Our parents were intentional parents in every sense of that word. As good Presbyterians they used "chosen" language about us. Doris and Larry Adee, our parents, presented me for baptism at First Presbyterian Church, Billings, MT; they had Steve baptized four years earlier at First Presbyterian Church, Ponca City, OK.

Promises were made by both of those congregations to our parents and to us during those baptisms.
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Dr. Michael J. Adee named as Executive Director & Field Organizer for More Light Presbyterians

The National Board of Directors of More Light Presbyterians is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael J. Adee has been named as the Executive Director & Field Organizer for More Light Presbyterians.  This decision was made at our recent national board meeting at Ghost Ranch Conference Center, Santa Fe, NM.
 
Michael has been serving as our National Field Organizer since May of 1999.  He served as a volunteer with More Light Presbyterians from 1991 to 1999 before being hired in our first staff position.  Michael was ordained as the first openly gay Elder at Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, a More Light Church.  He moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1997.
 
"We are deeply grateful for the leadership and service Michael has offered for nine years in our first staff position as National Field Organizer.  Because of the exponential growth of our educational program, outreach and advocacy work, it is necessary for MLP to update our operational structure.  A major grant for organizational development allows us to promote Michael to this new position and to create a second staff position in the near future," said Vikki Dearing, Co-Moderator.
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Our Newest More Light Churches

The National Board of More Light Presbyterians is thrilled to welcome three new congregations into our growing family of faith communities who have voted to affiliate as a More Light congregation, witnessing to God's wildly inclusive love

Good News!! First Presbyterian Church, Bowling Green, Ohio affirms ministry, affiliation and witness as a More Light Church!
New More Light Church: Northminster, Evanston
A New More Light Church: Hartford, First!

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More Light Presbyterians is a member-supported, 501c(3) organization which works for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Your financial contributions are a key part of our witness, activities, and efforts to bring equality to the PCUSA.  You can contribute to MLP online at our secure Groundspring site, or print and mail in a paper contribution form.  For stock donation inquiries, please email us at membersupport@mlp.org.