First-ever Training For Trainers To Help Build Inclusive Churches

A group of people sitting around a table in a room.

Via National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Thirty folks from across the country gathered in Minneapolis recently for the Task Force’s first-ever “Building an Inclusive Church (BIC): Train the Trainer.” The Task Force’s Institute for Welcoming Resources has been leading BIC trainings for years, equipping almost 1,000 folks to return to their home congregations to…

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The Trevor Project Chats With Daniel Radcliffe

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In a live online video chat Daniel Radcliffe answered questions submitted by young people around the world about bullying, career insecurity he’s felt, and the reason is so dedicated to helping prevent teenagers from committing suicide. Since the end of his popular Harry Potter film franchise last year, Radcliffe has established himself as a talented…

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An Open Letter To The United Methodist Council Of Bishops

A priest is waving his hand in front of a crowd.

By Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell On July 19, 2012, more than 70 people sent a letter to the United Methodist Council of Bishops demanding that the bishops charge Retired Bishop Melvin G. Talbert with “violating his responsibility to uphold church law, disseminating doctrine contrary to the standards of The United Methodist Church and engaging in…

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Pastors To Gather In Maryland In Support Of Marriage Equality

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Black clergy from across the country are planning to announce their support for same-sex marriage in Maryland this week. The pastors and other clergy, led by the Rev. Delman Coates of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, are hoping that their public display of support will help erase the perception that all black pastors are…

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Marriage Is A Journey That All Should Be Able To Experience

A wedding ring sits on top of an open book.

Via Stillwater Gazette Hope often gets confused with optimism, but the two are not the same thing. When asked about the future well being of the planet in light of global warming and other environmental threats, one of my favorite professors in seminary used to say, “I am not optimistic, but I am hopeful.” For…

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The Gay Black Church

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  It’s Sunday afternoon in the sanctuary of City of Refuge, a linoleum-floored auditorium with folding chairs, at a particularly sketchy downtown San Francisco intersection. Yvette Flunder, founding pastor, is preaching at the podium, a fine wooden pedestal that gives the altar a hint of traditional “church.” It was her grandfather’s pulpit, and now she’s…

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The Key To Winning Marriage Equality

A sign that says love is undefinable.

My mother did not congratulate me when I announced my engagement. It wasn’t because she didn’t like the person I was going to marry. It was because she was not comfortable with the idea of two men getting married, especially when one of them happened to be her son.  It wasn’t that she wanted to…

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