The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM) will host its 2015 Convocation from July 13 to July 19, 2015, in Oakland, California.

The annual conference brings together over 1000 religious leaders and laity from across the country who support TFAM’s mission of “radical inclusion” in the Christian faith.

TFAM seeks to celebrate and proclaim the radical inclusion of Jesus Christ by reaching to the furthest margins of society to serve all in need without prejudice and discrimination, particularly LGBTIQ Christians.

Founder and presiding Bishop Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder was recently appointed to President Obama’s National Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS and will be celebrating her 60th Birthday on Saturday, July 18th. Gospel artists, B.Slade (formerly Tonex) and Anita Wilson will perform at Club Refuge in Oakland.

Bishop Flunder, an out lesbian, states, “The Fellowship’s overarching goal is to creating, sustaining and celebrating community on the margin. At its simplest level, the Fellowship offers a place of hospitality: marginalized people experience hospitality where they have neither to defend nor to deny their place or their humanness.”

TFAM’s 2015 Convocation comes on the heels of the nationally recognized African tour of its international outreach ministry, The Fellowship Global (TFG), which was spearheaded by executive director, Bishop-Elect, Pastor Joseph Tolton. This spring, Pastor Tolton successfully toured key African nations where LGBTI communities continue to experience extreme discrimination and persecution, including, Uganda, Rwanda, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Kenya.

Over the course of seven days, TFAM will present various events, workshops and speakers all aimed at celebrating its core mission and work.

Events include: an exclusive screening of the film, Blackbird starring Oscar winner, Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington; an announcement that TFAM via TFG will break ground in China and Cote d’Ivoire; a luncheon celebrating the transgendered community and calling for an end to transgendered targeted violence; and, the consecration of Bishop-Elect Joseph Tolton, Bishop of Global Minsitries.The Rev. Dr. Renita Weems, named by Ebony magazine as one of “America’s Top 15 Preachers,” will be preaching at this year’s conference.

The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries is a coalition of Christian churches and ministries, which recognize the need for networking, accountability, fellowship and resource facilitation. We are a trans-denominational fellowship that in voluntary cooperation is self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating.