NO ANGLICAN COVENANT COALITION CALLS FOR FAIR PROCESS AND HONEST DEBATE

LONDON —The No Anglican Covenant Coalition has criticized church officials for attempting to suppress honest discussion of the proposed Anglican Covenant.

"Instead of fostering a free and open discussion, church officials are trying to ensure that this radical document is endorsed without serious debate," according to Coalition Moderator, Dr Lesley Fellows. "Unfortunately, this is entirely consistent with what has been happening throughout the process."

The idea of an Anglican Covenant was first proposed officially in 2004 as a means of addressing divisions among the member churches of the Anglican Communion on matters ranging from human sexuality to the role of women. The current draft, which has been unilaterally designated as "final", has been referred to the Communion churches for adoption. The proposed Covenant establishes mechanisms that would have the effect of forcing member churches to conform to the demands and expectations of other churches or risk exclusion from the Communion. The draft must be either accepted without amendment or rejected entirely; no other options are allowed.

A series of decisions demonstrate a pattern of bias and manipulation designed to facilitate Covenant adoption:

November 2010 — When the Church of England debated the Anglican Covenant, official materials prepared for General Synod members made no reference to the concerns of critics or to the case against the Covenant. This was in marked contrast to what happened in 2007, when the House of Bishops agreed that an additional briefing document presenting opposing arguments should be circulated to all General Synod members in advance of the debate.

November 2010 — When Modern Church and Inclusive Church placed advertisements critical of the proposed Covenant in the church press, and when the No Anglican Covenant Coalition was launched, Covenant sceptics were criticized by senior church officials for going public and "campaigning" instead of remaining silent.

December 2010 — When the draft Covenant was formally referred to English dioceses, the referral document provided a random list of quotations from the last General Synod debate, with pro
‐ and anti‐Covenant remarks mixed up together, followed by a purely pro‐Covenant presentation.

January 2011 — A request by Covenant opponents to the Business Committee of General Synod to circulate material setting out the case against the Covenant was rejected.

February 2011 — The Anglican Communion Office issued an official study guide and list of questions and answers for international use that neither provide a balanced look at the issues nor fairly represent the views of those critical of the Covenant.
"In the history of General Synod, we know of no instance where such an important matter (designated as Article 8) has been referred to diocesan synods without the case for both sides being clearly set out," according to Jonathan Clatworthy, General Secretary of Modern Church and a member of the No Anglican Covenant Coalition. "Both sides were represented regarding the most recent plans for unity with the Methodists. That was the case at every stage of the debate over the ordination of women as priests, and now, as bishops. The material concerning the Covenant falls far short of the ideals of justice, of the Anglican tradition. Even in the House of Commons, all sides of an issue are allowed to be heard."

The No Anglican Covenant Coalition website, noanglicancovenant.org, provides a wealth of resources for those seeking to understand the proposed Anglican Covenant. Material specifically designed for use by Church of England dioceses is also available from the Modern Church Web site at modernchurch.org.uk/resources/mc/cofe.

"Diocesan synods in the Church of England deserve to hear all sides of the debate," said Dr Fellows. "We are not afraid of an open, fair, and honest debate. If the supporters of the Covenant had a stronger case, perhaps they wouldn’t be either."

Equality California Issues Statement on Federal Prop. 8 Challenge

San Francisco – Today the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) filed a motion asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift the stay on U.S. District Court Judge Walker’s ruling in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case, which would enable same-sex couples to marry. AFER is also requesting that the California Supreme Court issue a ruling by the court’s summer break regarding whether ProtectMarriage.com has legal standing to appeal Walker’s decision to strike down Prop. 8.

In response, Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors issued the following statement:

“Equality California strongly supports AFER’s position, as every day the courts delay same-sex couples and their families face immense harm and uncertainty. Every day the courts delay, LGBT youth grow up in a state that says they are unequal and prohibits them from realizing their hopes and dreams. The Attorney General, the Governor and the Federal District Court have unequivocally said it is time to end the discrimination. Full equality for LGBT people and our families is long overdue.”

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocacy organization in California. Over the past decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Equality California has passed more than 70 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org

Virginia, Pittsburgh dioceses announce movement on property disputes

By Mary Frances Schjonberg, February 22, 2011
[Episcopal News Service] Two Episcopal Church dioceses, Virginia and Pittsburgh, continue to make progress in settling disputes over property.

The Diocese of Virginia announced a settlement with Church of Our Saviour, Oatlands, following a Feb. 20 congregational vote in favor of the move. Our Saviour is one of nine congregations in which the majority of members and leaders left the Episcopal Church in 2006 and then sought to retain Episcopal church property.

According to the announcement the congregation will discontinue its efforts to keep the Oatlands church and immediately conclude all litigation regarding it. Our Saviour will lease the Oatlands church from the diocese for up to five years, and retain the parish funds it has on hand. It will use "a significant portion of those funds" for maintenance and much-needed repairs of the Oatlands church, the announcement said. The congregation will also retain several memorial items.

Church of Our Saviour will also "voluntarily disaffiliate" from any connection to the Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America (CANA), the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). In addition, Our Saviour has agreed that no bishop will visit the congregation without the permission of Virginia Bishop Shannon S. Johnston, the announcement said.

"It is truly heartening for us to come to an agreement," Johnston said in the announcement. "This settlement ensures that the legacy entrusted to the Episcopal Church continues, while providing a clear way forward for the Oatlands congregation."

Johnston added that the diocese is "grateful to the leadership of the Church of Our Saviour for engaging in these good-faith negotiations. It is my hope that other congregations in this litigation will consider the benefits of a similar approach."

Our Saviour's members were among those of 11 congregations of the Virginia diocese who broke away from the diocese and the Episcopal Church. In September 2008 the diocese and the Episcopal Church reached a legal settlement with two of the congregations, Potomac Falls Church in Potomac Falls and Christ the Redeemer Church in Chantilly, neither of which held any real property.

In litigation over church property, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in June 2010 in favor of the diocese and the Episcopal Church, holding that although the disagreements had caused "a division" within the Episcopal Church and the diocese, the breakaway congregations had affiliated with a church that was not a branch of either the Episcopal Church or the diocese. Such an affiliation is required, the court said, for Virginia's one-of-a-kind "Division Statute" (Section 57-9(A)) to apply.

The court sent the case back to the Fairfax Circuit Court, where a trial on property issues for the remaining Episcopal church properties is scheduled to begin on April 25.

More information about the cases, including the Supreme Court filings, is available here.

And in Pittsburgh, the diocese issued property-dispute settlement guidelines Feb. 17. Bishop Kenneth Pricewrote to 41 congregations in which the majority of members and leaders have not been active in the diocese since October 2008 inviting them to begin conversations aimed at reaching negotiated settlements similar to those recently announced with the Somerset Anglican Fellowship and with St. Philip's Church in Moon Township.

Price's letter "also pointed to consequences" of becoming a "transitional parish" if they have not financially contributed to the diocese for more than two years, a diocesan announcement said. The consequences include the fact that diocesan canons say that "the title of all property held by or for the use of that parish shall be vested in the Board of Trustees for the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh."

Price said that "under the most favorable interpretation of our diocesan canons," the congregations would have until March 13 to resume their participation and payment of assessments.

Both the letter and an accompanying "pastoral direction" state that while a reconciliation and return are hoped for, where that is not be possible, an amicable resolution of differences can be achieved. The pastoral direction includes an 8-point overview of what would be involved in those conversations.

The announcement said that negotiations would be based on an acknowledgement of Episcopal Church canons concerning property, the value of all parish property and assets would be taken into account and that discussions had to take place on a parish-by-parish basis.

During the negotiations, the diocese will determine how best to minister to any members of the congregation who wish to remain Episcopalian and is committed to allocating financial and personnel resources to address those needs, the announcement said.

Both the diocese and the parish would seek any needed court approvals of any negotiated settlement, according to the pastoral direction.

In the Somerset agreement, the congregation is to return property to the diocese and can affiliate with any religious body of its choosing. St. Philip's will become an independent congregation, retain its property and make payments to the diocese, but agreed to no longer be affiliated with the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh or any similar group outside the Episcopal Church for a minimum of five years. Both parishes agreed to not support any litigation against the diocese.

-- The Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg is national correspondent for the Episcopal News Service.

CANADA: Ottawa churches settle dispute

{Anglican Journal] A three-year dispute between the Diocese of Ottawa and two historic churches that left the Anglican Church of Canada over the blessing of same-sex unions has ended. A negotiated settlement will divide assets between the two parties.

In 2008, the parishes of St. Alban the Martyr and St. George's voted to join the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC), saying the Anglican Church of Canada "no longer adhered to the clear teaching of Scripture."

As part of the agreement, the diocese will disestablish the parish of St. George's and sell the property to ANiC. Once the sale is completed by March 1, the property will be renamed St. Peter & St. Paul's Anglican Church.

At St. Alban's, ANiC clergy will leave the parish by July 1, "with the understanding that members of the congregation are welcome to stay and become part of a renewed parish" with the diocese. The ANiC congregation at St. Alban's has chosen the new name, Church of the Messiah, and plans to begin meeting in the Ottawa Little Theatre building.

The settlement also includes "a further undisclosed division of assets" between the parishes and the diocese, said ANiC in a statement.

The agreement, approved Jan. 16 by diocesan council and the congregations of St. Alban's and St. George's in downtown Ottawa, is the first of its kind in the Anglican Church of Canada.

"We worked together in good faith, mindful that the people of God deserve nothing less," said a statement by Bishop John Chapman of the Diocese of Ottawa. "We now look forward to renewing our ministry at St. Alban's and investing the money received from the sale of St. George's in new ministry elsewhere in the diocese."

The Rev. George Sinclair, rector of St. Alban's, said, "We are looking forward to not having to deal with this issue any longer. We see ourselves as giving up the building for the cause of Christ."

The Rev. David Crawley, rector of St. George's, said, "While each party had to compromise, we are grateful to have reached an agreed-upon division of assets in order to avoid the further cost and acrimony of litigation."

Established in 1865, St. Alban's is the second oldest Anglican parish in Ottawa, and has had among its distinguished parishioners, Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and his wife, Lady Macdonald.

Between 1976 and 2000, St. Alban's also was home to Centre 454–Anglican Social Services, a drop-in for homeless people. The plan is for the centre, currently in leased quarters, to return to St. Alban's.

St. George's parish began in 1885, and among its early parishioners was Sir Charles Tupper, who later became the sixth prime minister of Canada.

The congregations of St. Alban's and St. George's voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada months after the synod of the Diocese of Ottawa approved a motion requesting its bishop to allow clergy "whose conscience permits, to bless duly solemnized and registered civil marriages between same-sex couples" and to authorize rites for such blessings.

In 2009, Chapman announced that he had given permission to one church, St. John the Evangelist, "to begin offering a rite of blessing to those same-sex couples civilly married where at least one part is baptized."

-- Marites Sison is staff writer of the Anglican Journal.

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori elected to Anglican Communion Primates Standing Committee

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected for a three year term to the Anglican Communion Primates' Standing Committee.

The election was held among the Primates of the Anglican Communion during the group’s recent meeting in Dublin, Ireland.

“I am grateful to my colleagues in the Americas for their confidence, and look forward to working with partners around the Communion as we seek to heal a broken and hurting world,” Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori said. “I have every hope that the primates can be models and leaders of that work, as variously-gifted members of the Body of Christ.”

Elected to the Primates' Standing Committee were:

Africa

Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak (Sudan) - alternate Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi (Burundi)

Central, North, South Americas and the Caribbean

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori (The Episcopal Church) - alternate Archbishop John Holder (West Indies)

Europe

Archbishop David Chillingworth (Scotland) - alternate Archbishop Alan Harper (Ireland)

Middle East and West Asia

Bishop Samuel Azariah (Pakistan) - alternate Bishop Paul Sarker (Bangladesh)

South East Asia and Oceania

Archbishop Paul Kwong (Hong Kong) - alternate Archbishop Winston Halapua (Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia)

The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to conduct church-wide consultation

March 18, 19 in Atlanta, Georgia

The Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) will conduct a two-day consultation on March 18 and 19 on the 2009 General Convention Resolution C056 to collect and develop theological and liturgical resources for same-gender blessings.

Participating will be nearly 200 clergy and lay deputies from almost 100 dioceses of the Episcopal Church.

“This consultation is designed to report on work that is underway and invite responses, with an opportunity for dioceses from throughout the Church to participate,” explained the Rev. Ruth Meyers, Ph.D., SCLM Chair. “This is an important step in our process, as mandated in Resolution C056.”

The event will be held at the Atlanta Hilton Airport (Diocese of Atlanta).

Media are invited to all plenary sessions; small group or private sessions are closed to the media. There will be a media conference with phone accessibility on Saturday, March 19 from 2 pm to 2:30 pm. Expected to participate are Meyers, House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson, and Bishop of Vermont Thomas Ely, a SCLM member.

The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Must See TV About David Kato From Rachel Maddow

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New Hospice Foundation of America Program Focuses on Aging and End-of-Life Challenges in the LGBT Community

The Hospice Foundation of America today released "Aging and End-of-Life Challenges in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community," a free online webinar, written by Kimberly Acquaviva, PhD, MSW, that can help organizations better serve older LGBT adults and their loved ones who are coping with progressive illness, loss and grief.

"Aging and death don't discriminate. This webinar examines obstacles faced by individuals who are aging or living with advanced illness and addresses how hospice providers and other healthcare organizations can better serve the LGBT population. We are pleased to include this important webinar in our online resource library."

In addition to the program, additional resources and Fact Sheets can be downloaded for sharing with staff, students, and community members at no charge. Free Continuing Education credits are available for a wide range of professionals.

This program is part of HFA's Hospice Information Center, an extensive online library that also includes programs such as Understanding Hospice, Family Caregiving, Understanding Grief, and Coping with Cancer at the End of Life. The programming provides hospices and other community organizations the opportunity to educate staff and volunteers about the basics of hospice care, caregiving, and grief, and links are provided to guide viewers to more information on a variety of subjects. Other resources are available for consumers, to help family and friends learn about hospice and how it can help people cope with some of life's most challenging situations, in a format that is accessible and understandable. Resources are also available in Spanish and Chinese.

Hospice Foundation of America (www.hospicefoundation.org) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help those who cope personally or professionally with terminal illness, death, and the process of grief and bereavement. This project is provided through the support of a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support hospice and end-of-life care outreach and education. CMS funds of $571,000 with HFA in-kind services of $5,710 are funding a variety of outreach and educational programs, including this project.

Mixed Messages from ABofC Dangerous for LGBT in Uganda

Words Matter

by

Louise Brooks

Integrity USA

Board Member & Director of Communications

In his press conference yesterday in Dublin, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, condemned the actions of the Ugandan rag "Rolling Stone" (not to be confused with the US magazine) for calling for the hanging of "homos". He pointed out that words matter ..... when uttered by what he called "this rotten, disgraceful Ugandan publication" and they have serious consequences. Responsibility needs to be taken, he said.

The same goes for the Archbishop. Words matter. In the same press conference he defended Ugandan Archbishop Henry Orambi's anti-gay stance. The Irish Times put it this way: "Defending Bishop Orombi, Archbishop Williams, head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, emphasised that, as with other relevant Anglican primates, Bishop Orombi’s position concerned “exclusion from ministry on grounds of behaviour, not orientation”.

Those words uttered by the Archbishop, supporting the institutionalized homophobia in the Church of Uganda, matter. They send a dangerous mixed message that does nothing but perpetuate an atmosphere of fear and discrimination. An atmosphere that could lead to violence and death. He needs to take responsibility for muddy-ing the waters.

Here is the Church of Uganda's position on homosexuality:

From a plain reading of Scripture, from a careful reading of Scripture, and from a critical reading of Scripture, homosexual practice has no place in God’s design of creation, the continuation of the human race through procreation, or His plan of redemption. Even natural law reveals that the very act of sexual intercourse is an experience of embracing the sexual “other”. The Church of Uganda, therefore, believes that “Homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture” (Resolution 1.10, 1998 Lambeth Conference). At the same time, the Church of Uganda is committed at all levels to offer counseling, healing and prayer for people with homosexual disorientation, especially in our schools and other institutions of learning. The Church is a safe place for individuals, who are confused about their sexuality or struggling with sexual brokenness, to seek help and healing.

The Archbishop supports Orambi's exclusion of homosexuals. How does excluding people for who they are even pretend to be Christian?

Word matter. Our words matter as well. We need to continue to urge the Archbishop of Canterbury and all faith leaders to step up and speak out against homophobia. We need to ask the Archbishop to stop speaking out of both sides of his mouth. He needs to hear words that say: Supporting those who support homophobia is no different than supporting homophobia yourself.

Yesterday the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts-Schori, called upon us all to "heal the world". A giant step toward healing is ending homophobia. A good start would be for the Archbishop of Canterbury to recognize his words matter. No more mixed messages. Please!!!!!!


Louise Brooks is a Media & Messaging Consultant.

U.S. Religious Leaders Urge National Prayer Breakfast to Pray for Slain Gay Rights Activist

David Kato Honored as 'Fallen Hero' for Fighting Uganda's Anti-Gay Death Penalty Bill

Key religious leaders are calling for ‘A Prayer for David Kato' on February 3rd, the first day of the National Prayer Breakfast, to honor the Ugandan gay rights activist who was killed last week, amidst a storm of anti-gay sentiment in his country. Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson and Auburn Theological Seminary are spearheading this national call for prayer and remembrance.

Mr. Kato was one of the few openly gay Ugandans willing to speak out against the anti-gay fervor spawned by a bill that proposes life sentences and even the death penalty in some cases for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Members of “The Family,” the private group that organizes the influential National Prayer Breakfast, were widely reported as having inspired this legislation last year.

"Coming off of the brutal murder of David Kato, and with this death penalty legislation potentially heading for a vote, it is vital now more than ever that the organizers of the National Prayer Breakfast join us in ending this hatred and violence," said Bishop Robinson. "As an act of good faith, we urge that at the National Prayer Breakfast this Thursday, they lead a prayer of compassion and concern for the family, friends and colleagues of David Kato, and pray for their protection from further harm."

Bishop Robinson and a coalition of religious leaders organized the American Prayer Hour as an alternative to the National Prayer Breakfast last year, and asked President Obama to use his appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast to denounce the anti-gay legislation in Uganda. He did, calling the legislation "odious"; and this past week the President released a statement about David Kato's recent murder: "David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate... The United States mourns his murder, and we recommit ourselves to David’s work."

Building on Mr. Kato’s work for LGBT people and others, Auburn Seminary in collaboration with the organizers of last year’s American Prayer Hour, are gathering faith leaders committed to justice nationwide to come together across region, religion, demographic and issue, to embody the majority and stand with all those whom religious extremists have shunned or persecuted, such as Muslim-Americans, immigrants and LGBT people.

"Many participants of the National Prayer Breakfast recognize that prejudice and violence against any group of persons goes against all of our faiths," said The Reverend John Vaughn, Executive Vice President of Auburn Theological Seminary. "However, the Breakfast’s organizers have embarked on a path that has led to dangerous situations in places like Uganda. We implore them to change course and they can begin with a prayer in memory of David Kato.”

In Memory of David Kato

Delivered at the

Love Alive International

Sunday Memorial Service, January 30, 2011, 4 PM

--meeting in the sanctuary of All Souls Church, 1157 Lexington Ave., New York, NY--

by Rev. Stephen Parelli

Executive Director

Other Sheep

Early Thursday morning a human rights activist, with whom I had been corresponding by email, phoned me from Uganda to tell me what I had just read in an email from Rev. Michael Kimindu of Kenya: David Kato had been brutally murdered. "You know," the Ugandan activist told me over the phone, "David took pride in saying that it was he who brought Other Sheep to Uganda." Other Sheep is the worldwide ministry I work with to "connect people with people and people with resources" around the needs and concerns of LGBT people of faith in order to empower one another, and for the purpose of working together for the full inclusion of sexual minorities within their respective faiths. Steve Parelli delivering "In Memory of David Kato" January 30, 2011 All Souls Church sanctuary, New York, NY It was true. It was David Kato who introduced Other Sheep to Uganda. In 2007 my husband and I were in Nairobi with the ministry of Other Sheep. Our plans had called for staying in Kenya, but a Kenyan clergyman with a mainline denomination, who was a closeted LGBT activist, was informing us that there was a David Kato, the Secretary of Integrity Uganda, who was urging us to come to Uganda. It was like the "Macedonian call" from the book of Acts: "Come over and help us." We decided to use our last days in Kenya to make a short five-day visit to Uganda. Traveling by car and then by bus, we arrived in Kampala on Friday, August 17, 2007, between noon and one, and met David according to plans. For three days we were closely tied to David. He took the first afternoon to help us settle in, to find an ATM machine, and, over pizza, to brief us on the previous day's press release given by Victor Mukasa, leader of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), and others. He proudly showed us the published news articles with photos of LGBT people with their faces covered. David further assisted us by sharing his residence with a Rwandan we met through the Internet in Rwanda who came to Kampala to meet us. On the following day, from noon to five o'clock, David and three others - Larry of Nairobi, our friend from Rwanda, and a Pentecostal gay man from Kampala who had heard about Other Sheep through the Rwanda contact - spent these five hours together with Jose and me at an Ethiopian Restaurant, eating and drinking and talking activism and just getting to know each other. It was wonderful. At the end of the day, Jose and I invited the party of four - which included David - to come with us to our two bedroom Red Chile Hideaway cottage to spend the night and the following day with us. They did, and it was pure joy to be with other LGBT people of faith, - one from Kenya, one from Rwanda, and two from Uganda - all together. That evening, David initiated putting me through on a phone call to the pro-LGBT Anglican Bishop, Christopher Ssenyonjo, and the Bishop and I spoke briefly by phone. Later that year, a book published in Uganda featured an article written by the Bishop in which he mentioned "other sheep" and the book that Other Sheep distributes, The Children Are Free. We had only been in Uganda a mere 24 hours and David was hosting a friend of ours from Rwanda, settling us in, briefing us on the recent activities of SMUG's press release, socially engaging us and others, and connecting us with Bishop Ssenyonjo. In all of this, it was easy to observe that David was intense, a serious leader, active and aggressive, thinking ahead to the next step, as well as interactive socially, a team player, and part of the group. He was an initiator in investigating new possibilities, new materials, new resources. That's how we experienced him. Red Chili Hideaway, Kampala, Uganda. The cottage where the unpublished editorial was written. August 19, 2007. But there's more. It was on the following day (all of us up from a good night's sleep - and yes, we did sleep -although some did talk late into the night) that David spoke to me about his wanting to write an editorial. He wanted to see if he could publish something in a paper in Kampala. He wanted to address the religious resistance already raising its ugly head in their collective effort. Remember, this was 2007. David was serious about this task and wanted my help. While the others in our group were somewhere about the Red Chile Hideaway compound, David and I sat ourselves at the cottage dining room table and applied ourselves to the task he insisted we do. At my laptop, I opened a document I had created while in Nairobi some days earlier. Observing firsthand the anti-gay sentiment coming from the religious community in Nairobi, I had written my thoughts on toleration, the liberty of conscience, and the imperative that government and the church has no God-given prerogative to molest people because of their religious beliefs and practices - including the religious views and practices of sexual minorities. Of course, writing an essay like this was very therapeutic for a Baptist like me. David Kato working on the wording of the unpublished editorial. Red Chili Hideaway, Kampala, Uganda August 19, 2007. Photo by Steve Parelli David was immediately drawn into the essay. He took it in like a sponge. Of course, the ideas expressed therein were not at all foreign to him. He was, after all, a human rights defender and he very aptly pointed out where the addition of a certain phrase or wording would serve to improve the writing. And it did. So, together we customized the article according to his comments and suggestions. Even with David's experience as a human rights defender, however, he found something in the writing that connected with him in a new way. He said to me, "How can I learn more about this." The idea that two individuals could totally disagree on religious matters and be solely accountable to God without having to answer to either the government or to the church, but rather their right to believe differently would be protected by the civil government, this was, I could see, a powerful concept for David. Something we take for granted in the West, but something about which David said, "How can I learn more." The first paragraph of the editorial which we fashioned together, read thusly: "Certain views from different religious leaders against the fundamental rights of homosexuals have been brought up in reaction to the LGBTI press release of Friday, August 17, 2007. A spokesperson of Integrity Uganda, a faith based Christian organization that maintains that the Bible does not condemn same-sex relationships, says the question of gay rights in Uganda is a fundamental human rights question and not a theological question." And, of course, the editorial went on to argue for and develop the main idea that "the question of gay rights in Uganda is a fundamental human rights question and not a theological question." David Kato discussing the unpublished editorial. Red Chili Hideaway. August 20, 2010, Kampala, Uganda. Photo by Steve Parelli David said the editorial needed to quote some religious leaders in Africa. He said he wanted to ask Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo of Uganda, and Rev. Michael Kimindu of Kenya to each provide a statement to be written into the editorial. He saw the need for African religious voices to be joined and raised together in defense of the liberty of conscience. It was a remarkable afternoon with David and I will never forget it. It stands as one of the highlights of my experiences with Other Sheep in my travels worldwide - interacting with David that afternoon. David Kato at SMUG meeting, August 20, 2007, to which Steve and Jose were invited to speak. On the following day, while Jose and I were in town, we got a call from David over our cell phone to come immediately to the SMUG headquarters to advise them on how they might be able to answer the media with regards to questions on Christianity and homosexuality. We spoke with five - including David - eager-to-know (all taking notes) SMUG members on how to respond to the Pentecostal community which was presently staging public protests against homosexuals. We gave them a two-track strategy. And again, all because of David's interest in, and desire to connect the ministry of Other Sheep with SMUG. Jose Ortiz, left, with David Kato, eating "chicken on a stick." August 20, 2007, Kampala, Uganda Following that impromptu meeting with SMUG, Larry of Nairobi and David walked Jose and me back to a main part of town where we could get transportation. It was a bit of a walk. We chatted and talked, walking two by two, Jose with Larry, me with David. Larry and Jose were laughing some, happy, I recall, but David was still his serious self. I insisted we stop and eat "chicken on a stick" cooked over an open fire that one purchases on the street sidewalk. Jose was reluctant, but I begged him and won. It was at a busy intersection with people walking all about. So, together we got some chicken. And I have a picture of David with his arm around Jose, both of them eating their chicken on a stick and David smiling a huge smile. I caught it on camera. You didn't see David smile much. He was a serious person; always looking as if the battle for freedom was constantly at hand. Anyway, that's how he was with us these three days. But now, the four of us standing around a vender's "chicken on a stick", as if the battle was won, though perhaps not the war, David was smiling, he was happy, he was throwing his arm around Jose. As if the last few days of the intensity of the battle, in which he was in, was over for a moment, and the battle was won. In heavy traffic he would take our hand or wrist; if he wanted us to move along fast he took our hand or wrist and led us, dragged us, and once I remember, just to show his affection , he took our hand just to take our hand - a common enough expression in many-a-lands around the world. A natural enough expression that says, "We are friends." But I wish to return to the editorial David insisted we create. It was never published in a Kampala newspaper. But, of course, I did publish it on the Other Sheep website, leaving the original form that indicates where David said statements from Tutu, Ssenyonjo, and Kimindu should be inserted. Leaving the title just as he wrote it, and leaving the heading that says: "News Release/ For Immediate Release/ Contact Person: David" [with mobile number and email address stated]. "For Immediate Release/ Contact Person: David." I would like to read a short segment of the editorial David and I customized together that Ugandan afternoon at the Red Chile Hideaway cottage. It reads: "It must be said again and again in any society where religious teachings on homosexuality dominate, that the view of the religious majority is not to be legislated onto the views and practices of the sexual minority. As long as a gay man or woman does not infringe upon the rights of other individuals, the homosexual (who is often Christian) has the same right as his [or her] heterosexual counterpart, to interpret the Bible according to his or her understanding and to answer only before God (and not to the government or to the church)." And the writing was headed: "For Immediate Release/ Contact Person: David" It says David, just David. David who? David Kato, born around 1968, died January 26, 2011, considered by many to be a father of Uganda's gay rights movement. This week, The New York Times reported that David "was a high school teacher who had graduated from some of Uganda's best schools. He moved to South Africa in the mid-1990s, where he came out." The Times article also said, "A few years ago, David organized what he claimed was Uganda's first gay rights news conference in Kampala, the capital, and said he was punched in the face and cracked in the nose by police officers soon afterward." Upon hearing of David's death, Jose, my husband, wrote: "David was a determined, committed and diligent servant for the cause of equality for God's LGBT children in Uganda. He was one of God's shining lights for justice. The embers of his fire will revive into a roaring blaze in all of us who remain to stand against the darkness of bigotry rooted in ignorance and arrogant religious fervor." David Kato following meeting of SMUG and Other Sheep. August 20, 2007. Kampala, Uganda. Photo by Steve Parelli David, we love you, we will miss you, we will never forget you. Thank you for your activism, for the life you lived and gave on our behalf. As Jesus said, and did: "No greater love is there than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends." We will always see you as smiling David, like you were with Larry and Jose and me that afternoon after your intense three days - and more - of activism. Our figures stood golden by the rays of a sun beginning to close out the day. The vender and others cast glances our way. Who were we, the four, the laughing and smiling, eating our chicken as if it were a heavenly banquet prepared just for us? We were and are the victors, those who live for justice for all. We were smiling then, we are smiling now, thanks to Jesus who gives us the victory in loving our neighbor as ourselves. You were then, you are now, the victor. Oh, and David, I hear the voices all across Africa. They are joining in with Desmond Tutu, Bishop Ssenyonjo and Rev. Kimindu - these whom you wanted to submit a statement to your editorial. The voices are coming, David. Africa is rising up. We know. We hear it. Because we see it through your persistent, patient, prophetic eyes. For now, David, good night. The day is over. The huge golden, African sun is setting. We will join you in the morning and it will be a new day then for all.

In the photo below: Host pastor and featured speakers of the Love in Action Memorial Service for David Kato Sunday Service, January 30, 2011, 4 PM --meeting in the sanctuary of All Souls Church, 1157 Lexington Ave., New York, NY-- Left to Right: Rev. Joseph Tolton, Rev. Steve Parelli, Rev. Stacey Latimer - host pastor, and Perry Brass For additional photos of the memorial service, click here.

Other Sheep is an ecumenical, Christian ministry that works worldwide for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions. " . . . connecting people with people and people with resources . . . "

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family

More Comments from the Archbishop Of Canterbury on Kato

At a news conference at the end of the six day Primates meeting in Dublin, Ireland, the Archbishop of Canterbury made the following statement when asked about David Kato's murder in Uganda.....

"I think that this murder illustrates that words have results. You can't go around sharing information about the identity of supposed lesbian and gay people to ostracize or worse, hang them, as was in one of the headlines of a Ugandan newspaper.......you can't do that without taking responsibility for the consequences."

See his comment on Video here.

Last Friday the Archbishop released this statement.....

"The brutal murder of David Kato Kisule, a gay human rights activist, is profoundly shocking. Our prayers and deep sympathy go out for his family and friends - and for all who live in fear for their lives. Whatever the precise circumstances of his death, which have yet to be determined, we know that David Kato Kisule lived under the threat of violence and death. No one should have to live in such fear because of the bigotry of others. Such violence has been consistently condemned by the Anglican Communion worldwide. This event also makes it all the more urgent for the British Government to secure the safety of LGBT asylum seekers in the UK. This is a moment to take very serious stock and to address those attitudes of mind which endanger the lives of men and women belonging to sexual minorities."

Integrity USA and Oasis Claifornia applauds the Archbishop of Canterbury for speaking out and condemning the violence and rhetoric against LGBT persons. We urge him and all the Primates to continue to work against the forces of homophobia throughout the Anglican Communion and the world.

Primates outline their roles, commit to 'journeying together in honest conversation'

Letters, statements address pressing global and domestic concerns

By Matthew Davies

[Episcopal News Service, Dublin, Ireland] A video stream of Presiding
Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori reflecting on the Primates Meeting is
available at http://bit.ly/eUaGo3.

The primates of the Anglican Communion have spent much of their Jan. 25-30 meeting in Dublin, Ireland, developing a working document that outlines the nature and responsibility of their roles as church leaders and emphasizes their commitment to working together "in faith, hope, and love … to build our communion and further the reign of God."

The primates agreed that their key responsibilities are providing a focal point for unity, addressing pressing issues of global concern and advocating for social justice.

"By God's grace we strive to express … unity in diversity which is the Spirit's work among the churches of the communion and the community of primates," the document says. "In our common life together we are passionately committed to journeying together in honest conversation."

The primates have written letters addressing several global and domestic issues, such as gender-based violence, the crisis in Zimbabwe, Christian persecution in Pakistan, instability in Egypt, and national division in Korea.

A letter to the Israeli prime minister underscores the primates' concern that the resident permit of Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani has been suspended, making it impossible for him to leave the country. Another letter offers prayers and solidarity to Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul and the Episcopal Church of Sudan in light of the country's recent referendum on independence.

In three separate statements, the primates spoke out on climate change, the ongoing crisis in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating January 2010 earthquake, and deplored the murder of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato, who was bludgeoned to death in his home community on Jan. 26. In the latter statement, the primates reaffirmed that the Anglican Communion condemns violence against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who represents the Episcopal Church at Primates Meetings, said: "It's been a wonderful meeting, filled with grace, challenging conversations, but a clear sense that everyone is working together."

"The first priority has been to build a working community of primates, to build relationships," she told ENS following the meeting, adding that she is grateful for the prayers of Episcopalians and Anglicans around the communion. "Your prayers have borne fruit in this place," she said.

- - - - -


Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_126780_ENG_HTM.htm

In Dublin sermon, presiding bishop challenges all to 'show up' to heal the world

By Matthew Davies

[Episcopal News Service, Dublin, Ireland] "We're challenged in this very body to 'show up,' to present ourselves ready, willing, and able to help heal this broken world," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said on Jan. 30 during her sermon at the 9 a.m. Sung Eucharist service at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland.

Highlighting sobering statistics of child mortality rates in some parts of the world – like Angola, where nearly 20 percent of children die before their first birthday – Jefferts Schori said the healing of the world "needs the participation and leadership of all parts of the body of Christ. It starts with urgent voices, and changed hearts, our own conversion, and our challenge to systems that perpetuate all kinds of sickness and death around the world."

Jefferts Schori noted the brutal murder of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato, who was bludgeoned to death in his home community on Jan. 26.

Kato "has been a strong voice for the basic human rights of gay and lesbian people," Jefferts Schori said. "His voice has been silenced. We can pray that others will continue that work, or be challenged by the brutality of his death into some conversion of heart. Will we challenge the world to respect the dignity of every single human being?"

Jefferts Schori is attending the Jan. 25-30 meeting of Anglican primates at the Emmaus Retreat Centre near Dublin. Seven primates have chosen to stay away from the meeting because of Jefferts Schori's presence and recent developments supporting the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the Episcopal Church.

Ugandan Anglican Archbishop Henry Orombi has repeatedly said that homosexuality is incompatible with Scripture. Orombi has yet to comment publicly on Kato's death.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_126778_ENG_HTM.htm

The Bishops of the Diocese of New York Respond to the Murder of David Kat

Like many around the world, we are horrified to learn of the vicious murder of Ugandan LGBT rights activist David Kato in Mukono, Kampala. Though the circumstances of Mr.Kato's death are still under investigation, we know that he, along with other activists in Uganda have lived under the threat of violence and imprisonment in recent times. Mr.Kato, who was the advocacy officer for Sexual Minorities Uganda, as well as Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo and many others, was targeted last fall in a Ugandan magazine. All LGBT persons along with their advocates are at risk due to the general hostility toward them in Uganda and, in particular, due to pending legislation which would call for imprisonment or even death.

We call upon all people of good will, and especially the people of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and our sister and brother Anglicans around the world, to stand in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, and to resist language, laws and actions which marginalize and even criminalize their relationships. Further, given the current hostile climate in Uganda, we call upon the Anglican church of Uganda to speak up for human rights for all God's children. Further, we call upon the United States government to grant asylum to LGBT persons from Uganda and other nations where the threat of violence is great.
We pray for the repose of the soul of David Kato, for his family and friends as they mourn, and for the LGBT community in Uganda and their allies as they struggle for an end to the fear and violence, which threaten them every day.

+Mark
The Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk
Bishop of New York

+Catherine
The Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam
Bishop Suffragan of New York

+Andrew
The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith
Assistant Bishop of New York

The Chicago Consultation asks other Anglican primates to join with the Archbishop of Canterbury to condemn anti LGBT violence

CHICAGO, IL, January 28, 2011--The Chicago Consultation issued this statement today from its co-convener, the Rev. Lowell Grisham:

"The Chicago Consultation applauds the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, for his statements condemning the murder of Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato. We hope the archbishop's statement signals a willingness to speak out against the persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people more directly and forcefully than he has in the past.

"It is essential that the other primates of the Anglican Communion join Dr. Williams and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church, in condemning the cultivation of hatred and violence against LGBT people. The primates who boycotted the current meeting in Dublin over theological differences with gay-friendly churches have a particular responsibility to affirm the dignity of every human being, and the right of LGBT people to live without fear of violence, degradation or criminal prosecution. We would welcome similar clarity from the Anglican Church in North America, which maintains close relationships with these primates.

"Heartened as we were by the archbishop's statement, we believe that he is speaking aspirationally when he claims that the worldwide Anglican Communion has condemned violence against LGBT people. Occasional references to the dignity of gays and lesbians in voluminous communiqués cannot mask the fact that a number of Anglican provinces have been active or complicit in encouraging state-sponsored persecution of gays and lesbians, including the notorious anti-gay legislation still under consideration by the Ugandan parliament.

"Dr. Williams' advocacy would be more credible were his handling of LGBT issues within the Anglican Communion more evenhanded. He has made it clear that the Episcopal Church may face consequences for consecrating gay and lesbian bishops. Yet primates such as Archbishop Henry Orombi in Kato's own country of Uganda support laws that would imprison same-sex couples for simple acts of physical affection, but risk no such reprisals. The tortured ecclesiological rationale offered for this double standard makes little sense outside the cocoon of Communion bureaucracy, and it compromises the archbishop's ability to be the forceful and effective advocate for human rights that this statement indicates he wants to be."

The Chicago Consultation, a group of Episcopal and Anglican bishops, clergy and lay people, supports the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians in the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion. To learn more about the Chicago Consultation, visit www.chicagoconsultation.org.