by Rev. Todd Freeman

Reflection on the WOW 2000 Conference
August 13, 2000
Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas.

Matthew 27:57-28:2
Psalm 18:1-3, 31-32, 46
1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Biblical authors used many different images to help explain their understanding of God, Christ, and the church. It doesn't take a  geologist to recognize the image and theme of rocks and stones in  all three of today's Scripture lessons. Solid rock, what does it do? It provides a sturdy foundation. It is a place of security, protection and stability.

The Old Testament Hebrew psalmist makes a familiar reference to God as being like a rock. The New Testament Apostle Paul refers to Christ as a rock as well. By association, then, we are to look to God and Christ to provide a sturdy foundation for our lives, to be a place of security, protection and stability.

Rocks and stones play significant parts in many other stories in the Bible, like the small stone David used to defeat Goliath. But perhaps the greatest starring role for a rock or stone in the Bible is the one rolled in front of and then away from Jesus' tomb. You may be wondering, Why a Resurrection story today, four months after Easter? Because it was a Biblical text used last week at the WOW 2000 Conference in DeKalb, Illinois.

WOW, short for "Witness Our Welcome," was the historic, first-ever ecumenical gathering of representatives from the Welcoming Church Movement. Instead of having our usual annual More Light Presbyterians conference, we combined with folks from other denominations with inclusive, welcoming programs, like the United Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ, Brethren/Mennonites, American Baptists, and the United Church of Canada. There were also people in attendance from the Metropolitan Community Church, the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints, Roman Catholic, Quaker, and even a few Southern Baptists!

"Welcoming Churches," like ours, are defined as "congregations or communities that have publicly declared that they welcome persons of all sexual orientations." This congregation did that 21 years ago! There are just over 1,000 Welcoming Churches in the U.S. and Canada. Ten percent (an interesting figure!) are More Light Presbyterian churches. The 101st congregation publicly declared their inclusiveness just a few months ago.

Over one thousand participants from across the United States and several other countries attended this conference, including the Rev. Daniel Alatorre, our Parish Associate for Hispanic Ministries and myself.

We were graciously hosted by Northern Illinois University, serenely located among the corn fields about 60 miles west of Chicago. There's something poetic, and perhaps prophetic, about holding such a progressive conference in a small Midwest town.

Needless to say, the "cream of the crop" from each denomination's Welcoming Movement were selected as speakers (like our own Chris Glaser), preachers (like our Janie Spahr), and music leaders. The conference was more than just educational and fun, however. It was a profoundly spiritual event that was empowering, stimulating and challenging.  More on the challenging part in just a moment.

Of the four sermons that were preached at the conference, the one that affected me most profoundly was delivered by the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, a Native American evangelical Episcopal priest. He has served as national staff officer for Native American Ministries in the Episcopal Church, professor of theology at Luther-Northwestern Seminary and diocesan bishop of Alaska. He is currently the president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass. This summer he authored the Cambridge Accord which invites Anglican bishops worldwide to speak out against rising violence against LGBT persons.

Steven Charleston reflected on the struggle for inclusiveness in the church and how the movement has argued its case using the best of legal, political, and scientific reasoning. But he reminded the gathering that as necessary as those arguments are, the fight for equality in the church is ultimately a spiritual struggle -- it is a sacred struggle. I couldn't agree more.

The crowd applauded with great enthusiasm when he boldly declared that no longer should we tolerate the Bible being used to persecute LGBT persons.

Then he moved on to the metaphor of stone. I think many of us were a bit surprised when he focused upon the stone rolled before Jesus' tomb after his crucifixion. As he preached, it became quite clear what a powerful image it was for all of us involved in the Welcoming Church Movement.

A stone rolled before a tomb effectively seals the one inside indarkness. Darkness and fear have entombed so many of us. Being closeted in darkness keeps us from the light -- such as the light
of full participation in the church. The darkness is dehumanizing. How many of us carry the scars of entombment? How many of us who are out of the tomb find shadows always nearby.

From a spiritual aspect, it is only by faith in God and by the power of God that the stones of fear and hatred and ignorance and bigotry are rolled away. Our calling, as followers of Christ, means that we must also work to remove the stones that entomb those who persecute and oppress us. They, too, are living in darkness and fear.

During the conference it also became clear that there is a stone that needs to be removed from the Welcoming Church Movement itself -- the stone of racism, and behind it, in part, the ever-present issues of power and control. It was correctly noted that the conference looked a lot like the recent Republican National Convention. There were lots of people of color on the platform and in the pulpit, but most of the 1000 participants were white.

One African American woman was especially hurt and became quite angry by a set of events that transpired on the opening evening. We heard about it the next day. At the morning session she was allowed to express her hurt and anger in front of the entire gathering -- it was a sobering moment. Many people understood why she was upset, many others didn't have a clue, but that was all right, too.

Overcoming racism doesn't mean always saying and doing the right thing, rather it simply begins by understanding that many things we say and do are racist and hurt others. Racism, indeed, is
deeply ingrained, even among those of us who strive so hard at being inclusive.

Perhaps that's why the workshop that Daniel Alatorre and I led later that afternoon was packed. Because of our unique multicultural ministry here at Bethany Presbyterian Church, we were asked to lead a workshop that dealt with how one church (us) became multicultural and how that might act as a model for other Welcoming Churches.

We began by asking the group if they came from a congregation which was at least 95% Anglo. Everyone but 5 people raised their hands. Those from multicultural churches were located in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. They all wondered how in the world we were making it happen in Dallas, Texas!

Daniel and I shared the Bethany story, which began over two years ago when Daniel and his family first visited Bethany and proposed hooking up with our congregation in some way. It was helpful to many in that workshop that we shared the initial fears that we had, as individuals and as a congregation, and some of the fears we still have. Without a doubt, the fact that Bethany has been a Welcoming Church for over two decades plays a major role in our ability to acknowledge and face the racism within us and to work to move beyond it.

The incident with the African-American woman's negative experience at the conference provided something else very helpful to us all. It showed a model of how to face our own diversity and differences, especially when people get hurt. Instead of hiding it or trying to squelch it, it was brought out into the light for all to see. It was dealt with honestly, directly and quickly. What a wonderful model, not only for us and other Welcoming Churches, but for the entire Christian Church!

At the opening evening of the conference we were given a definition of an "inclusive community." I think it might be wise to commit it to memory and take it to heart.  "An inclusive community practices a discipline that extends its boundaries to consider another person's experience." In the process we learn more about ourselves, the other person, and the issue at hand. As a result we can choose to renegotiate our boundary.

I believe that is what we have done, and must continue to do, in making sure that the doors to this church remain wide open -- wide open to all people, regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, handicap, age, sexual orientation, or worldly condition -- just as our More Light Statement declares.

In order to accomplish this we must covenant with each other for the time it takes to listen and share, especially with new members, visitors, and our Hispanic brothers and sisters. We can do better. We must uphold respect for those in community. We must share with each other our image and experience of God without judgment. After all, affirming our differences is what gives our flame its color. And we must operate out of a sense of abundance, not scarcity. God's grace is enough -- enough to give it away to others.

There is a final item that I want to bring to your attention that I found very meaningful at the WOW 2000 Conference. From it comes the quote from which this sermon is entitled.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon held prominent leadership positions in the World Council of Churches and is a foremost proponent on ecumenism -- that's all the denominations and faith traditions working together and learning from each other. He was nominated for the position of general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1991, but was not elected, for the most part, because of aggressive opposition to his position of advocacy for LGBT concerns.

During a banquet on the closing evening of the conference he stated in a most powerful way, "The presence of gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered persons in the Church is not a problem to be solved, an issue to be dealt with, or a crisis to be handled cautiously. The Welcoming Movement is an opportunity for the church to deepen its understanding of the Gospel, an opportunity for Gospel-faithfulness, and an opportunity for the renewal of the church."

How exciting to see the role Bethany Presbyterian Church is playing in providing so many of these "opportunities" for our denomination!

As God rolls the stones away, may we all come out from what entombs us in darkness and fear, and move boldly into the light. More light! -- Amen.
 

Rev. Freeman is pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX (http://www.bethany.presbychurch.org/)