Region 3 News

Clergywomen Plan to Perform Same-Sex Weddings in Front of City Hall
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 18, 2004

A minister and a rabbi plan to officiate same-sex marriages in front of City Hall in Manhattan today, and are asking other clergy members to attend to show their support. The event is also a show of solidarity for two Unitarian Universalist ministers who face criminal charges upstate for performing same-sex weddings.

"We're calling on clergy around the state performing these kinds of ceremonies to join us in public,'' said the Rev. Pat Bumgardner, the lesbian pastor of Manhattan's Metropolitan Community Church, a worldwide Christian fellowship that welcomes gays and lesbians. "We want the same thing as is accorded heterosexual couples - and I've married some of them, too," Today, Ms. Bumgardner was to marry two couples - one male and the other female - who already pledged their commitment in religious ceremonies. The aim is to bond the couples in a civil marriage, although the legality of doing so is being challenged. The men, Bradley Curry and Mel Bryant, are in their late 30's; each runs a business managing stylists for photo sessions. The female couple are Montel Cherry-Slack, 30, a lawyer, and Michelle Cherry-Slack, also 30, an administrative assistant at Ms. Bumgardner's church on West 36th Street who plans to enter Union Theological Seminary in the fall. They had their last names legally changed to be the same and were joined in what they call a "holy union.""I feel on the one hand excited about the marriage in front of City Hall,'' said Michelle Cherry-Slack, who met her partner four years ago while both were in law school. "At the same time, it saddens me that we have to do this to get equal treatment. I'll marry Montel over and over again in order to gain legal recognition.''A third couple, two women, were to be married today by Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, founder and rabbi of the Kolot Chayeinu congregation in Brooklyn, meaning Voices of Our Lives in Hebrew.The men and women "will continue to solemnize civil marriages of same-sex couples, with or without the threat of arrest," said a statement from the New York chapter of Marriage Equality, a group fighting for same-sex civil marriage rights. Barbara Thompson, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, declined to comment on today's ceremonies.

Welcome To The Fourth Biennial MCC Conference of People of African Descent
The fourth biennial MCC Conference of People of African Descent will take place in Houston, Texas, beginning with registration, a welcoming reception, and opening worship on the evening of Thursday, April 15, 2004 -- and concluding on Saturday, April 17, with closing worship at 7:30 PM.

capegazette.com - Cape Region's Home Page
Cape Gazette - Covering Delaware's Cape Region | Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Fun and fellowship served up at The Family Room
By Andrew Keegan

The Family Room, created by Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Rehoboth, provides an environment that allows a family to connect - inexpensively. It is a place to read a book or simply enjoy a cup of coffee. Toddlers have their own area to interact while older children play board games. It is a place to foster fellowship. The Family Room, located in Midway Center, officially opened Sunday, Feb. 1. The space that houses the gathering place used to serve as a consignment shop for MCC. That business was discontinued when the ministry reexamined its goals, said Kathryn Peoples-Wallace, the ministry's coordinator. One of the disadvantages about having a business like the consignment shop is that sometimes the ministry comes last," said Peoples-Wallace. "The consignment need was being met elsewhere in the community, so we focused on what was not being met - spending quality time as a family unit without being expensive."

The meeting space is open to the entire community, not just MCC members, said Peoples-Wallace. "We are a progressive Christian fellowship," she said. "We reach out to everyone, whether you are gay or straight." The congregation has plans to expand to a new location on Plantation Road within the next two years. The Family Room serves a bottomless cup of coffee. A dollar donation is suggested. "We wanted to establish a coffee shop setting," said Peoples-Wallace, "but we didn't want to exclude anyone who doesn't have money. There will be snacks available as well as newspapers and magazines." Entertainment will also be an integral part of the coffee shop setting. Singer Melissa Cox performed at the grand opening and a play, Peril at Pumpernickel Pass performed by The Children's Theater, has been scheduled for March 6. "We don't spend enough time building relationships," said Peoples-Wallace. "This is a place where a family doesn't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy each other's company away from home." The Family Room, at 21 Midway Center, is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. For further information call 645-4945.

MCC Fredericksburg Moves Forward
On Sunday, March 14th, MCC Fredericksburg made the huge step of moving from Parish Extension to Full Status MCC. With over 70% of our membership in attendance (and many friends), MCCF voted unanimously to accept our own local bylaws. Additionally, the congregation unanimously called Rev. Stephanie Burns to serve as Senior Pastor (and she said yes on the spot!) and we elected our first Board of Directors. This was a huge moment in the still young life of our congregation. It was just six months ago that we began worshipping each Sunday - and in that time our membership has grown from 22 to 33. We have been blessed by the many people and communities outside of MCCF that have helped us to grow to this point.

Region 3 Conference - Now is the time to make your hotel reservations!
Hotel reservations for our July 8 - 11, Region 3 conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico need to be made no later than June 10. However, you don't want the number of rooms available to run out. So make your reservations as early as you can. Also, register for conference now. This will help us better plan so it can be a wonderful experience for all. We originally thought that we might not have as many people at this conference because of the distance for many of our churches. It appears that we are going to have a much better than expected turn out. This is why we are urging you to reserve your room without delay and register for conference. Simply go to ufmcc.com and click on Regional Conference - Region 3.

Recent Elder Travels
I recently returned from a very productive Board of Elders meeting in West Hollywood. We spent a few days working with the Board of Administration and headquarters staff to discover ways to better work together. As in any new structure we are still learning our unique roles and responsibilities and how each of our efforts supports the work of the other. We have an excellent Board of Administration and staff. And, let me also say that I am extremely impressed with our new interim executive director, Kerry Lobel.

The Board of Elders also did visioning work and moved forward on a number of items. You will be receiving more information directly from the Board of Elders very soon. We established four areas that would be our focus for the coming 11/2 years: 1. Stewardship, 2. Leadership Development, 3. Church Planting, and 4. Conflict Resolution. Our focus will help us to move towards strategic plans, regional work plans, budget issues, and collaborative working relationships with the BOE, Board of Administration and staff.

We also took action on the issue of regional boundaries. From the beginning we all knew that regional boundaries were formed based on the grassroots input of all our denomination and that after implementation there may be need for review. It was expected that such a review would happen within the first few years. The Board of Elders recognizes that due to issues of mostly of disparity in geographic responsibility, disparity in the number of churches in each region, and the budget impact that we need the Geographic Review Board (GRB) to engage in the assessment of regional boundaries. This may cause some anxiety, but we need to remember that part of the reasons for restructuring in the first place was to become an international denomination and to provide equity as much as possible to all regions. Currently some regions have 47 churches and a huge geographical area while others have a small area and 17 churches. Currently Region 3 has 25 churches and one church plant in process. The GRB process will take some time and will include input from local churches, the Board of Elders, Board of Administration and Staff. As we engage this process, please be patient and pray for the GRB and their discernment.

Update - Open Arms MCC - A true turn around church!
I recently had the opportunity to do a follow-up visit with our church in Rochester, NY. This is a true turn around church. As you know last spring they underwent a pastoral transition. Some were unsure about where the church was going and others had mixed feeling about the church in general. Later in the summer I met with them a second time and together we went through the Strategic Growth Initiative and clarified Vision, Mission, Core Values. Everyone worked hard.

After spending three days with the congregation, pastoral search team, interim pastoral leader, Rev. Jim Mulcahy, worship and led the workshop - Community, Cause, Corporation - with 26 key leaders I can tell you that this church is united in focus, in joy and the Spirit is evident. 51 people were in worship on Sunday, this is about double of what it was a year ago, almost every chair was taken and the choir was wonderful. They had a debt of over $30,000 which is almost completed taken care of. I must say that Rev. Mulcahy and the lay leadership of Open Arms MCC needs to be applauded. Great job!!

15% Assessments Continue To Build
Merciful Grace MCC, our newest church plant in NE Baltimore, has decided to begin paying the full 15% assessment to UFMCC beginning in March. Also, Open Door MCC, Boyds, Md, has decided to pay the full 15%. Thank you!!!

If your church has made this same decision and it has not been announced in the Region 3 E-Newsletter please let us know.

Elder Travel Schedule
March
1 - 8 Board of Elder Meetings
12 - 14 Open Arms MCC, Rochester, NY
17 Vision of Hope MCC - Board Training
24 Meeting with Interim Pastoral Leader of MCC Charlottesville
25 MCC Charlottesville - Congregational Forum
26 - 28 MCC Fredericksburg, VA - SGI Visioning weekend, worship
28 Merciful Grace MCC - initial visit with the new congregation

April
3 - 5 MCC of the Blue Ridge, Roanoke, VA
17 Region 3 Conference Planning Team Meeting
19 Rev. Elder Arlene & Jacquie's Ackerman's 24th anniversary
24 Imago Dei MCC, Glenn Mills, PA - Leadership Training
After traveling on weekends I generally try to take the next two days off. Mary, the office assistant is generally in on Tuesday & Thursday from 10 - 2.

Pastors - if we have not scheduled an Elder visit and your are interested please contact me. I no longer try to visit every church each year. It is not possible. However, I do try to schedule time especially when the church is going through transitions, for Strategic Growth work and to offer leadership training.

Closing Thoughts
I want to thank all of our pastors and members who have gone out of there way to speak out about marriage equity. Many of you have been on TV and in the newspaper. Some of you went to register at the county courthouse. Others are dealing with Fred Phelps, such as MCC of the Spirit, Harrisburg, PA. And, still others like Open Arms MCC in Rochester, NY are being told that they will be picketed. People like Rev. Pat Bumgardner and Rev. Karla Fleshman are taking a stand and marrying our people without benefit of a marriage license. Still others, like MCC Philadelphia have held rallies and weddings.

When we stand up in the cause of Love and Justice we may face people who believe differently. We still must speak out, pray hard, worship together, take a stand, move forward in holy boldness and as servants of Christ. Be of good cheer people of faith! God is supplying all our need. I am very proud of you!!!

Blessings!


	REGION 3 UPDATE March 23, 2004 Clergywomen Plan to Perform Same-Sex Weddings in Front of City Hall By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: March 18, 2004 A minister and a rabbi plan to officiate same-sex marriages in front of City Hall in Manhattan today, and are asking other clergy members to attend to show their support. The event is also a show of solidarity for two Unitarian Universalist ministers who face criminal charges upstate for performing same-sex weddings. "We're calling on clergy around the state performing these kinds of ceremonies to join us in public,'' said the Rev. Pat Bumgardner, the lesbian pastor of Manhattan's Metropolitan Community Church, a worldwide Christian fellowship that welcomes gays and lesbians. "We want the same thing as is accorded heterosexual couples - and I've married some of them, too," Today, Ms. Bumgardner was to marry two couples - one male and the other female - who already pledged their commitment in religious ceremonies. The aim is to bond the couples in a civil marriage, although the legality of doing so is being challenged. The men, Bradley Curry and Mel Bryant, are in their late 30's; each runs a business managing stylists for photo sessions. The female couple are Montel Cherry-Slack, 30, a lawyer, and Michelle Cherry-Slack, also 30, an administrative assistant at Ms. Bumgardner's church on West 36th Street who plans to enter Union Theological Seminary in the fall. They had their last names legally changed to be the same and were joined in what they call a "holy union.""I feel on the one hand excited about the marriage in front of City Hall,'' said Michelle Cherry-Slack, who met her partner four years ago while both were in law school. "At the same time, it saddens me that we have to do this to get equal treatment. I'll marry Montel over and over again in order to gain legal recognition.''A third couple, two women, were to be married today by Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, founder and rabbi of the Kolot Chayeinu congregation in Brooklyn, meaning Voices of Our Lives in Hebrew.The men and women "will continue to solemnize civil marriages of same-sex couples, with or without the threat of arrest," said a statement from the New York chapter of Marriage Equality, a group fighting for same-sex civil marriage rights. Barbara Thompson, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, declined to comment on today's ceremonies. Welcome To The Fourth Biennial MCC Conference of People of African Descent The fourth biennial MCC Conference of People of African Descent will take place in Houston, Texas, beginning with registration, a welcoming reception, and opening worship on the evening of Thursday, April 15, 2004 -- and concluding on Saturday, April 17, with closing worship at 7:30 PM. capegazette.com - Cape Region's Home Page Cape Gazette - Covering Delaware's Cape Region \| Tuesday, February 10, 2004 Fun and fellowship served up at The Family Room By Andrew Keegan The Family Room, created by Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Rehoboth, provides an environment that allows a family to connect - inexpensively. It is a place to read a book or simply enjoy a cup of coffee. Toddlers have their own area to interact while older children play board games. It is a place to foster fellowship. The Family Room, located in Midway Center, officially opened Sunday, Feb. 1. The space that houses the gathering place used to serve as a consignment shop for MCC. That business was discontinued when the ministry reexamined its goals, said Kathryn Peoples-Wallace, the ministry's coordinator. One of the disadvantages about having a business like the consignment shop is that sometimes the ministry comes last," said Peoples-Wallace. "The consignment need was being met elsewhere in the community, so we focused on what was not being met - spending quality time as a family unit without being expensive." The meeting space is open to the entire community, not just MCC members, said Peoples-Wallace. "We are a progressive Christian fellowship," she said. "We reach out to everyone, whether you are gay or straight." The congregation has plans to expand to a new location on Plantation Road within the next two years. The Family Room serves a bottomless cup of coffee. A dollar donation is suggested. "We wanted to establish a coffee shop setting," said Peoples-Wallace, "but we didn't want to exclude anyone who doesn't have money. There will be snacks available as well as newspapers and magazines." Entertainment will also be an integral part of the coffee shop setting. Singer Melissa Cox performed at the grand opening and a play, Peril at Pumpernickel Pass performed by The Children's Theater, has been scheduled for March 6. "We don't spend enough time building relationships," said Peoples-Wallace. "This is a place where a family doesn't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy each other's company away from home." The Family Room, at 21 Midway Center, is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. For further information call 645-4945. MCC Fredericksburg Moves Forward On Sunday, March 14th, MCC Fredericksburg made the huge step of moving from Parish Extension to Full Status MCC. With over 70% of our membership in attendance (and many friends), MCCF voted unanimously to accept our own local bylaws. Additionally, the congregation unanimously called Rev. Stephanie Burns to serve as Senior Pastor (and she said yes on the spot!) and we elected our first Board of Directors. This was a huge moment in the still young life of our congregation. It was just six months ago that we began worshipping each Sunday - and in that time our membership has grown from 22 to 33. We have been blessed by the many people and communities outside of MCCF that have helped us to grow to this point. Region 3 Conference - Now is the time to make your hotel reservations! Hotel reservations for our July 8 - 11, Region 3 conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico need to be made no later than June 10. However, you don't want the number of rooms available to run out. So make your reservations as early as you can. Also, register for conference now. This will help us better plan so it can be a wonderful experience for all. We originally thought that we might not have as many people at this conference because of the distance for many of our churches. It appears that we are going to have a much better than expected turn out. This is why we are urging you to reserve your room without delay and register for conference. Simply go to ufmcc.com and click on Regional Conference - Region 3. Recent Elder Travels I recently returned from a very productive Board of Elders meeting in West Hollywood. We spent a few days working with the Board of Administration and headquarters staff to discover ways to better work together. As in any new structure we are still learning our unique roles and responsibilities and how each of our efforts supports the work of the other. We have an excellent Board of Administration and staff. And, let me also say that I am extremely impressed with our new interim executive director, Kerry Lobel. The Board of Elders also did visioning work and moved forward on a number of items. You will be receiving more information directly from the Board of Elders very soon. We established four areas that would be our focus for the coming 11/2 years: 1. Stewardship, 2. Leadership Development, 3. Church Planting, and 4. Conflict Resolution. Our focus will help us to move towards strategic plans, regional work plans, budget issues, and collaborative working relationships with the BOE, Board of Administration and staff. We also took action on the issue of regional boundaries. From the beginning we all knew that regional boundaries were formed based on the grassroots input of all our denomination and that after implementation there may be need for review. It was expected that such a review would happen within the first few years. The Board of Elders recognizes that due to issues of mostly of disparity in geographic responsibility, disparity in the number of churches in each region, and the budget impact that we need the Geographic Review Board (GRB) to engage in the assessment of regional boundaries. This may cause some anxiety, but we need to remember that part of the reasons for restructuring in the first place was to become an international denomination and to provide equity as much as possible to all regions. Currently some regions have 47 churches and a huge geographical area while others have a small area and 17 churches. Currently Region 3 has 25 churches and one church plant in process. The GRB process will take some time and will include input from local churches, the Board of Elders, Board of Administration and Staff. As we engage this process, please be patient and pray for the GRB and their discernment. Update - Open Arms MCC - A true turn around church! I recently had the opportunity to do a follow-up visit with our church in Rochester, NY. This is a true turn around church. As you know last spring they underwent a pastoral transition. Some were unsure about where the church was going and others had mixed feeling about the church in general. Later in the summer I met with them a second time and together we went through the Strategic Growth Initiative and clarified Vision, Mission, Core Values. Everyone worked hard. After spending three days with the congregation, pastoral search team, interim pastoral leader, Rev. Jim Mulcahy, worship and led the workshop - Community, Cause, Corporation - with 26 key leaders I can tell you that this church is united in focus, in joy and the Spirit is evident. 51 people were in worship on Sunday, this is about double of what it was a year ago, almost every chair was taken and the choir was wonderful. They had a debt of over $30,000 which is almost completed taken care of. I must say that Rev. Mulcahy and the lay leadership of Open Arms MCC needs to be applauded. Great job!! 15% Assessments Continue To Build Merciful Grace MCC, our newest church plant in NE Baltimore, has decided to begin paying the full 15% assessment to UFMCC beginning in March. Also, Open Door MCC, Boyds, Md, has decided to pay the full 15%. Thank you!!! If your church has made this same decision and it has not been announced in the Region 3 E-Newsletter please let us know. Elder Travel Schedule March 1 - 8 Board of Elder Meetings 12 - 14 Open Arms MCC, Rochester, NY 17 Vision of Hope MCC - Board Training 24 Meeting with Interim Pastoral Leader of MCC Charlottesville 25 MCC Charlottesville - Congregational Forum 26 - 28 MCC Fredericksburg, VA - SGI Visioning weekend, worship 28 Merciful Grace MCC - initial visit with the new congregation April 3 - 5 MCC of the Blue Ridge, Roanoke, VA 17 Region 3 Conference Planning Team Meeting 19 Rev. Elder Arlene & Jacquie's Ackerman's 24th anniversary 24 Imago Dei MCC, Glenn Mills, PA - Leadership Training After traveling on weekends I generally try to take the next two days off. Mary, the office assistant is generally in on Tuesday & Thursday from 10 - 2. Pastors - if we have not scheduled an Elder visit and your are interested please contact me. I no longer try to visit every church each year. It is not possible. However, I do try to schedule time especially when the church is going through transitions, for Strategic Growth work and to offer leadership training. Closing Thoughts I want to thank all of our pastors and members who have gone out of there way to speak out about marriage equity. Many of you have been on TV and in the newspaper. Some of you went to register at the county courthouse. Others are dealing with Fred Phelps, such as MCC of the Spirit, Harrisburg, PA. And, still others like Open Arms MCC in Rochester, NY are being told that they will be picketed. People like Rev. Pat Bumgardner and Rev. Karla Fleshman are taking a stand and marrying our people without benefit of a marriage license. Still others, like MCC Philadelphia have held rallies and weddings. When we stand up in the cause of Love and Justice we may face people who believe differently. We still must speak out, pray hard, worship together, take a stand, move forward in holy boldness and as servants of Christ. Be of good cheer people of faith! God is supplying all our need. I am very proud of you!!! Blessings! Arlene Ackerman [Jan '04 Feb '04] Rev. Elder Arlene J. Ackerman UFMCC Regional Elder Region 3 PO Box 276 Landisville, PA 17538 Phone: 717 898-3713 Fax: 717 898-3714 E-mail: arleneackerman@MCCchurch.org