Show C2 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday May 23 2002 Some black ministers welcome gays into By David Crary AP National Writer l one chats and resounding sermons the Rev Kenneth Samuel is trying to In n one-o- lead his -- 6000-stron- congre- g gation on a path few black churches have trod: whole- hearted acceptance of lesbians and gays After convincing himself that homophobia should be combated as zealously as racism Samuel severed his lurch’s links with Victory and white-le- d Baptist organizations He plans to affiliate next month with the liberal United Church of Christ Grateful for Samuel’s encouragement' some gays and lesbians have risen to leadership posts at the church in Stone Mountain Ga but many congregation members remain dubious of the changes black- - “We’re still working through it" Samuel said “You can’t just get up and say ’OK that settles it’ I’m trying to get the message out there that any kind of exclusion of persons — based upon their color their gender their sexual persuasion — is wrong” Within the diverse spectrum of African-America- church- n es Victory Church is a rarity While some new alternative churches have formed in recent years only a handful of established black churches — mostly in big cities — have sent a clear welcome message to gays Most black ministers like many of their white coun- terparts believe the Bible condemns homosexuality The coolness toward gays ’ remains widespread even black churches though-many overcoming initial reluctance have enlisted in campaigns to fight AIDS In a newly released survey of more than 2500 black gays and lesbians 54 percent said their church or religion view homosexuality as “wrong and sinful” on to your African traditions” An African Methodist Episcopal minister in Boston the Rev Ray Hammond contended many black churches are becoming more welcoming to gays even though the pastors — himself included — balk at approving their sexual relationships “If the church is going to be true to its biblical roots it cannot endorse the lifestyle and marcannot endorse same-se- x said Hammond riage” Hammond who switched to the ministry after earning a medical degree at Harvard has engaged his Bethel AME Church in the fight against AIDS both at home “Sunday sermons peaching against our very existence are still commonplace’’ wrote the authors of the Black Pride Survey Donna Payne works with black churches as a field organizer for the Human Rights ts Campaign a national She advocacy group describes homophobia in those churches as “a silent disapproval sending a message to black gays and les- -' bians that they’re not gay-righ- w'i i welcome’’ “There are no policies in the African Methodist Episcopal Church that acknowledge that” she said referring to one of the largest black denominations “It's not ' something they would write down so there’s not something there you can challenge” Though some white denom- inations are more explicit in their condemnation of activity churchgoing white gays and lesbians generally have more options than their black counterparts in finding an accepting church Payne said The result she said is that black gays often stick with the Churches they woe raised in — even if antigay sentiment occasionally anti-AID- w ''lv ir i 7 v V7 TSE'iJf 45 7 I' f ' 'I'! ' A 4 i V r I crusade but said S L AP Photo “There obviously is homophobia in communities of color like anywhere else and it needs to be rooted out” he Rev Kathi Martin speaks during her United Church of Christ sendee in Atlanta Martin who is a lesbian bbcame a pastor fbr ihe UCC and started her own congregation the God Self and Neighbor Ministry hi 1999 Only a handful of established black churches have sent a dear welcome to gays said But Hammond complained that someactivists are quick to allege homophobia in cases where black ministers speak out against - same-se- gay-righ- ts x marriage ‘Too often in the gay rights movement when you disagree on issues you begin the name-callinHammond said For the Rev Kathi Martin acceptance of gays came too slowly to the African Methodist Episcopal Church g” The daughter of a minister she became pastor of an AME church in Decatur Ga in 1994 but left the denomination three years later after ha superiors scolded her for sanctifying a same-se- x union “They told me ’You’re ahead of your tune”’ she said “It was jny choice to leave Fighting against a denomina- tion is not my tiling” Martin a lesbian became a pastor for the United Church of Christ and started her own congregation in Atlanta in 1999 Most of its members are gay blacks who woe uncomfortable in traditional black churches “The church has always been a safe plaice for black people” Martin said ‘“For gay and lesbian to fed that this is a place where you’re not wel UCC-affiliat- ’ ed African-America- ns come it’s painful” While Martin draws no more than 70 or 80 people to her weekly services worshippers by the hundreds attend each of two Sunday morning services at Samuel’s Victory Church Both ministers preach the virtues of tolerance Fbr Samuel who has a wife and daughter and a doctorate from Union Theological Seminary reaching out to gays is a way to revive the commitment of black churches to social justice He contends that homophobia in the black community is an outgrowth of racism “We’ve had to deal so much with die implications of black male castration economically politically and socially” he said “The black community has tried to compensate by being homophobic — we have so few black men eligible to lead to provide fix families that we need to make certain we don’t lose any more to same-se- unions” x Once his own thinking on the matter crystalized Samuel went to work on his congregation preaching that “we are not being untrue to our faith by affirming all people” But he remains a step ahead of many members of the church “We’ve not gotten to the point where we can celebrate same-se- x unions” he said TP ITEmr ill ti- ‘ M II' 579 - Dean and Marilyn Parker of Young Ward recently returned from the Hawaii Honolulu CES LDS Mission They will speak at 9 am Sunday in Young Ward church 2394 W 2200 South' Personal Pace SeKPropel System puts vou in control or your mawipgippuafroa 0 to 4 mph Just walk and mow 675 np hto OHV GTS engine irt on the first or 5 yean or loro fixes Bundle Sale ill il 'rrVw ' 25 lies per Bundle &9 ft long it FREE kacyttinfljyfrm tor a naaWiy and beautiful lawn Includes rear bag Durable cast aluminum deck Fiveyear fun warranty ' 2S Rail Road Ties Toro Super Recyder Mower wHh Exclusive Personal pace SeifPropel System Dan Nelson son of Chris and Elaine Nelson of Nofth Logan has accepted a call to seme in the Texas Fort Worth LDS Mission He speaks at 1 pm Sunday in the North Logan 4th Ward 2750 N 800 East He enters the Missionary Training Center on May 29 $1 3750 ir-- 8 per Bundle STEVEN'S fC3£ST MMHHKT5 Model 20038 Eric David Stokes son of Jim and Ann Stokes of Hyde Park recently returned from the Zimbabwe Harare LDS mission He speaks at 1 pm Sunday in the Hyde Park 9th Ward 65 E Center 3277 N Main Legen wwwtoracom 433752-502- 9 Everton's Jge Hardware 25 Weet 100 4 EE North Logan Kristine Willie daughter of Paul and Kim Willie of Mendon has accepted a call to seme in the Spain Las Palmas LDS Mission She speaks at 11 :30 am Sunday in the Mendon 2nd Ward at the Mendon Stake Center 460 S 100 E She enters the MTC oh May 29 m eepei 752-154- ERdQBBSZS S V Tree and Shrub if SALE Rebuild Cl Christ's head and cast a beam to fall on the communion table Other windows were lost besides the Tiffanys One depicted Christ in the midst of water wheels a nod to Amsterdam’s industrial roqts When the new church is completed in September or October a stained glass rose window will float above the altar and three clear windows will be installed When the church can afford it more stained glass will be added There used to be a sign on the lawn of the church: “At the center of the city to serve” V “After the fire a lot of people wanted us to move” said Wheeler whawore a hardhat with a blue cross ’’(But) we have-history here” A past that has made his resolve that much stronger “I’ve never had a lack of challenges in my career This cer- - y v tainly is the most challenging People ask me ’Did you learn about doing this in seminary?’ You don’t have class 101: When Your Church Burns” Grateful for all the kindnesses Wheeler and his parishioners' are nonetheless eager to have their own church bade “it’s going kind of slow” said William Johnson who’s been a member for 35 years And he knows it will be hard to replace what was lost “The old church is no comparison It was beautiful This will be a church we can maintain” a Fare Cl Wehavea 20 OFF All 20 OFF reat selection of Perennials Lilac Shrubs - All Maple and Ornamental Grasses CHOOSE FROkf OVER 25 MND8I Trees MORE ARRMNG EVERY WEEK! 4’ Geraniums 25 OFF CHOOSE FROM: Zonal Itogal Hyb S—d Ivy All Pansies v In Pony Packs 50 OFF hlk7galonpok excelenf varieties ot Maple Dees to - 30 OFF Z'1- - choose' from Ctjocse born Seven Dwarf varieflN J (tow While Im 'em aQ - ' - e- Price voiy VbyhtyAergrMirivubi ' T T t : We have 70 Dwarf Mugo Pines L R '' j' from$599to i r ' t t v i ‘ V '' - V & 'y' ' v i v May Hours MondaySatur jipraaraens: ' Nonetheless the poet never questions God’s existence Like the book of Job the Bible’s far longer poetic meditation on suffering Lamentations promises no easy answers It neither r accqXs nor explainsUnlike Job God maintainssilence uL - :V V' gays- - surfaces “To separate from that and just try to be gay means you're into a whole ’nother world that you’re not familiar with the white gay world” Payne said “It’s so different you’d rather go back and hold i ' 'V- this was often due to a general skittishness toward sexuality rather than outright disdain for homo-asexu- al Briget Miller daughter of Scott and Cherilyn Miller of Smithfield has accepted a call to seme in the California Fresno LDS Mission She speaks at 12:50 pm Sunday in the Sfjeki9tt)(Vyafd1(5M W 400 North She enters the MTC June 5 Continued from : X 7- -- ’ lJ t ’’ 'l L and in West Africa He acknowledged that some black churches were slow to join the Missionaries Continued from 'V V i K " t v1 ' - r Alfeopp thinks that alarming silence reminds us the muiuuiuiisof human reasoning compared with God’s infiime : perspective The silence is hurtful but also hopefrU truthful to i experienceand meaningfulness of faith” Dobbs-Allsopp ' OPEN MEMORIAL’: - SW perry (rww to MacUeio ' 1 V! ‘ aniens Wi |