Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ
During the Region 2 meeting at General Conference in
The RFT will be composed of a Liaison to South America (Marcos Gladstone), a Liaison to Canada(who will be appointed later), a Education, Training and Resourcing Facilitator (Rev Paul Graetz), a Communications Facilitator (Barry Hundley), a Laity Facilitator, a Financial Services Facilitator, and four Sub Regional Facilitators. On the RFT all positions have equal weight but different responsibilities.
The Canadian and South American Liaison will be responsible the coordination of activities and the identification of resources and locations for possible church planting in their specific geographic areas.
The Education, Training and Resources Facilitator will be responsible for the gathering of resources for the regional resource library, the coordination of workshops and workshop presenters, the identification and development of new resources and trainers/teachers. Then identifying and coordinating materials and training needs for the local churches.
The Communications Facilitator is responsible for the development, coordination and monitoring of all communication avenues i.e. newsletters, websites, brochures, Internet groups, chats etc.
The Financial Services Facilitator will be responsible for the researching and development of fund raising resources. The primary purpose of these funds will be to assist with the planting of new churches and the development and strengthen of existing ministries.
The Laity Facilitator will have the task of developing avenues to keep the laity actively involved in all aspects of the region.
The four Sub Regional Facilitators will be responsible for
coordinating the activities in a specific area of the region contained in the
A Nomination Team has been appointed to assist Rev Sanchez with the identification of people to serve in these positions (below find specific instructions for applying for these positions). The nominating team will be seeking applications for the Laity, the Financial Services and the four Sub Regional facilitator positions.
The members of the nominating team are Cheryl Stockton (chair) (MCC Greater St. Louis), JoNee Shelton (MCC Louisville), Joel Maderer (Good Shepherd Parish Chicago),
Rev Julie Two Suess (Cornerstone MCC Mobile, AL), Rev Dexter Brecht (MCC of Greater New Orleans), Rev. J.R. Finney II (Covenant MCC Birmingham, AL) and Jose Luiz Viana (MCC Rio de Janeiro)
The deadline to apply is August 30. The plan is to announce
these facilitators on or before
If you are interested or if you know of someone in your congregation who would be great for one of these positions please give them the bottom part of this memo.
Rev.
Office of the MCC Moderator >
From the Education Training and Resource Team
In an effort to plan, strategize and develop the resources needed to better equip the people who desire to become clergy in our region, Rev Paul Graetz the facilitator of the ETR Team needs your help on the following issues.
1. If you are or know of anyone in Region 2 who is in either the formation or the candidacy process to become MCC clergy, would you please send to Rev Graetz their name, church home and which phase of the process they are in. Please don't assume someone else will send this info. He would rather receive 10 emails on the same person than none because someone assumed someone else would do it.
2. If you have been certified to teach any of the MCC Samaritan classes, please send your name, your church home and the name of the class you are certified to teach.
3. If you are a teaching church he needs that information also
Rev Graetz's email address is revtpaul@bellsouth.net
Yours in Christ
Communications Facilitator
EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!
IMPORTANT NEWSFLASH!
NEW WORSHIP TIME!
NEW WORSHIP LOCATION!
NEW CHURCH NAME! <p>
gay and lesbian people, has moved
from its location in
to downtown
Worship services at the new
505-506, will begin Sunday August 3, at
The Church is also changing its name. The new name is "Metropolitan
The name change and the move will help us to position ourselves to more
effectively serve the GLBT
community in the
spacious three-room suite located on the fifth floor of an office
building. It is ours 24/7 at a rental rate slightly less than what we paid
for a two-hour time slot on Sundays.
We are really looking forward to our new location. The eight-story
landmark building also houses the Open Door Clinic, which is the AIDS
clinic for the
there is also a large free public parking lot at Division St and Douglas,
one-half block from our location.
The Church is affiliated with Metropolitan Community Churches, a
worldwide denomination of over 300 local churches, founded in the gay and
lesbian community, and open to ALL. The church may be contacted at
630-584-4616, or by email: julnisse36@hotmail.com or via MCC's website:
www.mccchurch.org.
COME AND WORSHIP WITH US!
CELEBRATE YOUR FAITH!
WELCOME HOME!
To My Region 2 Family,
Peace and Joy!
I just wanted to write you to inform you of some changes and better clarifications of the Regional Facilitating Team. After consultation with the fellowship office and conversations with some of you, we will be eliminating the position of Financial Services Facilitator. This decision was made because we want to empower each of you to create mission and outreach teams in you own congregations. And use these teams to find creative ways to generate funds for mission churches, programs of mutual support, exchange of resources and church planting.
Second many of you have asked what will be the geographical areas that the sub-regional facilitators will cover. The initial plans was to leave that open and more fluid based on who applied and the nominating committee felt best qualified for the position. But many of you we have talked to want more structure, so here are the proposed Sub Regions (SR)
SB1- New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Eureka Springs, Little Rock, Mississippi, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile, Birmingham and Gadsden.
SR2- Atlanta area,
SR3- Minneapolis,
SR4- Paducah,
In creating these areas we looked at geographical distance, and church populations to try and create even sub-regions.
Now that you know the areas prayerfully consider your call to serve the region in one of these areas.
There are now five positions that we are seeking: lay facilitator and 4 sub-regional facilitators.
The deadline to submit nominations to the nominating committee is August 31. If you are going to nominate someone else the committee asks that you contact that person to see if they are willing to serve. Send all names and information to Cheryl Stockton at: cheryl.stockton@att.net
As always, I am open to hear your feedback and suggestions. As I continue to visit our churches and working together with the Board of Elders in many issues, it will be easier to reach my by this email: revarmandosanchez@yahoo.com.mx
Rev Elder Armando Sanchez
Your Region 2 communication’s team looks forward to informing the region about what's happening in your local congregation. But we can only do that if you send the information to us. Send details to barhun@aol.com
A Wonderful Idea for Prayer
This week, I received an e-mail that spoke of a wonderful
idea about praying for churches in our Region 2. It came from Reverend JR Finney at Covenant
MCC in
Thank you Reverend JR and Reverend Richard for this great idea, we will also use this community building opportunity as well.
Watch for e-mails about Holy Covenant's Regional Church Prayer emphasis next
week. This week, also give thanks for Covenant MCC and pray for their ministries
Benefits of Affiliation with MCC and MCC Regions
Consider the value and importance of your participation in global ministry:
The ministry of Metropolitan Community Churches over more than three decades has had an extraordinary impact, bringing healing and hope to countless multitudes, many of whom have found places of reconciliation and community in our congregations. The success of this ministry has been made possible by many people of MCC who live the gospel of Christ through their witness and generosity.
One of the ways in which the people of MCC share in this world-changing ministry is through each congregation's connection with a Region in the global MCC movement. Here is some information to help you better understand the importance, the benefits of your participation in this global ministry.
Over the years we have bonded together in fellowship and covenant as an international community of faith, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. This Fellowship includes connection with MCC Regions. Here are some important advantages of our affiliation with MCC.
-- To be a part of MCC is to share in the strength and wonder of one of the most powerful and liberating movements in Christian history. As the people of God gathered together in this movement, we are co-creators with God of a new thing God is doing. We are part of a movement that people have died others will die for and to which many more are devoting their lives. Together, we find the increased strength and support that comes through identity and cohesion with a larger movement bringing about positive change in the world. We gain strength in numbers, and gain strength from our unity in diversity. The whole is more than the sum of its parts. This expands the vision, extends the mission and enhances the visibility of local churches.
-- Our connection to each other in MCC affords opportunities (such as the World Jubilee and Regional Conferences) to come together as the people of God for times of great celebration and edification, times of fellowship, friendship and education. As people of the covenant we recount with joy the ways in which God has acted, reflect on our faithfulness to God's call and rededicate ourselves to the vision God has given us. This offers inspiration and renewal for church leaders.
-- Local churches find pastoral leadership through a system
for the development of local church leaders including the training, development
and credentialing of professional clergy. The clergy credentials system also
provides a process for professional accountability. It also provides a program
of Pension Fund benefits to affiliated clergy in the
-- As part of the larger Fellowship, we identify and empower people with spiritual gifts of leadership, creating the funding that allows them to serve in roles as Elders and Regional Officers, providing spiritual guidance, pastoral leadership, unity and continuity.
-- Sharing skills, knowledge, experience and passion, many people throughout the Fellowship have participated in the development of a variety of resources, programs and services which support the unique and particular needs of local MCC congregations
-- As a global Fellowship, we raise a collective voice in advocacy for justice voice is heard in the halls of government, before courts of justice, at councils of churches, in numerous international conferences, and in the media and press. Visit MCCChurch.org for other opportunities to learn about our great liberating denomination and news about our denomination
News from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
Greetings Religious Roundtable members and supporters!
I want to share some
incredibly exciting news with you about The National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force's Creating Change Conference held in
* learn successful grass roots strategies and figure out how they can
implement them in their home town or organization
* learn and practice key organizing skills like canvassing, fundraising
and media work
* network with other organizers of faith and be inspired by success
stories
* gain access to resources and relationships that will help them be more
effective
Are you looking for a forum to send a new board member, organizer, volunteer leader in your organization? Do you want to support a specific campaign but your constituents have lots of energy with little experience? Do you want to build a relationship with some of the organizations that are doing serious faith based organizing, like, People for the American Way and the National Religious Leadership Roundtable?
Then commit to sending at least one, but optimally two or three people to this wonderful event! The benefit of sending additional folks is that they can plan together at the end of the day about how they can use all that they've learned. And NGLTF has a special organizational group rate.
For more information go to: www.creatingchange.org
Questions about content? Contact me, Deb Kolodny, National Religious Leadership Roundtable Facilitator at DebraRuth@mac.com or 301-565-0719. Or to register online go to www.creatingchange.org
The Institute's description is below.
Hope to see you there!
Deb
People of Faith Say NO to Discrimination!
Religious Right hateful anti-GLBT rhetoric dominates public discourse as the voice of faith¹. Do you want to find successful strategies for finding, energizing and activating progressive clergy and lay people to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity? Join leaders of NGLTF¹s National Religious Leadership Roundtable and learn three successful models of organizing.
Hear about:
* the non-violent, spiritually grounded work of in combating the hate filled rhetoric of the religious right
* the fundraising, voter identification, vigil and pulpit strategy that helped defeat the Miami/Dade anti GLBT initiative
* the social justice coalition
strategy in
* the grass roots organizing, door to door canvassing, media and pulpit strategy that helped mobilize Topeka against Fred Phelps and in support of the GLBT community
Prepare to experience righteous inspiration, and to find a role for yourself in the work of this groundbreaking coalition.
For more information about The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force go to:
For more information on Creating Change Conference go to: www.creatingchange.org
To: MCC Regional Elders
From: Rev. Nancy Wilson
Church of the Trinity MCC
Re: MCC Women in Ministry Conference
As I am sure you all know, the
second MCC Women in Ministry Conference is scheduled for
The program for this conference will include a one-day retreat with Rev. Judy Dahl entitled "Contemplative Chaos - Staying Centered While Creating Change" and a full day with Rev. Irene Monroe, theologian, activist and teacher from Harvard Divinity School whom many of you will remember from the Leadership Cruise in 2002.
We are eager to provide the opportunity for women to attend
from
We will also need to know if assistance with language will be needed for any of the nominated participants. Although we cannot afford simultaneous professional interpreters, we expect to have several Spanish/English bilingual attendees who can assist persons speaking only Spanish. We also have in-house Staff with Dutch, French and German.
September 5th., 2003
My Dear Pastors, Clergy, Boards of Director's & compensated staff of U.S. MCC's within Region 2,
Peace and Joy in Jesus Christ´s love!
The MCC Board of Elders is very grateful to you for the excellent leadership you are providing to the churches of Region 2. We are also very aware that some of our Pastors, clergy, and church employees serve faithfully with little compensation and inadequate health benefits. When our churches are able to provide good health benefits, it is often at a very high cost to the local church.
We want to be able to offer a national U.S. program of medical coverage that is tailored to our specification at a greatly reduced cost. Therefore, the Board of Elders has asked the MCC Board of Administration to conduct a feasibility study to explore the possibility of MCC providing a national medical coverage plan for local church employees and clergy in the United States.
The feasibility study is being managed by Bob Lehman, Director of Operations and Finance at King of Peace MCC in St. Petersburg, Florida (directorofoperations@ij.net )
He has a significant background in this area and is working closely with the firm of Carlisle Fields and Company, a well-known and respected insurance firm, to explore alternatives. In January of this year, Bob met with an MCC Elder to discuss a visionary concept which has the potential to reduce your local church annual bills by hundreds & in some cases thousands of dollars each year.
This concept was later shared with the entire Board of Elders, and those who have areas of the U.S. within their regions have whole heartedly affirmed Bob in conducting the preliminary study amongst all U.S. MCC's in order for him to gather some simple initial information from each of you, so that he could move to a second step of researching whether his idea might be feasible.
The bottom line here, is that Bob is gathering data in order to be in a position to enter dialogue with major health insurers around the possibility of some kind of group health insurance for U.S. MCC employees.
I encourage each of you to be open and welcoming to sharing the information that Bob will need in order to proceed with what at this time continues to be a Feasibility Study by being in contact with him as soon as possible (directorofoperations@ij.net) and complete the information requested. It will be great if you do this before September 15th.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in this significant and important undertaking.
In Christ´s peace,
Rev. Elder Dr. Armando Sanchez
MCC Region 2