Greetings

[Rev. Alana Kelley]

I watched the movie "For the Bible Tells Me So" today. It was so well done and so moving. And I learned about Soulforce watching it. So here I am. I've recently been feeling so saddened and discouraged by the hatred and bigotry I continue to encounter in this life. I spoke with a man just this past week. He is of Indian decent, and felt so angry over the discrimination he experiences daily. I am feeling called to be more outspoken about justice issues in our country. LGBT issues and issues of racism are weighing heavy on my heart these days. There are still so many people who are hearing the wrong, very outspoken messages of the Christian fundamentalist movement.
Anyway, I plan to set an evening in the fall to shre the movie "For the Bible tells Me So" with the Magyar UCC serve I serve. And I'll share it with the pastor's group I belong to.

[BruceChris]

We do have a small number of members who are *of the cloth*, but they are all male, as far as I know. I am a member of a largely gay UCC church, but they and the UU's are the only major denominations that I know of who are Open and Affirming, or express equivalent wording.

Please allow me to introduce my church:

http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1093

I LOVE to show off this link, I am truly shameless about doing so, but my church is a wonderful source of nourishment for me, and their members are some of the most wonderful people that I have ever met. I'm straight, by the way, but with deep roots in GLBT and feminist communities.

Please come back and get to know us, and make some friends, discuss theology with Uncle Andy and udogg, and more recently FatherAlbert, and contribute your gifts to our group when you are moved to do so.

Edit: Oh, Kara Speltz says she has done some preaching, too.

Edit: Cute kid. Is that a grandson?

Namaste', Bruce Chris

[Rev. Alana Kelley]

Hi Bruce,
your church sounds wonderful. Thank you for the reply and the link. Our Association (Western Reserve Assoc. of Ohio) has several predominantly gay churches, and each of them is doing wonderful ministry. I love the UCC! There is so much that is exciting, good work going on. The church I serve was a Hungarian congregation originally, so change comes VERY slowly, but I've been happily surprised by how accepting some of the members are.

The little boy is my grandson, Solomon. He's 6 and such a gift! We have so much fun together. We're fortunate that he and his parents live in the same town as we do.

Blessings to you and have a great Sunday!
Alana

[BishopIoan]

Hi Rev. Alana! Well, now there are two women clergy (correct me on this if I am wrong, please. This is a great, accepting group and I hope you enjoy your stay here.

[Rev. Alana Kelley]

Hi Bishoploan,
thank you for your greeting. I AM a woman, as you suspected. So I'm happy to hear from you! Are you also kind of new to Soulforce? How did you learn about it?
Hope you had a peaceful Sunday!
Alana

[Pablo Rafael]

Alana,

Very glad to have you join us here on the forums. I appreciate your desire to encourage the church to talk about social justice issues. Somehow that seems to have been forgotten by a lot of Christianity. I guess it was the same in the time of Jesus. The pharisees against whom Jesus so strongly preaches had lost the whole idea loving each other and caring for those less fortunate. Jesus, however, continually worked with those who had been marginalized by society.

And isn't For the Bible Tells Me So a fantastically well done documentary. It should be required viewing in all Christian churches.

Tu Amigo, Pablo

[andrewlittle]

Originally Posted by BruceChris

We do have a small number of members who are *of the cloth*, but they are all male, as far as I know.

I'm straight, by the way, but with deep roots in GLBT and feminist communities.

Please come back and get to know us, and make some friends, discuss theology with Uncle Andy and udogg, and more recently FatherAlbert, and contribute your gifts to our group when you are moved to do so.

Namaste', Bruce Chris

Originally Posted by BishopIoan

Hi Rev. Alana! Well, now there are two women clergy (correct me on this if I am wrong, please. This is a great, accepting group and I hope you enjoy your stay here.

Welcome Rev Alana,

I think hope pray there are more women clergy among us. I know there is at least one more, although Jenna doesn't post much - she's more of a reader.

I had, fortunately or unfortunately, had never stopped to think about the clergy here in terms of male and female. I would hope that's because it's not in my nature to categorize that way. But, truth is, it's just as likely that it's a sign of my unconscious acceptance of privilege.

Either way, I am thrilled to see more clergy participating here. It is a sign for me that there is hope for the institutional church. Just as much a sign as the gender of ministers being un-remarkable.

So, from one clergy to another, welcome and may God continue to bless your work,

Andy (sometimes known as Uncle Andy, but only when I get to pontificating.)

[Gennee]

Welcome too Soulforce, Rev.Alana. I'm so happy that you are willing to speak you against bigotry. I pray that your efforts will spur chance.

Gennee

[nmwolfboy]

Well met and welcome, Rev. Alana!

Oberlin, OH? My father went to Oberlin College for a while in the mid 1960s, when i was still a toddler. i don't have much memory of our family being there, other than a warm happy feeling.

Glad you're here. Please feel free to jump into any discussions that interest you. We're a friendly bunch.

Pax,
scott

[BruceChris]

Rev. Alana,

Our forum has this frightfully long thread about the elevation of women bishops in the Church of England, and the fierce resistance there:

http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5126

The Episcopalians ordained women in 1974, and the English didn't get there until 1994, so it's not surprising that they may be 20 years behind. And in the Catholic Church, there is the Womenpriests Movement, which many say has the Roman hierarchy's undies all in a bunch. And I hear there are some Protestant churches that still won't consider it.

Honestly, this White Male Heterosexual EuroAmerican Privilege thing gets way out of hand, sometimes. Glad I'm not one of them, well, not so's I'll admit to it, anyway.

Peace and Love, and I'll sign off before I start to pontificate, Bruce Chris

[BruceChris]

Her username is Light Goddess, but she doesn't post much.

P&L, BC

[nervezapper]

I will be an ordained interfaith minister next June.

It was the classes that urged me to finally come out of the closet and stay out.

[prairielesbian]

Welcome to Soulforce - I think you'll meet some neat people here. I'm also from Ohio - I have to see how close Oberlin is to me. (I'm new to the state and my geography is a bit off)

Another Rev.! Yeah..... God is Great!

[Jennifer5]

Many welcomes to you! I'm glad you found us and hope to see you around the forums!