May 5, 2000
Jean Hodges of Boulder, Colo., reads names from the Shower of Stoles project in front of the Cleveland Convention Center as delegates to the United Methodist Church's 2000 General Conference return from a lunch break. The project has gathered stoles from gay, lesbian and bisexual church leaders who have been barred from church service because of their sexual orientation. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose, 5/3/00. See another
Cleveland - Over 200 unique and colorful United Methodist liturgical stoles were on display at a Shower of Stoles reception on May 5 during the United Methodist General Conference at the Sheridan Hotel City Center. Each of these stoles had a powerful story to tell about a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or a Transgender person of faith from every state in the United States as well as from Canada and Cuba. These stoles were collected from United Methodists within the last six months. More stoles are added to the Shower of Stoles Project at General Conference every day. Some of the stoles may be seen at http://www.rcp.org/GC-Info/Press.html.
The individuals represented by a total of 800 stoles are active leaders not only in the United Methodist Church, but also in the Presbyterian Church in the USA, the United Church of Christ and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, (ELCA), the United Church of Canada and five other demoninations. These individuals are ordained ministers, elders, deacons, seminarians, church musicians and missionaries and other gifted people who have been barried from serving their church due to their sexual ordination.
Martha Juillerat, Director of the Shower of Stoles Project, and former Presbyterian minister, stated that "this Shower of Stoles is displayed with the profound hope that God's loving church will someday fully recognize and accept the gifts of its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members." Ms. Juillerat continues "this project disproves the stereotype that all gay people are white and male who are from large cities. These stoles are from women as well as men, and from Hispanic, Chinese, Koran and Japanese North Americans who are from very small communities to very large cities."
The following are four powerful stories from the Shower of Stoles: one is from Helen Fischer Andrew, a mother of a lesbian, who dedicated the stole to her daughter, Elizabeth. On a black stole the pattern is made in a crazy quilt pattern, "according to her mother it symbolizes the wondrous rich, colorful diversity God chose from creation." On the quilt pattern were the signatures from three churches, a United Methodist church where Elizabeth came out a second United Methodist church where her mother came out and an Episcopal church where Helen had attended a Women's Spirituality group. Helen continued "every stitch on this stole was made with love, and with the prayer that in the near future, all God's children will know justice, acceptance and love in all walks of life, but especially with Christ's church."
A second stole story is in memory of Judge Jefferson Cleveland. "His work, as editor of the Songs of Zion hymnbook, a book of historically Black hymns of The United Methodist Church, will be an enduring legacy to the denomination. According to the stole, "his death of AIDS in 1986 was hidden by the Black church community. We honor him and his ministry of music."
A third stole story is in honor of Diane Johnson, from her father Rev. Howard Johnson, who as a chaplain is a Director of Pastoral Care. This stole was the only stole that Rev. Johnson owned. The stole was of significant value to him because it was lovingly made for him by hand by his wife. As he "participated in a Communion Service," states Rev. Johnson, "I made a conscious decision not to wear my stole, or any stole which the church could have given me to use. It was, for me, a small symbolic decision to express my love, concern and solidarity with the many other clergy, both gay and straight, who stoles represented a far greater personal sacrifice. I give it in honor of our lesbian daughter, and the thousands of wonderful people like her, who have experienced the pain of rejection and condemnation by the church. I do so with the hope that it may contribute, in some way, to that day when the church may again be the faithful 'Body of Christ,' witnessing to the loving, inclusive God we have come to know in Christ."
Read the story of Troy Plummer and an explanation of his stole (hanging on the left). Linda E. Enger and Eleanora N. Piombino sent the stole (click on little picture for larger one) that he wore at their covenant service in Houston (August 1999) to the project.
Given to the collection for General Conference will become a permanent part of the Stoles Project and will travel after General Conference, continuing to tell the story of the vital contributions Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people make in our United Methodist churches.
Stoles can be sent directly to the Shower of Stoles Project 57 Upton Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55405. For more information, contact Martha Juillerat, Director of the Stole Project, (612) 377-8792 e-mail stoleproj@aol.com.
A M A R
Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgendered Concerns
Methodist Federation for Social Action
and Reconciling Congregation Program
Coordinators: Jeanne Knepper, Affirmation - Kathryn Johnson, MFSA - Marilyn Alexander, RCP
Contact AMAR Office: (216) 443-1000
As an independent voice of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer people, Affirmation radically reclaims the compassionate and transforming gospel of Jesus Christ by relentlessly pursuing full inclusion in the Church as we journey with the Spirit in creating God's beloved community. We affirm a Gospel of respect, love, justice and mercy for all. Affirmation is an activist, all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization with no official ties to The United Methodist Church.
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