Gay Marriage--a matter of Religious Freedom

The United Church of Christ has a long tradition of working for social justice and last week it's most recent advocacy effort caught national media attention.  Two years ago, North Carolina not only banned gay marriage; the law makes it a misdemeanor for an officiant to perform a wedding ceremony without a license. Last Monday, the United Church of Christ filed suit against the state of North Carolina, contending that the legislation is unconstitutional because it infringes on the rights of clergy to religious freedom.  Melissa Harris of msnbc summarized the social justice history of our denomination as an introduction to an interview with Ben Guess, our denominational minister for Local Church Ministries.  You can watch the summary piece at www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/faith-based-action-oriented-toward-justice-246227523719.  The interview and discussion of the current lawsuit can be found at www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/faith-based-argument-for-marriage-equality-246241347575

Opening Our Doors, Opening Our Hearts

The 10th Annual Opening Our Doors Conference will be held this Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17, in various locations. Keynote Speaker is the Rev. Mel White, author of Stranger at the Gate: To be Gay and Christian in America. Dr. White was recognized by the ACLU for his application of the principles of non-violence resistence to the struggle for justice for sexual minorities. Dr. White will speak at 7:30 at First United Methodist Church. On Saturday he will speak at 10:00 at Marshall School Auditorium. On Saturday afternoon, also at Marshall School, a panel of speakers representing various religious traditions will talk about marriage equality. The Conference will conclude Saturday evening with the musical work Joshua and the Promised Land produced at Peace UCC, 7:00 p.m. Pilgrim Congregational Church is an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ and has been a co-sponsor and supporter of the Opening Our Doors Conference throughout its history.