Gay Rights

Koinonia Congregational Church is excited to announce Harry Knox, the Director, Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program as honored guest of Koinonia Congregational Church in Second Life to speak on the topic of LGBT inclusion in the full life of the church.

This will be held online - in Second Life at beginning at 4PM SLT (7PM EST) with a reception and extending into the evening with a discussion of the 8 points of Progressive Christianity.

If you are already a resident of Second Life you can attend this event using this link http://slurl.com/secondlife/Xenia/157/108/37 You may also follow that link to sign up for a free account.

You may also listen to the event live using audio software such as iTunes or Winamp by accessing the stream at http://koinonia.secondstreaming.com:9056/

---About Harry Knox---
Harry Knox joined the staff of the Human Rights Campaign in July 2005. Under his leadership the HRC Religion and Faith Program has seen the creation of a national speakers' bureau that reaches more than 10 million Americans monthly and a weekly preaching resource that provides scriptural commentary to ministers and lay people interested in an ecumenical gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender perspective on the Bible.

---About the Human Rights Campaign---

Koinonia Congregational Church is excited to announce Harry Knox, the Director, Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program as honored guest of Koinonia Congregational Church in Second Life to speak on the topic of LGBT inclusion in the full life of the church.

This will be held online - in Second Life at beginning at 4PM SLT (7PM EST) with a reception and extending into the evening with a discussion of the 8 points of Progressive Christianity.

If you are already a resident of Second Life you can attend this event using this link http://slurl.com/secondlife/Xenia/157/108/37 You may also follow that link to sign up for a free account.

You may also listen to the event live using audio software such as iTunes or Winamp by accessing the stream at http://koinonia.secondstreaming.com:9056/

---About Harry Knox---
Harry Knox joined the staff of the Human Rights Campaign in July 2005. Under his leadership the HRC Religion and Faith Program has seen the creation of a national speakers' bureau that reaches more than 10 million Americans monthly and a weekly preaching resource that provides scriptural commentary to ministers and lay people interested in an ecumenical gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender perspective on the Bible.

---About the Human Rights Campaign---

I post these from time to time to let folks know this newsletter is available as a resource from the Human Rights Campaign.

Second Life to be Venue for Real Lesbian Wedding United Church of Christ Pastor From Massachusetts to Preside

Koinonia Congregational Church in Second Life is happy to announce the wedding ceremony of Sophianne Rhode and her partner, Vidalia Shepherd.
Sophianne Rhode is the avatar representation of Kimberly Knight and Vidalia Shepherd is the avatar of LeAnne Browning. The ceremony will be held January 19th, 2007 at 4pm Second Life Time (7 pm Eastern) in the sanctuary.
Pandion Halasy will be the officiant at the ceremony. Pandion is the avatar of Rev. Ian Lynch of Brimfield First Congregational Church (UCC) in Brimfield, Massachusetts and has been an active member of Koinonia
Congregational in Second Life for many months. Kimberly and LeAnne and
their two daughters live in Atlanta, Georgia. Adelph Gustafson and Tecak Oyen will be the best men at the ceremony and Skilly Infinity and Sequioa Pinion will be the best women. Adelph Gustafson is the avatar of John Peterson, third year M.Div student at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and Skilly Infinity is the Second Life avatar name of Kathy Makus, a United Methodist pastor.

Koinonia Congregational Church is an online ministry that is open to all persons regardless of how one identifies oneself in society or internally and likewise regardless of how one represents oneself in Second Life.

I know I am not going to find many conservative Christian voters on this site. I am putting this out as a "Letter to the Editor" to several local papers, in my conservative rural Northern Michigan area. Do you know of any conservative Christian blogs that I could post this on?

To Conservative Christian Voters

As we are in primary election season and as another Presidential Election approaches, I would like to address this to the conservative people of faith or what is sometimes called the “values voter”. You have voted for conservative candidates in the last several elections because of abortion and Gay rights issues. I write to you as a fellow follower of Christ who respects your religious opinions, although I may not agree with all of them.

Rev. Chuck Currie has called us to action...please read his post first:

Let's all give this folks a call: 1-800-333-3735

http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2007/09/insurance-compa.html

Dear colleagues, HRC has sent out the following request for religious leaders to endorse this letter to be sent to the House of Representatives in support of the Employment Non-discirimation Act. If you are a clergy person who can add your name and affiliation to this letter, please email james.servino@hrc.org as soon as possible. Thank you for your support of LGT persons!

Rev. Debra W. Haffner
Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing

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Interfaith Clergy Letter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 11, 2007
Aric Caplan | Phone: 301.770.0550

Faith Leaders Speak Out in Support of Senate Passage of Hate Crimes Legislation
More than 1300 sign letter urging Senate to pass the Matthew Shepard Act; New Print Ad Highlights Black Clergy Support

I've been wrestling with Jesus for almost 50 years.

I mean, the guy has this way of getting all over you, under your skin, moving inside your head and never letting go!

The longer I have studied, listened to and observed him in the biblical record, in terms of his historical impact and in regard to the effect he has had on my own life and world, the more convinced I am that most people don't really understand him, what he said or who he was.