As hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians are forced from their homes in Kosovo, Rev. Greg Dell sees a similar human tragedy playing itself out on a smaller scale within the United Methodist Church, as it prosecutes its clergy for openly violating a church rule
Changing a God of fear into a God of love John McNeill realized his calling to become a priest after sharing a pig’s dinner. He was only 17, and had enlisted in the Army to fight in World War II. His unit was captured by
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) I’ve decided God has one wicked sense of humor. It seems no matter what topic I pick for an upcoming issue, it turns out to be the biggest
Katherine Unthank wants to apologize. She’s sorry for saying “you can’t be gay and Christian.” “There are not too many published apologies out there from the conservative Christian side,” she told me during a recent interview. “Having lived there and made the journey out of
Rev. Jimmy Creech has been without a congregation for a year. On March 13, 1998, Creech was acquitted by a jury of 13 Methodist ministers on charges that he disobeyed the United Methodist Church by blessing the union of two lesbians in September of last
A 21-year old college student is brutally beaten by two men, and left hanging on a Wyoming fencepost. His eventual death is labeled a hate crime, since the young man was gay. His attackers say they only meant to rob him, as if somehow, that
Prayer that craves a particular commodity, anything less than all good, is vicious. Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view. It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul. But prayer as a means to effect
Battling for the heart of Christianity Rejoice gays and lesbians! Bishop John Shelby Spong says our battle has been won already. Bishop Spong’s critics often lambaste him for making statements they find outrageous, and when he told me during a recent interview that our battle
Human authenticity: The key to spirituality When Daniel Helminiak wrote What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, he had several goals in mind. “I wanted a book that would be short, inexpensive, easily accessible and would put out information that would counter what’s coming out
It’s been nearly 10 years since I first set foot inside a Metropolitan Community Church. I didn’t even know such a church, aimed at the spiritual well-being and safety of gays and lesbians, existed, until my partner at the time saw an article in a