COMMUNITY GROUPS
United Church of Christ
to receive HRC Award
by Jackie Cassara Cleveland-The United Church of Christ will be honored for its longtime support and recognition of the lesbian and gay community, as the recipient of the Torch Award at the 4th Annual Human Rights Campaign dinner.
Scheduled for Saturday, April 19 at the Marriott Key Center, the Cleveland event is one of 25 such dinners held across America as fundraisers for the HRC. Each local committee chooses an individual or organization whose efforts have consistently supported gay and lesbian rights. Former Attorney General Lee Fisher, Rep. Louis Stokes and Sen.
Chesterland
Community Church; Archwood UCC; Liberation UCC; Euclid Avenue Congregational Church UCC; Grace UCC in Norton; and First Church in Oberlin.
The Rev. Dr. William R. Johnson was recently appointed the UCC's first national
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Howard Metzenbaum were the first three recipients of the Cleveland award. This will be the first time the Cleveland award has been given to an organization.
The Torch Award will be accepted by the Rev. Dr. Paul H. Sherry, president of the UCC. The 1.5 million member de-
nomination has its national headquarters in Cleveland.
"Dr. Sherry was on the front lines, campaigning for social justice before it was the popular thing to do," said Elizabeth Berrey, co-chair of this year's event. "He testified before Congress, discouraging ‘don't ask, don't tell' policies for the U.S. military; and has addressed the World Council of Churches, educating other leaders of Protestant denominations about gender-related issues."
Sherry
Among mainline Christian denominations in North America, the United Church of Christ is considered the most welcoming to gay and lesbian people as both members and ministers. Though the degree of openness varies from place to place within the church, the UCC's national body of delegates-the General Synod—has encouraged its churches to declare themselves "Open and Affirming" congregations, inviting gay and lesbian people to participate fully and openly in the life of the church.
In northeastern Ohio, eight UCC congregations have voted to become Open and Affirming. They are: Pilgrim Congregational UCC; Brecksville UCC;
staff minister for lesbian and gay concerns. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ordination this year, Johnson is believed to be the first openly gay man ever ordained to Christian ministry. Since 1990, Johnson has served as the United Church of Christ's Board for Homeland Ministries' HIV/AIDS ministries specialist. He will continue in that capacity, adding "lesbian, gay, bisexual and general minority concerns" to his areas of responsibility. Founder of the United Church Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Concerns in 1972, Johnson has been a primary author of many of the UCC's progressive social policies regarding lesbian and gay con-
cerns.
The Rev. Lois M. Powell, an openly lesbian minister, was reJohnson cently elected executive
director of the UCC's
coordinating Center for Women in Church and Society, charged with developing policies and programs to address women's concerns and eliminate sexism both inside and
outside the church. Another lesbian minister, the Rev. Arlene K. Nehring, was recently installed as associate director and dean of the Diaconal Academy of the UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries. A growing number of openly gay and lesbian ministers have been ordained in recent years, and many have been called to pastor congregations.
Powell
All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Human Rights Campaign. Tickets are $150 per person after April 1. For reservations or more information, call 216779-6444.
APRIL 4, 1997 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
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