FAITH BASED OUTREACH COMMITTEE:
increasing understanding in a safe, open and educational environment
PFLAG is non-sectarian, non-denominational and is not affiliated with any religious institution. see policies.See special announcement below: Two workshops with Dr. Robert Minor.
“How to be an Effective Human Rights Advocate,” (from 10:00 a.m. to noon)
“New Strategies for Combating Homophobia During Difficult Times” (from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.)
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The Faith Based Outreach committee is a collaborative effort between PFLAG/Mid-Missouri – Columbia, and our larger, local “umbrella” organization, the Mid-Missouri LGBT Coalition. This committee exists to promote dialog and discussion on the issue of homosexuality within the local religious community, for the purpose of increasing understanding in a safe, open and educational environment. It was started in the Fall of 2004 by a number of local activists and concerned individuals who agreed that religious-based opposition to LGBT equality was (and is) the major obstacle for human and civil rights advancement for LGBT American citizens.
For this reason, several members of PFLAG and the LGBT Coalition came together to form Faith Based Outreach, with the purpose of reaching out to various faith based organizations. The committee has created a powerful slide presentation using Power Point technology that may be taken into churches, schools and community organizations, for the purpose of generating dialog, and hopefully in the process, to open hearts and minds. The title of this Power Point program is A Call to Come Out, which refers to the hope of calling on Mid-Missouri faith groups to speak up and to ally themselves with the LGBT community in its struggle for equal rights and protections under the law.
Faith Based Outreach committee members and volunteers hope to encourage members of local progressive congregations to begin countering the hate, bigotry and intolerance that we see coming from so many conservative faith based organizations, and to demonstrate in practice, through courage and education, that the intolerance and hate coming from some on the religious right do not reflect the will or the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Faith Based Outreach committee members include Jason Ksepka, Audrey Mortensen, Linda and Clayton Hayes, and Steve Clayton.
see: Freedom to Serve Partnership below
Saturday, June 28th, 2008 in the Friends Room at the Columbia Public Library: Two workshops with Dr. Robert Minor.
“How to be an Effective Human Rights Advocate,” (from 10:00 a.m. to noon)
“New Strategies for Combating Homophobia During Difficult Times” (from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.)
Lunch will be provided by the Columbia Chapter of PFLAG.
These workshops and lunch are FREE, thanks to a generous grant from the City of Columbia Human Rights Commission and support from The Mid-Missouri LGBT Coalition and PFLAG-Mid-Missouri - Columbia. Dr. Minor's books will be available thanks to Peace Works
Dr Robert Minor is a religious studies professor at KU, author, and founder of The Fairness Project.
The Fairness Project founded in 2001, grew out of over ten years of workshops Dr. Minor has led for religious, civic, business, and community
groups regionally and nationwide.
"Bob" leads workshops on gender roles, homophobia, and racism for universities, colleges, churches, businesses, government organizations, and community and religious groups throughout the US as well as workshops for non-heterosexuals on personal growth beyond "coming out" and how to be a healthy activist.
He is a regular conference presenter for the NGLTF's "Creating Change " Conference, and for PFLAG, locally, regionally, and nationally. He worked closely with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in its Kansas City "Communities of Faith" projects. In 1999 GLAAD awarded him its Leadership Award for Education.
His first popularly written book, Scared Straight: Why It's So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It's So Hard to Be Human which received laudatory reviews around the country since and has been a finalist for a number of literary awards.
The mission of The Fairness Project is simple and multi-faceted: to promote fair and positive understanding of all human beings regardless of sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, nationality, race, ethnicity, age, or abilities, by educating and advocating for fundamental structural change and personal healing. We are convinced that all issues of fairness are related, that all oppressions are connected, and that all discrimination must end so that every human being can live and flourish as a full human being.
THE FREEDOM TO SERVE PARTNERSHIPThe members of the Freedom to Serve Partnership meet every fourth Tuesday of the month, with the exception of November and December, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1600 W. Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, at 3:00 p.m. Meetings generally last one hour.MISSION STATEMENTThe Freedom to Serve Partnership is a group in Missouri Union Presbytery open to ministers and lay people who wish to engage in study, prayer, and dialogue on matters of human sexuality as they relate to Christian faith and practice. Our purposes are:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATIONContact person and email Co-convener Pam Sebastian (PastorPam@socket.net) or any of our members who are:Rev. A. John Anderson (retired) Mrs. Dorothy Angell Rev. James Blanton (founder, retired) Rev. Brian Butler Mr. Rolf Christen Dr. James Craigmile Kathleen Edwards Barbara Garrison Mary S. Harris Brooks Heaton Rev. Charlene Heaton (former convener) Rev. David Henry Rev. Jay Ketchie (retired) Rev. Timothy Kiser Ms. Kathryn Knipschild Dr. Wallis D. Landrum Brevard Law Rev. James Long (co-convener) Rev. George McCall (former convener, retired) Rev. Raymond Massey Rev. Ichiro Matsuda (retired) Rev. Carolyn Pratt (deceased) Rev. Ronald Roberts (semi-retired) Rev. Pam Sebastian (co-convener) Dr. Milo & Norma Spurgeon Rev. John Swisher Rev. Mary Ellen Waychoff Barbara Weir Dr. William Young We respect the request of any of our members to particpate anonymously. |
Photos from the May 2006 Faith Based Outreach Spring Conference
with Michael Adee
with Michael Adee
Don Dressel, Michael Adee, Linda Hayes at the Pasta Factory
Rev. Jack Barden, Steve Clayton, Michael Adee, Linda Hayes and Don
Dressel
Rev. Maureen Dickmann and Michael Adee at Rock Bridge Christian
Church
Michael Adee and Patrick Sammon of the Liberty Education Forum (our
sponsor) at the all-day workshop held on May 6th on the MU campus.
Tribune article featuring Linda and Clayton Hayes:
Open doors, open hearts
Church members discuss struggles of gay Christians
Published Saturday, April 29, 2006
ARCHIVE of Past Events
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The mission of the Faith Based Outreach Committee is to promote dialog and discussion on the issue of homosexuality in the religious community with the purpose of increasing understanding in a safe, open and educational environment. The committee meets on the first Saturday of the month at 10:00am at Columbia Public Library. All are welcome to come. HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION? contact Linda Hayes 573-864-1431 |