| | Metropolitan Community Churches Tearing Down Walls. Building Up Hope. | | | | 
| | Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson | | | 
| | Rev. Elder Darlene Garner | | | | MCC ANNOUNCES CREATION OF JOINT MCC/FELLOWSHIP COLLABORATION TEAM | | On September 11, 2007, the MCC Board of Elders hosted the leadership of The Fellowship in a historic meeting that marked the official beginning of intentional relationship-building between the two faith-based groups.
The Fellowship is a cross-denominational fellowship of primarily African-American Christian leaders representing churches and faith-based organizations from diverse geographic and theological backgrounds. The overriding purpose of The Fellowship is to support religious leaders, both clergy and laity, in moving towards a theology of radical inclusivity which, by its very nature, requires an equally radical social ministry reaching to the furthest margins of society to serve all in need without prejudice or discrimination. www.RadicallyInclusive.com
Founded in 1968, Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) is the world's largest and oldest Christian denomination with a primary, affirming ministry to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals. Known as the "Human Rights Church" for its commitment to social justice, local MCC congregations can be found in 28 countries around the world. www.MCCchurch.org The MCC/Fellowship leadership body declared solidarity and committed to work in unity on three objectives. 1. Resistance to and healing of religious and spiritual violence perpetrated against people who have traditionally lived at the margins of society, including people suffering from substance abuse; people living with HIV/AIDS and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and inter-sex people; 2. Radical and full inclusion of all people living at the margins of communities of faith and spiritual practice; 3. Commitment to the deep and challenging work toward reconciling the historical divisions in faith and religious communities created by racism, sexism, classism, serophobia and homophobia. 
Rev. Nancy L. Wilson (L), Bishop Yvette A. Flunder (R)
Photo taken on September 11, 2007, at DaySpring Conference Center
in Florida (USA) during discussions that led to the historic joint commitment
to work for "radical inclusivity." | | Next Steps: Joint MCC/Fellowship Collaboration Team | | The leadership of MCC and the Fellowship met again twice in 2008 to prepare the way for strengthening and deepening the organizational relationship. An outcome of those conversations was the decision to create a joint 12-person MCC/Fellowship Collaboration Team. The six MCC representatives to the Joint Collaboration Team are: · Ms. Kathy Beasley, Team Leader (MCC staff and member of Joy MCC in Orlando, FL) · Mr. DeWayne Davis (member of MCC Washington, DC) · Mr. Robert Ferguson (Deacon and member of Jesus MCC in Indianapolis, IN) · Rev. Dr. Cindi Love (MCC Executive Director) · Rev. Dr. Mona West (MCC Director of Formation and Leadership Development) · Rev. Phil Mathews (Pastor of Imani MCC in Durham, NC) The charge to the joint MCC/Fellowship Collaboration Team is to carve out clear steps and decisions that will bring about mutually-beneficial collaboration between the two organizations. The intention is that their work will be completed by and reported to the 2010 MCC General Conference. Potential areas for collaboration that the Team will explore include, but are not limited to, such things as recognition of clergy, affiliation of local congregations, support of local churches and church leaders, collaboration on social justice and human rights efforts, and shared administrative and personnel services. We are eager to receive feedback from you about this next step as MCC and The Fellowship move forward from cooperation to collaboration. You can contact us at RevNancyWilson@MCCchurch.net and RevDarleneGarner@MCCchurch.net. For more information about the MCC/Fellowship Joint Collaboration Team, click here.
In closing, we invite you to join us in prayer that God will bless the work of the Joint MCC/Fellowship Collaboration Team so that we might all grow from strength to strength in our commitment to radical inclusivity.
Grace and Peace,
The Rev. Nancy Wilson, Moderator
The Rev. Darlene Garner, Vice-Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches
www.MCCchurch.org 
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| MCC | PO Box 1374 | Abilene | TX | 79604 |
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