Queer Clergy
R.W. Holmen, a Minnesota author and ally, chronicles the journey of gay and lesbian Christians to be fully accepted and fully included in the congregations of mainline Christianity in Queer Clergy: A History of Gay and Lesbian Ministry in American Protestantism, published by the Pilgrim Press.
Reading the Bible in the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
Dr. Terence Diggory: "I offer here my current reading of Genesis 2 and Mark 10 in an effort to keep the conversation going with people who will disagree with me as well as with those who will agree. So far, my reading has not altered my belief that same-sex marriage is consistent with God’s intention for marriage. But my reading has considerably expanded my understanding of God’s redemptive inclusiveness, beyond the confines of sexuality, and of the ways that intention can be traced throughout the Bible. The Bible itself, we should remember, took shape as a conversation that believers today have a responsibility to keep going."
Bible, Gender, Sexuality
One of the resources suggested for further reading in the study of “Christian Marriage in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)” prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship is a recent book by James V. Brownson, Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships, published by Eerdmans in 2013. Tricia Dykers Koenig reviews the content of Brownson's book and commends it as a valuable contribution to the church's ongoing conversation.
Conference videos are posted
A number of videos from plenary sessions of the 2013 Covenant Conference are now posted on the conference archive page. Visit or revisit the exploration of “Marriage Matters” held at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Fall 2013.
LGBT Presbyterian Journeys - A CovNet Video
A gift from the Andrews Foundation made possible this video premiered at the Covenant Network Conference, “Marriage Matters.”Enjoy, share, and continue the work!
Covenant Conference Workshops
Should ministers act as agents of the state in solemnizing marriages? What is shame and how does God make a way beyond it? How do congregations grow intentionally in inclusiveness?These were a few of the issues addressed in workshops at the 2013 Covenant Conference, “Marriage Matters,” held October 31 – November 2 at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. While there’s no substitute for being there, a few of our workshop leaders have graciously shared some of their materials
General Assembly Preview - Tricia Dykers Koenig
The Saturday morning plenary at the 2013 Covenant Conference, "Marriage Matters," included a look at the Covenant Network's work leading up to the 221st General Assembly (2014), to be held in Detroit June 14-21. With a focus on marriage equality, the CovNet Board is supporting both an authoritative interpretation of the current language of the Book of Order to clarify that officiating at a same-gender marriage is not an offense subjecting a minister to discipline, and an amendment to the Directory for Worship to make it more accurate now that marriage equality is spreading in the United States.
“Marriage Matters … Why?” - Brian D. Ellison
A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 7:1-11, 25-38 preached at the Covenant Network Conference, November 2, 2013: "It’s not that the text suggests something simple in the sense of something sentimental, that 'all you need is love.' No mention of love here in this chapter about marriage at all, in fact, not even from the man behind 1 Corinthians 13. No, the simple summary of Paul’s response to the swirling questions about marriage here, about celibacy and abstinence, about mutuality and submission, about complementarity and about sex, we might actually say, is: 'All you need … is God.'”
"A More Perfect Union" - Sharon K. Youngs
A Sermon on Ruth 1:1-22 preached at the Covenant Network Conference, November 1, 2013: "What is married? We say it all the time at weddings, we say it to partners getting ready to marry, we say it to couples working hard to stay married: At its core, marriage is not about passion or emotion or physical attraction. It is not about feelings. At its core, marriage is about covenant, commitment. It is about shared hopes and shared struggles and shared life. At its very best, marriage is an embodiment of God’s hesed – God's steadfast love and faithfulness."
"It's Time" - Amy Plantinga Pauw
An Address to the 2013 Covenant Conference, November 1, 2013: "... I want to linger for a little while on appeals to creation that have resulted in damaging views of marriage, because they have been so pervasive and influential in Christian tradition. I want to make clear at the outset that these views of marriage have been destructive for all people, not just LGBT folks. The movement for marriage equality is an opportunity for Christians to go back and articulate a better theology of marriage for everyone. Why should Christians support marriage equality? It’s time..."
Workshops Will Enrich the "Marriage Matters" Conference
Participants in the 2013 Covenant Conference, "Marriage Matters," will be able to choose two from among 15 exciting workshops. Take a look!
Christian Marriage Study - 50-Minute Version
Some congregations are finding that the sessions of the six-week study on Christian marriage provided by the Office of Theology and Worship are difficult to complete in the usual time available on a Sunday morning. The Rev. Ken Cuthbertson has graciously shared his lesson plans (handouts included) for 50-minute classes. Download Ken's adaptation of the study.
Daniel Vigilante Conference Scholarship
The CovNet Board of Directors has established a scholarship to help seminarians with the expenses of attending the Covenant Conference, in honor of the ordination of board member Dan Vigilante. All seminarians REGISTER FREE, but if you would like to apply for further assistance, you can download the application here. Application deadline for this year's Marriage Matters Conference, October 31 - November 2 in Chicago, is October 1. Contributions to the scholarship fund are also welcome!
Conference Keynotes Will Challenge, Reform, Inspire
The 2013 Covenant Conference will take place at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, October 31 to November 2. In a series of compelling keynote addresses, three of the leading voices of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will bring words of enlightenment and challenge to this year’s Covenant Conference. Don't miss Macky Alston, Amy Plantinga Pauw, and Stacy Johnson. Registration is open now. Read more...
Celebrating the Ordination and Installation of Dan Vigilante
On the afternoon of Sunday, August 25, 2013, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area ordained Daniel Vigilante as a Teaching Elder and installed him as Pastor of Grace-Trinity Community Church and Associate Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis. Dan is a member of the Board of Directors of the Covenant Network, and we rejoice with him as he has, at long last, reached this stage in his ministry. Read more...
"Whose Body Is It, Anyway?"
A sermon by the Rev. Brian D. Ellison at the ordination and installation of the Rev. Daniel Vigilante as Pastor, Grace Trinity Community Church, Minneapolis, and Associate Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area at Westminster Presbyterian Church, August 25, 2013.
A Season of Welcome- Laurene Lafontaine
Laurene Lafontaine is pastor-elect of Community Presbyterian Church in Rochester, MN. She will be installed on September 22, 2013 at Community Presbyterian. Read Laurene's story on A Season of Welcome – https://aseasonofwelcome.org/.
Love the One You're With
A Sermon by Ken Kovacs on Psalm 86 & Romans 13:8-10: "Love of God, we know something about that, although we’re not very good at it. Love for neighbor, we know something more about that, although we’re not very good at that either. But what does it mean to love yourself? It’s clear that the ability to love one’s neighbor is inextricably linked to the ability to love one’s self. But how does one love one’s self without being or becoming selfish? Our response will shape the way we understand the Christian life. So with apologies to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, how do you love the one you’re with? “One” here meaning oneself, this one, this self within, who we are. How do we love ourselves?"
A Season of Welcome- Ken Cuthbertson
Ken Cuthbertson is a member-at-large in Santa Fe Presbytery, and a Parish Associate at Las Placitas Presbyterian Church. His book, The Last Presbyterian?, was published in May 2013. Read Ken's story on A Season of Welcome – https://aseasonofwelcome.org/.
A Season of Welcome - Janet Edwards
The Rev. Janet Edwards is a member at large in the Pittsburgh Presbytery. Read her story on the Covenant Network's website dedicated to celebrating the gifts of ordained LGBTQ Presbyterians, A Season of Welcome - https://aseasonofwelcome.org/.