More Light Presbyterians
Encyclopedia
More Light Presbyterians is a coalition of congregations and individuals in the Presbyterian Church (USA)
committed to increasing the involvement of all people in the church, regardless of sexuality. More Light churches endorse the mission statement:
Sindt invited sympathetic individuals within the church to join what he first called the "Presbyterian Gay Caucus," later changing the name to "Presbyterians for Gay Concerns," and then "Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (PLGC)." At that time all national Presbyterian organizations were required to submit an annual report to the General Assembly, and the PLGC was invited to do so by William P. Thompson, Stated Clerk of the assembly. However, after two hours of debate, the assembly refused to accept the group's report. Subsequently, reports from the group were written, submitted, and rejected every year until 1979.http://www.mlp.org/resources/history.html#plgc
It was after the 190th meeting of the General Assembly in 1978, when the assembly approved a statement that "homosexuality is not God's wish for humanity" and "unrepentant homosexual practice does not accord with the requirements for ordination" that several Presbyterian congregations adopted policies welcoming lesbian and gay members and affirming their right to ordination as deacon
and elder if elected by the congregation and found qualified by the session.http://www.mlp.org/resources/history.html#mlcn
Although there were other Presbyterian congregations which had been actively welcoming lesbian and gay members (notably the Munn Avenue Presbyterian Church and the West Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles), the first congregation to make a formal statement from the pulpit declaring itself a More Light Church was West Park Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in 1978 [Glaser, Chris (1997) "Writings of Our Movement in the Presbyterian Church - Part Two - The Early Middly Years 1978-1979" in Illuminations 1997]http://www.dnainfo.com/20110513/upper-west-side/gay-clergy-victory-followed-33-year-fight-by-uws-churchhttp://www.rutgerschurch.com/Sermons/sermon062401.html.
At that time, Rev. Robert Davidson, pastor of West Park made the following statement from the pulpit:
"In harmony with the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, West-Park Church affirms the civil rights of all person. Further, in keeping with our General Assembly’s guidelines, this community of faith welcomes as members homosexual persons who both seek and have found Christ’s love.
This local congregation will not select one particular element from a person’s total humanity as a basis for denying full participation and service in the body of Christ. Nor will this community of faith condemn or judge our brothers and sisters who declare their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and promise discipleship to Him. We affirm that in meeting each other in Christian love. God’s spirit frees us all to live and grow, liberated from the oppression invoked upon us by ourselves and others.
Within this context, West-Park Presbyterian Church reaches out to Christian and non-Christian homosexual persons with a ministry of support, caring and openness—a ministry in which the creative, liberating power of the Holy Spirit rules and guides." http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/
The More Light Churches Network (MLCN) was formalized in 1992, and in June 1998 the group combined with the former Presbyterians for Gay and Lesbian Concerns to make a single organization, More Light Presbyterians.http://www.mlp.org/index.php?topic=aboutmlp
More Light is one of several American Christian LGBT-welcoming church programs
working for gay inclusion in America. Similar groups in other denominations are "Reconciling Congregations
" among the Methodists, "Open and Affirming Congregations
" in the United Church of Christ
and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
, "Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
" in the Baptist church, and "Reconciled in Christ Congregations
" among the Evangelical Lutherans.
, spiritual leader of the pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony
, died in England before he could join his followers in the New World. In 1646, governor Edward Winslow
recalled Robinson's farewell to the pilgrims as they set sail on the Mayflower
. Robinson had urged the pilgrims to be open to new religious teaching, and:
No teacher yet had perfect knowledge of God, Robinson had said:
In the 1850s the Congregationalist
hymnwriter George Rawson (1807-1889) used Robinson's speech as the basis of his hymn "We Limit Not the Truth of God," with the lyric:
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
committed to increasing the involvement of all people in the church, regardless of sexuality. More Light churches endorse the mission statement:
- "Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA)."
History
The informal beginning of the More Light movement was in 1974, when David Bailey Sindt, at a meeting of the Presbyterian General Assembly, held up a sign reading "Is anybody else out there gay?"Sindt invited sympathetic individuals within the church to join what he first called the "Presbyterian Gay Caucus," later changing the name to "Presbyterians for Gay Concerns," and then "Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (PLGC)." At that time all national Presbyterian organizations were required to submit an annual report to the General Assembly, and the PLGC was invited to do so by William P. Thompson, Stated Clerk of the assembly. However, after two hours of debate, the assembly refused to accept the group's report. Subsequently, reports from the group were written, submitted, and rejected every year until 1979.http://www.mlp.org/resources/history.html#plgc
It was after the 190th meeting of the General Assembly in 1978, when the assembly approved a statement that "homosexuality is not God's wish for humanity" and "unrepentant homosexual practice does not accord with the requirements for ordination" that several Presbyterian congregations adopted policies welcoming lesbian and gay members and affirming their right to ordination as deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and elder if elected by the congregation and found qualified by the session.http://www.mlp.org/resources/history.html#mlcn
Although there were other Presbyterian congregations which had been actively welcoming lesbian and gay members (notably the Munn Avenue Presbyterian Church and the West Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles), the first congregation to make a formal statement from the pulpit declaring itself a More Light Church was West Park Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in 1978 [Glaser, Chris (1997) "Writings of Our Movement in the Presbyterian Church - Part Two - The Early Middly Years 1978-1979" in Illuminations 1997]http://www.dnainfo.com/20110513/upper-west-side/gay-clergy-victory-followed-33-year-fight-by-uws-churchhttp://www.rutgerschurch.com/Sermons/sermon062401.html.
At that time, Rev. Robert Davidson, pastor of West Park made the following statement from the pulpit:
"In harmony with the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, West-Park Church affirms the civil rights of all person. Further, in keeping with our General Assembly’s guidelines, this community of faith welcomes as members homosexual persons who both seek and have found Christ’s love.
This local congregation will not select one particular element from a person’s total humanity as a basis for denying full participation and service in the body of Christ. Nor will this community of faith condemn or judge our brothers and sisters who declare their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and promise discipleship to Him. We affirm that in meeting each other in Christian love. God’s spirit frees us all to live and grow, liberated from the oppression invoked upon us by ourselves and others.
Within this context, West-Park Presbyterian Church reaches out to Christian and non-Christian homosexual persons with a ministry of support, caring and openness—a ministry in which the creative, liberating power of the Holy Spirit rules and guides." http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/
The More Light Churches Network (MLCN) was formalized in 1992, and in June 1998 the group combined with the former Presbyterians for Gay and Lesbian Concerns to make a single organization, More Light Presbyterians.http://www.mlp.org/index.php?topic=aboutmlp
More Light is one of several American Christian LGBT-welcoming church programs
LGBT-welcoming church programs
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender affirming religious groups are religious groups that welcome LGBT members and do not consider homosexuality to be a sin. They include entire religious denominations, as well as individual churches and synagogues...
working for gay inclusion in America. Similar groups in other denominations are "Reconciling Congregations
Reconciling Ministries Network
The Reconciling Ministries Network is an organization dedicated to the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in both the policy and practices of United Methodist Church...
" among the Methodists, "Open and Affirming Congregations
Open and affirming
Open and Affirming is an official designation of congregations and other settings within the United Church of Christ denomination affirming the full inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons in that setting's life and ministry.The Open and Affirming program is administered...
" in the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
, "Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists is a group consisting of Baptist individuals, organizations, and congregations that are committed to advocating and encouraging the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the lives and ministries of Baptist churches...
" in the Baptist church, and "Reconciled in Christ Congregations
Lutherans Concerned/North America
Lutherans Concerned/North America is an organization of laypeople, pastors, and congregations that are primarily from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada who are working for the full acceptance and inclusion of people of all sexual orientations...
" among the Evangelical Lutherans.
Origin of the name "More Light"
John RobinsonJohn Robinson (pastor)
John Robinson was the pastor of the "Pilgrim Fathers" before they left on the Mayflower. He became one of the early leaders of the English Separatists, minister of the Pilgrims, and is regarded as one of the founders of the Congregational Church.-Early life:Robinson was born in Sturton le Steeple...
, spiritual leader of the pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
, died in England before he could join his followers in the New World. In 1646, governor Edward Winslow
Edward Winslow
Edward Winslow was an English Pilgrim leader on the Mayflower. He served as the governor of Plymouth Colony in 1633, 1636, and finally in 1644...
recalled Robinson's farewell to the pilgrims as they set sail on the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
. Robinson had urged the pilgrims to be open to new religious teaching, and:
- ...if God should reveal anything to us by any other instrument of his, to be as ready to receive it, as ever we were to receive any truth by his Ministry. For he was very confident the Lord had more truth and light yet to break forth out of his holy Word.
No teacher yet had perfect knowledge of God, Robinson had said:
- "For though they were precious shining lights in their Times, yet God had not revealed his whole will to them; and were they now living," saith he, "they would be as ready and willing to embrace further light as that they had received."
In the 1850s the Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
hymnwriter George Rawson (1807-1889) used Robinson's speech as the basis of his hymn "We Limit Not the Truth of God," with the lyric:
- We limit not the truth of God to our poor reach of mind --
- By notions of our day and sect -- crude, partial, and confined
- That universe, how much unknown! that ocean unexplored
- For God hath yet more light and truth to break forth from the Word.
- Eternal God, Incarnate Word, Spirit of flame and dove,
- enlarge, expand all living souls to comprehend your love;
- and help us all to seek your will with wiser powers conferred
- O God, grant yet more light and truth to break forth from the Word.http://www.mlp.org/article.php/20041025123421160/print