INSIDE A GAY CHURCH (FLASHBACK)

INSIDE A GAY CHURCH
Pastor says many gay weddings done in Jamaica
BY INGRID BROWN 

Sunday, May 06, 2007

The leader of an American-based gay church last week officiated at the 'renewal of vows' of two middle-aged Jamaican lesbians in Kingston and used the weekly 'church' service to encourage homosexuals here to get out of the closet and stand up for what they believe.

"Staying in the closet never makes us safe," Rev Elder Nancy Wilson, moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC), told the congregation of more than 150 gay men and women.
"We are safer in numbers, and the important thing to remember is that MCC will always be behind you," she said to much applause.



During the service, which used the theme 'My Sheep Hear My Voice', Wilson told her flock that Jesus never got angry at people others call sinners, but was the kind of Shepherd who didn't want to lose one sheep.
"No church, no mob, no person can snatch us out of the hands of the beloved," she said, to shouts of 'amen' and 'hallelujah'.

The two women who renewed their vows have been 'married' for two of the five years they have been together, the Sunday Observer was told.
The congregation, which also included children, some as young as seven years old, all cheered as the couple read their vows, promising to love, cherish and be faithful to each other for the rest of their lives.

And even as a few males milled around the premises, obviously on the look-out for possible attackers, Wilson reaffirmed the couple's union as she prayed, asking God to bless the relationship.
The couple, all smiles, held hands throughout the brief ceremony before sealing the moment with a kiss on the lips, again to cheers and smiles from the congregation.
In an interview with the Sunday Observer after the 'service', Wilson said there have been many such gay marriage ceremonies done in Jamaica.

She could not give any numbers, but claimed that these kinds of ceremonies have been ongoing for a very long time. And although in the past there was no church-like setting to facilitate the nuptials, persons have been having private ceremonies in their homes and elsewhere. These ceremonies, she said, have always been officiated by ordained ministers who, she claimed, are also members of the gay community.


MCC moderator Rev Nancy Wilson (left) and her partner, Paula. >>>>>>>

"Gay people have always been getting married here in Jamaica, it is just that nobody knows about it," Wilson said, adding that they do refer to the gay union as marriage.

Wilson, who said she was in Jamaica to give support to the gay community, told the Sunday Observer that she had met several lesbian couples who have been married for many years, and a lot of them have children who live in homes with same-sex parents.
"These children are also affected by the prejudices of their family," she said. "All the statistics show that children raised by gay and lesbians have no more problems than anybody else's children."
She also claimed that there are a number of male couples who have their biological children living at home with them here in Jamaica because they have gotten custody of them.

Over the years, a lot of attention has been focussed on the male homosexual community in Jamaica where intolerance of that lifestyle is very high.
In recent weeks, a number of beatings of alleged homosexual men by members of the public have been reported in the media.
According to Wilson, homosexual lifestyle is practised by many women in Jamaica as well.

"Since I got here, I went to a gay and lesbian social and there were as many women there as men," she said, adding "we had a few older women, but most of them were young women."
"They were laughing and talking and some of them had their children with them," she added.
She said before last Sunday's service, she and her partner, Paula, of 30 years, whom she married in 2004, conducted a session for eight couples who wanted to learn more about sustaining a successful long-term relationship.
"There are still those women who are just coming out and they are dating, but they are not serious yet about settling down," Wilson said.

Although the union is illegal in Jamaica, Wilson said they are looking forward to the day when same-sex partners can be afforded similar health, insurance and inheritance rights accorded to heterosexual couples.

"My own mother and Paula's mother say isn't it interesting that Britney Spears can get married in Las Vegas and in 24 hours she can have more rights than I have with my partner in 30 years," she said.
Wilson said she was particularly impressed with the leadership of the gay community in Jamaica and described them as "very educated, devoted and committed".
Addressing the congregation on Sunday, Wilson said God was doing something in Jamaica which cannot be stopped as the day is coming when the country will witness an open Gay Pride similar to that held in the United States and Europe.

The two-hour long church service, which started a little after mid-day, began with praise and worship by the majority male choir.
Following the musical selections, call to worship, welcome, and prayers, it was time for testimonies. There were echoes all around of 'hallelujah', 'praise the Lord' and 'amen' as the congregation hung onto the words of each person who stood to testify.
"In a country torn by hatred, what I am looking for is a church of love and unity," said one young man.

This led the jam-packed assembly to sing "I feel like running, skipping praise the Lord" followed by another bout of testimonies.
Another young man, in-between many hallelujahs, up-raised hands and rocking body movements, could not contain himself as he gave a stirring rendition of Yes, Jesus Loves Me. He was joined immediately by the entire congregation.
One middle-aged woman who got up to testify said, "Like the Apostles who knew that if they were discovered worshipping God they could be killed, that is how we are today, because every time we meet to worship Christ, we can be killed."
Shouts of 'amen' followed her testimony.

Another male read from Revelation 7: 9-17, which details the events after the great Tribulation before the moderator led the congregation in the responsive reading of the 23rd Psalm.
The offering was collected, followed by communion, which was taken by many, including children. One by one, the members of the congregation streamed forward to have the wine-soaked bread placed on their tongues.

In some instances, persons went up as a couple and received the bread together while Wilson laid her hands on them and prayed. One young man, his arm draped around the shoulder of an obviously younger man, went forward. Wilson laid her hands on their heads and prayed.

In the moment of intercession, the group read a prayer affirming wisdom for the governor-general, prime minister, members of parliament, civic and judicial authorities and community leaders.
The MCC church was founded in 1968 by Rev Troy Perry, a Pentecostal minister who, after confessing to his superior that he was gay, was immediately excommunicated.

Wilson said after years of despair during which Perry attempted to take his own life, he had a revelation that God still loved him.
"When he survived that attempt, God told him He didn't make junk and that He doesn't have stepsons or daughters so he was His son whom He loved," she said.

After this 'revelation', Perry held the first MCC church service on October 6, 1968. "There were 12 people at this service and from that we now have 300 churches in 28 countries," Wilson said.
"We have very traditional beliefs in many ways. We are a Trinitarian church. We believe in the scriptures as the word of God and we believe in the old and new testaments," she said
Wilson added that communion services are held every Sunday, reflecting elements of Catholic and Anglican beliefs.
"We embrace people from all backgrounds, so if you are Pentecostal you are welcome to speak in tongues because we believe in the gift of the spirit," she said.