That All May Freely Serve

173 TV

During the next ten months, 173 separate votes will be taken in the Presbyterian Church (USA) to open the whole church to greater openness, equality and fairness for LGBT persons. All across the country, thousands of church members will participate in the voting to ratify an amendment to the Presbyterian Constitution to remove the barrier to ordination for GLBT persons who want to serve their church – and we need you to let them know why it matters!

Background

In the summer of 2010 the Presbyterian General Assembly – the national legislative body which meets biannually – took just such a vote to remove the barriers to ordination for LGBT members. Now the Constitutional change needs to be ratified by 50% of the 173 regional governing bodies, called presbyteries. Each presbytery will vote according to its own schedule, but the votes must take place before June of 2011.

So, over the next several months, Presbyterians will have the chance to make a difference in overcoming religious prejudice against LGBT people.

Who gets to vote?

Every Presbyterian Minister and an equal number of Presbyterian lay leaders called Elders serve as commissioners to presbytery meetings: people like your Presbyterian aunt, or your neighbor down the street, or your pastor, or that seminary graduate now making your double espresso at Starbucks, or maybe even someone exactly like you.

What would you tell them?

4 What story of hope would you offer?

4 If you’ve left the church, because of its prejudice and fear,
what would make you come back?

4 If you feel called to serve the church, what are your dreams?

4 What would a welcoming, vibrant, revitalized, relevant church be like?

4 What’s the message you would share to help those voters gain a new perspective?

Put it into a video, and send it to us.

That All May Freely Serve, a grassroots organization working for fairness, dignity and welcome for all persons in the Presbyterian Church, is launching

173 TV

to speak directly to each of those Presbyterians who has this historic chance to make a difference in decreasing fear and discrimination, and increasing love, justice and welcome.

We will post videos throughout the year, and in July of 2011 we will award the best video with the grand prize of:

WAIT FOR IT…

A FABULOUS TRIP FOR 2

(+ 1 Book of Order)

TO ROCHESTER NY

– If you’re lucky, it won’t be in January –

You’ll…

… visit the World Headquarters of TAMFS, the Downtown United Presbyterian Church: a passionate, progressive Presbyterian congregation.

… tour the house where Susan B. Anthony helped launch the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

… stand on the rock where Charles Finney preached.

… visit the gravesite of abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

… tour the Strong Museum of Play (a museum about toys, but not a toy-sized museum).

… see the George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film

… listen to some great music.

… perhaps pick a lilac and toss your hat in to the Erie Canal!

… And – no matter what – each entrant will receive “SOMETHING FABULOUS!”

Rules, hints, tricks, and ways to bribe the judges:

· TAMFS believes in the power of people telling their stories and speaking the truth in love in order to change votes through changing hearts. ß BIG HINT!

· Videos should be no more than 3 minutes in length.

· Individuals and groups of individuals – youth groups, women’s circles, the Chancel Choir, bible study groups, students avoiding writing papers – can submit videos.

· Videos must meet the standards for audio and visual quality for YouTube, such as they are.

· TAMFS reserves the right to determine which videos to post and share.

· Generally, we like to laugh.

· But, shucks, we’re not afraid to cry!

· No profane, derogatory or otherwise snarky language.

· No harming of animals, sacred objects, or house plants.

· No nudity, just in case you were thinking about it!

· And, we are pretty sure that Moses, Jesus, Calvin, or our moms didn’t think much of bribery, so we don’t
recommend trying. (But chocolate is delicious.)

SO, NOW THAT YOU’VE MADE THAT VIDEO…