Creating an Alliance of LGBT-Friendly Churches

by Michael Jones · 2009-01-12 08:03:00 UTC
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LGBT-friendly churchesAtlanta was one of the seats of the civil rights movement of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, especially for churches engaged in the struggle for equal rights.  Today, it's emerging again as an epicenter for progressive religious action, as the organizing grounds for a new organization dedicated to harnessing the power of LGBT-friendly churches.

The Alliance of Affirming Faith Based Organizations is a combination of a number of Atlanta ministers, including Pastor Dennis Meredith of Tabernacle Baptist Church and Rev. Dr. Kenneth Samuel of Victory Church in Stone Mountain (who had a great op-ed this past weekend, by the way, on the continuing Rick Warren controversy).  Pastor Meredith, who recently came out as bisexual to his congregation (and who has a gay son, as well), said that the organization was inspired by the massive organizing prowess of conservative churches in the 2004 and 2008 elections to pass anti-LGBT inititiaves (or in the case of California, to repeal rights afforded to gays and lesbians).

"The only way we are going to combat all of these other conservative organizations is with another religious voice," said Pastor Meredith.

The new alliance will focus on civil, social/economic and faith issues.  The goals of the organization are to organize state-by-state to work toward overturning gay marriage bans, winning civil unions, providing job training, ending discrimination within the gay community, and legitimizing LGBT-affirming churches.  As part of its launch this past weekend, Rev. Al Sharpton traveled to Atlanta to bless the organization.  Sharpton has promised to help use his connections in the church community to help build support for the new alliance, especially in areas of the South.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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