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1932-2003
15
South Carolina carries it colors out in the open
“We will nevtMchieve equality if we avoid the
public arena. Until we can come out in the
classroom as well as the chatroom, the board-
room as well as the bar, we won’t change the
culture. We have to venture into the public
sphere as gay and lesbian people to make a
difference for gays and lesbians in this state.”
— Ed Madden, SC Pride Movement
“Sleepy, little, old Columbia didn’t think it had
any gay people ’til it saw them in the streets.”
— hiarriet Hancock, one of the organizers of
South Carolina’s first Pride march
NC House airti-discrimination
Bill fails in committee
PFLA6”s Mothers
Day - Fatheils Day
Congre^ionai Ouheach
jParaTodos!
J^mSetwussndtM
into the IMEsmahofo^
WhisSs^ Hall ofFam
Conflicts and Coalitions
workshop with activist
Mandy Carter
Ex-gay Paulk leam
Focus on Family
McGill Baptist Church expelled for baptizing couple
“Salvation is ours," sayeth
Cabarrus Baptist Association
by Leah D. Sepsenwol
CONCORD, NC — A Southern
Baptist church has been expelled
from a regional group of Churches
after its pastor baptized two openly
gay men and the congregation wel
comed them with open arms.
According to Rev. Steve Ayers,
pastor of McGill Baptist Church
(McGill Avenue Baptist, before
recently moving to a new location),
many in the congregation knew the
couple from Kannapolis was gay
when the baptism took place dur
ing a March 16 service.
The baptismal ceremony marks
a believer’s acceptance into the
Church — and into a life devoted to
Christ. Deciding a person’s worthi
ness was not up to him or the;
Church, Ayers said.
He told the Charlotte Observer, “1
think salvation is between them
and God.
“i’m not going to exclude any
body from God’s kingdom. Our
business is to love and follow His
Oesus’) example. That’s all.”
In a closed meeting, delegates to
the Cabarrus Baptist Association in
Concord, voted 250 to 11 to expel
McGill Baptist Church from its
membership.
Rev. Randy Wadford, Missions
Director for the Cabarrus Baptist
Association read a statement after
the vote, "The homosexual lifestyle
is contrary to God’s will and plan
for mankind (sic) ... To allow indi
viduals into the membership of a
local Church without evidence or
testimony of true repentance is to
: condone the old lifestyle.”
The regional group of about 80
Churches is affiliated with the
Southern Baptist Convention.
Rev. Ayers responded, ’’The king
dom of Christ is about love, about
God’s grace and mercy. When a
Church becomes so judgmental that
it can’t accept people into their fel
lowship, it is a sad, sad day.
The McGill Baptist Church
organized in 1902, now 800 strong,
stands in full support of its pastor
and of its fellow gay congregants.
The Church still is in the Southern
Baptist Convention, while belong
ing to the more liberal. Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship.
The two men, who did not want
to discuss the matter publicly,
expressed deep regret to the pastor
for what has befallen the Church.
Rev. Ayers said, “This has only
galvanized our congregation. We
are stronger than ever in our
resolve and our faith.”
And on its web site home page,
proudly proclaiming its centennial
legacy, McGill Baptist proclaims
something else — evolving and
embracing.
”As we are in a very important
point in the life of our Church, we
are keenly aware of how different
things are from the time McGill
Avenue Baptist Church began, and
yet how some things are the same.
“The need for a heartfelt Christian
community is timeless. Community is
what we are about. Our congregation
is varied and diverse, young and old,
native and newcomer, but we are one
family in Christ."
info: website: www.mcgillboptist.com
"Gay? Fine by me." at Duke University
DURHAM — Duke University was
dressed for a different kind of success;
teaching tolerance. T-shirts began
appearing in all colors with the simple.
affirming phrase: “gay? fine by me.”
Leila Nesson who is straight and
Lucas Schaefer who is gay, partnered on
the project.
One evening they were having dinner
with a few friends discussing campus life
and changes they would like to see.
Leila said, “About half the group was
gay and the diseussion turned to
gay issues.
“We agreed that, while there was not
a particularly threatening atmosphere
for gays On canjpus, there certainly was
a general perception the average Duke
student who was not gay, did not really
see FINE on