Celebrate Faith and Pride 2008
Capital Region residents are invited to join together in faith and pride at a special Pride Interfaith Service on Wednesday, June 4 at 7 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue. The event, sponsored by Advocates for Welcoming Congregations, will include ecumenical worship, music, and will be followed by a dessert reception. It coincides with Capital Pride Week, the local celebration of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community, running May 31 to June 8 this year.
Clergy and lay representatives of many faiths, including Christian, Jewish, Unitarian and Buddhist, will lead an ecumenical service celebrating diversity and equality. A dessert reception will follow. Participants will include:
· Rev. Anthony W. Green, United Church of Christ, Albany
· Rabbi Debora Gordon, Congregation Berith Sholom, Troy
Music will be provided by:
· Cathy and Larry Parker, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Albany,
· Rob LaRocca, pianist
Advocates for Welcoming Congregations encourages the welcome of GLBT persons into the full life and leadership of communities of faith. “We are people of faith, clergy and congregants, gay and straight, men and women,” said Rev. Anthony Green, a spokesman for the group. “We seek full membership for gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender persons in communities of faith. All spiritual seekers should have a community that nurtures spiritual growth by being welcoming, affirming and inclusive.”
Advocates for Welcoming Congregations works to:
· Make the role of faith more visible in the GLBT community.
· Maintain a listing of welcoming congregations in the Capital Region.
· Promote dialogue on the inclusion of members of the GLBT community in communities of faith.
· Offer guidance to congregations on how to be more fully welcoming.
· Support networking and information sharing on related issues among clergy and congregants.
For information on the interfaith service, or Advocates for Welcoming Congregations, call Rev. Anthony W. Green, 518-928-7069.
Ms. Saffar is an Iraqi Muslim woman who moved to the United States in the 1990's. She is co-founder of the Muslim Solidarity Committee, founder of Iraqis in Exile, and currently involved in the local peace movement. Ms. Saffar will be giving a talk on her experiences as an Iraqi Muslim woman in her home country and in the United States, after which she hopes to have the chance for a dialogue with members of the audience. This talk is open to both Berith Sholom members and the community. 