The Truth that Sets Us Free
By K Karpen
And Pilate answered Jesus and said,
“What is truth?”
Charlene and I were riding the #1
train back uptown when Charlene
nudged me and pointed: “Look, that
woman is carrying a bag of truth!”
It turned out to be a book
about acting. That’s a bit
ironic, right? But it
brought to mind Pilate’s
apt question to Jesus, after
Jesus says he has come to
testify to the truth. Pilate
asks: “What is truth?”
The German theologian
Dietrich Bonhoeffer asked
himself that question in the
context of the holocaust.
When a soldier or Gestapo officer
comes to you and asks you whether the
next door neighbor is Jewish, to
answer “yes” may be true factually, but
ethically, it is a lie.
In his great work, Ethics, begun in
secret and left unfinished because of his
execution at Flossenbürg concentration
camp toward the end of World War II,
Bonhoeffer tells the story of a young
boy whose father is an alcoholic. In
class, his teacher calls on him and says,
‘Your father is a drunk, right?’
What is the truth in that situation?
Bonhoeffer tells us that the boy’s reply,
‘No, he’s not!’ is the more truthful
response. Why? Because it captures the
larger truth that the teacher had no
business asking him that in class. The
lie the boy speaks contains that truth.
SP&SA Update
The complicated question of truth
comes up sometimes as I speak with
seminarians about their prospects for
ordination in the United Methodist
Church. “How frank should I be about
my life, my relationships, my sexual
orientation?”
But ‘what’s the truth?’ is a
question that comes up for
each of us, in one way or
other, probably every day.
“Do I need to give my
[boss, boyfriend, partner]
my real opinion of their
[writing, haircut, clothes]?
That’s perhaps a bit trivial,
but you see the point.
Bonhoeffer would say that
the truth is not the truth apart from the
relationship you have with the person
you are speaking with. The truth is the
truth within your relationship, within
your community, and with reference to
your relationship with God.
The things you say can be loving or
spiteful. But truth is only the truth if
it’s spoken from a place of love.
Bonhoeffer said it this way: “It is
better for a truthful person to tell a lie
than for a liar to tell the truth.” That’s
because a liar uses truth to hurt people.
A truthful person may lie out of love.
Jesus said, “You will know the truth
and the truth shall set you free.” As his
follower, that is the truth I strive after.
The truth that sets us free. The truth
that labors in the service of love.
Page 1
YOUNG ADULTS
Brunch By Miriam Wood
The Young Adults will be meeting for
brunch on Sunday, February 2nd at 12:45
p.m. in the parlor. Food will be provided.
Join us for food and a discussion led by
Katy Hinson.
Stay tuned for future events and contact
Miriam Wood for information or to be
added to the list.
GREEN TEAM
COMPOSTING IS COMING TO SPSA!
The Green Team held its first meeting of
2014 on Wednesday, Jan. 15th. First on
the agenda for the New Year is the NYC
Department of Sanitation’s Organics Pilot
program, which will divert food waste
from the WSCAH pantry and SPSA
kitchens to be composted. The program is
slated to be up and running in March.
Energy, volunteer and gardening projects
are also in the works. Keep an eye on our
Green Blog on the SPSA web site to stay
in the loop, or contact Rosie at http://
www.stpaulandstandrew.org/socialaction/green-team/ to get involved. Next
meeting: February 12!
MISSION, CHURCH & SOCIETY:
FOCUS ON OUR PRISON MINISTRY
By June Quarfordt
Greetings from MCS! We step into 2014 knowing that the new year brings new
hope and many opportunities to serve. Be ALERT! Be LOOKING! For out
there somewhere is the CALL to you!
Join us on Feb. 16th after church in the chapel for a viewing of the film,
"Redemption of the Prosecutor," a 22-minute documentary about prosecutor
Preston Shipp, and the transformation he undergoes after he begins teaching in a
Nashville prison. Hopefully, it will lead us as a congregation and as individuals
into some form of action for Prison Ministry!
Meanwhile, as a reminder, here is a list of some of the on-going needs/
opportunities for you to consider:
WSCAH: The West Side Campaign Against Hunger is SO much more than a
food pantry! Visit sometime. Contact K.
WOMEN'S SHELTER: Be a part of giving and sharing a warm meal with some
wonderful women who don't have a place to sleep, or spend the night with
another volunteer. Contact Jim Melchiorre
TUTORING: ONE HOUR each week can bring such a good feeling as you help a
child with homework. Commit yourself to one child or be a substitute.
Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. Contact Charlene Floyd.
GEMS COOKING: Every first Tuesday gather in the Social Hall and help
prepare home cooked meals. Contact Jo Tiedeman .
CROP WALK 2014, MAY 4th. Walk to raise funds for worldwide and local
hunger needs. Join the team led by Siobhan Sargent
Get CONNECTED to groups we support: Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org);
Bread for the World (bread.org); Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and
Housing (iahh.org) and MIND (mind.org)
TRUSTEES
SAY ¡HOLA!
TO OUR NEW SPACE USER
By Linda Barrington
A beautiful Board Room and bouncing children!
Starting in February, our already lively building
will be injected with the joy and energy of a day care project when
we are joined by HOLA: the House of Language Acquisition.
HOLA is completing renovations in the Board Room and 1st floor
restroom. The new wooden floor they’ve installed is beautiful and
practical, and something our own Children’s Education program
has been asking for. HOLA will have exclusive use of the Board
Room from 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the
room still available for our use evenings, weekends and late
summer, when HOLA is on break.
HOLA describes its mission as providing “every child a quality,
cohesive and Spanish immersed learning experience from age two
to five years” and its vision as creating “an environment where
speaking multiple languages is encouraged at all levels of
education.” You can find out more about HOLA at
www.holanyc.org
Page 2
CELEBRATE SPRING AT THE
WOMEN’S RETREAT!
Our annual Women's Retreat will be held at The
Grail, the weekend of March 21st. This beautiful,
Victorian-era estate resting on 45 acres is the
perfect place for the
women of this
church to get away
and claim some
R&R! It's a joyous
time and whether
it's your fifth or your
first time retreating,
it's truly a blessing
to be around all these wonderful women. Cost is
$150 per person for the entire weekend, including
meals. (Scholarships available.)
There are only 23 spots, so sign up today!
Contact Siobhan o RSVP
SP&SA Update
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN:
FOCUS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING
By Christie House
United Methodist Women will
not have a regular unit meeting
in February because Feb. 16 is
United Methodist Women’s
Sunday at St Paul and St
Andrew. This year, in thinking
about our support for GEMS,
the unit decided to look into the
national and international issues
of human trafficking.
Nationally, United Methodist
Women are seeking to make
a statement on Super Bowl
Sunday about intercepting
traffickers. Our SPSA unit
will join in that effort by
sending a photo of support,
added to many others from
units around the country, as a
message that many people in
this country are aware and
watchful.
A representative of United
Methodist Women’s national
In March, our regular unit
network on Human Trafficking, “Freeze! United Methodist Women intercept Human Trafficking”
meeting will be March 9,
Rachel Bachenberg, will travel from Missouri to share a
when Rosângela Oliveira will lead the World Day of
message with us as our preacher that Sunday. We hope
Prayer program, Streams in the Desert, written by
to discover that we are not alone in our concern for
women
in Egypt. In addition, watch for the World Day
those who have been trafficked, and that many other
of
Prayer
vespers service during Lent when United
organizations are gathering to intercept and put an end
Methodist Women will guide the church through the
to trafficking, a form of slavery.
World Day of Prayer worship service.
SPIRITUAL CORNER:
The Bleak Midwinter
By Barbara Wheeler-Bride
The hymn goes like this:
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Depending on when you read this, there are about six
more weeks of winter. (On the calendar anyway.)
Help your neighbors. Whether it is a hot cup of
coffee for a coworker or a sandwich for a
homeless person or an extra gift to your favorite
charity -- people need your help this season.
Connect with others. We might be spending a lot of
time inside trying to keep warm this winter.
Chances are a lot of our friends and family are,
too. Pick up the phone for a long overdue call or
FaceTime chat.
If you’d like to contribute to the Spiritual Corner
econtact Barbara Wheeler-Bride
Winter is a time of hibernation for some, a time of
outdoor sport for others. No matter where you find
yourself on the spectrum of bleak or not-so-bleak
midwinter, here are a few tips for making a spiritual
connection with the season:
Look for the beauty in winter’s nature. Glistening
ice and pure white (for a little while) snow are
only here for a short time. Observe and remember
that they are part of God’s creation. And colorful
winter birds -- cardinals are my favorite -- flit
about the bare branches. Don’t miss them!
SP&SA Update
Page 3
very, very grassroots. It was about as
grassroots
as you can get. But you know, I
CONTEXT FOR OUR WORK
think the transformative power of love, and
Each week a team from SPSA brings homewhat I wanted to create when I started
cooked meals for 30 young women to GEMS (Girls GEMS was part of the
Empowerment & Mentoring Services). What is
things that I got from the
GEMS? Founder Rachel Lloyd recently talked
church in Germany: love,
about its work at Trinity Church on Wall Street,
support, a community.
following a webcast featuring the experimental
Some of the things that I
opera “Angel’s Bone,” which deals with human
didn’t get was a total lack of
trafficking. SPSA’s Jim Melchiorre, who produced judgment. The church isn’t
the webcast, shares these excerpts from Rachel
always great at that. An
Lloyd’s comments. (Next cooking date: Feb 4)
understanding of trauma,
what trauma does to you, I
The Genesis of GEMS
didn’t have anybody to help
me process that. And an
I grew up in a challenging environment.
understanding of the systemic issues that
And that’s true for the overwhelming
allow commercial sexual exploitation to
majority of both children
take place. So in creating GEMS, I wanted
and adults who end up in
to kind of bring the things that I did get and
the sex industry. Sexual
many of the things that I didn’t, together.
abuse is really, really
And we’ve done that. We just celebrated
common, family
our 15-year anniversary a couple of months
dysfunction is really
ago. We’re the largest service provider to
common, alcoholism and
young people in the commercial sex
substance abuse in the
industry in the country. We have created a
home you grew up in is
very, very strong tight community, which is
really common. And so
you kind of learn to take care of the people ultimately transformative.
around you, and maybe not learn to take
Why Trafficking Has Grown
care of yourself. I’m originally from
I think it’s because who is overwhelmingly
England, and I’d gone to Germany in
search of a better life, and at that point, met impacted by the commercial sex industry.
Marginalized young people, low-income
a guy who I felt was my boyfriend who
kids of color, homeless kids or LGBT kids:
ultimately became my pimp, and was a
kids who don’t rate very high on anybody’s
very violent, sociopathic individual. I
priority list. If we saw trafficking
ended up finding a church in Germany,
which was actually an American church on happening to middle class white girls, quite
frankly, in the Midwest, at the rates that we
a military base. And that’s where I had
do, for young people who are growing up
epiphany and a relationship with God.
in poverty and young people who are
When I came to the States a few years
growing up in the child welfare system, we
later, originally as a missionary working
would have seen a very different political
with adult women coming out of the sex
industry, I went to Riker’s Island and up to and practical and emotional response to
this. The commercial sex industry doesn’t
Hunt’s Point and met adult women, and
overwhelmingly, really young girls. And I make its money off the backs of, quite
was 22 when I came to the States to do this frankly, white, college-educated women
work. And I was meeting 15, 16, 12-year- who write a blog after a year about their
olds, 11-year-olds in an adult prison. There experiences in the sex industry. It makes
its money off of children in Calcutta and
were absolutely no services. This is like
’97. This is pre- any trafficking language or women in the Ukraine, right? It’s making
its money off the most vulnerable, most
any concept that women and girls who
were in the sex industry deserved any type disenfranchised. So I think it’s about
making sure that we recognize that all
of help. And because of my own
individuals have human rights and have the
experiences and because I saw so many
right to dignity and services and support
linkages, I wanted to start my own
program. And I didn’t know enough to be and do have a hope and a future. I think
it’s being able to get educated about this
scared of starting a non-profit. And so
issue as much as possible.
those first couple of years was really just
girls kind of coming and staying on my
What Can the Church/I Do?
couch and wearing my clothes and never
I think there’s a lot of excitement right
bringing my clothes back. I mean, it’s still
now about the issue, which is great, but I
a little bit like that sometimes, but it was
COOKING FOR GEMS: THE
Page 4
think people need to be really thoughtful
about the ways that they approach it. And
then I think it’s about figuring out how can
you even begin to intervene at an earlier
point? We have lots of
people coming to us
saying I really want to
volunteer and rescue
girls off the streets at
GEMS. We don’t
really rescue. We
empower. We may
have to rescue in the
moment, but that’s not
really the work, rescue
isn’t a long-term plan
for anybody’s life. And we encourage
people to go volunteer at Big Brothers/Big
Sisters. If you’re a mentor in a child’s life
for the next five years, the likelihood that
that girl ever walks through the doors of
GEMS just decreased really dramatically.
What Happens at GEMS
We have a model called Victim to
Survivor, Survivor to Leader. And leader
doesn’t necessarily mean being a leader in
the anti-trafficking movement. It’s
leadership in your own life. Leadership in
your family, leadership in your community,
leadership however that looks to you. We
have a youth leadership program, where
girls learn about all the systemic issues,
they learn about global issues, they learn
about sexism and racism and misogyny.
And then they learn public speaking and
community organizing. I think that one of
the most critical parts of the empowerment
piece, is understanding, this is a global
industry, it’s a billion-dollar industry. The
other people are vulnerable for the same
reasons I was vulnerable. There are these
big systemic issues, right? It begins to take
that feeling off of I’m a bad girl, I was a
dirty girl, I did something wrong, to oh,
this is like an actual system.
We have an educational initiative program
that focuses on getting girls back into
school, whether it’s high school, GED, and
the further education. Most of us grew up
in homes where no one went to college.
And so breaking those cycles to make sure
that people can have economic selfsufficiency is critical. Last semester, we
had 28 girls in college, which was freaking
awesome.
Excerpts courtesy of Trinity Wall Street.
Watch the entire panel discussion at:
http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/file/
angels-bone-talkback
SP&SA Update
TUTORING at SPSA
Let It Go!
By Iris Mondragon
Do you
know
who
Elsa,
Anna,
Olaf,
Kristof,
and
Prince Hans are? They are
characters from the new
movie “Frozen”. This movie
was made by Disney Pictures.
Arendelle, she uses her power and freezes the whole
town of Arendelle. Then she leaves and goes to the
mountains and creates her own ice castle.
Anna meets Prince Hans and falls in love with him, but
she knows she has to go search
for her sister and break the spell
on Arendelle. On the search she
meets Kristof and his pet
reindeer, and then they meet a
talking snowman named Olaf.
You will have to go see Frozen
to find out if the spell is broken
and Arendelle is saved.
The lesson I learned from the
movie was to NEVER give up.
I also really liked the songs from
My tutor, Lisa took me and
the movie, my favorite song was
my brother to the movies to
“Let it Go” sung by Demi
see Frozen. The movie is about
Lovato. You can see it at http://
two princesses from Arendelle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHuenamed Elsa and Anna who
HaXXzg
are sisters. The two sisters get
Iris, grade 6, Dual Language Middle School
separated because Elsa, the big sister has a dangerous
power. So Elsa locks herself away and ignores her little
Homework Help happens every Wednesday, 6-7.
sister Anna. The sisters were alone because their parents
Come help!
died in an accident.
It only takes an hour or so a week. Contact
On the day that Elsa was to become the Queen of
Charlene Floyd for more info.
FINANCE UPDATE:
In the Black!
Good news: We paid all our 2013 bills by year-end,
including our apportionments.
Thank you for your faithfulness!
For 2014, so far we have received 90 pledges for
nearly $300,000, so we’re getting close to our budget
for pledges, which is $320,000. It’s not too late to
pledge if you can, which will help us in our planning.
Also this spring, we will move forward with our
capital campaign to restore the front steps, replace the
sidewalks and tree pits, and repair some roof damage.
Please help!
CAMPUS MINISTRY:
GATHER WITH US
Hello and Happy New Year to everyone! As we enter
2014 and the spring semester of school, the Columbia
University Methodist Campus Ministry is very
excited to get started again with The Gathering, a
great time of discussion and fellowship. We continue
to ask for your prayers and support as we look to
move forward with our vision to grow our ministry.
Feel free to join us on Monday nights from 8:30-9:30
p.m. in Earl Hall on Columbia’s campus. Anyone
who would like to volunteer to help out with our
ministry or attend is welcome to contact Joshua
Jo Goodson-Tiedeman
Dinners for Eight Are back! Saturday March 8 &
Friday March 14. If you are interested in hosting a
dinner or attending contact
Jim Melchiorre
▲
SP&SA Update
Page 5
YOUTH:
HEADED TO CAMBODIA
Siobhan Sargent
Youth Schedule and Events
The biggest thing on the Youth agenda for
February is the Youth Ambassador Trip to
Cambodia. I feel very privileged to accompany 19
youth from all over our New York Annual
Conference to Cambodia, and I’m especially
excited that AJ and Annah are a part of that
group. It’s sure to be a transformative experience
and I can’t wait to tell you all about it when we
get back!
Sundays, Feb 2nd and 9th:
Confirmation Class 9:15 am
Youth Group OWL- High
School Youth
Friday, Feb 7th: Theater Night
Saturday, Feb 8th: Work Day
NO YOUTH GROUP: Feb 16th
& 23rd (Youth Ambassador Trip
to Cambodia)
We ask for your continued prayers as we head to
this developing country, that our time there will be
one of safety and health so that we can embrace
the love of God that is sure to abound.
Looking ahead, we have Lent, Easter and, of
course, the Youth Talent Show, on Saturday, May
17th. It’s a ways away but it’s a wonderful and
beautiful event to add to your new 2014 calendars!
WE DID: MARRIAGE EQUALITY
holidays. Together
they began to
coordinate the ushers,
By K Karpen
showing up early each
Sunday to make sure
When our son Harry was ready to be
the sanctuary was fit
baptized, it was not difficult for Charlene
for worship.
and me to decide who his godparents
They loved their
should be.
newfound identity as
Ron and Jim had only recently joined the
United Methodist, and a
church. Ron grew up Disciples of Christ;
church family that embraced all of who
Jim, Catholic. But neither had had
they are. Ron once asked me whether all
anything to do with religion for a long
Methodist churches were like St. Paul and
time. Their coming to St. Paul & St.
St. Andrew.
Andrew was the result of a New Year’s
Ten years ago I asked them if they would
resolution. Or maybe a bet. I’m not sure.
ever want to get married. It seemed like
When Harry was born, Ron and Jim took
such a rhetorical question at the time.
to him instantly. Not that either liked
But times change.
babies. Or kids. But they liked
Two years ago marriage equality became
Harry. And Harry liked them. More
the law of the land in New York
importantly, in these times of uncertain
State. The once-unimaginable quickly
relationships, they were one of the most
became routine. Ron and Jim thought
stable couples we could think of. They
had already been together for more than a about it, and they considered just going
down to City Hall and taking their
decade, and were clearly devoted to each
vows. But by then they had been together
other and committed to a spiritual life
for twenty-five years. Twenty-five
together.
years! So why not wait a bit longer and do
Ron and Jim took to the church right
away as well. They served on committees, it the way they wanted it. And the way
they wanted it was this: surrounded by
showed up at potlucks and events,
their friends and church family in the
pledged, prayed and praised God. Ron
sanctuary they had lovingly cared for.
was chosen as a mentor by the youth of
And the way they wanted it was the way
the church. Jim took on the daunting task
they got it. A sanctuary full of hundreds
of dressing up our huge sanctuary for
God Smiled
Page 6
Upcoming Dates
Lock-in March 15-16th
Talent Show May 17th
Youth Sunday June 8th
of people that love
them. Family
members who came
from Texas and
Oklahoma, their states
of origin. Excited coworkers eager to
witness the
moment. Church
youth who had grown
up and graduated returned for the great
event. Members of the United Methodist
Women pitched in with young adults,
youth and other church members to
prepare a heck of a party. One of the
youth designed a terrific marzipan cake
topper that looked just like the two of
them.
Toward the end of the ceremony, it
occurred to me that I had never been so
powerfully aware of the Spirit of God
moving in a place. It was truly awesome;
there are not words to describe what God
was up to in that moment.
When I spoke the words, “Now, by the
power vested in me by the awesome State
of New York…” the room erupted in
shouts and applause. No one heard
another word. But I said it anyway: “I
hereby pronounce you married! What
God hath joined together, let no one put
asunder.” I smiled. And God smiled, too.
SP&SA Update
February 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 2
COMMUNION
9:15 Confirmation Class
9:30 Children’s Ed Comm
11 Worship K preaching
12:45 Young Adult Brunch
1 Youth Group
3
4
5
6
7
8
11 Staff
5 GEMS Cooking
6:30 Pilates
7:15 Trustees
7:30 Knitting
11 GEMS delivery
6 Tutoring
7
11 GEMS
delivery
1 Work Day !
9
10
11
2:00 Staff
4:00 Space Users
6:30 Pilates
7:30 Knitting
12
11 GEMS delivery
6 Tutoring
7:15 Green Team
7:15 Methodist Spirit study
19
9:15 Confirmation Class
10 Choir
11 Worship Siobhan preaching
1 Youth Group
8:30 Gathering
8:30 Gathering
7:15 Methodist Spirit study
16
17
18
10 Choir
11 Worship UMW Sunday
1 Prison Documentary
No Youth Group
Presidents Day
6:30 Pilates
7:00 Trustees
7:30 Knitting
23
24
25
26
8:30 Gathering
6:30 Finance
6:30 Pilates
7:30 Knitting
11 GEMS delivery
10 Choir
11 Worship K preaching
No Youth Group
Youth Theater
Night
13
14
15
11 GEMS
delivery
20
21
22
11 GEMS
delivery
11 GEMS delivery
No Tutoring
27
6 Tutoring
7:15 Church Council
(and Charge Conference)
28
March 1
11 GEMS
delivery
Shelter: Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00; AA Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00; Food Pantry, Monday 8:00 to 6:30, Wednesday to Friday 8:00 to 3:00.
GEMS UPDATE
LET’S KEEP COOKING!
Each month we provide meals for GEMS—
Girls Educational & Mentoring Services—
which helps girls and young women get out of the
commercial sex business. When we gather in the
Social Hall on Tuesday February 4 from 5-9 pm
we’re cooking 4 weeks of food, with your help.
Info: Jo Goodson.
The Methodist Spirit: January 29, February 5 & 12.
Join us for a three week study of the tradition of the Methodist
movement, led by K Karpen and Siobhan Sargent. Explore with us
how the inclusive vision of John Wesley can be interpreted for our
day and time. Wednesday, January 29, February 5 & 12, 7:15 pm.
We’ll focus on these important areas:
The Methodist Spirit: January 29, February 5 & 12
January 29—Methodism and Women
Homework Help Tutoring
Wednesdays, 6-7pm
Can you give an hour to help a student?
Contact Charlene
FELLOWSHIP
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper!
Join us at the parsonage 3/04 for yummy
pancakes before the start of Lent
March 4, 6 pm
Lent is Coming! Lent is Coming!
We are hoping to find some more contributors
to our Lenten Devotional! Please contact
Siobhan right away to find out how to submit a
reflection or poem.
Ash Wednesday: March 5, 7:30 pm
SP&SA Update
Wesley’s controversial policy of including women as preachers,
class leaders and evangelists was tamped down in the 1800s, and
ordination for women came in fits and starts. Methodist women
were never good at staying in their place, though…
February 5—Methodism and Race
Wesley found slavery appalling, and incomprehensible to his
conviction that all of humanity is equally created in the image of
God. The First Rules (1743) prohibited engaging in slavery in any
way. This prohibition carried over to the American colonies, but
gradually became relaxed as racism &
economics took control. How is the church
of Wesley called to deal with race today?
February 12—Methodism and
Economic Justice
Was Wesley an early socialist or an early
capitalist? Well, he was a follower of Jesus,
who came to bring ‘good news to the poor.’
Sometimes that meant bad news to the
people in power.
Page 7
Doing Church in the Wesleyan Tradition
February 5 & 12 (See page 7)
The Methodist Spirit
263 West 86th Street
New York, NY 10024
(212) 362-3179
www.stpaulandstandrew.org
United Methodist
The Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew
Time of Trial: On Monday, March 10 and Tuesday, March 11,
the Rev. Dr. Tom Ogletree, United Methodist pastor and former
dean of Yale Divinity School will face church trial for violating
the disciplinary prohibition of same-gender weddings. Come
support Tom! Trial will be held at First UMC, Stamford, CT
Contact Charlotte Patton
Page 8
SP&SA Update