Please go to http://www.allout.org/russia-silenced.  Go to the article on taking a stand and click on “sign the petition.”  A window will appear for your personal comments.

Tell the St. Petersburg legislators that you are a person of faith and a member of

Metropolitan Community Churches, a worldwide body serving the spiritual needs of

LGBTI people in 40 nations.  Encoding discrimination is not only unconstitutional,

but morally wrong.  All people are equal in the sight of God, and should be equally

protected under the laws that govern nations and municipalities.  We will not be

silent until all our brothers and sisters are free to live and love as God intended.

Be sure to sign the petition and include your personal comments.  Thank you!

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Passing the Respect for Marriage Act would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, ensuring that same-sex married couples could enjoy the same federal benefits that all families do.

Passing the Every Child Deserves A Family Act would open up more homes to the 408,000 children in foster care waiting for loving stable families.

Take two actions now to push equality over the finish line.

1. Take action on the Every Child Deserves A Family Act
2. Take action on the Respect for Marriage Act

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Purpose of Job:
To work with the OCLH team to provide appropriate intervention strategies and proactive training for churches and individuals that support growth, life and health.

Report To: Director of Office of Church Life and Health
Hire Date: Immediately
Location: Dallas, TX (Desirable but negotiable. No relocation package available)

Primary Responsibilities

1. To provide professional support/intervention/coaching to churches and individuals during crisis situations.
2. To provide consultation for churches and individuals when outside eyes and expertise might help or avert a potentially fragile situation.
3. To provide objective assessments to churches/groups/individuals that would assist in making the best strategic decisions and most resourceful decisions.
4. To provide mediation services as might be needed.
5. To provide training opportunities via multiple delivery systems that assist churches, groups and individuals in navigating conflict in a constructive and productive way.
6. To build a team of volunteers who have expertise in the above areas who are willing to be deployed and/or utilized as needed.

Skills and Qualifications Needed (All references to experience = 5 or more years of demonstrated experience)

• Conflict Management Training
• Experience/Training in Mediation (Mediation Certification desirable)
• Church Culture Expertise (MCC and broader)
• Therapeutic/Systems Experience
• Consultation Ability and Experience (Assess, Diagnose, Prescribe)
• Team Building Skills
• Volunteer Coordination Skills
• Have Command of MCC Bylaws and Governance

Qualities/Gifts

• Love of People
• Even Temperament
• High Emotional Intelligence
• Self Starter

If Interested, send resume and cover letter to Rev. Lillie Brock at revlilliebrock@mccchurch.net by Feb. 15, 2012.

A background check will be done for all applicants who are considered for the job.

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Unfortunately, he’s praying for the president’s death. And he’s exploiting the Bible to do so, circulating an email that quotes Psalm 109: “May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.” O’Neal said of the violent Psalm “At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president.”¹

Sadly, it’s not unusual for Republican politicians to use hate-filled rhetoric when speaking about President Obama. But when they exploit religion to do so, people of faith have a moral responsibility to condemn it.

Sign our petition calling on Mike O’Neal to resign.

This isn’t even the first time Speaker O’Neal has disgraced his office with his personal behavior. He already got in trouble for forwarding a racist email calling the First Lady “Mrs. YoMama” and making fun of her appearance, which he half-heartedly apologized for only after being confronted with public outrage.

Speaker O’Neal’s juvenile racism and hateful attacks aren’t just a distasteful criticism of President Obama. By misusing scriptures that millions of Americans hold sacred, he’s insulting our faith and damaging our democracy.

We can usher Speaker O’Neal out of office by showing that people of faith across the country are outraged by his actions.

Click here to sign your name: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2518/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9141

Thanks for all you do,

Michael, Jessica, Nick and the Faithful America Team

1http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/01/09/400536/kansas-house-speaker-wont-apologize-for-praying-for-obamas-death/

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SIGN THE PETITION:
NBJC Calls For Hate Crime Investigation
in FAMU Hazing Death

On November 19, 2011, Florida A&M University student Robert Champion Jr. was found unresponsive aboard a band bus after the school’s biggest game of the year. Police ruled the death a homicide from hazing; furthermore, the parents of Mr. Champion, a 26-year-old drum major in the university’s famed marching band, have recently revealed that Mr. Champion was gay. The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the nation’s largest Black LGBT civil rights organization, is urging the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS) and Civil Rights Division, in addition to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, to launch an immediate investigation into Mr. Champion’s death as a potential anti-gay hate crime.  You can help by signing our petition.

The loss of Mr. Champion is an unfortunate reminder of the need for proactive measures that foster inclusive environments for all students, regardless of their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity, and that address the severe issue of hazing at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country—Florida A&M being one of the nation’s oldest and largest HBCUs.

Anti-gay violence is not only a civil rights issue; it is a Black issue. It is a Black issue because violence against gay and transgender individuals is disproportionately affecting our Black youth. The civil rights community can no longer stand on the sidelines while our sons and daughters continue to suffer in silence. Mr. Champion is one of our own and his death will not be in vain.

That is why I am calling on the Black and LGBT communities to join NBJC in demanding a fair and thorough investigation. Sign the petition and urge the Department of Justice to begin an investigation TODAY!

Be it hazing or hate crime, justice must be served.

- Sharon Lettman-Hicks
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
National Black Justice Coalition

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You can also send a note to your United States representative or senator at POPVOX.

Brent Childers
executive director

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Global Justice Institute Executive Director Rev. Pat Bumgardner Interview: December 17, 2011

Global Justice Institute Executive Director Rev. Pat Bumgardner Interview: December 17, 2011

Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Executive Director and Board Chair of the Global Justice Institute, a nonprofit international human rights group, on the Obama administration’s new and unprecedented efforts to address the on-the-ground reality of daily life for oppressed sexual minorities in many parts of the world. She is also Senior Pastor at Metropolitan Community Church of New York. Learn more about the Global Justice Institute here:http://mccny.org/wordpress/resources/global-justice-institute/

To download this audio, click here:http://stateofbelief.com/audiofiles/State_of_Belief_121711_Pat_Bumgardner.mp3

To read the transcript, click here:http://stateofbelief.com/component/content/article/369

Listen to the entire December 17th, 2011 State of Belief Radio program here:http://stateofbelief.com/show-archive/368-december-17-2011

Hear Rev. Pat Bumgardner’s previous appearance on State of Belief Radio here: http://stateofbelief.com/show-archive/266-december-25-2010

Share your thoughts on this topic on our Facebook page here:http://www.facebook.com/StateofBelief

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