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Interview: Senior Minister of United Church of Christ congregation talks about Gay Marriage & Same Sex Blessings

By Peter Menkin

 Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent of Los Altos, California Foothill Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, spoke with this author by telephone and webcam by way of Skype in February, 2010 about Same Sex Marriage & Same Sex Blessings. This is the primary of a collection of interviews with totally different clergy denomination members on the topic. Two different upcoming interviews are with The Rt. Reverend Marc Andrus of The Episcopal Church, USA (San Francisco Bay Area referred to as Diocese of California), and Rabbi Stephen Pearce of Reform Temple El Emanuel, San Francisco. This author hopes to seek out two different individuals prepared to speak from their denominations, making this a 5 half collection.

1.      This two half query has to do with the Church’s mission: (1) Is it mission for United Church of Christ and your congregation to proclaim and normalize the apply of Gay Marriage & Same Sex Blessings? (2) Is this a peace and justice situation, and would you touch upon the comment made by the Publisher of Pilgrim Press, The Reverend Timothy G. Staveteig. I requested an identical query on whether or not the matter is mission for UCC and the Church Publishers remarked in an e-mail response:

  a.      “From our first printing of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Measure of a Man in 1957, The Pilgrim Press has developed books and resources that have often addressed difficult and complex social justice issues. Through our historic publishing operation (since 1640), which is a gift of the United Church of Christ, The Pilgrim Press has sought out voices marginalized by a dominant culture and seeks to build fully inclusive communities.”   I am responding as a Pastor, not a lot as a scholar.   No. Not our Mission. Mission is to be a Christian Church and embody God for all individuals.   It is a peace and justice challenge. It is extra a equity concern, and we take a look at those that are marginalized. My Church is an higher center class group, within the midst of Silicon Valley. For most people it isn’t an enormous difficulty for them; there’s a small group that’s opposed.   We wish to date because the Pilgrim Church, 1620. They have been the separatist’s motion of the Puritans who sought to purify the church. These have been primarily store house owners and tradesmen, a part of the rising Middle Class in England who needed to take away themselves from The Church of England. Rev. John Robinson despatched the Pilgrims off to the New World with the admonition, “The Lord hath yet more truth and light to break forth from God’s holy word.” The Presbyterian church buildings that search to be open to the LGBT group name themselves the “More Light” church buildings. They decide up from this Robinson’s quote. The UCC has sought to be trustworthy to this seek for God’s persevering with “light and truth,” and in so doing we’ve got skilled loads of “first” in American spiritual life. We have been one of many first Church teams to opposed slavery. We have been the primary to ordain the primary to ordain an African-American pastor, and the primary to ordain a lady within the 19th Century. In the 20th century we have been the primary to ordain an brazenly Gay minister, Rev. William Johnson in San Carlos, UCC…   We have an extended custom of pushing the sides on the peace and social justice points. I wish to say, we’re convicted by our rules, regularly asking the query: How does God regularly open the Church to all individuals? It appears pure for us to say: “Shouldn’t we be celebrating Same Sex Marriages?”  

  1. Where are you on the United Church of Christ spiritual spectrum? Progressive, Liberal, Conservative? What does this imply to you?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: IMGok.jpgI assume I’m someplace in that vary of the Progressive Liberal, however my type is conventional. I tease my congregation that I’m extra conservative than they’re. They try to be updated, whereas I am nonetheless singing plainchant. I just like the custom.  

  1. Where is the San Francisco Bay Area United Church of Christ going with Same Sex Blessings and Gay marriage? Has a nationwide assertion been formulated on the topic?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: The easy reply is Yes. We have shaped a nationwide assertion. This is just not a hierarchical Church, so the nationwide group has made a press release. It is a suggestion to native church buildings. It will get right down to the native church. Each native church should determine how they deal with the advice. On July four, 2005 on the General Synod 25, the nationwide gathering, they voted for an Equal Marriage Rights for All suggestion. Recommendation is my phrase, and that is what it means, to think about help of Equal Marriage Rights for all.  

  1. If there’s a key Bible imaginative and prescient that helps Gay Marriage & Same Sex Blessing; please give a Biblical instance and clarify one thing of your imaginative and prescient on interpretation? Who else shares this sensibility and understanding we’d know or acknowledge?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent:  My level is, in the event you ask the query of what’s Jesus response to Gay Marriage, or similar gender loving relationships. Nothing. He does not converse of it in any respect. What has occurred on this dialogue is individuals have picked up some statements by Paul, and some from the Old Testament. All have one thing to do with oppression, not loving relationships. The scripture passages that information me are: 1st John: four, the place he says merely, God is Love. And those that Love, Love God. 1st Corinthians 13 is the Love passage of Paul, holding up this Love relationship between individuals is the very best worth. For me the core of the Gospel textual content is the Great Commandment in Matthew, Mark & Luke. And it’s the Jewish restatement of custom that you’re to like God and Love neighbor. That is the core of it, that’s what Jesus says is the core of religion. Marriage, as such, is a social association, or does these assist to like God and Love neighbor. And I inform individuals, I’m within the enterprise of encouraging long run relationships. This is a wholesome method on the earth. If it’s similar gender loving relationships, then that’s what I have to do. I might even say that in these passages that our extra conservative select, all is about the place an individual is benefiting from another person. When he talks about males sleeping with males, or ladies with ladies, he’s speaking about Temple Prostitution. He is speaking about relationships which might be unequal, and primarily unjust. WHat Jesus requires all the time is Justice and Equality within the Kingdom of God.  

  1. What e-book do you advocate reader’s learn that results in an understanding of your stance and your statements supporting Gay Marriage & Same Sex Blessing?

  Also when individuals ask me, I direct them to the web site, www.UCC.org .  

  1. Have you carried out a Same Sex Blessing, and in that case, will you inform us a number of the phrases you used? Where did you do that?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: I’ve, each in Santa Cruz the place I used to be for 17 years, and right here in Los Altos simply a few months in the past. I want I might have stated I’ve executed extra. In Santa Cruz–it was with two ladies pretty early in my ministry. I led that Church into an Open and Affirming relationship. We did the marriage of their residence, not within the sanctuary. The cause they did it was one was an artist and the opposite was educating on the University. I requested them when requested about doing the wedding, “What date were you thinking of?”    The different wedding ceremony was accomplished in Los Altos at Foothills Congregational Church UCC. The couple was legally married in Vermont. What we did on the Church is a blessing of their Civil Vows,   We have a similar gender, non-biased wedding ceremony ceremony. We labored with the couple, and the ceremony was fairly conventional. They stated, “We want to be married, not be in a show.” What they needed to obtain was a way of God’s blessing on their selection, their relationship. We’re talking of the one in Los Altos. They went with the blessing, as a result of they’d already been married.  

  1. Who are different considerably well-known and revered Church clergy leaders of different denominations, primarily within the San Francisco Bay Area, who be a part of you in your viewpoint? Do you understand their denomination? Is there one with whom you’ve got spoken who has influenced you most?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: In our personal denomination, it’s all the leaders of the United Church of Christ within the Bay Area. I do know of a few ministers who would have issues with it. I actually do not know of anybody else in our denomination that has an issue with Gay Marriage. There is all the time The Reverend Doctor Mary Susan Gast. She is the convention minister within the Northern California – Nevada area.  

  1. If there are phrases you’d advocate for Performing a Same Sex Blessing, will you inform us them. Where within the Bible is that this supported, and for those who see these as a part of the Social Gospel, please inform us one thing of your sense of the Social Gospel that leads you to help this? Do you advocate sure Bible readings to Gay couples (man and man, lady and lady), and of their both civil union relationship, or in Gay Marriage, are there different readings or meditations on Biblical textual content you advocate?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: In the 2 I’ve carried out, we had all the Bible open for interpretation. The one in Santa Cruz, Clearly we aren’t going to make use of the one the place, A lady will depart her household and cling to her husband. But the opposite couple in Los Altossaid [regarding the Paul statement], We could make that work. One of us will tackle the position of being the husband. The Bible for them was not an issue. They seemed on the concern of affection and dedication and caring for each other. We seemed on the argument within the Apocrypha of Tobit’s spouse taking over a goat. In a lot of the dialogue I’ve had with individuals, a lot of the materials has been open to mainstream, common passages. There has not been an enormous to-do over particular readings for Gay individuals. The entire factor is shifting into the primary stream. Hey there, we’ve comparable wants, comparable wishes.  

  1. At what level in your life, did you start to help the topic of this interview? Has it been since being a UCC ordained minister? Is there anybody you respect in particular who doesn’t agree together with your stance?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent:  My father was a minister, and he met my mom in seminary. He was United Church of Christ. We had all the time been part of a liberal and progressive approach of worshiping. He had an issue with Gay marriage as a problem, however intellectually overcame that. My father grew up in an period the place he didn’t present lots of affection. It was one thing that I missed. It was a resentment on my half that he did not inform me he beloved me. I feel I used to be 50 years previous that he first advised me he liked me. He was afraid if he confirmed an excessive amount of affection for me and his brother he was afraid we might grow to be Gay. I’ve not recognized a time once I actually had an issue with the difficulty of Gay Marriage. It is a matter of being in dedicated, covenanted relationships. My drawback is identical as with heterosexual relationships. When it turns into a sexual relationship solely, it turns into about satisfying our personal starvation, not a few caring relationship.  

  1. Though we have now not talked about Proposition eight in California, how do you characterize the outcomes of the vote which stated Yes to disclaim Gay Marriage within the State? Is there a sort of guilt to this place within the ethical or religious sense?

  I feel that individuals who have been so opposed with Prop eight, appear to recommend that someway their marriage goes to be devalued by similar intercourse marriages; my first response is How insecure are you. The level is when a relationship is predicated on mutuality and belief and caring for each other, this could solely improve our society.    

  1. At what level within the religion and concern of the United Church of Christ (nationally and in your congregation) did the tide flip in the direction of Gay Marriage & Same Sex Blessing? Will you inform us one thing of your private expertise in religion and concern relating to the religion difficulty? Was it a educating of Jesus Christ, a meditation on the Bible?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: It’s been a turbulent time, when the United Church of Christ determined to incorporate the Rights of Marriage suggestion; they have been different conferences that withdrew from the United Church of Christ. Puerto Rico withdrew from UCC, Pennsylvania (Western Pennsylvania) withdrew from the UCC (a number of associations did this). I feel there have been associations in Indiana who did the identical factor. In our space.   Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: My private expertise: When I cam to the Church in Los Altos 10 years in the past, I used to be requested will this be considered one of your main points? I stated, No. But they wanted to know that I used to be an open and affirming minister, and that is the best way I might administer the Church. When lay individuals from inside the Church itself stated to me and everybody else, We want to maneuver forward and turn out to be an open and affirming Church, I might be there to help them. There have been individuals on that committee who thought, that is okay. We can in all probability counter him, block this if we have to. Over the ten years we’ve got practiced this, and prior to now three years we now have turn out to be an open and affirming Church. We misplaced a couple of members, however we gained a lot of younger households. All of them stated they needed to develop into a part of a Church that was this; they needed their youngsters to be introduced up in this type of Church. I used to be requested additionally, will you do a similar intercourse marriage. I stated, Yes, I might. If I have been requested. Before I might have taken that request to the Deacon (they’re one of many ruling physique of the Church, they’re the lay leaders of Foothills Congregational Church UCC). I am fairly positive they might have stated Yes, however after we turned an open and affirming Church, we have been capable of do it. I turned to a founding member of the fifty yr previous Church, did you ever think about we might have a similar intercourse wedding ceremony at Foothills. Never in my wildest goals. Wasn’t it simply good, she stated.  

  1. Have you given a sermon on the topic, and should we see textual content of a key excerpt?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: I have a tendency to not beat this stuff into the bottom. I am extra of a Biblical instructor, however I’ve used the difficulty as a mirrored image or illustration in a sermon. Several occasions I’ve used it: This is why Gay or Lesbian or Transgender individuals are so upset over this challenge. Rather than preach on social scorching subjects, I attempt to interweave our considerations with the Biblical texts. I am making an attempt to create a method through which we will all speak to at least one one other.  

  1. What is your sense of group of believers, partially in its congregational sense and as a dimension of your management of a congregation? How is your sense of Community prolonged past your denomination to the higher world, and once more will you give us some Biblical instruction, perhaps from the Old Testament because it pertains to the New, on this matter of Gay Marriage & Same Sex Blessing?
  1. I suppose we have coated the topic, however to rephrase the earlier query as I feel it essential to our matter, and you do not want to talk on to the subject in your reply to the earlier query or this one, what does Church imply to you as senior minister? What is your imaginative and prescient, as one may say?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: What I consider the Church to be, is the physique of Christ. We are referred to as to incarnate the spirit of Christ on the planet, and that we feature that Christ life inside us into the world. All of us are one physique; right here we’re all included on this. My imaginative and prescient of the Church is that features my Evangelical brothers, Catholics and Orthodox, all the Church. What we’re referred to as to is to not determine ourselves as an unique membership on the earth, however to manifest the church because the Kingdom of God to the world. It is a really inclusive imaginative and prescient. How can I be inclusive? How can God be on the earth, not simply within the Church, however within the creation? One of the important thing phrases is reworking the phrase kingdom to Kingdom. I feel that’s what Jesus was speaking about; we have go it confused, as if Jesus is all highly effective and going to guage us. He talks about how all of us are gathered into this kin to at least one one other, that Jesus is opening an invite to be kin to at least one one other. It is so broad it’s past spiritual id. If God is love, then God is love completely.  

  1. In my e-mail correspondence with The Reverend Michael D. Schuenemeyer we mentioned a collection of points and modern situation subjects relating to Gay Marriage & Same Sex Blessings. I requested him if San Francisco and California is within the forefront of the Church’s missionary exercise on this space, and if it as secular society is within the forefront. Do you agree together with his reply, and can you touch upon his remarks? He says and I requested:
  1.  
    1. What space is main of their receptivity of the matter; is it San Francisco?
  1.  
    1. For the UCC, this effort just isn’t distinctive to California and so it’s troublesome to say the place the vanguard of this motion is in our denomination. There are church buildings, pastors and layperson interact on each the civil and non secular in lots of locations across the nation, particularly in these states which were profitable attaining marriage equality, together with Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa. The congregations that are typically most concerned are these which have achieved an academic course of referred to as the Open and Affirming course of. This course of often leads an area church to publicly declare their welcome and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individual within the full life and ministry of the church.
  1.  
    1. There has additionally been robust engagement the place marriage equality has not but been realized both on the poll or within the courts, or the place states have adopted anti-gay marriage statutes. UCC leaders, clergy and lay, have ensured that their progressive faith is heard and have supported organizing efforts which were profitable in constructing a motion that regardless of current setbacks will finally achieve success. 
  1.  
    1. The power tends to be strongest within the areas the place there’s a excessive degree of legislative, poll or authorized exercise. This fall, Maine goes to be very lively and there shall be many UCC church buildings and leaders concerned within the effort to defeat their poll initiative to repeal marriage equality there. There is a number of exercise in Iowa within the effort to guard the courtroom choice. California may also proceed to be a spot of exercise with efforts to repeal Prop eight as early as 2010 or 2012

  This is a private response by Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent : He [Reverend Michael] is mentioning states you would not assume would confide in similar intercourse marriage. I grew up in New Hampshire. I got here to California within the winter of 1979; I skilled California as everyone usually liberal of their social conduct. But the spiritual environment was pretty conservative in its nature, particularly within the valley and different areas. People have been socially conservative in New Hampshire and have been usually religiously liberal. As a basic type of setting. So I can perceive why these New England States agreed to Same Sex Marriages. I do know their expectation was they have been going to behave in an applicable method. In California individuals do not all the time act in an applicable means, however religiously they’re very closed over. I discover this an odd paradox. It does not shock that in California they defeated this concept of similar intercourse marriage. Even although California is seen as a left coast type of life. It is likely one of the paradoxes of life. For me personally, I wrestle, and have struggled with the thought of separation of Church and State. Especially in Anglo American church buildings. We usually are not as outlined as Black Churches who actually become involved and take a stance. They are socially liberal, however actually very a lot conservative. What I attempt to do within the UCC is attempt to preach values, stick with understanding the core values of the Gospel, then encourage actions by individuals locally. I personally attempt to lead. For instance, once we turned an open and affirming Church, everybody knew the place I stood.  

  1. Further in my e-mail dialog with The Reverend Michael, I requested this query that follows together with his response. Will you touch upon the blessing service he notes and inform us for those who use it or know of others within the space that makes use of it?
  1.  
    1. Have you an ordinary service for both or each, and should I see the textual content? 
    2. Yes. It is a gender impartial model of the Order of Marriage in our ebook of worship.
    3. Link:  ~

      http://www.ucc.org/worship/pdfs/323_346i_order-for-marriage-inclusive.pdf


                                                    i.    The Reverend Michael D. Schuenemeyer is Executive for Health and Wholeness Advocacy Wider Church Ministries   Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: This format of his is type of the template we function from. And we’re free to vary and modify it as we would like. We are actually bottoms up Church…to the unbiased of considering, and the choices are made by the congregations themselves.  

  2. Thank you for this interview by way of e mail questions and solutions. Is there anything you want so as to add or say?

  Senior Minister, Reverend Matt Broadbent: Not at this level. I feel I am about talked out.

         Addendum:   The Publisher Pilgrim Press (United Church of Christ) recommends these e-book titles on Gay Marriage:  

Same Sex Marriage?: Extending the correct to marry to same-sex couples is front-page information, and hotly contested in each church and society. This important ebook is written by a gay man and progressive Christian ethicist who locations justice making on the coronary heart of up to date spirituality.  In dialogue with each authorized students and theologians, the writer examines the strengths and weaknesses of how marriage traditionalists, advocates of same-sex marriage, and LBGT (lesbian/bisexual/gay/transgender) critics of marriage analyze the problems and body their arguments. This ebook gives constructive proposals for revitalizing Christian sexual ethics and shifting the talk ahead, no matter whether or not the fitting to marry is gained or misplaced.  

Exile or Embrace: This ebook is a useful information for pastors and congregations asking such questions as:
How will we as a congregation be in covenant with our gay members?
How will we reply to homosexuals outdoors the church? Part One tells the story of Siler’s congregation’s wrestle and progress because it contemplated whether or not to turn out to be brazenly welcoming of gay and lesbian Christians.
Part Two assists congregational leaders in discerning how and when to interact on this congregational dialog.
Part Three is a research information outlining seven periods to form the congregational dialog and discernment.

God Comes Out:
“Readers will welcome this book, not only for its wisdom and compassion, but also for its practical suggestions about how to initiate liberating conversation about sexual differences. Pastors especially will gain deep insight into how preaching a fully inclusive gospel can draw our communities into a more faithful realization of the reign of God. Hinnant demonstrates again and again how preaching is above all a theological act, a giving witness to the justice and compassion of God.” ~Thomas H. Troeger, Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music.    

Image: (1) Portrait The Reverend Matt Broadbent.

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Source by Peter Menkin