Cloud of Witnesses: The Rev. Alcide "Al" Barnaby, Founder of Integrity's RI Chapter

On May 19th, the Rev. Alcide Barnaby, Jr., was one of the honorees at the 30th Annual AIDS Candlelight Memorial, held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Rev. Alcide "Al" Barnaby, Jr.

Rev. Barnaby, who died June 28th, 2012, was the founder of the Rhode Island Chapter of Integrity in 1996 and served as its Convener, among many other gifts to the LGBT community, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and the church.

Among his accomplishments, Rev. Barnaby was the first openly gay and partnered priest in the Diocese of Rhode Island.  He and his partner of 30 years, Daniel Harvey, were married at Trinity Church in Canton, Mass., in 2011. Al, as he was widely known, volunteered at various times with many organizations including the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition, Episcopal Relief & Development, St. Mary's Home for Children, AIDS Quilt Rhode Island, among others.

Rev. Barnaby was active in church governance at all levels, serving on Diocesan Council and numerous committees.  He served as a Deputy to General Convention in 2003, an alternate in 2006 and a volunteer in 2009.  He also served as a clergy representative to Province I, the New England dioceses of the Episcopal Church.

"Al, and I were among the few  'out' members of Integrity on the Province 1 Provincial Synod for many years," said Margo McMahon, a Integrity Lifetime Member from the Diocese of Western Massachusetts.  "I got to know Al and Dan through various Integrity events and especially through serving as Deputies together at General Convention and hanging out together. I wish you could have had the pleasure of knowing this wonderful person, now walking among the other saints of Integrity in God's Kingdom."

"When I think of Al, so many things come to mind.....He was a pioneer in the Diocese of Rhode Island for inclusivity, challenging the Church to embrace fully the LGBT community," said Kit Tobin, Integrity's Diocesan Organizer - Rochester NY.  "(I remember) the Deans' meeting with Bishop Wolfe in the 90s, when Al stated he would continue to bless same sex couples, and of course he did!"

"My 'memory picture' of Al with a twinkle in his eyes and a broad smile on the platform for the closing blessing at Integrity's General Convention Eucharist," Tobin continued.  "He was a mentor for me when I was 'in process' - always encouraging, the one who was there for me when others seemed to be putting up barriers. A deeply spiritual, loving man with a great sense of humor - always reaching out his hand to any and all who he sensed were in need.  He is sorely missed. I hold him in my heart."

Obituary – The Rev. Alcide Barnaby

El Roi: Waiting for SCOTUS on DOMA/Prop 8

by Elizabeth Kaeton

I know some people who have bitten their nails down to the quick.

Others just can’t stop talking about it. It’s the buzz in most of the circles I travel.

If you were from a different country, or landed here from a different planet, you’d think you had forgotten everything you learned in“Conversational English 101”.

“When do you think we’ll hear from SCOTUS on DOMA/Prop8?”

“Will SCOTUS let Prop 8 stand but DOMA fall?”

In case you are from another country or another planet or have been living on a secluded island somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, let me explain.

The Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) has been deliberating two landmark cases for the LGBT community. One is the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a law signed in 1996 by then President of the United States (POTUS), Bill Clinton – which restricted the federal recognition of marriage to one man and one woman.

DOMA prevents those who are in same-sex marriages from receiving a host of federal benefits, such as the ability to file a joint tax return. In the case before the court, a widow was forced to pay $363,000 in inheritance taxes after her female spouse died, a liability she would not have incurred if she'd been married to a man. A federal appeals court ruled that provision of DOMA was unconstitutional. Another provision, requiring states to recognize only opposite-sex marriages performed in other states, is not at issue here.

Proposition 8 (Prop 8) a voter referendum, is California's same-sex marriage ban that was struck down on narrow grounds by the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals. Should SCOTUS uphold that decision, same-sex marriages could begin again in California in mid- to-late July, according to San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera's office. (San Francisco was an intervenor in the case on the plaintiff's side.)

If the court uses the case to issue a more sweeping ruling that all same-sex marriage bans are illegal, that would effectively legalize same-sex marriage throughout the country. There are many in-between possibilities as well.

So, yes, anxiety is high because the stakes are high. Very high.

How high? Well, just our very lives as LGBT people who are citizens of the United States of America (USA) who pay taxes, mow our lawns, take out the trash, recycle and are, otherwise, good citizens of this country and the Universe.

So, when will we hear the decision from SCOTUS? Odds are that we will hear sometime this month (June, 2013), which ends the SCOTUS term.

When cases aren't decided by the end of the term, the protocol is to reorder for re-argument for the next term. But there hasn't been any indication in the SCOTUS blog notes that would indicate that judges are leaning in that direction.

The last Really Big case this Supreme Court ruled on was the Affordable Care Act. If you recall that was on a Thursday, not a "Super Monday" (Mondays in June—the court's busiest month—when opinion announcements are revealed are dubbed Super Mondays) which basically means that the Court decides what days it will issue opinions.

More opinions are expected this coming Thursday. So, if the Court is waiting until the last possible minute to rule, it would probably be on June 26 or 27 (a Thursday).

And if the rulings on DOMA and Prop. 8 are released that week, that timing would coincide with New York City's Gay Pride and San Francisco's Gay Pride—two of the biggest celebrations in the country and one of is a city that's directly affected by the court's Prop. 8 decision.

This is why some people refer to SCOTUS as “The Supremes” –because they seem to know more about drama than the entire combined casts of“The Young and The Restless,” and “Days of our Lives.”

Now that we are coming down to the wire, how do we survive this waiting game?

I was recently reminded by former interim director of Integrity, Harry Knox, of the name given to God by our sister Hagar.

In Genesis 16, Hagar flees to the desert from the abuse of her mistress, Sari, who was unable to have a child of her own and had “given”Hagar to her husband, Abram, to have a child, the one who would be named Ishmael.

Hagar is visited in the desert by an angel of the Lord who tells her to return to Sari and promises that God will “increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

Hagar gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

El Roi. The God who sees me.

We may have been invisible to the government, but God sees us. The One God who “marvelously made and even more marvelously redeemed” us has always seen us.

El Roi. The Scriptures offer us this beautiful name for God as a doorway into the soul of justice.

As we count down the days to the SCOTUS decision, I urge you to remember this prayer of Hagar: No matter what happens, God sees us.

As the arc of history bends toward justice, more and more of the face of God is revealed to us – for God has seen us and has heard our cry.

As important as the decisions of the SCOTUS is on these two issues, let us hold in mind and in our hearts the prayer of Hagar: “You are the God who sees me, for I have now seen the One who sees me.”

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The Rev’d Dr. Elizabeth Kaeton has been a member of IntegrityUSA since 1977. She has served on the Board as well as legislative floor whip for two General Conventions. She was, for five years, Canon Missioner to The Oasis and is the immediate past National Convener of The Episcopal Women’s Caucus, a position she held for 10 years. She presently works as a pastoral counselor and Hospice chaplain and serves The Episcopal Church as a reader for the General Ordination Exams (GOEs) as well as the national board of RCRC (Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice).

NY's Bishop Decries Anti-Gay Violence, Will Participate in Pride

Bishop Dietsche at the 2012 Pride March

The Right Rev. Andrew M. L. Dietsche, the Bishop of New York, issued a powerful pastoral letter May 31st decrying the recent spate of anti-gay violence in the city, culminating in the brutal murder of Mark Carson on May 18th.

“Every word and action, every sentiment, that seeks to divide people from people or puts one people above another feeds a climate in which such violence can be seen by some as acceptable or excusable or even as the fault of the victim his- or herself,” the Bishop stated. “We grieve for the dehumanizing consequence of such violence that touches every one of us, and we grieve for the Body of Christ, into which the forces of violence and hatred continue to drive nails.”

Bishop Dietsche described efforts to eliminate prejudice from diocesan policy and culture, and reflected on progress made to remove barriers from full participation in the sacraments by LGBT people.

“There are many voices in our culture which insist that homosexuality is incompatible with the Christian life. We emphatically do not believe that.”

“There are many voices in our culture which insist that homosexuality is incompatible with the Christian life. We emphatically do not believe that,” Bishop Dietsche wrote.  He went on to urge all Episcopalians to “find a way in these coming weeks to grieve the fallen, to make your witness to the love of Jesus, to engage our godly call to justice, and to let the world see and know that there are countless faithful Episcopalians in the LGBT community, and that they are loved, embraced and respected by the larger body of the Church of which they are and have always been a part.”

Bishop Dietsche also announced that he will once again ride the Episcopal float in the city’s Pride March on June 30th.  This will mark the first time the diocesan bishop of New York has participated in the event. The Right Rev Cathy S. Roskam, retired Suffragan Bishop of New York joined in numerous times and led a street Eucharist for the marchers.  In 2008, the Most Rev. Carlos Touché-Porter, Presiding Bishop of La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico, and the Right Rev. Mark Beckwith, Bishop of Newark, joined the march.  In 2009, the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the Right Rev. Gene Robinson, then-Bishop of New Hampshire passed out water to the marchers along Fifth Avenue, an event captured in the documentary Love Free or Die.

Integrity will have a presence at Pride events across the country. We encourage all Episcopalians to take part in this visible witness to the wider culture.

Memorial offerings left at the site of the murder of Mark Carson. Photo Credit: Kate Tomlinson.
Used by Creative Commons License. Click Photo for enlargement and details.

Love Free or Die to Air on Public TV, Prayers for Bishop Shaw

The documentary Love Free or Die telling the story of Bishop Gene Robinson's election and ministry as an openly gay bishop in The Episcopal Church, will be re-broadcast on PBS on June 3 (check local listings for times).

The film has been seen in around 500 community screenings across the country, including many sponsored by Integrity groups and other Episcopal congregations, under special arrangement with Groundswell, the social justice arm of Auburn Seminary in New York.

Surprisingly, the widely consulted Dove Foundation movie review site denied Love Free or Die a family-approved rating because "two men kiss and hold hands" and "many people state they are gay."  A Groundswell petition has been started by the Rev. Ellen Tillotson to ask Dove to change their rating.  As of today, over 1,200 people have signed!  Please sign on if you have not done so already.

A double rainbow appeared outside St. Aidan's Church in Virginia Beach
before a recent screening by the local Integrity chapter
Photo Credit: Province III Coordinator Susan Pederson

In a related note, your prayers are requested for the Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw SSJE, Bishop of Massachusetts, whose personal recollections of the 2008 Lambeth Conference and other events are featured in the film.  Bishop Shaw recently had a cancerous growth removed from his brain and is undergoing treatment.  Visit the diocesan webpage for more, including how to send well wishes.

Almighty God our heavenly Father, graciously comfort your servant Thomas in his suffering, and bless the means made use of for his cure. Fill his heart with confidence that, though at times he may be afraid, he yet may put his trust in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Integrity USA Operations Manager David Cupps collaborated on this article

A New Integrity for a New Church

PENTECOST

The season of Pentecost is referred to as "the birthday of the church" as we commemorate the Holy Spirit inspiring the disciples to formally begin ministry in Jesus' stead. 

The leadership of Integrity has been exploring some wilderness this past year. We witnessed a sea change of sorts at General Convention last July, when many of the resolutions we supported were passed with comparatively little rancor.  Our interim Executive Director, the Rev. Harry Knox, departed with our blessing to lead the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.  And we dealt with the untimely loss of Communications Director Louise Brooks, who had been for many years the woman "behind the curtain" for Integrity's media and public presence.

We are not immune, either, to the tidal shift occurring within our church and society, which has meant hard questions for many congregations and groups as they struggle to remain relevant and vital in a changing culture.  The model we once followed at the local level, providing discreet spiritual refuge for those who did not yet feel welcomed or safe in the church mainstream, does not resonate with a generation who grew up in a church where discussing -- if not agreeing upon -- issues of sexuality and gender is becoming the norm.  The generation that follows will know no other, thanks be to God.

Integrity Visioning Retreat, Pasadena, Calif., September 2012

In September, we met with a group of these young people, prepared to be told hard truths about the future of our work.  We were pleasantly surprised to discover that they did not in fact think it was time to hang up and go home.  They recognized that achieving a "yes" at the national level is not the same as actually implementing that "yes" across the church.  They are also keenly aware that the majority of LGBT people view the institutional church with trepidation and even scorn, which must be overcome with personal engagement and humility if we are to share the good news with those who have been socialized to believe it is off limits to them.

But they were also clear that the Integrity of tomorrow, much like the church of tomorrow, cannot look like it does today to survive in the long term.  While we still have some traditional chapters who continue to offer worship and programming with an inward focus, we must also be open to new ways of being and thinking as opportunities to minister take shape. This is already happening in:

• Partnerships with diocesan ministries and other social justice organizations within the church to provide broader educational, social, worship and advocacy programming
• Collaborating with our peer organizations in multiple denominations as well as secular LGBT partners under the "Believe Out Loud" umbrella to grow the welcoming-church movement 
• Engaging youth and young adult leaders to represent the church at campus and secular LGBT events like the Creating Change conference
• Using social media to reach those who are not connected to the church in a traditional way

There is much more that we could be doing.  We are limited only by the amount of people and resources we can bring to bear.  The national leadership is striving to better know the reality at the local level across the church.  To that end, we appointed eight Provincial Coordinators, who will in turn work to identify a Diocesan Organizer in every diocese.  We hope this model will establish reliable and regular two-way communication, allow resource and idea-sharing, and improve our accountability to the whole Church.  These will be the "point people" for Integrity chapter leadership, congregations, bishops and their staffs, and ecumenical and secular partners to engage with Integrity at the local level. If you are passionate about justice and connected to what is going on in your area, please prayerfully consider this role and contact us for more information.

As we "emerged from the desert" knowing much more about ourselves and what we believe Integrity needs to be, we prepared mission and vision statements and a strategic plan to make them reality:

Our Mission

Integrity USA's mission is to inspire and equip the Episcopal Church, its dioceses, congregations, and members to proclaim and embody God’s all-inclusive love for LGBTQ persons and those who love them.

Our Vision

Integrity's vision of its success is that The Episcopal Church thrives as a beacon of love, justice, and compassion, where ALL PEOPLE are equally embraced and empowered.

We are already seeing results.  Hundreds of people have attended Believe Out Loud training opportunities across the country, and are working to bring their congregations into the welcoming-church movement.  We have six chapters in formation or rebirth. We are now in the process of calling a new Executive Director, whose leadership will be the lever to move us forward.  We are excited and joyful to be a part of this moment, and hope the Spirit will inspire you to join us.

Christian Paolino is the Chair of the national Stakeholders' Council of Integrity and the Diocesan Organizer for Newark

CALL for ACTION: Equal Immigration Rights

by The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

When I immigrated, a little over twenty years ago, I was well-educated, white and had a British accent. Even with those advantages it was hard for me to get a green card. I lined up early one morning at the Arlington INS office in order to be one of the few people who would even get an interview. There was a couple ahead of me – they were there so that a non-American wife could get to live here with her husband. I was there alone. Even if we had been legally married, the INS would not have accepted our lesbian marriage as valid for immigration purposes.

We all know there’s an immigration bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee right now. We also know that it’s not fully comprehensive – it leaves out a very specific segment of the population – gay or lesbian families. Family reunification has always been an important plank of this country’s immigration policy, but once again we are being told that our families are less important, our families are not “real” – we don’t count.

It is estimated that there are 32,300 bi-national, same-sex couples residing in the United States today, more than 45% of whom are raising children. We believe that these families share the same right to dignity and fair treatment as other families, and therefore deserve to have their status as a family recognized and protected by our nation’s immigration laws. That is why Integrity worked hard at last year’s General Convention to help pass D011 “Reform Unequal Immigration Law” through which the Church pledged to support legislation that would expand our nation’s definition of family under immigration law to include the same-sex permanent partners and spouses of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
 
This resolution also committed our dioceses and congregations to renewed advocacy on behalf of families and individuals of all sexual orientations who are facing unwanted moves, deportation or separation due to our nation’s immigration laws. We know from experience that getting a resolution passed by General Convention is only the first step – in order for it to have teeth, we have to do the hard work in our dioceses and congregations to make it valid on the ground.

The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations is working on our behalf to support two amendments proposed by Senator Leahy. The first would allow Americans in same-sex relationships to sponsor green cards for their foreign-born partners. The second would provide the same protection to legally married bi-national same-sex couples that is afforded to others under existing immigration law. We can do our bit by asking our Senators (or members of the Senate Judiciary Committee) to “support the inclusion of same-sex partners and spouses in comprehensive immigration reform by supporting Leahy amendments 6 and 7.”

Please make the call or send an email today.

You can get more information about the Immigration Bill at

• The Immigration Equality Action Fund
• Human Rights Campaign

Caroline Hall is President of Integrity USA and serves as priest-in-charge at St. Benedict's Episcopal Church in Los Osos, CA.

Wrap-Up & Photos from Integrity President's NYC-Area Visit

Integrity USA's President, the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, had a busy week recently as she made her way around the New York area to meet with folks and talk about the work of LGBT inclusion in our churches.

Participants in a Believe Out Loud Workshop at St. James': Hackettstown

On Saturday, April 27th, she spent the afternoon at a Believe Out Loud Congregational Workshop at St. James' Church in Hackettstown, N.J.

She was up early again the next day and headed north to Christ Church in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., home of the Mid-Hudson Dignity-Integrity Chapter. There, she offered the sermon and led a forum afterwards.

The Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, Bishop of Newark,
and the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

On Tuesday, April 30th, Dr. Hall met with the Right Rev. Mark Beckwith, Bishop of Newark. They explored the history of LGBT inclusion in the area, which began with the ordination of Robert Williams back in 1989 and the formation of The OASIS as a diocesan ministry to gay and lesbian Episcopalians. We also discussed possible ways we could work together to promote mission work in the LGBT community.

That evening, Integrity NYC-Metro hosted an "open house" event at St. Paul's Church, Chatham. After reading excerpts from her new book A Thorn in the Flesh, Dr. Hall participated in a spirited conversation with the multi-generational audience about the ways Integrity's focus is shifting and how we can continue to be an asset to the church.

Mr. Greg Newton of the BGSQD Bookstore
introduces the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall

On Wednesday, Dr. Hall took lunch with students and faculty at General Theological Seminary in New York. That evening, she hosted a "meet the author" event at the Bureau of General Services: Queer Division, a new pop-up LGBT bookstore and gallery in the trendy NoLiTa district. It was interesting to take this subject matter into a secular space, where those less familiar with our movement's history within the church could bring different contexts and perspectives to the conversation.

Finally, on Thursday, May 2nd, Dr. Hall led an adult form at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in the West Village, unofficial "mother church" of the NYC-Metro Chapter.

Integrity extends its profound thanks to the Rev. Dr. Cathy Deats, the Rev. Mary Davis, the Rev. William Blake Rider, the Rev. Caroline Stacey and their congregations, The Rev.  Lang Lowrey III and the faculty and staff of General Theological Seminary, as well as Mr. Greg Newton at the BGSQD Bookstore for their hospitality and assistance in making these events possible.

Dr. Caroline Hall addresses an adult forum
at St. Luke in the Fields in NYC, May 2nd, 2013

Dr. Caroline Hall addresses an adult forum
at St. Luke in the Fields in NYC, May 2nd, 2013