Farewell to the Rev. Canon Malcolm Boyd (1923-2015)

Malcolm Boyd, 1969
episcopalarchives.org

Integrity USA mourns the loss of the Reverend Canon Malcolm Boyd (1923-2015).  Canon Boyd, author of several spiritual books, shared his interactive relationship with God with millions of people. It could be said that his down to Earth poetic voice enables a generation a way to understand their journey with God.  In fact, his voice has enabled several generations a way to communicate the grace of God. 

Malcolm Boyd was already beloved as a symbol of faithful seeking when he became one of the first Episcopal priests to come out of the closet.  His risk was our gain.  Malcolm Boyd showed LGBTQ Christians that honesty of life within the church can bring blessing and growth.  He never ceased to share his special gifts with us; a true exemplar of Christ.

We mourn especially with his spouse Mark Thompson, his family and especially his diocesan family at this time.  As a Canon and writer-in- residence for the Diocese of Los Angeles, his reassuring presence will surely be missed.  The world has been blessed for 91 years with the talented, loving voice and presence of Canon Boyd.  The Church has been blessed by 60 years of priesthood. 

The title of Malcolm Boyd’s groundbreaking book, “My Book of Prayers—Are you running with me, Jesus?", posed an important rhetorical question.  We have faith that Malcolm Boyd has found out the answer and is running with Jesus even as we mourn.  Rise in Glory, Malcolm! 

Integrity President Tours Northeast

Integrity President Tours Northeast

Following an April board meeting, Integrity's president, the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, will be staying in the northeast and mid-Atlantic states to visit Integrity chapters and supportive parishes.

Below is a listing of the events you might want to participate in.  For more information, .

• April 21 - Preaching at 10:30am service, then lunch event at Church of the Good Shepherd, 3820 The Oak Road, Philadelphia PA
• April 21 - 6pm Adult Education Forum at Philadelphia's Christ Church (20 North American Street), speaking about her book, A Thorn in the Flesh 
• April 22 - HRC event discussing Rev. Hall's book at 1640 Rhode Island Ave NW in Washington DC - 6pm 
• Apr 23 - Preaching at Noon Eucharist at Baltimore MD's Cathedral of the Incarnation, 4 East University Parkway 
• April 24 - Book discussion at Church of the Ascension, 633 Sligo Ave., Silver Springs, MD, 6:30pm 
• April 25 - Preaching at Taize service at Baltimore's Cathedral of the Incarnation (see above), followed by dinner and book discussion 
• April 27 - Integrity's Believe Out Loud workshop at St. James' church in Hackettstown NJ (11am to 4pm - register here) 
• April 28 - Preaching at 10am service at Christ Church, Poughkeepsie, NY (20 Carroll St.) 
• April 30 - Integrity chapter event at St. Paul's in Chatham, NJ (200 Main St.), 7pm 
• May 1 - Book signing and discussion at BGSQD Bookstore in NYC, 7pm (27 Orchard St., between Canal and Hester) 
• May 2 - St. Luke in the Fields Adult Forum, Book Discussion (487 Hudson Street, NYC) 7pm 
• May 8 - Boston University Discussion Group (discussion Rev. Hall's book) 7pm - 40 Prescott Street, Brookline, MA (about 3 stops from the BU Central T stop) 
• May 9 - Book signing at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge MA, 2pm (check with Bookstore Emporium for exact location)

Bulletproof Faith

Religion Dispatches interviews the Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge on her book, Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians.

What inspired you to write Bulletproof Faith? What sparked your interest?

I was inspired to write Bulletproof Faith by the readers of Whosoever, the online magazine for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians that I founded in 1996. As soon as I put Whosoever on the Web, the hate mail began to pour in. People were offended that there was a magazine out there telling LGBT people not just that God loved them, but that God loved them just as they are—as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people because God had created them that way.

I heard from so many LGBT readers that they didn’t know how to respond to people who told them they couldn’t be both LGBT and Christian. I wanted to find a way to help them respond without becoming angry or becoming depressed by all the opposition around them. The idea for the book came in 1998 when I took a class in the martial art of Aikido. There are no offensive moves in Aikido—no kicks or punches. There are only defensive moves—using the momentum of your attacker to disable them. I thought it served as an excellent metaphor for “spiritual self-defense” for LGBT Christians. I also came across the Bible verse that became central to the book, 1 Peter 3:15-16: “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” Not returning hatred for hatred is the key to being bulletproof. I developed a workshop around these ideas and it morphed, some ten years later, into a full-fledged book.

Read the interview here.

Becoming Bridges: The Spirit and Practice of Diversity

from Cowley Publications, by Gary Commins, 172 pages, paperback, c. 2007, $14.95

[Source: Cowley Publications] Pastor of a bilingual, multicultural church for more than a decade, Gary Commins knows that diversity is a spiritual exercise that can be as charged with anxiety as it is laced with hope. In Becoming Bridges, Commins lays the groundwork for diversity as an intrinsic part of the life of faith and calls us to become bridge people: people who are willing to traverse gaps of ignorance and bridge the things that separate us -- religion, race, culture, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

Gary Commins is rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Long Beach, California. In 25 years of ordained ministry he has served in an ecumenical campus ministry, in a bilingual, multicultural parish, in a congregation with a large gay and lesbian population, and, for 10 years, teaching a seminary class in Multicultural Ministry. He is also a trained spiritual director with an interest in mysticism and is currently the vice chair of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship.

Click here to order.

Theology of Gay And Lesbian Inclusion: Love Letters to the Church by D. G. Hanway

Book Review by Publishers Weekly

Hanway, a retired Episcopal priest, wants to equip Christians to advocate on behalf of gays and lesbians, and to speak with love and respect to those who disagree. He writes as a pastor, offering 10 open letters to the church in defense of homosexuals, often using their own words and descriptions of the prejudice they have encountered. These faithful homosexual Christians, Hanway says, did not choose their orientation, but have dealt patiently and faithfully with the difficulties of being misunderstood. Hanway also discusses the Bible's teachings on homosexuality, emphasizing that the Gospel is indeed "good news" for all people. The book is strongest when Hanway is sharing the personal stories of gay people who discuss their faith and their hopes for the future.

Click here for the Amazon listing.