40th Anniversary of Rev. Ellen Barrett's Ordination

Rev. Ellen Barrett with Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr.

Forty years ago today the foundations of The Episcopal Church (and the Anglican Communion for that matter) shook a bit as two things took place: Another woman was ordained. She was ordained by the Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr., Bishop of New York. That woman was openly lesbian. She was among the first 50 women ordained in The Episcopal Church, but she was the FIRST lesbian to be ordained priest in the Anglican Communion.

Some reading this will have no clue about whom I write. Others will know and remember very well who that woman is. Her name is Ellen Barrett. Today is the 40th anniversary of her ordination. Congratulations first to Ellen and then to The Episcopal Church on such a milestone. Ellen now lives in England and continues her ministry as Sister Helena.

This posting was intended to be a surprise for Ellen and I hope everyone who had a clue also kept their mouths shut! So: Surprise Ellen! Congratulations on the 40th anniversary of your ordination. You have achieved a milestone many never reach.

I invite those reading (who are old enough!) to look back 40 years. Ordained women were a novelty in The Episcopal Church. (Some groups had other descriptive terms that will not be repeated here. Suffice to say they came from groups and organizations that could not fathom women in any leadership positions, much less as clergy.) Lesbian and gay priests (LGBTQ wasn’t on anyone’s radar back then) were a novelty as well and anathema to some. The discussions about the place of lesbians and gays in The Episcopal Church in both lay and ordained leadership were pretty much still in the embryonic stage. So yes, foundations shook a bit 40 years ago.

The Reverend Doctor Ellen Barrett is one of the pioneers of our faith. She is one of our icons in the struggle for equality. She is one of our elder statespersons who led the way so that those who followed would have an easier path to take. Sadly, many today really do not know who broke down barriers to LGBTQ people’s inclusion in the church and society. Many simply take for granted the things they enjoy as openly LGBTQ. History apparently is not a popular subject, especially church history.

In one of the epistles attributed to St. Paul is the declaration that a price was paid for us, meaning of course, the redeeming actions of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Well my kindred in Christ, I think we forget that a price was paid for us to be openly LGBTQ followers of Jesus Christ. The price was ostracism, exclusion, loss of jobs, being the object of meanness and nastiness rarely known among church folk and often the demonization of us just because of who we are. Ellen Barrett paid such a price. She paid it so she could be ordained and she paid it so that those of us today who wish to be open about our authentic selves AND serve the church might be able to do so.

Our beloved founder, Dr. Louie Crew Clay included one of my favorite collects from the prayer book in his correspondence with me:

"O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

What wonderful words to mark an event four decades ago as things were indeed being made new, being raised up, as the world watched.

Again, congratulations Ellen Barrett!

The black and white pictures were very secretly borrowed from Ellen’s personal materials and are from the ordination service.

If anyone wishes to send a congratulatory note to Ellen, please send messages to alisonjoyosb@gmail.com

Blessings on Ellen from Integrity USA.

Bruce Garner, President
Integrity USA

INTEGRITY HOSTS 40TH ANNIVERSARY INAUGURAL EUCHARIST WITH BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY (PRESS RELEASE)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

INTEGRITY HOSTS 40TH ANNIVERSARY INAUGURAL EUCHARIST WITH BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY

Boston, MA - October 20, 2014 - Integrity USA will host its 40th Anniversary Inaugural Eucharist on November 6, 2014 6:00 PM EST at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Rt. Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, 11th Bishop of North Carolina, will celebrate and preach at the service.

This Anniversary Eucharist also ​serves as a kick-off to our justice work throughout the three dioceses​​ of North Carolina​,​ ​made possible by a generous grant from the Evelyn and Walter Hass, Jr. Fund.​

T​he Eucharist will be followed by a ​wine and hors d'oeuvres ​reception​, hosted by the Integrity Board of Directors. ​​L​GBTQ families, allies, the media, and the questioning are invited to join in the celebration so that all may share their passion for justice and honor the work towards making NC a safe and welcoming home for all.

​This event touches off the celebration of the organization's four decades of advocacy, outreach and fellowship. It will continue through the following year and across the church, with activities in chapters, at partner congregations, and our on-line presence. Integrity USA has been inspiring and equipping the Episcopal Church to proclaim and embody God's love for LGBTQ people and their families and allies since 1974.

Our anniversary year culminates with a joyous Eucharist at the 78th General Convention in Salt Lake ​City in June, at which the Rt. Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Los Angeles, will preach. Church of the Good Shepherd is at 25 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27603. Please contact Integrity USA's Samuel Peterson at sam@integrityusa.org or +1-919-909-6077 for event details.

Integrity is a member-supported nonprofit organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT] Episcopalians and straight friends. Since its founding by Dr. Louie Crew in 1974, Integrity has been the leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the Episcopal Church and equal access to its rites. Integrity activities include advocacy, worship, fellowship, education, communication, outreach, and service to the church. Through Integrity's evangelism, thousands of LGBT people, estranged from the Episcopal Church and other denominations, have returned to parish life.

Event Contact:
Samuel Peterson

This Far By Faith: Integrity at 40

"Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult 

with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!" 

ZEPH. 3:14

Forty years ago this fall, a young English professor from Georgia named Louie Crew phoned Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, inquiring how he and his partner might find other gay Episcopalians in the city. The response was less than hospitable, but -- rather than concede or walk way -- he decided that if gay and lesbian people were going to have a home in the church, they would just have to create that community themselves.

A monthly newsletter was launched, and within a year, groups of men and women were organizing themselves into chapters across the city. Their efforts quickly drew the attention of the current Presiding Bishop, and -- before long -- it became clear that the church was not going to be making decisions about us without including us in the conversation.

We have made tremendous progress in the years since, stepping from the fringes into the heart of congregations, dioceses, and all facets of church life and leadership. As secular culture began debating about and evolving on matters like marriage equality, bullying and transgender identity, we were pleased and proud to find allies from all walks of life -- from the Presiding Bishop to heterosexual teenagers from the Midwest -- speaking out on our behalf.

As such, Integrity is gearing up to celebrate forty years of ministry in a big way. Our theme is This Far By Faith, and we will be celebrating our progress to date, taking a realistic look at where we stand, and planning for our role as the church and the world continue to change.We want to include as many of our constituents, members, allies and friends as we can, so we plan to keep the party going for a whole year!

To start, we are thrilled to announce that the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina, will celebrate the Eucharist and preach at our kickoff on Thursday, November 6 at The Church of the Good Shepard in Raleigh. If you have never heard Bishop Curry preach, we are confident that his sermon from the 2012 General Convention in Indianapolis, entitled "We Need Some Crazy Christians" will have you ready to plan your travel to this event:

This will also formally launch a local campaign we are conducting with the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and local leaders, in partnership with the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.

Over the course of the year that follows, we will sponsor additional activities (some of which will be on-line), and we encourage our chapters and partner congregations to plan events of their own. All our local activities will be featured on our new web site, which will be launched prior to the Nov. 6 event.

The celebration will culminate at the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, coming up next summer in Salt Lake City, UT. The spectacular Integrity Eucharist, which has become a "must-do" for many convention goers, will feature the Right Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, Suffragan Bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles, as the preacher.

For 40 years, Integrity has served as the Episcopal voice for LGBTQ Christians. We will
be honoring Integrity's past, present, and future, and we hope you'll be a part of it.

The Board and Staff of Integrity