Gay pride interfaith service held at black church for first time

[Ian David]

BOSTON -- For the first time ever, today's annual gay pride interfaith service will be held at a predominantly black church.

Gay activists say the service at Union United Methodist in Boston shows that blacks aren't monolithic in their opposition to gay marriage.

But gay marriage opponent Kris Mineau says the service doesn't reflect the general position of the black church.

He says blacks recognize the need for mothers and fathers because of the plight of fatherlessness.

The church's pastor, the Reverend Martin McLee, said gay people have always been part of the church, and he's not asking people to pretend they are something they're not.

More:
http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO54491/

[polmaven]

1. If by "the black church"

Mineau is specifically speaking of Union United Methodist Church, with emphasis on the United Methodist part, that is a correct statement....sort of.

The United Methodist Church is officially anti gay marriage. The New England United Methodist Conference, however, is, I believe, very much in disagreement with the General Conference of our church.

We have voted, by rather large margins, to send to next year's quadrennial General Conference...(don't ask...it's a General Conference conference)resolutions in favor of eliminating from the Book of Discipline any language which forbids same gender marriage or the ordination of gay men or lesbians.

Unfortunately, New England Conference doesn't have the ability to do that on our own. I believe if we could, we would have done so a long time ago.