Dear Minister (or Clergyperson),

You are being contacted either because I am aware of your past supportive stance on gay rights issues or because your name was suggested as a clergyperson who might be responsive to a justice and equality issue for same-gender couples. At a “Marriage Equality” meeting on March 7 (at St. Elizabeth’s Life House), about 40 people gathered to hear Attorney Roger Forman and same-gender couple Patty Link and Shelia Chambers discuss their petition to the WV Supreme Court concerning a marriage license.  These women have been partners for 23 years and have a marriage license from Canada and a civil union license from Vermont. They are seeking legal recognition of their marriage under WV civil law, under the equal protection clause in the WV Constitution. [As of this mailing, two other couples have joined the suit as plaintiffs and the ACLU has agreed to take the case under their advisement.]

There were 6 points on the agenda for this particular meeting. One of the points for discussion was whether a group of clergy folks from WV could be gathered who would be willing to support (in whatever way appropriate to their individual situation) Patty and Shelia’s petition before the WV Supreme Court—not on spiritual or church grounds, but on civil rights grounds.

As we see it, one of the big obstacles to this same-gender petition will be the opposition from ministers who will see this action ONLY from the perspective of their church’s stance on same-gender marriage. Left unchallenged, they will paint this suit as a move to force them to marry gay people in their churches.  In NO WAY is that the object of the petition and in no way could it ever be.  This suit does not ask the government to force resistant ministers to marry gay couples in their churches. The state government is being asked to honor its equal protection clause by granting same-gender couples the same legal right to marry and reap the civil benefits that heterosexual couples now enjoy.

We are hoping you might agree there is a need for progressive ministers to help the public (and their congregations) understand the obligation (or the possibility) for folks (even church folks) in a democratic society to grant other law-abiding folks their civil rights as couples under the constitution, regardless of whether they ever grant them sacramental blessings for their unions.                                       

Our plan is to gather a group of progressive, justice-loving WV clergy/ministers/leaders of faith groups to talk this matter over among themselves. Then, if there is any consensus concerning support, perhaps that core group could begin to reach out to other religious leaders all over the state—one at a time—to try to build a registry of supportive ministers. Names of potential supportive ministers could come from the “Marriage Equality” group or from the ministers’ own circle of acquaintances. We don’t see this project necessarily involving a lot of meetings.  Instead, we see it as several meetings to establish group norms, discuss the issue, and arrive at a plan for networking.  

The form the clergy “support” would take would be up to the clergy core group. The “Marriage Equality” group on Sunday didn’t try to suggest the form that support might take. One thought I had was that perhaps “support” would be simply making part of the clergy registry available to media outlets so that if they were doing a story in this issue and wanted input from a “progressive clergyperson,” some ministers could be “on call.”  Also, clergy support could be given in joint or individual op-ed articles, letters to the editor, or articles in church publications. All supportive ministers and clergy are invited to be part of this group—whether or not they are able to give public support at this time. The clergy group can set guidelines for confidentiality. (Those who cannot give public support can offer strength and support to those who will.)

Would you be interested in joining other local clergy and ministers to discuss the possibilities of a supportive ministers’ group?  

If so, email me
Margaret Lindsey, Executive Committee
Straight and Gay Alliance at St. John’s Episcopal Church
Quarrier and Leon Sullivan Way
Charleston, WV  25301
Phone: 304-574-2835 for more details