8 T jan y ary 1 9 9 2 ▼ ju at ou*
Falwell anti-gay
campaign
The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the conservative Vir
ginia televangelist who founded the Moral Major
ity in the 1970’s, announced a “national battle
plan” in a letter to his followers to defeat what he
called the “radical homosexual m ovem ent” Un
der the letterhead of the Liberty Foundation, a
sister organization of the Moral Majority, Falwell
outlined several recent victories by gay and les
bian rights advocates and predicted that if they are
not
stopped,
“America is on the
road to becoming
THE
NEXT
SODOM AND
GOMORRAH!”
“ M y h eart
breaks for these
people,” Falwell
wrote, "they are
“ ■^
“
so consumed with their deviant sexuality. We
certainly want to win them to Christ. We surely
love their souls. And we must reach out to them
with the Gospel. But we must awaken to their
wicked agenda for America!” he added, circling
the words “wicked agenda.” The letter proclaimed,
“WE CANNOT ALLOW HOMOSEXUALS TO
RULE AMERICA!" To prevent that, Falwell
announced that he has a “national battle plan to
defeat the radical homosexual movement,” al
though he does not outline it beyond requesting
$35 from letter recipients.
Baltimore Alternative
Surprising
Lutheran
coalition raises
money for AIDS
agencies
Lutherans, conservative and liberal, gay and
non-gay, all joined together recently at Grace
Lutheran Church in Richmond, California for a
fund-raising banquet called “Grace and Comfort.”
Proceeds totalling over 54,000 were divided be
tween local AIDS service organizations and 10
percent went to benefit the Township AIDS Project
in Soweto, Africa.
The Rev. Simon Farisani, Dean of the Duvhala-
Lebowa District of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Southern Africa, described how the
legacy of apartheid is compounding the effects of
the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. “Thank you
for remembering South Africa!” he proclaimed
several times.
Other participants in the event included such
diverse individuals and groups as the Missouri
Synod District President, an Evangelical Lutheran
Churchof America Bishop, Lutherans Concerned
of San Francisco, Lutheran AIDS Network, Rich
mond City Councilwomen, and Fellowship of
Confessional Lutherans. The event was spon
sored by Lutheran Concemed/San Francisco and
the Sierra Pacific Synod AIDS Task Force.
Second Stone
Portland
Archdiocese
pushing HIV
sensitivity
Under the direction o f the Rev. Bruce
Cwiekowski of the Catholic AIDS Ministry, the
% &
4L
/A
91
¡9
*r> V
Using latex condoms with water-based lubricants will help prevent the spread of HIV,
the virus that can lead to AIDS. Making a personal commitment to always practice safer
sex is your best assurance of many New Year's celebrations to come.
Make 1992 your "Year of the Condom".
Volunteer Training: Join us for our upcoming training for new volunteers interested in
working in Prevention/Outreach or on our Oregon AIDS Hotline. Training will be held
February 1,5,8 and 12. Please call CAP today for a volunteer application!
CASCADE AIDS PROJECT
PREVENTION/OUTREACH SER VICES
223-5907 V/TDD
Dignity
community
dinner
Each year Dignity Portland, the lesbian and
gay organization for Catholics, thanks the com
munity groups and organizations that create a
positive role model for all of us. This year’s
dinner will be held on Jan. 18 at the St. Francis
Church. Dignity will be honoring the Portland
Gay M en’s Chorus and the Portland Lesbian
Choir for their efforts in “bridging the gender
gap” within the community.
Walla Walla
College hears
about Kinship
Kinship International, the gay and lesbian
support group for Seventh Day Adventists, re
ceived a rash o f phone calls from Walla Walla
College students due largely to an article pub-
lished in the student newspaper, the Collegian. The
front-page article was favorable, and it included
the toll-free number for the hotline in the first
paragraph. According to the article, interest was
started when Kinship posters began appearing
around campus advertising the toll-free number.
Second Stone
■46k
Proper use increases
condom effectiveness
Archdiocese of Portland is encouraging congre
gations to become more involved in ministry with
people affected by HIV disease. The AIDS Min
istry has created 11 articles to be used by churches
to replace fiction with facts about AIDS, and to
express the Catholic Church’s concern and com
passion for those afflicted with the HIV virus.
MCC celebrates
anniversary with
special guest
Metropolitan Community Church of Portland
is celebrating its 16th anniversary Jan. 17-19. The
Rev. Dr. A. Stephen Pieters, who is the field
director o f the Universal Fellowship of Metro
politan Community Church’s AIDS Ministry,
will be in Portland for the celebration. Pieters is
a long-term survivor o f AIDS. His remarkable
story of full recovery serves as an inspiring ex
ample o f healing and hope.
Pieters has been a member of MCC for 15
years. From 1979 to 1982, he was the pastor of
MCC in Hartford, Connecticut. He has served as
field director o f UFMCC AIDS Ministry since
1987.
In April 1984, he was diagnosed with acquired
immune difficiency syndrome. His diseases in
clude Kaposis’s Sarcoma as well as stage four
lymphoma, he was told by one health professional
that he would not live to see 1985.
Not only did he live to see 1985, but that year
he participated in an experimental anti-viral drug
trial during which his cancer went into complete
remission. He continues to enjoy good health and
according to his physician at the University of
Southern California Comprehensive Cancer Cen
ter, he is “clinically well in all respects.”
Since his diagnosis, Pieters has served as an
officer of the board of directors o f AIDS Project
Los Angeles, and on the Executive Committee of
the AIDS Interfailh Council o f Southern Cali
fornia. He has written many articles about his
experiences with AIDS and currently edits
ALERT, UFMCC ’ s monthly newsletter on AIDS.
Pieters has received numerous awards for his
ministry in the AIDS crisis from religious, hu
manitarian, and political organizations.
For more information on Pieters speaking
schedule, contact the church office at 281-8660.
The Sunday morning worship service at 10:30
am, Jan. 19, will feature the Rev. Pieters. MCC is
located at 1644 NE 24th (at Broadway).
Com piled by M atthew Nelson, an ordained
m inister o f the United Church o f Christ