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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2008)
20l i U StiOUt JUNE 13, 2008 northwest Your Women's Full Contact FOOTBALL TEAM / ♦ • ' A Pastor Debuts with Pride ’ ' <r N Nathan Meckley starts as new MCC Portland pastor .? L At J\ * by Stephen Marc Beaudoin * 1 1 I <r J, > t a * de* f '/ * For mnrp information and tn follow your team visit 4 www.portlandshockwave.com y ‘ k- Doom toon Gynecology is a full-spectrum health clinic proud to provide holistic services to the GLUT community. Please call or email as to make an ‘ appointment or arrunye a consultation. IT > accept a variety of insurance plans. DOWNTOWN GYNECOLOGY (503) 222-7333 info@down towngynecology, com www.downtowngynecology.com 511 SW 10th Ave,, Suite 613 Portland, OR 97205-2732 Elizabeth P. Newhall, MD Dana Mozer, FNP Edna Kung, MD Jackie Beale, RN American Window Company 1 1 1 > * •' o * J3TI •W» IWrl WPS 4 I ! ì p vv\ vv\ 1 MM* L a J WINDOWS Meckley says this expansion of mission, includ e just didn’t believe in encyclopedias. ing a tighter lens on issues of social justice, will So instead of going door to door hawking $400 Britannica sets, as he be part of his Herculean task of boosting MCC did in his early 20s, Nathan Meckley is Portland: He points to examples like the church’s now selling something he “believes in “People’s Pantry” mission, which last year donated 500 bags of groceries to poor families. more strongly”—organized religion. He’ll have a lot of selling to do. The Pennsylva But right now Meckley is focused on Pride nia-born Meckley just arrived in the Rose City as Weekend, which marks his MCC Portland debut the newly appointed head pastor of Portland’s Met at the 9 a.m. June 15 service. The topic of his ser ropolitan Community Church, a tiny 150-member mon: pride, of course. gay Christian congregation struggling to boost its Just Out sat down with Meckley to talk about membership and find its financial footing after sev his vision for the church, its role in the greater eral years of leadership turnover and operating in Portland community and how MCC might be at the red for three out of the past four years. the vanguard of the fight for marriage equality. Meckley, who comes to Portland from recent Size Matters pastoral posts in Florida Among other religions founded in the 20th century, Metropoli and California, knows tan Community Church ranks as one of the smallest denominations. he has his work cut out Here are the number of worldwide church members for several re for him. The congrega cently founded religions, according to available figures: tion, which owns a 6,100- • Seventh Day Adventist: Approximately 15 million (est. 1925) square-foot church and • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Approximately 7 million (est. 1931) • Church of Wicca: 800,000 (est. 1954) administration facility at • Church of Christ, Scientist: 400,000 (est. 1879) 2400 N.E. Broadway, is • Metropolitan Community Church: 43,000 (est. 1968) paying off a second mort gage, and church bulletins routinely remind members of their precipitous Stephen Marc Beaudoin: When were you financial state: A recent newsletter’s “Financial introduced to MCC? Report” announced, “This week we have $26,447 The Rev. Nathan Meckley: I actually went in bills to be paid with $1,104 cash in hand,” and there not to go to church, but as a class project. reminded members, twice, “We are a generous I had started coming out as a gay man, and I was congregation.” taking a class on church and the contemporary “Everybody is thinking about that right now,” world, and I decided I was going to do a paper on says MCC Portland board member Hyla Richey homosexuality and Christianity, and so I went. about the congregation’s financial health. “We I had heard of MCC beforehand, and I thought, would like our contributions to increase and our “Oh, that can’t possibly be a real church.” The membership to increase. If we do our jobs well, only way to describe it is it felt like I had gone to then we will have all those things.” church for the first time in my life. The church, founded in 1968 by gay activist and former Baptist preacher the Rev. Troy Perry, has SMB: How do you define MCC to those not struggled in recent years to stay relevant, especially as in the church? more Christian churches welcome sexual minorities NM: MCC is not the church of your child through their doors. “That’s a mold we need to break hood. People still generally come to MCC from out of,” Richey says. “We’re not just a gay church.” other traditions or no tradition at all. So you can M Specializing in Old & Historic Homes Certified Dealer Factory trained installers Over 25 years experience lietime warranty Free estimates By installing new MilgartPwindows, you will experience lower heating and cooling costs, better security and sound reduction. Milgard®manufactures products for many different styles of homes, from old to new. As an added bonus to you, each window and patio door purchased that includes an Energy Package is eligible for a rebate. 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