1st Quarter 2009

“Let us march on 'til victory is won” The Rev. Susan Russell, President

president@integrityusa.org | 626-583-2741

As I write for this issue of the Integrity InfoLetter, the sounds and signs and symbols of the historic inauguration of the 44th President of the United States echo in the air around me. Arising above all the great oratory and poetry, the words of the prayers and pundits, what I keep hearing loudest are these words from the great freedom anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing:"

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has led us thus far on our way.

It has been impossible over the last few days to not be continually amazed and astounded by the reality of just how far we have come as a nation toward that goal of liberty and justice for all. An African-American man has just taken the oath of office as the President of the United States. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. And then let us get on with it.

Let us get on with the journey toward continuing to fulfill the promise of this historic inauguration—a journey toward justice which the historic moments of January 2009 are for us a life-giving, hope-renewing oasis. But let us not delude ourselves that this oasis is our destination. It is not.

The God who has led us thus far on our way has miles for us to go before we are done. There will be some more weary years and–I venture to say—some more silent tears before we reach that "Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven" we pray for whenever we gather to pray the words our Lord taught us. We will know we are there–we will know that the Kingdom has truly come—when there is truly liberty and justice for all in our nation—and when all the baptized are truly included in all the sacraments of our church.

An African-American president won't end racism in this nation any more than a woman Presiding Bishop has ended sexism in the Episcopal Church. And a gay bishop offering the invocation on the steps of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd on 400,000 and (eventually!) on national television didn't end the systemic homophobia that infects both our country and our church.

But oh my dears—what a moment it was! And what a grace it is for us pause and give thanks for how far our God has led us on our way—even as we gird our loins for the next steps on the journey. The work ahead of us in this New Year is partnering with civic allies to move forward an agenda of inclusion in the political arena and with justice allies in the Episcopal Church to make the full and equal claim promised to the LGBT baptized in 1976 a reality in 2009.

So let us give thanks today—in the beginning of the New Year—for all who have gone before us to bring us thus far on our way. And then let us get busy—in

Bishop Gene Robinson and his daughter, Ella, with President Barack Obama during the Inauguration

partnership with the God who calls us into a future of abundance and inclusion—to make this country and this church the Kingdom come on earth. We can do it. Yes we can.

A Brief Review of 2008 Mr. John Clinton Bradley, Acting Executive Director

johnclint@integrityusa.org | 585-360-4512

By the grace of God; through the generosity of donors large and small; and thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and staff, IntegrityUSA accomplished great things during the past year. Together, we…

�� Opened a public office in Rochester, New York. �� Hired another full-time employee, R. Bruce

Colburn, to coordinate administration and development.

�� Held 5 Inclusion Activism workshops that trained 90 people from 35 dioceses in "how the Episcopal Church works, and how to work the Episcopal Church."

�� Raised over $80,000 during the Canterbury Campaign.

�� Sent a dozen "missionaries" to share God's inclusive love with the bishops attending the Lambeth Conference.

�� Fought hard to defeat Proposition 8 in California. �� Forged new alliances through the Chicago

Consultation to move the Episcopal Church beyond B033 and forward on marriage equality at General Convention 2009.

�� Proposed sweeping changes to the bylaws that, if approved by the members, will make our organization more efficient and effective.

�� Implemented a comprehensive online donor management suite.

�� Hired a new part-time employee, Michael Bell, to manage logistical preparations for our presence in Anaheim.

�� Elected David Cupps as our new Treasurer. �� Gained 490 members and 30 partners.

The year ahead promises to be just as exciting for our ministry as the year past. “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9, KJV

Anaheim Appeal Mr. R. Bruce Colburn

Development Coordinator bruce@integrityusa.org | 585-360-4512

I am pleased to announce the launch of "The Anaheim Appeal," the fundraising effort to support our work in and around General Convention this summer. As with the Canterbury Campaign, our goal is to raise all anticipated expenses to support our

presence at and participation in the convention—from the exhibit hall to the press room to legislative sessions.

To provide the support we desire to give to our volunteers, and to equip the convention team with what it needs to be fully effective, we have set a goal of $80,000. We are aware, of course, of the many troubling indicators about the present state of the country's economy. So, please be assured that we are making every effort to keep the costs of our ministry in Anaheim as modest as possible without sacrificing either the effectiveness of the effort or the level of support our hard-working volunteers deserve.

Watch for a special mailing in the near future about the Anaheim Appeal! I invite you to make an online contribution at www.integrityusa.org/donate and designate your gift for the "Anaheim Appeal." Your online donation will help us keep costs as low as possible.

You can find out more about our General Convention needs at www.integrityusa.org/AnaheimAppeal.

Organizing For Full Inclusion: Take Your Bishop Or Deputy To Lunch!

Ms. Jan Adams, Claiming the Blessing Field Organizer jan@integrityusa.org | 415-378-2050

In my work trying to mobilize folks in advance of General Convention, I still get asked what Integrity's goals are, so it seems worthwhile to restate them:

1. To move beyond Resolution B033. Adopted in haste and under external pressure in 2006, this ill-considered resolution has been used to bar qualified LGBT persons from consideration in elections to the episcopacy.

2. To move forward on marriage equality. For years some bishops have been allowing parishes to bless LGBT couples as a matter of pastoral practice. Various 2009 General Convention resolutions ask for changes ranging from inclusion of such rites in the Book of Occasional Services through rewriting of the marriage service in the Book of Common Prayer.

Achieving these goals is not something your field organizer or Integrity's staff and elected officers can do alone. This only going to happen if LGBT Episcopalians and their friends get active and let their deputies and

bishops know how they need these changes passed at General Convention.

We will get there by listening, talking .and praying together. As a way to start, we're urging those who care about these issues to "take your bishop or deputy to lunch."

Some suggestions for discussing General Convention...

Establish a conversation. Of course, we do have an agenda. I'll say it again: "full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments." Our bishops and deputies need to know that there are faithful Episcopalians who see full inclusion as a part of living out our baptismal vows—and they need to hear, again, our personal stories of why full inclusion matters. You need to be the person who tell them!

Listen. As you know, diocesan deputies to General Convention are not representatives. They are elected by our diocesan conventions, but in doing so we are trusting in their discernment of the movement of the Spirit. Those of us working for full inclusion need to hear from them. So try to make their acquaintance. Ask them what their hopes and dreams are for the Episcopal Church. Also, find out what their anxieties are for our denomination.

In 18 dioceses, IntegrityUSA folks and others have already begun making these contacts. That leaves 92 dioceses where these kind of contacts aren't yet being made in an organized way.

Don't assume someone else will do this—organizing for GC2009 depends on all of us. Please contact me with any information you need to make these contacts—and let me know what comes of these conversations. Together we can make a difference!

Calling Volunteers For General Convention! by Michael S. Bell

GC2009 Project Manager/Meeting Planner michael@integrityusa.org | 310-591-8109

Want to be part of our faithful witness and work toward full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments? We're seeking passionate and committed hearts, minds, and hands to join with us in our mission at General Convention in Anaheim. Whether you expected to have a few hours one day or know that you are available full-time for the entire two weeks of Convention, we welcome your time and talent on our team. We're interested in engaging people who have had General Convention experience as well as "newbies" who are emerging as the next generation of leaders in our community. You can express interest in one our specific teams or in serving as a general volunteer. A volunteer application form can be found on our General Convention website: http://sites.google.com/site/allthesacraments/. This site will continue to evolve as our official hub of information about our work at Convention, so bookmark it in your browser. If you're not sure if you'll have time to be active with us, but want to stay informed about what we're up to, please complete and submit this form anyway—we'll keep you posted. Please share this information to others in your communities/networks.

All applications will be acknowledged. Applications received before the end of February will be considered for a limited number of "supported" volunteer roles, for which lodging (two volunteers per room) will be available in our hotel block in Anaheim.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to realize our future!

Faith-Based Community Organizing IntegrityUSA recently entered into partnership with the Institute for Welcoming Resources to offer an ongoing series of training workshops called Faith-Based Community Organizing.

The new curriculum is similar to the Inclusion Activism workshops recently offered by IntegrityUSA, but has broader goals and teaches a different tool kit. It's designed to enable local leaders to change hearts and minds by building respectful and honest relationships. The workshop is ideal for Episcopalians who want to...

�� make their congregation more welcoming and inclusive

�� start or grow a congregational circle �� form or strengthen a local chapter or network �� move their diocese forward on LGBT issues

How You Can Influence General Convention �� Contact your bishops and deputies about

General Convention as soon as possible. �� Tell them your position on the consecration of

qualified LGBT clergy to the episcopate and the ecclesiastical blessing of faithful same-gender couples. Tell them what you would like to see happen in Anaheim.

�� Ask them their position on these issues. Ask them what kinds of resolutions they are willing to vote for in Anaheim.

�� Thank them for their time and attention. Promise to pray for them before and during General Convention. Set up additional opportunities for communication if possible.

�� Share what you learn with Jan Adams

Integrity's Board of Directors challenges all local chapter, network, and circle leaders to attend one of these training events over the next year!

Although these training events are sponsored by particular LGBT denominational advocacy groups, they are open to Episcopalians and inclusion activists from all denominations.

Upcoming workshops will be offered in…

�� February 5-8: San Antonio, TX �� February 13-15, 2009: Atlanta, GA �� March 13-15: Detroit or Ann Arbor, MI �� March 19–22, 2009: Tallahassee, FL

IntegrityUSA is making plans to host a workshop in September. Find out more at www.integrityusa.org/FaithBasedCommunityOrganizing.

Love Makes A Family IntegrityUSA has entered into an agreement with Family Diversity Projects to promote Love Make a Family within the Episcopal Church. This is a museum-quality, traveling exhibition of photographs and interviews about families that have LGBT members. Many who view the exhibit are deeply affected by it—often moving from hostility to tolerance, or from tolerance to affirmation.

If you are a Proud Parish Partner [P3] or congregation circle of IntegrityUSA, we encourage you to sponsor an exhibition at your church.

If you are a local chapter or network of IntegrityUSA, we challenge you to sponsor an exhibition at your next diocesan convention.

The exhibit is modular, meaning you can show as much or as little of it as available space allows. Family Diversity Projects requests a donation [whatever your organization can afford] to defray the cost of maintaining and shipping the exhibit.

Visit www.integrityusa.org/LoveMakesAFamily for more information about the exhibit. If you have additional questions, or want to schedule an exhibition, please contact…

Peggy Gillespie, Co-Director Family Diversity Projects

PO Box 124 Amherst, MA 01002-1246

(413) 256-0502 info@familydiv.org

Take the P3 Challenge! Is your congregation a Proud Parish Partner [P3] of IntegrityUSA? Visit www.integrityusa.org/p3challenge to find out! If your congregation is NOT a P3, talk to your rector and vestry about becoming one.