2004 ROCHESTER
The fourth Word and World school focused on the social, economic, and ecclesiastical changes engendered by faith-based feminist, womanist, mujerista, and lesbian/gay/bisexual/ transgendered (LGBT) movements. By studying the theologies, visions, strategies, and artistic creations developed in and through these movements, we hoped to reclaim long-silenced voices, to foster new exchanges and insights, to cultivate our communities and coalitions, and to celebrate the spirit.
Components:
Components:
- Rochester Courses and Faculty
- Rochester Site Visits and Plenary Discussions
- Worship and Prayer
- Music, Poetry and Celebration
- Rochester Circle of Support
- Participant Comments
ROCHESTER COURSES AND FACULTY
Following is a list of the Rochester Word and World faculty and classes offered:
Morning Prayer
Morning Prayer
The Prophetic Invocation of Justice and the Problematic of Sexism in Biblical Studies: Norman Gottwald, with Rose Berger
The Politics of Sin: Unraveling the Controversy Around the Bible and Homosexuality: Melanie Morrison
The Other Side of Exodus: Laurel Dykstra, with Robert Two Bulls and Charlie King
Numbers 27: The Daughters of Zelophehad: Nontando Hadebe, with Carter Echols
The Church as Movement 101: Core Biblical Narratives: Ched Myers and J. Herbert Nelson, with Laura Magnani
The Acts of the Apostles and the Movement for Inclusive Community: Nelson Johnson, Janie Spahr, and Anthony J. Ricciuti
Women in the Bible: Liz McAlister
In Our Own Words: Giving Voice to Biblical Women’s Struggles, Stirrings,and Songs: Theresa Tensuan-Eli and Amanda Sapir
Afternoon Courses
Wading Through Uncomfortable Waters: Marginalization, Multiple Oppression, & Justice: Melanie Morrison and M. Carmen Lane
Is a Matriarchal Society Feasible in Today’s Society? What Would it Look Like?: Virginia Fifield, with Laura Magnani as respondent
Parenting and Activism: Laurel Dykstra, with Bruce Triggs, Deborah Compton-Holt and other guests
Women, Empire, and Indigenous Power: Reclaiming All that the Locusts Have Eaten: S. Lily Mendoza, with Monica Medina as respondent
Movement History as Biography: Ched Myers and Rose Berger, with various presenters
Arts and Social Change: Thomas Warfield, with Robert Two Bulls and Rose Berger
HIV/AIDS: The Domestic and International Crisis: Nontando Hadebe
Men’s Work: Ralph Carter and Will Seals
ROCHESTER SITE VISITS AND PLENARY SESSIONS
Recognizing that the stories left untold in text books are often revealed in the texts of lives and the contexts of locations, Word and World planned site visits around Rochester. We became acquainted with the physical place — walked its streets, sat on its stone steps to listen to local historians, and visited its sanctuaries and sites of ministry. We became acquainted, too, with the stories of local women and the
stories of individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Listening to their voices helped orient us to the larger questions of the Rochester School and helped create a space for experiential community building.
Jennifer House
We traveled to Jennifer House, a residential program for women transitioning from incarceration. Visiting this site allowed Word and World to explore the effects of structural violence on women’s lives, and to take inspiration from the residents who struggle to rebuild their communities and relationships, and who advocate for the rights of women in prison.
Sojourner House
A visit to Sojourner House, a transitional program for women in need of housing, counseling, and educational opportunities, provided another occasion to hear the stories of women who are marginalized by poverty, racism, and abuse.
MOCHA/GAGV
Originally started as the Men of Color Health Awareness Project to address the health and education needs of men of color in the LGBT community, this organization is now partnered with the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley (GAGV). Here, School participants engaged in challenging discussions about the intersections of the oppressions of race and sexuality, a key topic of the Rochester School.
We spent four of the week’s mornings focused on the stories of particular struggles. Plenary panels explored personal testimony, which we then used as a lens through which to view the wider issues. Each plenary took to heart Audre Lorde’s insistence that we tell the truth about our lives.
Monday: Claiming Power, Seeking Justice: Intersections of Oppression
We heard Melanie Morrison, Bill Wylie-Kellermann and Carmen Lane speak on the topic of “Claiming Power, Seeking Justice: Intersections of Oppression.” This plenary reflected on the broader themes woven throughout the week— of survival, tr iumph, and transformation among sisters and brothers engaged in the struggle for inclusion and justice. Panelists touched upon the redemptive power of this holy work, which is carried out against a backdrop of a dominant culture that seeks to immobilize and destroy those who dare to claim their voice.
Tuesday: Keeping the Faith: Ordination Stories
We focused on “Keeping the Faith: Ordination Stories.” We heard from disciples who have remained committed to their worship communities despite rejection or public persecution. Janie Spahr, an ordained lesbian Presbyterian Minister, shared her story of faithfulness to her call. Mary Rammerman and Jim Callan, both priests at Spiritus Chrisiti Church, testified to the pain and the freedom that come from speaking truth to power. Carmen Lane, a Black lesbian Catholic convert, spoke from the “margin of the margin,” and at the same time invited us into “the center of her center” as she celebrated the gift of prophetic vision that comes with the experience of multiple oppressions.
Wednesday: Sabbath
Open space allowed people to rest and visit Healers for spiritual renewal and bodywork. Folks had the option of afternoon field trips to Ganondagan State Historic Site, the location of a vibrant matriarchal Iroquois society; Brockport Migrant Worker Camp, where participants heard from farmworker women seeking greater justice; and Downtown Rochester, with historic sites from the suffrage and abolition movements. In the evening the School re-gathered downtown at New Bethel CME Church for our public worship service. We witnessed the traditional passing of the Word and World “torch” from representatives of the original Detroit consultation to the Greensboro, Tucson, Philadelphia, and Rochester schools. Village Elder Liz McAlister offered a prayer. Choir director Myra Brown gave a stirring and personal benediction, inspiring everyone with her honesty and courage. And in an extemporaneous sermon which could only have been bestowed by the Holy Spirit, Nelson Johnson preached a strong and rousing Word on Jesus’ message of radical inclusion.
Thursday: Transforming Silence into Action: Sexuality in Church and Society
“Transforming Silence into Action: Sexuality in Church and Society” brought us testimonies from the lives of LGBT Christians. Kaye and Lisa Fox, Arlisha Massey, and Jacqueline Jones spoke with “Holy Ghost boldness” of their personal stories of lamentation and triumph, division and healing borne of the oppression of their sexuality in the church and society.
Friday: Telling the Truth About Our Lives: Women and Violence
“Telling the Truth About Our Lives: Women and Violence,” featured Deborah Chung from Jennifer House, Claudia Mauryschau, and Tamara Xavier. These brave women spoke about reclaiming their own power in their lives after suffering violence in its many forms—domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and the violence of patriarchy, racism, and poverty.
stories of individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Listening to their voices helped orient us to the larger questions of the Rochester School and helped create a space for experiential community building.
Jennifer House
We traveled to Jennifer House, a residential program for women transitioning from incarceration. Visiting this site allowed Word and World to explore the effects of structural violence on women’s lives, and to take inspiration from the residents who struggle to rebuild their communities and relationships, and who advocate for the rights of women in prison.
Sojourner House
A visit to Sojourner House, a transitional program for women in need of housing, counseling, and educational opportunities, provided another occasion to hear the stories of women who are marginalized by poverty, racism, and abuse.
MOCHA/GAGV
Originally started as the Men of Color Health Awareness Project to address the health and education needs of men of color in the LGBT community, this organization is now partnered with the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley (GAGV). Here, School participants engaged in challenging discussions about the intersections of the oppressions of race and sexuality, a key topic of the Rochester School.
We spent four of the week’s mornings focused on the stories of particular struggles. Plenary panels explored personal testimony, which we then used as a lens through which to view the wider issues. Each plenary took to heart Audre Lorde’s insistence that we tell the truth about our lives.
Monday: Claiming Power, Seeking Justice: Intersections of Oppression
We heard Melanie Morrison, Bill Wylie-Kellermann and Carmen Lane speak on the topic of “Claiming Power, Seeking Justice: Intersections of Oppression.” This plenary reflected on the broader themes woven throughout the week— of survival, tr iumph, and transformation among sisters and brothers engaged in the struggle for inclusion and justice. Panelists touched upon the redemptive power of this holy work, which is carried out against a backdrop of a dominant culture that seeks to immobilize and destroy those who dare to claim their voice.
Tuesday: Keeping the Faith: Ordination Stories
We focused on “Keeping the Faith: Ordination Stories.” We heard from disciples who have remained committed to their worship communities despite rejection or public persecution. Janie Spahr, an ordained lesbian Presbyterian Minister, shared her story of faithfulness to her call. Mary Rammerman and Jim Callan, both priests at Spiritus Chrisiti Church, testified to the pain and the freedom that come from speaking truth to power. Carmen Lane, a Black lesbian Catholic convert, spoke from the “margin of the margin,” and at the same time invited us into “the center of her center” as she celebrated the gift of prophetic vision that comes with the experience of multiple oppressions.
Wednesday: Sabbath
Open space allowed people to rest and visit Healers for spiritual renewal and bodywork. Folks had the option of afternoon field trips to Ganondagan State Historic Site, the location of a vibrant matriarchal Iroquois society; Brockport Migrant Worker Camp, where participants heard from farmworker women seeking greater justice; and Downtown Rochester, with historic sites from the suffrage and abolition movements. In the evening the School re-gathered downtown at New Bethel CME Church for our public worship service. We witnessed the traditional passing of the Word and World “torch” from representatives of the original Detroit consultation to the Greensboro, Tucson, Philadelphia, and Rochester schools. Village Elder Liz McAlister offered a prayer. Choir director Myra Brown gave a stirring and personal benediction, inspiring everyone with her honesty and courage. And in an extemporaneous sermon which could only have been bestowed by the Holy Spirit, Nelson Johnson preached a strong and rousing Word on Jesus’ message of radical inclusion.
Thursday: Transforming Silence into Action: Sexuality in Church and Society
“Transforming Silence into Action: Sexuality in Church and Society” brought us testimonies from the lives of LGBT Christians. Kaye and Lisa Fox, Arlisha Massey, and Jacqueline Jones spoke with “Holy Ghost boldness” of their personal stories of lamentation and triumph, division and healing borne of the oppression of their sexuality in the church and society.
Friday: Telling the Truth About Our Lives: Women and Violence
“Telling the Truth About Our Lives: Women and Violence,” featured Deborah Chung from Jennifer House, Claudia Mauryschau, and Tamara Xavier. These brave women spoke about reclaiming their own power in their lives after suffering violence in its many forms—domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and the violence of patriarchy, racism, and poverty.
WORSHIP AND PRAYER
Sunday also included a visit to Spiritus Christi Church, a Catholic congregation where all are welcome.
Excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church for allowing a woman to celebrate communion and for blessing gay unions, Spiritus continues to be a vibrant community which uses its own experience of injustice to advocate for the poor and marginalized.
During a rousing gospel-style worship service with Mary Rammerman as celebrant, Word and World honored the people of Spiritus Christi—for their struggle for inclusion, their courage of conviction, and their commitment to community outreach.
Excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church for allowing a woman to celebrate communion and for blessing gay unions, Spiritus continues to be a vibrant community which uses its own experience of injustice to advocate for the poor and marginalized.
During a rousing gospel-style worship service with Mary Rammerman as celebrant, Word and World honored the people of Spiritus Christi—for their struggle for inclusion, their courage of conviction, and their commitment to community outreach.
MUSIC, POETRY AND CELEBRATION
The School assembled for proclamations of the Word, liturgy, and song, as well as for comedy routines and jam sessions. The Comedy Nun scandalized everyone on Monday night, local organizer Mike Boucher entertained with his guitar in the tradition of the last three Word and World Schools, and Charlie King and Ange Smith reprised their roles as Village songsters. We also heard poetry performances by Rose Berger and Carmen Lane and witnessed the extraordinary dance of Thomas Warfield. Friday night worship and communion, powerfully led by Snake Kunda and Gail Nelson, combined elements of all previous public meetings, with offerings of poetry, song, and the dance of Jacqueline Jones woven into liturgy. The night ended with drums beating and people singing and spontaneously dancing to the chorus of “Freedom is Coming, Oh Yes I Know.”
ROCHESTER CIRCLE OF SUPPORT
Atlantic Life Community
Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries
Calvary/St. Andrews Church
Carpenter Foundation
Center for Peace and Global Citizenship
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Downtown United Presbyterian Church
Detroit Catholic Worker
Detroit Annual United Methodist Church
Gadsen Fund
Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley
Lake Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville Institute
Memorial AME Zion
Monroe Foundation
Nazareth College Campus Ministry
New Bethel CME Church
The Other Side
Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church
Open Door Community
Park Avenue Christian Church, New York
Seminary Consortium on Urban and Pastoral Education
simple way community
Sisters of the Precious Blood
Sojourners
Spirithouse
Spiritus Christi Church
St. Mary’s Church
Third Presbyterian Church
National Board
Elaine Enns, CA; Joyce Hollyday, NC; Nelson Johnson, NC; Ched Myers, CA; Bill Wylie-Kellermann, MI; Melanie Morrison, MI; Theresa Tensuan-Eli, PA; Deborah Compton-Holt, NC; J. Herbert Nelson, TN; Farah Mokhtareizadeh, PA
Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries
Calvary/St. Andrews Church
Carpenter Foundation
Center for Peace and Global Citizenship
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Downtown United Presbyterian Church
Detroit Catholic Worker
Detroit Annual United Methodist Church
Gadsen Fund
Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley
Lake Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville Institute
Memorial AME Zion
Monroe Foundation
Nazareth College Campus Ministry
New Bethel CME Church
The Other Side
Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church
Open Door Community
Park Avenue Christian Church, New York
Seminary Consortium on Urban and Pastoral Education
simple way community
Sisters of the Precious Blood
Sojourners
Spirithouse
Spiritus Christi Church
St. Mary’s Church
Third Presbyterian Church
National Board
Elaine Enns, CA; Joyce Hollyday, NC; Nelson Johnson, NC; Ched Myers, CA; Bill Wylie-Kellermann, MI; Melanie Morrison, MI; Theresa Tensuan-Eli, PA; Deborah Compton-Holt, NC; J. Herbert Nelson, TN; Farah Mokhtareizadeh, PA
PARTICIPANT COMMENTS
“What I will take away with me is how important it has been to hear the stories of oppression among the LGBT community in order to deepen my commitment to inclusion and equip me better to be an ally on this path of justice and liberation” |
“Morning prayer [was] varied, friendly, and ‘deep.’ A valuable option. Wow.” “The People went to church and a party broke out!” |
“The diversity of attendees helped me increase my understanding of people unlike myself. This conference was EXCELLENT. I am very grateful I had a chance to attend.” |