People of Faith for Equality in Virginia

VCU "Sports" Discrimination

VCU_Athletics_2012 When it comes to sportsmanship, Virginia Commonwealth University is getting it wrong.

My mama and daddy taught me long ago: Good sportsmanship is something you do all the time. Fair play is always the right way to go. Win, lose, or draw, be fair and generous to all. That’s the code of conduct that is always right.

But that surely does not seem to be the code in use by Ed McLaughlin, the university’s athletic director. Without any notice, he refused to renew the contract of James Finley, eight-year veteran coach of women’s volleyball whose team just posted a 25 wins, 6 losses record. And that was on top of moving the team from a tier 3 to a tier 2 league. And the entire team turned in solid academic performances.

Finley_Volleyball Why then? A press statement from the University says, in part, “Our program needs a different direction and different leadership to attain our goals of achieving at an elite level nationally.” Sounds like what Finley (pictured right) is already doing.

And, oh yes, according to a member of the team, McLaughlin told them, “We want someone to better represent the school.”

Ouch. Heard that one before. It’s usually code for getting rid of someone who reminds us of something we don’t want to remember.

Blacks heard it. Latino/a people heard it. Still do.

Women heard it. Still do.

Gay and lesbian and transgender folk heard it. Still do.

Did I mention that James Finley is gay? And open about it, proud of his marriage to John Sternlicht and his participation in efforts to insure that VCU is open and affirming to all, proud to be a role model and support for LGBT athletes at the school.

Not sure what sexual orientation has to do with coaching women’s volleyball, but it seems like McLaughlin believes it disqualifies Finley from his job. Surely it is not his performance, which has not been questioned. Surely it is not the team record, which is simply outstanding. The story is already gaining national attention. And it's not the first instance of discrimination in the VCU Athletic department.

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God's Call Creates a Ruckus.....Once Again

god-calling Brandon Scott McGuire—his friends call him Scott—just wants to serve an under-served population: those with physical and mental challenges that make it difficult for them to function in this fast-paced world, and cause many people, and society as a whole, to treat them with less than the dignity they deserve.

And his congregation knows he is the genuine article, a disciple of Christ with love in his heart and a desire, a call from God, to serve.

So, on Sunday September 16, the congregation gathered to ordain him as a full minister, and to send him forth into the world to serve and lead. Jonathan and I were privileged to be present.

It was a beautiful service. We sang inspirational hymns, a soloist blessed us, readings were spoken, leaders shared wisdom about Scott and his call, and Scott showed us the depth of his journey in a brief but thoughtful message.

And then we were invited to come forward for communion, and to say a word or two of blessing for Scott as he knelt facing the congregation. In orderly fashion, we lined up and came forward, one by one, or two by two. There was a powerful sense of blessing: the meal, of course, and also acknowledging how God blesses Scott, and how Scott, by his service, blesses us and God.

GinterParkBaptistChurch Now, all this is lovely. You may well have participated in something similar in your own faith or tradition—the anointing of a new servant leader. So you may wonder why I am writing about it. After all, it happened, and Scott is now the Rev. Brandon Scott McGuire. Praise God!

But the deal is this: his congregation, on Richmond’s north side, is Ginter Park Baptist Church. And that fact has roiled some folks in the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV), an historic gathering of Baptist churches formed in 1823.

The Executive Committee of the Missions Board of the BGAV has asked Ginter Park to withdraw its membership by the end of the year, or be terminated. Quit, they have been told, or be fired. The same thing may happen in the local association, the Richmond Baptist Association.

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Yes! It Is Time!

God_Still_Speaking_Rainbow The late comedienne, Gracie Allen, once famously said, “Never place a period where God has placed a comma.” This truth describes the efforts of People of Faith for Equality in Virginia (POFEV).

Where some people believe that equality for LGBT Virginians is an issue already settled, negatively, by appeal to one or more passages of scripture from the Torah and/or New Testament texts, we know that the struggle for justice continues. “God is still speaking,” as our UCC friends say. We certainly know that discerning the meaning of sacred texts is an ongoing enterprise for each generation. The work of inclusion and justice is continually inspired by God.

LGBT_UUFC_Workshop And God is definitely speaking through a special conference being offered by POFEV/NoVA and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF) on October 19-20. The conference will be held at UUCF, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, VA 22124.

“Welcoming LGBTs in Your Faith Community: Isn’t It Time?” is an exciting interfaith venture in education and inspiration open to all who want to explore the role of faith communities in ministering to LGBT people and those who love them—as well as provide resources to everyone, from those who have not begun the conversation to those who are currently going through their denomination’s curriculum to be open and welcoming, even to those who went through the process a long time ago.