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11.12.2013

Farewell to Grace Baptist (and the SBC) and Hello to St. John UCC


It has come to this: I am officially leaving Grace Baptist Church, a church that I called home for the past 13+ years is no longer going to be my home of worship and my last remaining link to the days that I stayed over at Grandma Alice's on Saturday nights to go to church on Sundays.

After the end of the evening worship service on Sunday Night, I was lectured by Steve Trask, the worship leader, on certain theological and political issues-- most notably homosexuality and my support of same-sex marriage and abortion. He raised ire over my Facebook profile picture supporting marriage equality in honor of the state's passage of SB10 last week (and he raised complaints over it earlier in 2013). He also noticed that I was NEVER a formal member of GBC; however, my now-deceased Grandma was, via a letter from Suburban. More dubiously, I was ALMOST scheduled to be baptized back in October 2003; however, the bus forgot to came by that Sunday, and thus I was not to be baptized that day.

I told him, Pastor Daniel, the Helliges, and a few others at the church that night as to why I am leaving. The reason?
It is that I can no longer abide to be a regular attender at a church whose theology opposes abortion rights, marriage equality, liberalism, women's rights, cohabitation, divorce, single parenting (my mom divorced my dad in 2006), safe sex education, contraception, and birth control. Also, it was better to resign on my own rather than forcing a possible expulsion from attendership by the church.

I have came to know a lot of very pleasant people from the church over the years, including but not limited to: Thom and Rosie Wells, Alicia Gaines (via GCHS) and her son Hudson, David and Jessica Hellige and their son Camdyn, Bro. John Oswald (no longer at GBC), Bro. Ben Towell and Heather Towell, Bill and Theresa Horn and their daughters Jackie and Cherish, William Southerland, Nicki and Gary Zimmerman and their two daughters Brooke and Brianna, Tim and Tracey Faulkner, Taylor Riggs, Terry and Kimberly Jackson, Robin Macios, Tim Hayes, Chris Markovich and the Clowns Thru Grace Ministry, Jesse Maeser, Millie Hand, Kathy Rudolph, Rich Trindle (now deceased), Alexis and Sean Betts, Kelsey Grillion, Ryan Faulkner, Keith and Kelly Dunnigan, Doug and Dana Clemons, Steve and Karen Trask and their two children Jessica and Steven, Andrea and Andrew O'Shia, Jeremy Hartman, Mike and Millie Hankes, Corissa Steele, Dawn Boone, Peggy Cunningham, Beverly Brassfield, Joe Miller and the Jezreel Sun band, Sheila Gergen, Phil and Lisa Lemus, Alicia and Kevin Shaffer and their daughter Victoria, Jon Ferry, Chelsea Toussaint, Jolene and Gary Terrell, Ed and Denise Clothier, Amanda Mitchell, Ed and Joanie Niepert, Kevin and Katie Feigenbutz, Cathy Mitchell, Ron and Vickie Ferry, Don Thompson, Jesse Welty, Larry Freese, Kinsey McKibbin, Danny McNeely, Melissa Mullen, Craig and Mary Astorian and their daughter April, Mike and Rebecca Sullivan, Mark and Val Haas, Carla Hughes, Christi Clark, Sherry Phouangmalay, Kennedy Capps, Nick Garner, Steven Garner, Martinea Dailey, Ike and Danielle Newman, and countless others.

And I will no longer be posting church announcements on the Grace Baptist Church FB group page anymore except the church Fantasy Football league for the remainder of the current season.

With all that being said, I will find myself a new church home (which is most likely St. John UCC) possibly as soon as this upcoming Sunday or the next one.

Despite being at a new church, I will still be at the GBC fantasy football draft for next year and all future years and be open to occasional visits.




My blogpost from June 2013 on this issue contains much of the same reasons why I am withdrawing now.
I started attending back in 2000 when my Grandma switched membership from Suburban Baptist Church.Not long after my Grandma couldn't drive anymore, I relied on the strong and robust bus ministry to take me to and from there. If it weren't for them, I would likely be long gone from Grace. Also, I gained (and lost) friends during my 12.5 years at Grace Baptist. With that being said, there were bumps in the road along the way, such as attacks on my Christianity and liberalism in later years (primarily from Ron Martin), especially for endorsing President Obama and supporting abortion rights and same-sex marriage.  
How I became pro-choice and pro-marriage equality, which ties into this a lot: I'd say sometime between the election of Obama in 2008 and being in Ms. Ames' economics class and the passage of the Hate Crimes Law in 2009 for the latter. For the former, it was around the time that Dr. Tiller got killed that changed my views on abortion from leaning personally pro-life but not for restrictive abortion laws to pro-choice and even moreso recently. However, I am still opposed to assisted suicide.



My tweet announcing the departure from Grace Baptist, after 13+ years there and a lifelong attender of a Southern Baptist Convention church:

11.06.2013

Victory has been achieved in Illinois, as it becomes the 15th state to pass marriage equality

Yesterday, as the SB10 bill was passed in the House 61-54-2-1 and then subsequently passed the Senate 32-21-0-6, Illinois became the 15th state (plus DC) to pass marriage equality.


It was a very good day for us Illinois who believed in fairness and equality, and a very bad day for the homophobes such as the Illinois Family Institute who lobbied against it.

USNews.NBCNews.com:
The Illinois General Assembly approved a bill on Tuesday to allow gays and lesbians to marry in the Land of Lincoln, opening the path for the state to become the 15th to allow same-sex marriage. 
The vote capped a months-long wait for a ballot on the measure while gay marriage advocates worked on getting the support needed to pass the legislation. The House of Representatives, where the bill stalled earlier this year after the Senate passed it, approved the legislation, 61-54.  
“Today, the Illinois House put our state on the right side of history,” said Gov. Pat Quinn, who has long vowed to sign the legislation.  The measure had to return to the Senate since the House added an amendment to make June 1 the effective date of the legislation — rather than 30 days after Quinn signs it. The Senate quickly endorsed the bill after the House vote.
After the ballot, the White House tweeted: "RT if you agree that every American should have the freedom to marry who they love."

Illinois is poised to become the 15th state nationwide to allow same-sex marriage and join two of its Midwest neighbors – Iowa and Minnesota – in granting gay couples the right to wed. The District of Columbia allows gay marriage, too.
The vote comes two weeks after same-sex marriages began in New Jersey, where the state dropped its legal appeal to prohibit the weddings, and comes ahead of a similar ballot in Hawaii.
Rep. Greg Harris, a primary sponsor of the bill from Chicago who is openly gay, announced last May that he wouldn't call a vote on the legislation since he wasn’t sure it had enough support for approval, The Advocate reported
[...] 
 Couples who had previously joined in civil unions, which were approved in the state 2010 and began in mid-2011, will be able to have that legal relationship converted into marriage. They have one year to make the change, and typical marriage fees will be waived, according to the legislation.







I am so happy about this!

11.01.2013

Marriage Equality may be headed for a vote in the Illinois House next week. Will it pass?




Next week, as the veto session resumes in Illinois, a very important bill will be up for a vote in Springfield. That bill is the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act (IL SB10), which if passed, will make Illinois either the 15th or the 16th state to legalize marriage equality.

ABCChicago.com:
After months of energetic lobbying, both sides in the Illinois same-sex marriage debate are ready for a vote next week that supporters say would fulfill a pledge by the sponsor to bring the issue back to Springfield.
Anticipating a likely vote during the final week of the veto session, some lawmakers previously on the fence have announced their position on the question. Others are quickly drafting proposed changes so they can support the bill. More activists are calling for immediate action. And even opponents are planning for fallout ahead of the campaign season.  
IllinoisObserver.net:
(Chicago) – Insider: It seems likely that the Illinois House will be voting on same sex marriage legislation when lawmakers return to Springfield next week.
State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), the measure’s chief House sponsor, strongly hinted on Wednesday night that he plans to call the bill for a vote during the last week of the fall veto session which begins on Tuesday, November 5. 
“I think my colleagues should be prepared next week to make history on marriage equality,” Harris told The Illinois Observer during his fall fundraiser in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
“I spent the day making calls on marriage,” Harris said. “I very happy.” 
Another Democratic lawmaker contacted by The Illinois Observer echoed Harris.
“Greg says he’s calling the bill next week and that’s he got the votes,” said the legislator. “I don’t know who he has flipped.” 
In May, on the last day of the legislature’s spring session, Harris declined to call the legislation, Senate Bill 10, for a vote, saying that the votes were not there and that his colleagues needed more time in order to consult their constituents for a vote in the fall.
Harris’ comments on Wednesday come on the heels of other political intelligence that surfaced earlier this week regarding House Speaker Michael Madigan and the marriage equality legislation.


The REAL FACTS about IL SB10:


I personally hope and pray that same-sex marriage is legalized in my home state, and I urge you to call and/or email your Representative to tell that person to vote YES on IL SB10! In the words of Duck Dynasty's Uncle Si, Let's pass the damn bill, jack!

More on the IL marriage equality fight, see the #IL4M tag on Justin's Political Corner: http://justinspoliticalcorner.tumblr.com/tagged/IL4M


Twitter/Instagram/Facebook hashtags in support of IL SB10: #IL4M, #ILove, #ILequality, #ILSB10, #ILCantWait