The More Light Presbyterians board gathered in Chicago last month to do the hard work of giving vision and direction to our work. Part of this work was revisiting the history of MLP congregations since 1974, when the movement officially started. I am always amazed by the love, courage, and creativity that these churches showed. They broke rules, defied un-loving structures, and swam upstream like salmon in Alaska. The board and staff, inspired by this rich history, started dreaming of a new definition of what it means to be a More Light congregation today. We will work on this for the next several months, but whatever this definition is, I know it will be somewhere along the lines of love, courage, and creativity. 

It is because of this history that I know one day we will see our new mission and vision fulfilled. Maybe not this year or this decade, but one day soon. Thanks be to God. 

I am so thankful that More Light Presbyterians exists in the world. October was National LGBTQIA+ History Month, and MLP took the time to honor a few amazing folks in our denomination's history that have moved the church and the world towards justice, love, and inclusion. It was a joy to learn about their impact on the world.

The list was by no means exhaustive and we know that many stories of our Queer siblings, especially our BIPOC siblings, have gone untold. More Light Presbyterians stands on the shoulders of those who paved the way before us. We are committed to our mission of centering and celebrating the lives, gifts, and leadership of our LGBTQIA+ siblings in the church and beyond. Your voice is needed in the world, and we are devout in our promise to learn your stories and share them.

I was particularly mindful of these stories, told and untold, as More Light Presbyterians joined with Covenant Network of Presbyterians on October 30th to co-host a Zoom webinar regarding polity amendments 24A and 24C, which will come to Presbytery floors for voting starting this month. I was thankful for the ways our organizations have worked together for decades to care for the LGBTQIA+ community and push the church towards justice. We have come so far, and there are times when it feels like we've barely moved. But as we gathered this past week, I was struck with gratitude, because even if the movement seems glacial I know we are not alone. I give thanks to God for the network we have created. 

Rev. Christopher Tweel

He/Him

Rev. Addie Domske

She/Her

Chris Crawford

He/Him

Rev. Bethany Peerbolte

She/Her

Help us co-write our Advent devotional - Last year, the MLP board and staff put together a practical devotional that included things you could do, read, or watch to expand our love for our LGBTQIA+ siblings. This year, we want your ideas! What should we be watching, reading, and doing? What are the books, podcasts, songs, movies, and advocacy opportunities we should be paying attention to? Send an email to hello@mlp.org with one idea! You can see some examples below. 

Our collective wisdom and knowledge can take us farther than what we can do on our own. You can help us this month in a few ways:

*Do you have Pride pictures? Keep them coming! Please email them to hello@mlp.org 

*We are trying to collect a list of all of our former board members to create an MLP alumni group. Have you served on our board or do you know someone who has served on our board? Send us an email or fill out this form and someone will be in touch soon.

*Has your congregation paid dues this year? If not, you may submit them here.Your dues help us do this work.