Protect the Freedom to Marry

The Council of Churches of Santa Clara County has long advocated for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members and friends. As "practicing" Christians, we support faithful, responsible and loving relationships. Thus we celebrate the new acknowledgment in California of the constitutional right of all people to the freedom to marry. We understand this as a sign of true family values.

However, opponents of the freedom to marry have put an initiative on the November ballot to end equal marriage rights in California. To win, they need a simple majority (50% + 1 vote). They have already spent $2 million dollars in California to campaign against equal marriage rights, and they're planning to spend $10 million more by the time of the November election.

The Council will sponsor an ad this fall supporting the freedom to marry for all people. The exact wording and timing are yet to be decided. The ad will include the names, addresses and websites of local churches that wish to contribute toward this project. For more information, or to be involved in the drafting and designing of the ad, please contact the Council at 408-297-2660 or council@councilofchurches-scc.org.

Also, to help prepare us talk about these issues, the Council is offering a free workshop on "How to Talk about the Freedom to Marry." Led by the Rev. Michael Ellard, pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of San Jose, this is a traveling workshop - willing to come to YOUR church, if you provide at least 15 participants.

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Save the Date - Dialogue on the Death Penalty, Sept. 9

Ordained faith leaders from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties are invited to participate in a clergy luncheon on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008, 10am-2:30pm at Stanford University. Dialogue on the Death Penalty: Faith Leaders Discussing Capitol Punishment will feature speaker and Stanford Law Professor Lawrence C. Marshall, co-founder of the world-renowned Center on Wrongful Convictions. The Council's Co-Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Diana Gibson, will also be speaking, discussing how clergy can dialogue with their congregations about controversial issues such as the death penalty.

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Scrapbook - Photos & Notes From Recent Events

Catch-up or reflect on recent Council events by checking out our scrapbook! Photos and notes from recent council events will be posted in this brand new section of the Council website. Recent scrapbook "pages" include incredible phtotos from the Eyes Wide Open Exhibit in Palo Alto and an Earth Day Service at First Unitarian Church of San Jose.

 

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Going Green? Join the CIPL Regional Working Group

The Interfaith Convocation on Climate Action (October 28, 2007) was such a success that the organizers of the event (including the Council of Churches) have decided to continue our interfaith collaboration by forming a California Interfaith Power & Light Regional Working Group. If your congregation has an active group working to “Green” your church or if you are interested in forming one, why not meet with others who have a passion for the environment to exchange ideas and plan joint action and events (Earth Day, perhaps)? To learn about the next meeting of the Peninsula/South Bay Regional Working Group contact Rev. Margo Tenold (revmargo@earthlink.net) or Marianna Grossman Keller (marianna@kellers.org) for further details.