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Wed. September 12, 2007 1:50:31 PM
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Chicago, IL — Beginning with the first Sunday in October at 1 p.m., Pillar of Love Fellowship Church will bring the power, excitement and anointing of God with "Radically Inclusive Church" to the Center on Halsted. The Center on Halsted, under the direction of executive director Modesto Tico Valle, has been attentive to the spiritual hunger and needs of the LGBTQ community and has been intentional in welcoming the African-American LGBTQ community.
Pillar of Love Fellowship Church was started just over four years ago in a suburb that is a "stones throw" (three blocks) from the southwest border of the city of Chicago. The pastor, Rev. Phyllis V. Pennese, started the church while completing her Master of Divinity at Chicago Theological Seminary. Although she is an out lesbian for over 30 years and her ministry was specifically organized and targeted to meet the spiritual needs of the LGBTQ community in general and the African-American LGBTQ community specifically, she could not ignore the incredible needs of the hungry, homeless and addicted of her native community. So, in 2003, Pastor Phyllis, "set up shop" in this small, suburban community to which she was born and raised. Now, in an attempt to have Pillar of Love become more accessible to the African-American LGBTQ community and others of the LGBTQ community who seek a powerful, spirit filled, radically inclusive, social justice-minded worship experience, Pillar has been invited to utilize the Center on Halsted for their weekly worship services. Beginning in October, Pillar of Love will hold weekly worship services at the Center on Sundays at 1p.m.
The whole of the LGBTQ community is invited to come and share in Pastor Phyllis' vision of a radically diverse and powerfully loving community of LGBTQ people of faith and for Pillar to be a vehicle for all LGBTQ people of faith to answer their calls to ministry and to have a place to bring and develop their spiritual gifts.
Pillar of Love Fellowship Church is an affiliate of Refuge Ministries and The Fellowship of San Francisco, California under the leadership of Bishop Yvette A. Flunder and is a United Church of Christ New Church Start/ Mentored Church.
Rev. Loyce Newton-Edwards on Saturday, 10/6/2007
Bountiful blessings upon Pastor Phyllis and Pillar of Love Fellowship Church for serving as a "beacon" of love, hope and courage for ALL God's children, but especially for our African-American LGBTQ sisters and brothers. I am an AF-Am friend/ally of this community and serve as the Ass't Pastor in another wonderful radically inclusive UCC congregation in OKC, where there are very few LGBTQ people of color.
I'm blessed to have been touched by the ministry of Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, and can't think of a more awesome or "spirit filled" religious leader/mentor for your journey. Run on my sister, in Jesus' name!
Peace,
Rev. Loyce Newton-Edwards
Church of the Open Arms UCC, OKC, OK