Pink Mennos launch campaign
by Anna GroffPrint Article Email to a Friend
Approximately 100 Mennonites wearing pink gathered outside the convention center on July 2 for the “Pink Menno Campaign” witness and press conference to advocate for inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Mennonite Church USA.
After a time of singing and confession, three individuals from the campaign told their stories.
Cynthia Lapp, pastor at Hyattsville (Md.) Mennonite Church, talked about the gifts of LGBT individuals in her congregation. Katie Hochstedler, who described herself as a “young queer Mennonite,” called for the church to “be its best self.” Luke Yoder of Denver spoke of his dream for the inclusion of his gay friends and queer sister.
The witness was only one aspect of the Pink Menno Campaign at Convention 2009. Other components included seminars and film viewings in the campaign’s “hospitality room” and hymn sings in the convention center.
In an interview, Yoder said he appreciated the “overwhelming number of people wearing pink” and the many people interested in dialogue.
Yoder said a small group of people in opposition to the campaign became confrontational. While that group did not surprise him, “It was really disappointing to see that that happened and not much of a response from church leaders,” he said.
Yoder also said the campaign recognizes that the issue’s sensitive for certain groups within Mennonite Church USA, such as underrepresented racial-ethnic members. He acknowledged that this issue does not carry the same significance for all parts of the church but added, “Where can we find areas that we share the same passions?” He named immigration as one such issue.
A support network for LGBT individuals is one outgrowth of the campaign, said Yoder. “What happened in Columbus is a starting point for further conversation and discernment,” he said, adding that the campaign will have a presence at Convention 2011 in Pittsburgh.
Regarding the resolution on conflict, Yoder said, “We’re very hopeful that Mennonite Church USA will be able to provide those resources … so that the dialogue can be positive and move forward in meaningful ways.”
In an interview, Hochstedler said, “We are trying to model what we want the church to be.”
Editor’s note: The inverted pink triangle, originally intended as a badge of shame by the Nazis, has become an international symbol of the gay rights movement, from Wikipedia.
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Why is it that I RARELY ever find a connection between liberal postmodern theology, and support for the cause of the “pink mennos”. Despite popular belief many in even the Mennonite church are not personally grossed out, or have an intrinsic dislike of homosexuals. I personally have been friends with, and have no dislike of “hanging out” with anyone with a different sexual orientation. When it comes to conversations of biblical truth and the present conversation occurring in Mennonite churches nation wide, I ask again WHY is the link between liberal postmodernism and its basic stance of neo-orthodoxy and new-age pluralism largely absent? To further explain my frustration I believe that the pink mennos are the product of a slippery slope of exegetical and hermeneutic error. This has resulted in the blurring of the objective unalterable moral standards of the bible, into a subjective situational ethic. Amazingly, one the grandfathers of the liberal church, Dietrich Bonhoffer, is constantly touted as a stalwart of the faith to many Mennonites, and is often referenced to support agendas like that of the pink mennos. The punch line is this. I believe that the Pink Mennos are blurring clear biblical moral standards through a process of isolating certain favorable traits of God, and Christ such as Love and Peace, and are downplaying other attributes of God that may go against there set of beliefs such as Holiness, Justice and Judgment for sin. Also, they grossly under appreciate the Old Testament’s description of the messiah as the one who would usher in the “Day of the Lord”. Which is a DAY OF JUDGEMENT AND USHERING IN OF GOD”S WRATH UPON THE WORLD FOR ITS SIN (for reference read any part of the Old Testament, but focus on the prophets). As Christians we cannot let a “peace above all” and “one love” mindset cripple us from standing up against clearly heretical teachings. We do not have to compromise belief that the homosexual lifestyle, not the person, is wrong. Claims that those of us who are anti-homosexuality are not practicing true biblical love and peace, are themselves failing to understand that the love of Christ has a large measure of correction and discipline. Just think for a moment, was Jesus ever afraid to confront someone’s sinful acts, whether friend or foe, with God’s word and truth. GET BEHIND ME SATAN sound familiar to anyone?? God’s true shalom is broken by sin, thus God’s true love is exemplified by correcting those in error with the hope of, through discipline, causing them see the error of their ways, repent, and return to right fellowship with both God and the church. This is the heart and purpose of biblical discipline. Any parent who has had to correct and discipline the children that are his/her pride and joy in life can relate to what I’m saying. I have strong feelings about this subject, but I hope that dialogue with continue for the unity of the church.