Transgender Remembrance Service Guest speaker Lisa Scheps, long-time leader in the Austin Transgender community Sun, Nov 16th at 10:30am-12noon TRINITY UMC Austin

International Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
Sermon by Rev. Richard Bates
Thurs, Nov 20th from Noon-1pm
UNIVERSITY UMC Austin
Click here for more details

Transgender Day of Remembrance at Austin City Hall
Thurs, Nov 20th at 6:30-8:30pm
301 West 2nd Street, 78701
Click here for updates

List of Transgender Remembrance events happening across the world 
Click here

Since 1907, MFSA has been a leader in both the UMC and broader society for progressive issues like peace, integration, women’s reproductive health, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality.

In the upcoming weeks, we have a great opportunity.  Thanks to the work of Bolder Giving and the Razoo Foundation, MFSA will be participating in Give OUT Day – a day of concentrated giving for organizations working in the field of LGBT advocacy.  MFSA has worked tirelessly for the rights of LGBT people in The United Methodist Church.  MFSA continues to do so by housing (and currently funding) the position of Coalition Coordinator for the Love Your Neighbor Coalition – 10 caucus groups within The United Methodist Church seeking a change in the denomination’s policies and practices around human difference.  Likewise, MFSA is currently working with an interfaith network of agencies to encourage elected representatives to co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act when it comes to Congress later this year.

Please consider a donation to MFSA on Give OUT Day to help us continue our advocacy work. Give OUT Day is great for two reasons:

• There are incentive prizes for organizations with the highest dollar amount raised and for the most individual donation units. This means YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNT can help us reach an incentive level!
• You don’t have to wait until May 15 to commit. If you go right now to http://giveout.razoo.com/story/Methodist-Federation-For-Social-Action and make your pledge – then on May 15 your donation will be processed! It’s really that easy

Thank you for considering a gift to MFSA for our work of justice and advocacy. And thank you for all you do to make the world a better place.

For full text of these decisions, click here.

On Sunday, April 27, many MFSA and RMN supporters celebrated A Service of Witness to the All-Inclusive Grace of God at First UMC, Austin, the first anniversary of the decision made by to affiliate as a congregation with the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN).  Beginning with the Life in the City musical ensemble, plus a 70-voice choir, we prayed, sang, and shared Communion.

The featured preacher was the Reverend Frank Schaefer, who was put on trial and found guilty by the UMC in 2013 for performing a same-gender marriage of his own son.   His sermon, “A Time for Action: Stepping Out on the Waters of Faith” was both inspiring and challenging.

Last month, the Boy Scouts of America revoked the troop charter of a Seattle-area United Methodist Church because the church would not boot the scoutmaster Geoffrey McGrath, a married, gay Eagle Scout.   Mr. McGrath is first gay adult to be removed from the Boy Scouts of America since the organization’s vote in May of 2013 to end its ban on gay youth.

MFSA’s friend Rev. Dr. Monica Corsaro (left), the pastor of Ranier Beach UMC, explains why in this article in Time Magazine.

Washington state’s legislature sent this letter addressed to Rev. Corsaro in support of their retention of Mr. McGrath as Scoutmaster.

As reported earlier, Rev. Jen Stuart made the difficult decision to transfer from the Southwest Texas Annual Conference to the Pacific Northwest Conference as a result of our conference’s continuing support of the UMC’s discriminatory policies toward our GLBT brothers and sisters.

Bishop Grant Hagiya of the Pacific Northwest Conference has announced that Rev. Stuart will be serving the Ellensburg (Washington) UMC, effective July 1.  We wish Jen all the best in this move!