Sixteen Northwest Ohio congregations are collaborating to sponsor a display of the Shower of Stoles in Toledo on November 2 – 4, 2007. The Shower of Stoles is a collection of more than 1100 liturgical stoles from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from all over North America who have been barred from serving their faith communities because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It began as a spontaneous outpouring of liturgical stoles collected when Martha Juillerat set aside her own ordination by the Presbyterian Church in 1995. The individuals represented by the stoles include ordained ministers, elders, deacons, seminarians, church musicians, missionaries, educators, administrators and other gifted people and serve in over a dozen denominations, including Presbyterian, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Southern and Free Will Baptist. The collection was created as a witness giving voice to these faithful people, many of whom have been forced to choose between serving in silence or losing their livelihood. For more information on the Shower of Stoles visit www.welcomingresources.org/sosp.htm
The Northwest Ohio display is sponsored by EqualityToledo, The Northwest Ohio Faith Coalition, Erase the Hate, Toledo-Lucas County Library, SPECTRUM and the Multicultural Office of Student Services at the University of Toledo
A first look at the stoles will be available on Friday, November 2nd at 7:00 p.m. at a benefit concert at the University of Toledo Student Union, Rooms 2582/2584. The concert will feature Spectrum, a Toledo area women’s chorus, and David Lohman, Program Associate of the Institute of Welcoming Resources. A large display of approximately 400 of the stoles will be held at Toledo-Lucas County Library in the Wintergarden on Saturday, November 3rd from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Clergy will be present at the library to answer the public’s questions about the display. An Ecumenical Service of Celebration will complete the weekend’s event at Monroe St. United Methodist Church (3613 Monroe St.) at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 4, 2007. The service will feature The Very Reverend Tracey Lind, Dean of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, candidate for Episcopal Bishop of Chicago, David Lohmann, The Gathering folk choir of first Unitarian Church, and Seeds of Sound of Collingwood Presbyterian Church.
Contacts: Rev. Marcis Heckman (419) 517-6762
Rev. Lynn O’Dell (419) 537-1001
Rev. Karen Shepler (419) 473-1167
A freewill offering will be accepted at all events and services to support the ministry of the Shower of Stoles Project and the Northwest Ohio Faith Coalition.
Display of Stoles in Area Churches
8:00 a.m. and Worship at St. Lucas Lutheran Church, 745 Walbridge Avenue, Toledo
10:30 a.m. Contact: Rev. Martin Billmeier (419) 243-8189
8:30 a.m. and Worship at Sylvania United Church of Christ, 7240 Erie Street, Sylvania
10:40 a.m. Contact: Rev. Bill Chidester (419) 882-0048
Bonnie Loeser (419) 843-1107
8:45 a.m. and Worship at Trinity Episcopal Church, 316 Adams Street, Downtown Toledo
10:45 a.m. Contact: Marie Harkey (419) 243-1231 X 10
9:17 a.m. and Worship at Collingwood Presbyterian Church, 2108 Collingwood Boulevard, 10:45 a.m. Toledo
Contact: Cecilia Johnson (419) 243-3275
9:30 a.m. and Worship at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1201 Madison Avenue,
11:30 a.m. Downtown Toledo
Contact: Kathie King (419) 514-8006
10:00 a.m. Worship at Faith in Christ Ministries, Comfort Inn, 2426 Oregon Road, Northwood
Contact: Janice Tipton (419) 260-9269
10:00 a.m. Worship at First Presbyterian Church – Bowling Green (and one hour before and after service), 126 South Church Street, Bowling Green
Contact: Marcy St. John (419) 352-8715
10:30 a.m. Worship at Monroe Street United Methodist Church with Holy Cross Reformed Catholic Church, 3613 Monroe Street, Toledo
Contact: Marilyn DuFour (419) 517–3028
Rev. Marcis Heckman (419) 517-6762
10:30 a.m. Worship at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1702 Upton Avenue, Toledo
Contact: Rev. Lori Strang (419) 536-3781
10:30 a.m. Worship at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2272 Collingwood Boulevard, Toledo
Contact: Rev. Kelly O’Donnell (419) 244-3707
10:30 a.m. Worship at Unity of Toledo, 3535 Executive Parkway, Toledo
Contact: Trish McCartney (419) 341-1002
10:40 a.m. Worship at Central United Methodist Church, 701 West Central Avenue, Toledo
Contact: Rev. Cheri Holdridge (419) 241-7729
11:00 a.m. Worship at Maumee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 20189 Dixie Highway, Bowling Green
Contact: Sandy Rowland (419) 308-2339
Additional congregations participating include the following:
Salem Lutheran Church, 1125 North Huron Street, Toledo
- EqualityToledo | P.O. Box 2659 | Toledo, OH 43606
info@equalitytoledo.org | www.equalitytoledo.org | 419-344-0045
October 26th, 2007 at 8:15 am
This is very good to listen that student unions are conducting a very big stoles over approximately above four hundred with various spectrum’s thats grate to say. It is very much useful to those who recommend it. I congratulate them for this event.