Outing campaign roils D.C. black Baptist church
More than 100 members named as gay in e-mails to pastor, congregation
By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | Jan 30, 2:14 PM

One of Washington’s largest black Baptist churches was rocked by a female member of its choir who sent separate e-mail messages to the pastor in December and January outing more than 100 church members as gay, mostly male choir members.

The outings added to the inner turmoil experienced by a large number of gays who attend services at the 7,000-member Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, located on Rhode Island Ave., N.E., according to a gay former member who provided copies of the e-mails to the Blade.

“I will be leaving the choir at the top of the year because 80 percent of the tenors are homosexuals and act more like a female in choir rehearsal than I do,” the church choir member said in one of her e-mails to Bishop Alfred Owens Jr., the church pastor.

The e-mail, sent in December, identifies about 45 fellow church members as gay. She sent a second e-mail to Owens on Jan. 2 identifying another 62 church members as gay.

“The following people I am asking you to monitor very closely and my prayer is that you will sit them down from their ministries,” she told Owens in the December e-mail. “Because they are ushering in the presence of sin, lies, a spirit of homosexuality and sexual spirits.”

She sent a copy of her e-mails to a Yahoo list group that goes to more than 300 church members, the gay former church member said.

The gay former church member redacted all of the names from the copies of the e-mails he sent to the Blade, including the name of the choir member who orchestrated the outings.

Officials with the National Black Justice Coalition, a Washington-based group that advocates for African-American gays, and the D.C. Coalition of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Men & Women, said they have seen or spoken with people who have seen un-redacted copies of the e-mails.

“There’s no doubt that these e-mails included all those names and they were read by a lot of people,” said Brian Watson, president of the D.C. Coalition.
Owens and Greater Mount Calvary Associate Pastor T. Cedric Brown did not return calls seeking comment by press time.

Owens became the subject of media attention in April 2006 when he used the word “f*g” in a sermon on Palm Sunday.

“It takes real men to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior,” Owens said in the sermon, which was recorded by the church. “I’m not talking about no f*ggot or no sissy,” he said. “Let the real men come down here and take a bow — all the real men. I’m talking about straight men … praise God that you’re straight.”

The church’s web site includes a listing of twice-monthly sessions of a ministry called “Breaking the Chains of Homosexuality,” which it says helps gays change their sexual orientation through counseling and prayer. Minister Dennis Sawyers, an expert in “ex-gay” ministries, is listed as the leader of the church’s efforts to counsel gays.

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I know I’m answering one of your comments from another thread, but I forgot which one:) Anyway, parying you find you voice with or without doctors.

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1. Who is the carrier?

2. What is the monthly fee?

3. How long is the service agreement?

Yes, I’m still in Baton Rouge, but I plan to leave Sunday or Monday for home. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again! I’m going to Mardi Gras in New Orleans on Saturday. We’re going to one of the biggest parades of the season. Oh, and I’m bringing home a huge King Cake for my fellow workers. I hope I get the prize out of the cake (a little plastic baby – a symbol for good luck).

In regards to my voice, I finally have an appointment with a speech therapist. The first opening is March 5th! Well, what’s another month of not being able to talk when it’s been 6 months already?

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Perhaps tomorrow there will be something I actually know about. Otherwise, I’m left texting TomBob about the evils of his cell phone (see Ivory Towers thread today).

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(Sorry, Stubob.)

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While in Bible college, my friend, Marilyn, was planning to spend the next school year abroad. She sensed the Holy Spirit telling her that she was to have a very difficult year ahead.

At least a couple other ladies had a message from God for her, confirming this. However, they added their advice that she shouldn’t go.

Marilyn knew that God wanted her to go anyway, but be prepared spiritually for a difficult year.

It was indeed a very tough year, but one in which she learned much from the Lord about perseverence & trust.

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So, “google,” with a small g, isn’t a word at all. I say it should always be capitalized.

Not that I know much about such things, but my mother was a writer.

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