Out Spotlight LXX

Today's Out Spotlight is Rev. Elder Darlene Garner.

Rev. Garner has been a long-time leader in the Metropolitan Community Churches, the first Christian denomination created to serve the spiritual needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Rev. Garner was baptized into the National Baptist Church at the age of 7 and joined the Episcopal Church as a young adult. She came out as a lesbian in 1973 and joined MCC Washington, D.C., in 1976. She served MCC DC as Church Treasurer and Lay Delegate and later served the Mid-Atlantic District as Assistant District Coordinator. She received her clergy credentials in 1988. Rev. Garner has served as Associate Pastor of MCC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pastor of MCC in Baltimore, Maryland; and Senior Pastor of MCC of Northern Virginia. She also convenes the biannual MCC Conference for People of African Descent.

Before entering the professional ministry, Rev. Garner worked as a legal secretary, office manager, and Girl Scout Executive. She also worked as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Sexual Minorities. The Reverend is a founding co-chair of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays, and chaired the first International Conference for Gay and Lesbian People of Color. She has served as the chaplain for an AIDS hospice and as President of the Board of Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry. She has also served as a member of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (hearing complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender, and national origin) and of the West Hollywood Business License Commission. Rev. Garner has received numerous awards and citations for her service to the community.

She was elected a member of the Board of Elders of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1993. She served as Clerk of the Board of Elders from 1993 until 2003. During that time, she was also the Liaison Elder for MCC in Western Canadian, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Europe, and various parts of the United States. She also served for two years as the Global Outreach representative and resource person for Africa.

Currently, Rev. Garner oversees MCC Region 6 congregations and leaders in Arizona, southern California, Nevada, New Mexico, southern Texas, Mexico, Central America, and South America. In addition, she manages professional risk management issues, is the Clergy Judicial Officer, and coordinates MCC’s efforts to address homophobia in the traditional Black church and race relations within MCC.

Iglesias de la Communidad Metropolitana (ICM)at is the official website for MCCs in Latin America.

Rev. Elder Darlene Garner has made it a priority to provide translations in Spanish and in Portuguese, whenever possible for distribution to the local churches, and for presentation on the website.

The website welcomes and provides information for those in GLBT coomunity searching for a religous community. The site share the message of God's unconditional love for GLBT people; telling the story of MCC; inviting interaction with visitors; and provides information and directions to local MCCs in Latin American countries in their prodominent language.

This website is an great example of how effective MCC can be when speaking in the voice and in the language of the men and women in the communities they serve.

Most of the MCC congregations are located in countries which have not traditionally embraced self-affirming lesbians and gay men, so founding and growing (even attending) these local churches has called for extraordinary acts of courage on the part of our sisters and brothers there. They 'speak truth to power'. They have taken risks daily to offer a spiritual 'home' for ALL of God's people; a commitment to securing the right of GLBT people to celebrate their sexual identity as they discover it, and always being gloriously affirming of GLBT relationships.

Rev. Garner has served as the Vice-Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches for 2008. She was recently reappointed for a second year. In announcing the appointment, Rev. Elder Nancy L. Wilson, MCC moderator, said, "Rev. Elder Garner has a long and distinguished history of service within Metropolitan Community Churches and enjoys the full, enthusiastic and unanimous support and trust of the MCC Board of Elders."

Rev Garner has attended Ohio State University, Samaritan College, and Lancaster Theological Seminary. She is the mother of four children and has seven grandchildren.

She and her partner Leticia García live in Monterrey, Mexico.

OMG's Own Easter Bunnies

Pea Bunny

and his fair Carina

Carina's Story

Make Mine Chocolate
An organization dedicated to educating people about
bunnies and their care and also the discouraging
the buying of bunnies at Easter.

Happy Easter!

Carina's story

Hello, my name is Carina and I am a discarded Easter bunny. Before you read any further, let me assure you that my story has a happy ending! :) I was bought by some well-meaning people who really didn't know how to care for bunnies. They didn't know how to approach me or get me to feel comfortable with them. As a result, I was frightened and skittish around them, and sometimes I would bite. They thought I was mean.

After two months, they decided they didn't want me anymore and dumped me out of their house and into the streets. They thought I would "revert back to the wild." I really think they actually believed this and did not think they were doing anything mean to me. What they didn't know is that domestic rabbits cannot survive in the wild. We have no idea how to get food or take care of ourselves. That's because we've been bred to rely on you.

I lived for about a month and a half outside, running from cats and dogs, and trying to find food. I started living underneath a house and eating the pansies in the garden. The people there saw me and talked to me. They started bringing me food. That's me above in the crawl space under their house. One of the mommies is giving me celery. Then they tried to catch me. I didn't like that, because I wasn't totally sure of them. Finally they got one of those Havahart traps, that is open on both sides with food in the middle. I walked in and both doors shut. They had me!

They brought me in the house and there was another rabbit there! He seemed to like me, but I was aggressive to him for a while because I wasn't spayed. I had to stay in another cage and be let out by myself. I would check him out. Then he would be let out and check me out. Then I went and got spayed when I was old enough. As soon as I was done healing, the mommies tried us together. It was love at first sight. That night, we went into the bunny condo together and that's where we live now, when we are not just running around the house. We are companions and do everything together. We are truly a bonded pair.

The moral of my story is never buy an animal on impulse. The holidays are a particularly bad time for people doing this. Easter tends to be a big time for bunnies, ducks, chicks, and pigs. People often do not know how to handle these pets and we end up getting dumped. They don't know that the vet bills for exotic pets are a lot higher than for cats and dogs (just ask Wicked about that $900 she spend on me a few months ago). People think we can live in the wild but we cannot. Not when we are domesticated. June is the worst month for rabbits showing up at animal shelters and getting dumped. Why? Because it's about two months after Easter and by that time the family realizes how much work bunnies are and that they don't really understand how to interact with us. They decide they don't want us anymore.

Please check out the link for Make Mine Chocolate. It's an organization dedicated to educating people about bunnies and their care and also to discouraging the buying of bunnies at Easter. And if you do want a bunny, or any other exotic pet, consider rescue. They can help you learn to care for your new pet too. Thanks for reading and Happy Easter from a real Easter bunny!