Riverside Church has long been known for its socially progressive policies: It was one of the first churches to perform civil union ceremonies and the first Protestant church in America to ordain an African-American, a woman, and an openly gay person. But the church’s journey to acceptance and inclusion has been long and difficult.
So the 30th anniversary of Maranatha, a ministry of the church committed to LGBT equity, was cause to celebrate on Sunday. In a panel moderated by Rev. Robert Coleman, members of the ministry recounted their struggle for inclusion both at the church and in their own personal lives.
Virl Andrick, a member of Riverside Church, on Claremont Avenue between 120th and 122nd streets, since 1988 and a co-convener of Maranatha between 1997 and 2001, explained the importance of the group to its members.
“It’s always created a safe space for people to talk and support each other and the church,” he said, “but more importantly, it’s communication to the outside world that people can be together in a church that believes in inclusion, over many issues—it’s not just about sexuality.”
In particular, their conversation centered around the passage of the Church’s Statement of Inclusion, which affirmed that gays and lesbians have a place in the church community and was issued in 1985.
Sandy Miller—a participant and activist in Maranatha since 1979—recalled when the issue of inclusiveness “started to develop” in 1984. “I think it was a time when a lot of congregations, especially progressive congregations, started to struggle with the issue of sexuality in general,” he said.
As a member of the Adult Education Commission at the time, Miller worked in “a process of dialogue” with the Board of Deacons, then the governing body on the issue, to develop the Statement of Inclusion.
It was not easy. Miller recalled the tension and hostility in certain factions of the church, especially in the Church School’s parents’ group. He said there was a “tremendous amount of hostility,” and he can “never forget some of the things said in the meeting.”
Despite the struggle and his worries that “the statement might not pass” a vote, the congregation overwhelmingly chose to support it.
Today, while there are still stumbling blocks, church members and officials pride themselves on Riverside’s inclusiveness, not just in terms of its LGBT members but in its “Three I” policy, which declares it an interdenominational, interracial, and international church. Since July, when New York legalized same-sex marriage, the church has regularly performed marriage ceremonies between homosexual couples.
Participants also recounted the importance of the group in their own personal lives. For Miller, Maranatha was integral in helping him through the difficult time when he was just coming out.
“When I came out it was a very traumatic time for me, I felt like I’d been born again … but on the other hand, I felt very guilty,” he said. “My son and I would come to Maranatha, and I think Maranatha was tremendously important for my son and I.”
Ruth Joseph, another member of the organization and a panelist, said, “For this church to get to the point to approve the statement was like a miracle in my life because I was having my personal problems at home with my mother.”
“When she asked me what my lover was in my life and I told her we were partners for life, she totally stepped away from my life, and it was not until five days before her death, many years later, that we even got a foot to talk,” Joseph said.
It was Maranatha that helped her through. “Sandy, Virl, they’re like brothers. I can’t even describe how close we were at that time. We could cry, we could laugh, we could dance,” she said. “Our homes, our hearts, our ears were always open. We didn’t always agree, but we were always open to each other.”
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