Clergy and Same-Sex Couples

Rev. Nancy Ellett Allison, Holy Covenant United Church of Christ, Charlotte, N.C.
Nancy first served Holy Covenant in 2000-2001 as Interim Pastor, returning in 2004 to accept the role of Senior Pastor. Ordained in 1981 at Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas TX, she served as a missionary to Liberia early in her career, teaching at Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary. Coming back to the United States in 1990, Nancy served as Chaplain Coordinator for Baylor University Medical Center and as Family Coordinator for the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission. She also founded CityChurch: A Baptist Community of Grace in Dallas before moving to North Carolina in 1999. Nancy earned her BA from Baylor University and her MDiv and PhD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. A popular speaker, preacher and retreat leader, Nancy has written and edited for several publications, and serves as Secretary of the Southern Conference of the UCC and a member of the board of directors. With her husband Dale, Church Administrator for Myers Park Presbyterian Church, Nancy has two young adult daughters.”

“Being a part of pivotal life moments is one of the great privileges of serving as a local church pastor.  The opportunity to officiate at the marriage of all church members who take seriously their commitment to their beloved, whether same or opposite gender, should be a natural part of the pastoral role.  Advocating for marriage equality has been an important part of my ministry for all of my years in UCC life and at Holy Covenant.  In the same way that I am free to choose to which wedding ceremonies to perform for opposite sex couples, so I should be free to choose which to perform for same sex couples.  All members of my congregation should have my pastoral services equally available to them.” – Rev. Allison

Lisa Cloninger and Kathleen Smith, Holy Covenant United Church of Christ, Charlotte, N.C.
Lisa and Kathi are members of the Holy Covenant United Church of Christ in Charlotte, where Lisa serves as an Elder and Kathi has been a deacon. They have been in a committed relationship since October 3, 2001. Lisa is currently a unit supervisor with Mecklenburg County Children’s Developmental Services and also an adjunct part-time instructor in the Early Childhood Education program at Central Piedmont Community College. Kathi has taught school and administered operations for a local arts education non-profit organization, as well as administering a major grant program at Central Piedmont Community College. Currently she is on a contract assignment at Duke Energy.

“Both of us grew up in church, and our families instilled in us the value of faith and belonging to a church community. Because we believe that God has blessed our relationship and will bless our marriage, we wish to have our legal and religious wedding ceremony performed by our pastor, Nancy Ellett Allison, at Holy Covenant UCC, our faith community, and witnessed by our family and friends. We intend to have Rev. Allison perform our Holy Union religious marriage ceremony on October 3, 2014.” – Lisa Cloninger and Kathi Smith

Rabbi Jonathan Freirich, Charlotte, N.C.
Before coming to Charlotte, Rabbi Jonathan served as the solo clergy at Temple Bat Yam, a Reform synagogue in South Lake Tahoe, for eight years. Prior to that, he worked with Hillel for four years in Tucson, Arizona, and Cleveland, Ohio. Rabbi Jonathan explores Judaism using ancient and contemporary lenses of interpretation, valuing mystical and historical insights, along with rationalist and modernist perspectives. He grew up as a Reform Jew at Central Synagogue in Manhattan and was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. While in Charlotte, Rabbi Jonathan has been working on running more regularly, reading a book a week (from sci-fi to contemporary theology), and spending significant moments with his wife Ginny and five-year-old son Jude.

“My religion calls upon me to provide marriages for same-sex couples. I am a rabbi affiliated with the Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish movements. These Jewish movements have led the fight for LGBT equal rights, and argued for and supported same-sex marriages as part of the recognition of those rights. Jewish tradition demands that I help people fulfill their healthy desires for communally sanctioned relationships and I do so through marriage ceremonies for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.” – Rabbi Freirich

Joel Blady and Jeff Addy, Charlotte, N.C.
Joel and Jeff both attend Temple Beth El in Charlotte, N.C., where they participate in Friday night and high holiday services. They have been in a committed relationship for more than three years. Joel has worked in the funeral industry for the past 32 years, and Jeff works in the healthcare industry. They moved to Charlotte in 2004.

“Amendment One and the North Carolina marriage statutes interfere with our ability to practice our religion because we cannot have our marriage ceremony in Temple Beth El performed by our Rabbi. We have a meaningful and significant personal and spiritual relationship with the Temple and its leaders, and cannot imagine a life event as important as marriage being held outside of Temple Beth El.” – Joel Blady and Jeff Addy

Rev. Joe Hoffman, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Asheville, N.C.
Rev. Joe Hoffman is a native of Asheville where he attended city schools and eventually graduated from UNC-A. He has master’s degrees from Scarritt Graduate School in Christian Education and from Emory’s Candler School of Theology in Divinity. Rev. Joe joined the UCC in 1990 when he became the associate pastor at Central Congregational Church in Atlanta. He moved to First Congregational UCC in Asheville in 1996 where he continues to serve as Pastor. Joe has a strong interest in public theology and the role of the church in the community. He enjoys hiking, reading, walking around Asheville, music, and being with friends. He is proud to be the father of his daughter Emma Claire.

“As head pastor I wish to marry same-sex couples in my church, and I have the full support of my congregation in doing so. Amendment One denies my religious freedom by prohibiting me from exercising this right.” – Rev. Hoffman

Diane Ansley and Cathy McGaughey, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Asheville
Diane and Cathy live in Old Fort, N.C. and have been together since December 1999. They are both members of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville, where Cathy serves on the church’s Executive Board. Cathy works as an Accounts Receivable Specialist and bookkeeper, and Diane is a retired law enforcement officer who currently works for a physician as a Patient Scheduler and Medical Records Custodian.

“We both love this beautiful state and its wonderful people. I was born in Asheville. My parents grew up and met in Asheville, and were married in the sanctuary where our church, First Congregation UCC, meets. My mother, now 86 years old, was baptized there as a teenager. It is our church home and it is where we want to be married. Joe Hoffman is our pastor, and he should be the pastor that marries us.” – Cathy McGaughey

Rev. Nathan King, Trinity United Church of Christ, Concord, N.C.
Raised Southern Baptist, Rev. Nathan King was one of nine children from Bonlee, N.C., where he got his inspiration and discipline from his mother. Rev. King attended Gardner-Webb University before moving onto Southeastern Seminary. He then became involved in youth ministry in the Southern Baptist church. only later discovering the UnitedChurch of Christ. King says he was drawn to the UCC church by the church’s service and social activism, including ordaining an openly gay man in the San Francisco association and ordaining women ministers and black ministers. King was first called to pastor at Asheboro United Church of Christ, where he served for seven years. He then came to Trinity United Church of Christ in January 2001. While at Trinity, the United Church of Christ’s General Synod passed a resolution on marriage equality, endorsing discussions about homosexual marriage. After conversations among congregants, King declared Trinity to be open and affirming, with some in the community referring Trinity to be the gay church.

“My church believes that God’s love embraces all persons equally and that every person is a person of worth created in the image of God. The ban on marriage limits the  accessibility of our congregation to share in one another’s joy at a supremely significant time in the life of some of our couples. It limits my own pastoral participation in the lives of couples who have to be married in another state. I do not have the financial resources to offer couples my services when they have to go to another state to be legally married. I cannot be their pastor at this supremely significant time and occasion in their lives and in the life of our congregation. As a pastor, the ban on marriage prevents me from ministry with members of my church and prevents my church from acting on its beliefs.” – Rev. King

Shauna Bragan and Stacy Malone, Trinity United Church of Christ, Concord, N.C.

Shauna and Stacy are both members of Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ in Concord, N.C. Shauna is a published environmental scientist currently working as a Customer Service Agent for a business that provides customer care, customer retention and revenue recovery services to a host of industries. Stacy works as the adaptive physical education teacher in Cabarrus County, and in August 2013, she opened a day program for adults with disabilities.

“As members of an open and affirming church, it is very important for us to take our marriage vows and to commit ourselves to one another and God in front of our family and friends. Our immediate and extended family, friends, and fellow church members are very supportive of our relationship and want to be able to share and witness with us in a marriage ceremony officiated by Revered Nathan King at our church and for our marriage be recognized by the State of North Carolina as being equal to that of any other couple.” – Shauna Bragan and Stacy Malone

Cathy Fry and Joanne Marinaro, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Charlotte, N.C.
Joanne and Cathy both attend Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Charlotte, where they have been members for approximately 25 years. They have been in a committed relationship since June 15, 1986, and live together in a home in Huntersville, N.C. that they built in 1988. Joanne is a Senior Manager for a North Carolina based Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and her career in the insurance industry spans 25 years. Cathy and her brother own a small company that builds custom high-quality upholstered furniture. She previously worked with an energy company for 19 years in various management roles. Cathy and Joanne have two children: Kaley, who graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina – Asheville in 2013, and Joseph, who is currently in his second semester at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte.

“Our church family is like family to us. They have watched, loved and supported our children and our relationship throughout our lives. Pastor Nancy is an amazing pastor and person with whom we have great respect and love. Honestly, we can’t imagine anyone else officiating our legal marriage. While others may choose to go to another state to be legally married, we cannot imagine being married without the presence of our faith community and our Pastor officiating the ceremony.” – Cathy Fry and Joanne Marinaro

Rev. Nancy Kraft, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Charlotte, N.C.
Pastor Nancy has been pastor at Holy Trinity since May of 2005 after serving most recently as a co-pastor at Advent in University City. She also has served previous parishes in North Dakota and Ohio, as well as serving as an Assistant to the Bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod. Pastor Nancy was raised in Hamilton, Ohio and earned her B.S. from Bowling Green State University, where she was an English education major. With a Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, she was ordained in 1979. She also holds a PhD.from the University of Pittsburgh in religion and education. Pastor Nancy has two children: Gretchen, who is a theatre teacher living in New York City, and Ben, who lives in Pittsburgh and is pursuing his artistic dreams as a musician. Pastor Nancy enjoys music of all kinds and plays the flute, contra dances, loves the mountains and spending time with her pets.

“The faith community I serve supports all people in their loving relationships and encourages commitment to those relationships, whether straight or gay. We celebrate sexual orientation as a gift and encourage all people to live authentically and fully as the people God created them to be. North Carolina marriage laws are in direct conflict with our beliefs.” – Rev. Kraft

Rev. Nancy Petty, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C.
Pastor Nancy Petty received her seminary training at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and began her work as youth minister, first at Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh (1985-88) and then at St. John’s Baptist Church in Charlotte (1989-92). In 1992, she became Minister of Christian Education at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in 1992. As the needs of Pullen began to change in the mid-1990s, Petty became the Associate Pastor with increased responsibilities in the areas of pastoral care and organizational/institutional support. During this time, she received her Doctorate of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary. Petty was named co-pastor in 2002 ,and in 2009, she became the church’s sole pastor.

“At Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, we hold true to our Baptist heritage of soul freedom, church freedom, bible freedom, and religious freedom. With a rich history of celebrating diversity, struggling with the hard questions of faith, and working for justice, our congregation has been a bright light for those seeking a different but authentic church experience.” – Pastor Petty

Rev. Robin Tanner, Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, Charlotte, N.C.
Robin is the Lead Minister at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church. She recently completed a Chaplain residency at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, NM. Her Bachelor of Arts is in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 2006. Her Master of Divinity in Parish Ministry is from Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, 2009. She was ordained as a Minister in December, 2009. She has preached since 2006. Robin’s compelling internships include one year at First Parish in Malden, MA, where she participated in services, preaching and leading time for all ages with the children. She also facilitated religious education, provided pastoral care and regularly attended committee and board meetings while there. The second was a two year, part-time hybrid internship with the First Church in Boston, and the Office of Ministry and Professional Leadership at the Unitarian Universalist Association headquarters. Her high energy led her to begin side-by-side internships in 2007 at both First Church in Boston and the UUA, where she researched community ministry. It was here she learned that she was called to Parish Ministry.

“North Carolina’s ban on same sex marriage has had a significant impact on my role and duties as pastor.  There are committed same sex couples at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church who would like me to solemnize their unions in our church.  North Carolina law has a chilling effect on my ability to do so and prevents me from solemnizing same-sex marriages on an equal basis with opposite sex marriages.” – Rev. Tanner

Rev. Mark Ward, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, N.C.
Rev. Ward grew up in the Unitarian Church of Princeton, New Jersey, in the 1950s and ‘60s and welcomed the invitation to think for himself and explore many different sources of religious wisdom. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy, hisinterests turned to journalism, and he enrolled in the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Journalism suited Mark well for many years, but in 2000, he felt a call to the ministry and decided to enter Meadville Lombard Theological School. In addition to his classes, formative experiences at Meadville included Clinical Pastoral Education training at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, serving as a student member of the Meadville Lombard Board of Trustees and a member of the Winter Institute Planning Committee and as a student intern at the First Unitarian Society of Madison. After graduation in 2004, he was called to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville in 2004.

“For me, joining two people in the covenant of love that is marriage is one of the most important acts of my ministry. And a principle of that ministry is that every person is entitled to have the truth or his or her deepest love and commitment honored and respected, irrespective of sexual identity or expression. I regard it as a sacred trust to honor such commitments in the solemnizing of marriages.” – Rev. Ward

Carol Taylor and Betty Mack, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, N.C.
Carol and Betty both attend the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, where they have a close relationship with their pastor, Revered Mark Ward. They have been in a committed relationship since 1973. Carol was an Assistant Professor at Indiana University at South Bend from 1970-73, then an Associate Professor at Florida Atlantic University in Florida from 1973-83. She was Senior Editor of Mother Earth News, based in Hendersonville, N.C., from 1983-1990. From 1990 until 2008, she was Editor, then Editorial Director, then Publisher, at Lark Books, in Asheville, N.C. Carol retired in 2008. Betty worked as a public school teacher from 1958-1959 and later taught at Stetson University (1962-1965), Florida State University (1967-1969), and Palm Beach Academy (1973-1974). She worked at the Center for Group Counseling in Boca Raton, Florida from 1975-80 and later worked for H&R Block from 1985-2000. She is currently retired.

“Every element of our society buttresses the institution of marriage–the law, government, family, media, education, and religion. We are banned from that institution. We are so unacceptable that a minister in North Carolina who blesses our union commits a crime. After 41 years together, we believe it’s time we were admitted to that institution–a belief shared by our minister and our faith tradition.”  – Carol Taylor and Betty Mack