General Synod of United Church of Christ
The General Synod of United Church of Christ (UCC) is the lead plaintiff in General Synod of United Church of Christ v. Cooper
. The UCC is a mainline Protestant denomination with nearly 1 million members and more than 5,100 congregations nationwide, with more than 150 UCC congregations throughout the State of North Carolina. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the UCC is a church of many firsts, including the first mainline denomination to ordain a woman, the first to ordain an openly gay man, the first predominately white denomination to ordain an African American, and the first mainline denomination to support same-sex marriage. The UCC’s motto (“That they may all be one,” (John 17:21)) and tagline (God is still speaking,) support the Church’s long-standing commitment to social justice issues and its extravagant welcome to all, no matter who they are, or where they are on life’s journey.
Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black was elected General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ in June 2009. Prior to this election, Rev. Black served as Conference Minister of the UCC’s New York Conference for nine years. During his years in ministry, Black also has served as Pastor of 
Congregational UCC in South Hempstead, N.Y., assistant chaplain at Brown University, associate minister at St. Albans Congregational UCC in Queens, Lecturer in the Field Education Department at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and Protestant chaplain at Adelphi University. Ecumenical commitment, concern for equal justice, African-American empowerment, and community improvement have shaped Black’s ministry in the church and in the communities in which he has lived.
“The United Church of Christ has a rich history of boldly joining faith and action, and we filed this landmark lawsuit against the State of North Carolina to protect the religious freedom of our ministers–one of the essential freedoms of all Americans.” – Rev. Geoffrey A. Black
Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess, National Officer, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess serves as a National Officer of the United Church of Christ and was elected to this position in July 2011. He is the first openly gay person to serve as a national officer of the church. Rev. Guess has worked for the UCC’s national setting since 2000 in a variety of 
communications positions, including four years as communications director of the denomination. Prior to joining the national setting of the church, Rev. Guess was a local church pastor, including eight years as pastor of Zion UCC in Henderson, Ky., a congregation that grew from 12 elderly members to a vital, justice-focused, multiracial, open and affirming congregation of more than 300 people. Guess has written more than 500 articles on all aspects of the church, earning him more than 60 awards. Guess earned a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky. He received his D.Min. from Chicago Theological Seminary.
“North Carolina’s marriage laws are criminalizing our ministers for doing their jobs in faith, and they are violating every American’s First Amendment rights to the ‘free exercise of religion.’ The UCC is called to be a prophetic church, and we are standing up for religious liberty.” – The Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess
Rev. Dr. Edward Smith Davis, Conference Minister, Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ
Rev. Edward Smith Davis serves as Conference Minister of the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ, including North Carolina, Virginia, and portions of South Carolina. Prior to his appointment in 2012, Rev. Davis served as Protestant chaplain of the Chicago Fire Department and local church pastor of St. Mark’s United Church of Christ in Chicago Heights, IL. Prior to his call to ministry, Rev. Davis served in a variety of senior leadership positions in both the for-profit and not-for-profit industries. Rev. Davis holds an M.B.A. from Roosevelt University and a Doctorate of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary.
Alliance of Baptists
The Alliance of Baptists began in 1987 as a prophetic voice in Baptist life. Today, we are a faith community comprised of male and female laity and clergy, people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, theological beliefs, and ministry practices. We are Christians knit together by love for one another and God, combining progressive inquiry, contemplative prayer and prophetic action to bring about justice and healing in a changing world.
Michael Castle, President, Alliance of Baptists
Michael Castle is Senior Pastor of the Harmony Creek Church: A United Church of Christ and Alliance of
Baptists Community in Dayton, Ohio (the newly merged church of Cross Creek Community Church and Oak Creek UCC). He has been involved in the Alliance of Baptists since 1996, having served on the Board of Directors, as Vice-President, as well as hosting the Alliance annual meeting in 2004 in Dayton and chairing the Annual Meeting Planning Team for Louisville in 2011. Mike has a Bachelor of Music Education (1985) degree from Samford University in Birmingham, a Master of Divinity(1991) degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville and a Doctor of Ministry (2001) degree, focusing on historical Jesus studies, from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He and his partner, Dan Carl, have two children: Gideon, age 11 and Adin, age 6.
“The Alliance of Baptists has always had a strong commitment to religious liberty. And in my opinion, religious liberty is at the heart of the marriage equality debate. A religious majority is passing and/or sustaining marriage laws that suit their religious beliefs, thus infringing on the free and equal access to marriage in the public square for those in the religious minority on this issue.” – Michael Castle
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB)
As the only organization devoted to building the Welcoming and Affirming movement within the Baptist 
traditions, AWAB has a unique call to be The National Voice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Allied Baptists in the US, and to support the work of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists around the world. Since 1993 AWAB has been supporting churches in being and becoming Welcoming and Affirming of all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. We work as individuals, congregations, regional groupings and as a national body to advance the Radical Welcome and Love of God in Jesus Christ through being the Ministry of Reconciliation and building up the Beloved Community where all will be one.
Rev. Robin R. Lunn, Executive Director, Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists
The Rev. Robin R. Lunn serves as the Executive Director of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming
Baptists and was appointed to this position in January 2011. Rev. Lunn has been a part of the AWAB leadership team since 2007, first as a Board member and then as a staff person. Prior to joining the national setting of AWAB, Rev. Lunn was a local church pastor, serving churches in New Hampshire and Vermont. Lunn earned her B.A. degree at Johnston State College and her M.Div. from Andover Newton Theological School.
“As a Baptist, it is a foundational belief that the state not dictate or demand what rites and privileges the church can or cannot perform. The North Carolina law, by demanding that no clergy person officiate a wedding ceremony that is unlicensed, prohibits the free expression of religion in the most basic way. This prohibition should compel all religious people, regardless of their theological perspective, to stand against this assault on religious liberty.” – Rev. Robin R. Lunn
Rev. David Weasley, Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
Rev. David Weasley has served on the AWAB Board since March of 2010. He is an ordained American
Baptist pastor, and currently serves a Lutheran congregation in Chicago’s South Suburbs, coordinating their Youth and Outreach programs. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and the Chicago Theological Seminary, and he is completing a Spiritual Direction program at Loyola University. He lives with his partner, Rachael, and about a dozen other housemates in a co-op on the south side of Chicago. His love and support for AWAB began during his years as a member of Peace Community Church in Oberlin Ohio, and at Grace Baptist Church, Chicago. Other interests include Dungeons and Dragons, storytelling, and dismantling corporate hegemony.
Central Conference of American Rabbis
The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889, is the oldest and largest rabbinic
organization in North America. It projects a powerful voice in the religious life of the American and international Jewish communities. The CCAR’s unique contribution to a continued vibrant Jewish community and Reform Movement lies in its work fostering excellence in Reform Rabbis; enhancing unity and connectedness among Reform Jews; applying Jewish values to a contemporary life; and, creating a compelling and accessible Judaism for today and the future.
Rabbi Steven A. Fox, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi Fox brings a varied and rich background to his CCAR leadership. He was ordained at HUC-JIR in
1980 and his early rabbinic career included service at Temple Emanuel in Worcester, Massachusetts and Temple Isaiah in Lexington, Massachusetts. He later served as an adjunct rabbi of Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles where he focused his work on spiritual growth through Jewish meditation, contemplative practices and study of sacred text.
Rabbi Fox has also been actively involved in raising the profile of the CCAR to its membership and the Jewish community. He has represented the CCAR at the White House on several occasions, and most recently attended both the 2013 Inauguration of President Barack Obama and the National Prayer Service. Rabbi Fox is a sought out thought-leader in the Jewish community and in the Jewish press. He is a regular contributor to RavBlog, the blog of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
“Depriving rabbis of the freedom to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies in North Carolina stigmatizes our religious beliefs and relegates many of our congregants and community members to second-class status. This precludes rabbis from participating in one of the fundamental aspects of our Jewish religious traditions with respect to a specific segment of their congregations and communities.” – Rabbi Steven Fox