Who is Rev. Troy D. Perry?
On July 11, 1999, over 3,000 people filled the roped-off
streets in front of a modern complex of buildings at 8704
Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, CA (USA). They
were gathered there for the public Dedication Celebration
of the new home of the Metropolitan Community Churches
(MCC) and the Worship Center of its 'mother' church, MCC
Los Angeles.
The major celebrant was the Founder/Moderator of MCC,
Rev. Elder Troy Perry, an openly gay clergyman who
founded UFMCC with 12 people in his living room in Los
Angeles on October 6, 1968. In the brief span of 30 years
since that date, he has seen the membership of MCC
grow, despite opposition, adversity and persecution, to
44,000+ people in over 300 congregations in 17 countries
around the world.
The event occurred during the 30th World Jubilee
Celebration of the founding of one of the world's most
unique Christian denominations...the first church to
recognize the necessity of ministering to the needs of
gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons
throughout the world...and represented 30 years of
successful ministry by local MCC congregations.
It is through this visionary ministry that the Rev. Elder Troy
Perry has become an internationally recognized spiritual
leader and one of the world's leading activists for the civil
rights of gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgendered people.
In 1984, Rev. Perry completed a 1 hour video on the
founding of MCC Los Angeles and early years of
Metropolitan Community Churches, titled "God Gays & The
Gospel: This Is Our Story" which is available for broadcast
on local public access stations.
For several years, Rev. Perry also served as host of "Out,
Gifted and Blessed", a regularly scheduled 30 minute
internet cybercast. The program featured music by MCC
artists, UFMCC news, sermons by Rev. Perry and
interviews with religious leaders.
Virtually every major magazine and newspaper in the world
has covered the story of the founding and successful
ministry of this unique Fellowship. Rev. Perry and Lay and
Clergy Leaders of MCC have spoken on issues of
gay/lesbian spirituality and the g/l/b/t civil rights movement
on numerous local television/radio shows, and at a
national level on virtually every major network news
program, including 60 Minutes, Nightline, Dateline, special
PBS presentations, and many others.
It has not always been an easy journey. In his
autobiography, "The Lord is My Shepherd and Knows I’m
Gay", Rev. Perry recalls realizing his vocation in Florida at
the age of 13 and being licensed as a Baptist minister two
years later. He describes in frank, sometimes
heartbreaking detail, the discovery and disclosure of his
sexual orientation, divorce, estrangement from his wife and
children, loss of his license as a minister, a failed suicide
attempt and the "re-discovery" of his vocation and ministry,
leading to the founding of MCC.
Rev. Perry’s ministry and activism have taken many turns
during the past 30 years, including positions on a number
of boards of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
organizations. He also held a seat on the Los Angeles
County Commission on Human Relations. In 1978 he was
honored by the American Civil Liberties Union Lesbian and
Gay Rights Chapter with its Humanitarian Award.
He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Ministry from Samaritan
College in Los Angeles for founding MCC, an Honorary
Doctorate in Human Services from Sierra University, Santa
Monica, California for his work in civil rights, and was
lauded by the Gay Press Association with its Humanitarian
Award.
Rev. Perry has been invited to the White House on four
occasions:
-in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter; to discuss the whole
spectrum of g/l/b/t civil rights.
-in 1993 by President Bill Clinton; participant in the 1st
White House Conference on AIDS
-in 1997 by President Clinton as participant in White House
Conference on Hate Crimes.
-in 1997 by President Clinton as an "honoree" at a White
House breakfast honoring 100
national spiritual leaders in the USA.
It was Rev. Perry who led the movement for MCC’s
membership in the National Council of churches starting in
September, 1981. The UFMCC was given Official Observer
status to the 7th General Assembly of the World Council of
Churches, which was held in Canberra, Australia in
February, 1991.
Rev. Troy Perry has devoted his life to help others
discover the loving and caring God to whom he has
committed his life. Rev. Perry also completed a sequel to
his first book entitled "Don’t Be Afraid Anymore," published
by St. Martin’s Press. He is contributing editor for the book
"Is Gay Good?" and the subject of another book, "Our God
Too." While Rev. Perry realizes the oppression still facing
gays and lesbians, he stands at the vanguard of the
movement, telling his flock - and the rest of the world - "We’
re Not Afraid Anymore."
Rev. Elder Perry resides with his lover of 17 years, Mr.
Phillip Ray DeBlieck, in the Silverlake district of Los
Angeles, CA, USA.
Note: To order Rev. Perry's books, or to get more
information on books by Rev. Perry and other UFMCC
authors, please visit our
online Resource Center
What Is MCC?
MCC, also referred to as UFMCC, or the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is a
Christian denomination with a primary, affirming ministry to
gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons and
their friends and families. Founded in 1968, UFMCC today
is composed of more than 42,000 members in 300
congregations in 16 countries around the world.
UFMCC's Mission Statement:
"The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches is a Christian Church founded in and reaching
beyond the Gay and Lesbian communities. We embody
and proclaim Christian salvation and liberation, Christian
inclusivity and community, and Christian social action and
justice. We serve among those seeking and celebrating
the integration of their spirituality and sexuality."
UFMCC's Vision Statement:
"The vision of the UFMCC is to embody the presence of
the Divine in the world, as revealed through Jesus Christ;
to challenge the conscience of the universal Christian
Church; and to celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of
each person. As we move toward this vision, by 2003, the
UFMCC will be comprised of at least 70,000 members and
adherents who are all called and equipped to minister with
excellence. This diverse global body will be widely
recognized as a prophetic light and driving force for an
inclusive Christian spirituality which celebrates the
integration of spirituality and human sexuality. Through our
strengthened local churches, we will meet the justice and
faith needs of people in increasing numbers of countries
and cultures."
The scars on the Rev. Troy
Perry's wrists signify the
start of another branch of
Christianity, the
Metropolitan Community
Church, which he founded
in 1968. Out of despair and
confusion about how to
reconcile his spirituality with
his homosexual feelings,
the Rev. Perry tried to kill
himself before having a
revelation in the late 1960s
that God could love
everyone.
The reverend is discussing
his life, ministry and
upcoming retirement from
the church during his visits
this weekend to the local
parish of the MCC church.
St. Jude's Metropolitan
Community Church will hold
"A Dialogue with the
Founder" at 5 p.m. today in
the church sanctuary at
511 Castle St. Rev. Perry
also will speak at the
church's praise services at
9:30 and 11 a.m. and 7
p.m. Sunday at the church.
"I'm getting ready to retire
in 2005, and this will be my
last visit to Wilmington,
which will give me an
opportunity to say goodbye
to the church," Rev. Perry
said. "I hope they outgrow
their building and continue
to be the church of God in
Christian social action,
bringing deliverance to
those who are oppressed."
In the 1960s, Rev. Perry
was a Pentecostal minister,
a husband and a father
living near Los Angeles.
And he was a man having
guilt about homosexual
feelings, a sexual
preference his church didn't
accept.
"I was always told that God
can't love homosexuals," he
said. "I tried prayer, and it
didn't change the feelings I
have."
So Rev. Perry told church
officials of his feelings, and
they dis-fellowshipped him,
similar to excommunication
in the Catholic church.
Shortly afterward, he and
his wife were divorced, he
moved to Los Angeles and
was drafted into the
Vietnam War.
When he returned, Rev.
Perry fell in love with a man,
had his heart broken and
fell into a dark period of his
life. The spiritual conflicts
about his sexuality led him
to attempt suicide by
slashing his wrists. A
roommate found him in the
bathroom and rushed him
to the nearest hospital.
"I remember an
African-American woman
walked into the room and
said 'You're too young for
this,' and she showed me
her arm. She had tried to
kill herself, too," he said.
"She kept asking me, 'Isn't
there somebody you can
talk to and can't you just
look up and talk to God?' "
Instead of turning to
despair, he looked to God
and had a revelation about
God's ability to love all
people, which manifested
into the creation of the
Metropolitan Community
Church.
Rev. Perry says he began
that mission, initially, out of
his own need.
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Who is Rev. Elder Dr. Troy D. Perry
AND
What is MCC?
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Rev. Perry asked God's
forgiveness for trying to
take his own life. After he
was released from the
hospital, "I was laying there
in bed and remembered my
prayer and thought no, God
can't love me. I remember
hearing this still, small
voice, which was God,
saying to me, 'Troy, don't
tell me what I can and can't
do. I do love you.' I knew
right there that I could be a
Christian, and I could be a
gay person."
The minister remembers
one conversation that led
him to create a church in
which gays and lesbians
could feel comfortable
worshipping without
judgment. A friend named
Tony told him that he
confessed his homosexual
feelings to his Catholic
priest when he was 15
years old, and the priest
ordered him out of Sunday
school for fear the other
children would be
contaminated.
Rev. Perry tried to reassure
him that God still cared.
"Tony told me, 'No, Troy,
God doesn't care about
me,' " Rev. Perry said. "I
prayed to God that no one
seems to be evangelizing
my community, and I heard
the still small voice telling
me, the time is now to start
a church."
In October 1968, Rev.
Perry started the
Metropolitan Community
Church in Los Angeles.
Twelve people came to the
first service; a year and half
later, more than 1,000
people were coming."
It just showed that there's
such a need for the
church," he said.
As of 2000, the MCC had
expanded to 310
congregations in 18
countries and more than
46,000 members and
adherents.
Since the start of his
ministry, Rev. Perry has
been invited to the White
House on four occasions
during President Jimmy
Carter's and President Bill
Clinton's administrations.
He's the author of The Lord
is My Shepherd and Knows
I'm Gay and the video
production God, Gays and
the Gospel: This Is Our
Story. A new book, 10
Spiritual Truths for Gays
and Lesbians and
Everybody Else, is
expected out in July.
On Valentine's Day this
year, he and his partner of
18 years, Philip Ray
DeBlieck, led a group of
five gay couples who lined
up for marriage licenses at
a courthouse in the San
Fernando Valley. It was part
of a national demonstration
against the states not
allowing same-sex
marriages.
"I don't believe
homosexuality is a sin," he
said. "The sin I committed
was turning my lover into
God when I felt God wasn't
there."
After his retirement, Rev.
Perry plans to become an
evangelical lecturer.
"God doesn't give
revelation in a vacuum," he
said. "If it's good for gays
and lesbians, it's good for
everybody."
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February 22. 2003 12:53AM, from www.wilmingtonstar.com
Founder of MCC church visits city
St. Jude's welcomes the Rev. Troy Perry
By Amanda Greene Staff Writer
amanda.greene@wilmingtonstar.com
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