Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church , MCC for short (in full: The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches or UFMCC), is a global umbrella organization for a network of Protestant Free Churches . MCC originally came into being in October 1968 as a small, single congregation run by gay pastor Troy Perry in the Los Angeles gay community ; the establishment was a reaction to the at the time considerable social discrimination against gays and lesbians. The original focus on the gay and lesbian scene evolved into a general principle of inclusivity , so that MCC is now striving to reach other, often excluded minorities . In 2005, Nancy Wilson took over the role of moderator for Troy Perry.
The community has official observer status at the World Council of Churches . The National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States has refused membership of the MCC on several occasions.
structure
Umbrella organization
The headquarters of the worldwide MCC are in West Hollywood , CA. Based on this, the world is currently divided into eight regions (e.g. Europe is in region four with Africa and the Middle East), each of which is looked after by a regional elder. However, the MCC itself is structured in a decentralized manner. There are currently 172 member churches, 50 starting churches, and 12 special ministries in 37 countries.
history
The first church was founded in 1968 in Los Angeles by Troy Perry . That was at a time when the attitude of the Christian churches towards homosexuality was almost entirely negative. The MCC has since grown and is now present in 37 countries with 222 parishes. It is most strongly represented in the USA , followed by Canada . The MCC has also existed in Germany since 1988 .
In 1972, Freda Smith became the MCC's first female pastor.
Perry was the moderator of the community until 2005, when Nancy Wilson was elected moderator by the general conference. She was only the second person and the first woman to act as a moderator. Wilson retired in October 2016 and was replaced by an interim presenter, Rev. Elder Rachelle Brown. Cecilia Eggleston is currently a presenter.
Local communities
MCC emphasizes the autonomy of the local community - that is why the abbreviation MCC is mainly heard in connection with a place, e.g. B. MCC Hamburg. In addition, there are other attachments, such as MCC Stuttgart - Salt of the Earth .
The local communities are democratic. In Germany, the local congregations are therefore integrated into a registered association. Every baptized Christian can join the congregation and participate as a congregation member in decision-making processes (for example in the election of a pastor). Non-members can take part in the work of the community as “friends of the community”, but are not entitled to vote or not eligible for election.
Core values, beliefs
Basics, membership
The MCC is a Christian, Protestant church , but attaches great importance to reaching everyone. Therefore, apart from professing the Christian faith and being baptized , there are no further requirements for membership. The theology of the MCC is founded in the Apostolic and Nicene Gospels , which must be recognized by all members of the clergy and others in leadership positions and by all congregations.
The churches as institutions are viewed in a more differentiated manner at the MCC, in particular the view is based on the fact that Jesus said nothing against minorities and loved gays.
Sacraments and acts of blessing
As usual for Protestants, the world statute of the MCC provides for two sacraments ( baptism and the Lord's Supper ). In addition, there are several acts of blessing ( ordination of new clergy, acceptance of new members, partnership blessing such as the blessing of same-sex couples , funerals and prayer with the laying on of hands). The Lord's Supper is celebrated at least once a week, always as an open Lord's Supper , which means that there are no special requirements (such as baptism, confirmation, or belief in a particular creed ) for participating in the Lord's Supper .
Clergy, worship, liturgy
The MCC congregations are cared for by an ordained pastor . However, the “ priesthood of all believers ” is promoted so that lay people can lead the worship service or hold parts of the liturgy . The pastor must have a license to pastor the church.
sexuality
Gays , lesbians , bisexuals , inter- and transsexuals are accepted, valued and accepted in the MCC. The MCC municipality Cologne has taken up the topic in its frequently asked questions. In her opinion, however, sexuality is not an issue that needs to be discussed regularly.
MCC in Germany
The MCC in Germany had its 30th anniversary in 2018 . The first service of the base church MCC Hamburg was celebrated in September 1988. There are currently three MCC communities in Germany:
See also
Web links
- International homepage of the MCC
- German homepage of the MCC
- Link catalog on MCC at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ ) (EN)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Our Churches. Metropolitan Community Churches, February 29, 2020, accessed February 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ worldwide. MCC-Hamburg, accessed on February 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Kittredge Cherry: In memory of Freda Smith: LGBTQ activist, first woman ordained by Metropolitan Community Churches. December 19, 2019, accessed February 29, 2020 (American English).
- ^ BTL Staff: Nancy Wilson elected new MCC moderator. August 18, 2005. Retrieved February 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from December 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ MCC world board name interim moderator. Metropolitan Community Churches, accessed February 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Jesus love Gays' DallasVoice
- ↑ a b MCC Cologne. [MCC Cologne], accessed on February 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Ines-Paul Baumann: “Is it always about your sexuality?” MCC Cologne, accessed on February 29, 2020 .
- ↑ 30 years of MCC Hamburg. In: mcc-hh.de. October 27, 2018, accessed February 29, 2020 .
- ^ Martin Haar: Free Churches: The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC). In: evangelisch.de. May 2, 2016, accessed February 29, 2020 .
- ^ Base community MCC-Hamburg. MCC-Hamburg, accessed on February 29, 2020 .
- ^ Salt of the earth MCC municipality Stuttgart. Salt of the earth MCC municipality Stuttgart, accessed on February 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Martin Haar: Who heart who first? A service in the "Metropolitan Community Church" Stuttgart. In: evangelisch.de. May 9, 2016, accessed February 29, 2020 .
