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• Sexuality in the Seminary
• 2009 Events are being scheduled!
• Congratulations to First Congregational UCC, Ashland, OR
• New ONA Settings
• LGBT Scholarships Available
• News, Events and Job Announcements

Earlier this month, Union Theological Seminary and the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, released a new study on issues of sexuality in the nation's leading seminaries (including 4 UCC seminaries and 4 more that have historical connections to the UCC).

The bottom line? Only one of the 36 seminaries studied required a course on sexuality for graduation and only two require a course addressing LGBT issues. The majority of these seminaries don't even offer courses in LGBT issues or sexuality. In addition, most denominations currently do not require ministerial candidates to be competent in sexual health and education beyond sexual harassment prevention, the study noted. 

The study calls on the Association of Theological Schools, U.S. seminaries and denominations to develop and require competencies in sexuality for ordination to ministry.

You can read the details for your self at http://www.religiousinstitute.org/SeminaryReport.html.

The Rev. Haffner also discussed the study on the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-debra-haffner/sex-and-the-seminary_b_156063.html.

And Dr. Hunt's comments came from Religion Dispatches at www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religionandtheology/947/sex_and_the_seminary%3A_wake_up_and_smell_the_incense/.

Check out our current events calendar for a variety of new events planned for this year.  Naturally, we hope you will attend National Gathering, the Multicultural Family Festival, and Synod.

If you are aware of more events, conference, retreats or other gatherings being planned in 2009 that might be of interest to other Coalition members, please let us know at communications (at) ucccoalition (dot) org. We will spread the word.

First Congregational UCC was recognized in the Ashland Daily Tidings after they held a marathon of five same-sex commitment ceremonies in one day. Check out the article for details, including photos and a highlight video.

http://archive.dailytidings.com/2009/0110/stories/0110_same-sex-marriages.php

Welcome and congratulations to all recently declared ONA congregations!

The up-to-date list can be found here: http://www.ucccoalition.org/programs/ona/who/list/

Total active ONA congregations: 775

Note: We need your help to update our list of ONA churches to include website links.  If your web link is missing, please contact communications@ucccoalition.org with updated information.  Thank you!

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The Point Foundation, a scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students of merit, has announced the opening of its 2009 application season. Students who will be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs for the 2009-10 school year are eligible to apply for the multiyear scholarships. To learn more, please visit www.pointfoundation.org/apply.html.

The United Church of Christ also offers a scholarship for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender United Church of Christ seminarians in honor of William R. Johnson, the first openly gay man ordained in the United Church of Christ. The scholarship was established as a concrete way of affirming the long-standing conviction of the United Church of Christ that sexual orientation should not be a barrier to ordination. To qualify for this scholarship, students must be open about their sexual orientation, enrolled in an ATS accredited seminary, and have proof both of local membership in a United Church of Christ church and of In Care status. To learn more, please visit www.ucc.org/ministers/ucc-scholarships-for.html.

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Please refer to our website for current listings of Newsbits, events and job announcements.