135 of the District's religious leaders endorse same-sex marriage rights

On Tuesday, 135 of D.C.'s religious leaders from over 50 local churches and synagogues joined together to unequivocally support legal recognition of marriage rights for same-sex couples.  They represent congregations from all 8 of the city's Wards.  This group's inspirational embrace of equality and love for all of D.C.'s citizens is a statement of solidarity, and it serves as a reminder that the communities of faith and the LGBT community are in fact intertwined.

This coalition is inviting any D.C.-based religious leader or clergy member to co-sign their declaration.  You should share the declaration below with your religious leader(s) and encourage them to sign on in support of marriage rights for ALL of our citizens.

Declaration of Religious Support for Marriage Equality

We are District of Columbia clergy and religious leaders of many faiths, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. We represent religious institutions in every ward in the District. We have worked together over many years for peace and justice and now join our voices again to speak a faithful word for freedom and equality.

We declare that our faith calls us to affirm marriage equality for loving same-sex couples.

Our religious traditions and scriptures teach us that wherever love is present, God is also present. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is our human capacity to love one another. The ability of two people to enter into relationships and form families of love and care is one expression of this gift. It is holy and good. We therefore affirm the right of loving same-gender couples to enter into such relationships on an equal basis with loving heterosexual couples.

We recognize that there are principled differences on this issue within the religious community. We affirm that the state should not require any religious group to officiate at, or bless, same-gender marriages. However, the state also should not favor the convictions of one religious group over another by denying individuals their fundamental civil right to marry whom they love.

Recognizing that there is heartfelt disagreement on this issue, we call on all people of the District of Columbia to engage in a respectful and loving dialogue on marriage equality. As religious leaders, we commit ourselves to such a dialogue and encourage our colleagues on all sides of this issue to do the same.

God is love and love is for everyone. In this spirit we raise our voices in the struggle for the right and freedom to marry.

Steering Committee

The Rev. Amy Butler, Calvary Baptist Church
The Rev. Karen Brau, Luther Place Church (not yet confirmed)
The Rev. Kendal Brown, City of Refuge Church of Greater Washington
The Rev. Rainey Cheeks, Inner Light Ministries
The Rev. Graylan Hagler, Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ
The Rev. Robert M. Hardies, All Souls Church, Unitarian
The Rev. Cedric Harmon, City of Refuge of Greater Washington
The Rev. Nathan Harris, Lincoln Temple United Church of Christ
The Rev. Ronald E. Hopson, First Congregational United Church of Christ
The Rev. Steve Huber, The Washington National Cathedral
The Rev. Jeff Krehbiel, Church of the Pilgrims
The Rev. Luis Leon, St Johns Church, Lafayette Square
The Rabbi Toby Manewith, Bet Mishpachah
The Rev. Abena McCray, Unity Fellowship Church
The Rev. Noemi Mena, National City Christian Church (not yet confirmed)
The Rev. Alton B. Pollard, Howard Divinity School
The Rev. Rosetta Ross, Howard Divinity School
The Rev. Dean Snyder, Foundry United Methodist Church
The Rev. Christine Y. Wiley, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Dennis W. Wiley, Covenant Baptist Church

Co-Signers

The Rev. Wm. D. Aldridge, Jr, Dumbarton United Methodist Church
The Rev. Steven C. Baines, National City Christian Church
The Rev. Eric Bebber, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
The Rev. Elizabeth F. Bebber, Baptist minister
The Rev. John Beddingfield, All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church
The Rev. Alice Ogden Bellis, Howard University School of Divinity
Min. Eunesa Benoman, Covenant Baptist Church
Rabbi Arthur Blecher, Humanist Judaism
The Rev. Michael Bledsoe, Riverside Baptist Church
The Rev. Timothy Boggs, St. Alban's Episcopal Parish
The Rev. Rob Boulter, St. Columba's Episcopal Church
Min. John-Anthony Burchall, Covenant Baptist Church
Min. Debra L. Camphor, Covenant Baptist Church
Bishop John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The Rev. Martha Clark, St. Augustine's Episcopal Church
The Rev. Douglas Clark, First Congregational United Church of Christ
Rabbi Kenneth L. Cohen, American University Hillel
The Rev. Donelda A. Cook, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Henry Curry, Foundry United Methodist Church
Cantor Laura T. Croen, Temple Sinai
The Rev. Peter L. DeGroote, Senior Pastor, The United Church
Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon, retired, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The Rev. Bill Doggett, Christ Episcopal Church, Washington Parish
The Rev. Rose Duncan, St. Columba's Episcopal Church
Rabbi Charles Feinberg, Adas Israel Congregation
Min. Michael R. Fisher, Jr., Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Carol Flett, Washington National Cathedral
The Rev. Sidney D. Fowler, Hope United Church of Christ
The Rev. Dr. Malcolm L. Frazier, Howard University
The Rev. Frank Gasque Dunn, St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church
The Rev. Tony Gattis, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
The Rev. Roger Gench, The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Barbara Gerlach, First Congregational United Church of Christ
Min. Teresa A. Gilchrist, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Ashley Goff, Church of the Pilgrims
The Rev. John M. Graham, Grace Episcopal Church, Georgetown,
The Rev. Louise Green, All Souls Church, Unitarian
The Rev. Leah Grundset, Calvary Baptist Church
Ms. Eileen Guenther, Wesley Theological Seminary
The Rev. Brian E. Hamilton, Westminster Presbyterian DC
The Rev. Ruth W. Hamilton, Westminster Presbyterian DC
The Rev. Vincent P. Harris, St. George's Episcopal Church
The Rev. Susan Hayward, First Congregational United Church of Christ
The Rev. Lillie Henley, Universalist National Memorial Church
Ms. Mary Herman, Community Leader, Washington Ethical Society
Rabbi Joui M. Hessel, Washington Hebrew Congregation
Mr. Tony Hileman, Ethical Culture Leader
The Rev. Bernard F. Hillenbrand, Foundry United Methodist Church
The Rev. David Hopkins, Wesley Theological Seminary
The Rev. Denise Dombkowski Hopkins, Wesley Theological Seminary
The Rev. Carolyn Hutchinson, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Whit Hutchison, Pastor, Wesley United Methodist Church
The Rev. Margee Iddings, Church of the Pilgrims
The Rev. Kenneth H. King, Covenant Baptist Church
Min. D. K. Kirkley-Cain, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Mary E. Kraus, Dumbarton United Methodist Church
The Rev. Alisa Lasater, Capitol Hill United Methodist Church
The Rev. Nancy Lee Jose, St. Thomas' Episcopal Church
Mr. Walter LeFlore, All Souls Church, Unitarian
The Rev. DeeAnne L. Lowman, Foundry United Methodist Church
The Rev. Melora Lynngood, Unitarian Universalist minister
The Rev. Shana A. Lynngood, All Souls Church, Unitarian
The Rev. Jeanne MacKenzie, Westminster Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Dean McDonald, Presbyterian minister
The Rev. James L. McDonald, Presbyterian minister
The Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, Western Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Brian Merritt, The Palisades Community Church
The Rev. Judith E. Michaels, New York Avenue Presbyterian Church
Monsignor Gerald V. Miller, S.S.M., St. John the Beloved
The Rev. Steven B. Moore, National City Christian Church
The Rev. E. Maynard Moore, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
The Rev. Mary Clark Moschella, Wesley Theological Seminary
The Rev. Michael Willett Newheart, Howard University School of Divinity
The Rev. Susan Newman, Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ
The Rev. Richard A. Nugent, Unitarian Universalist minister
The Rev. Dale Ostrander, United Church of Christ minister
The Rev. Edgar Palacios, Calvary Baptist Church
The Rev. Joseph M. Palacios, Georgetown University
The Rev. Charles A. Parker, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
The Rev. Amanda Poppei, Washington Ethical Society
Rabbi Mindy Avra Portnoy, Temple Sinai
The Rev. Sandy Rector, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
Min. Robert A. Renix, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Donald Robinson, Unitarian Universalist minister
The Rev. Lisa A. Saunders, St. John's Church Lafayette Square
The Rev. Albert Scariato, St. John's Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish
The Rev. Mark Schaefer, American University
Bishop Michael Seneco, Presiding Bishop, North American Old Catholic Church
Rabbi Susan N. Shankman, Washington Hebrew Congregation
The Rev. Jimmy Sherrod, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
The Rev. Walter Shropshire, Jr. Foundry United Methodist Church
The Rev. Carl Siegel, Pastoral Counseling and Consultation Center
The Rev. Martin Smith, St. Columba's Episcopal Church
Ms. Deborah Sokolove, Wesley Theological Seminary
The Rev. Emily Blair Stribling, Washington National Cathedral
The Rev. Mary Sulerud, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The Rev. Rosemari Sullivan, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish
The Rev. John B. Tate, Jr Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
The Rev. Theresa Thames-Lynch, Foundry United Methodist Church
The Rev. Gwendolyn Tobias, Washington National Cathedral
The Rev. Archene Turner, Unitarian Universalist minister
The Rev. Janet Vincent, St. Columba's Episcopal Church
Min. Aaron Wade, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. George B. Walker, Jr., Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ
The Rev. Martha Wallace, Christ Church, Washington Parish
The Rev. Andrew Walton, Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Edward A. White, Presbyterian minister
The Rev. Howard W. Wiley, Covenant Baptist Church
Min. Kelly D. Wilkins, Covenant Baptist Church
The Rev. Diane Brenda Williams, Baptist minister
The Rev. Penny Willis, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
The Rev. Gayraud S. Wilmore, Presbyterian minister
The Rev. John W. Wimberly, Jr., Western Presbyterian Church
The Rev. J. Philip Wogaman, Wesley Theological Seminary
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel, Temple Micah