June 14, 2006

First there were full-page ads in the Indianapolis Star asking, "Would Jesus Discriminate?"

Then yard signs with the same message began appearing all over Indianapolis.

Then 25,000 door hangers were distributed with invitations to a Town Hall Meeting – one of which this week which led to a lesbian's Indianapolis home being defaced with a swastika.

Now – this week – major billboards across the city are also asking the question, "Would Jesus Discriminate?"

The $100,000 media campaign in Indianapolis is the start of a national effort to lower hostility and tension around homosexuality and religion – and to initiate a dialogue that can lead to greater understanding on the subject.

The campaign is a joint project of openly-gay East Coast business leader Mitchell Gold , founder of Faith In America, and Dr. Cindi Love, a former senior executive with the Toro Corporation and currently Executive Director of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) – the world's largest gay and lesbian church group with gay congregations in 26 countries. Both will be in Indianapolis on Wednesday evening and Thursday of this week and are available for media interviews.

And the campaign is being conducted in Indianapolis by Rev. Jeff Miner, Senior Pastor of the predominantly-gay Jesus MCC in Indianapolis. Rev. Miner, himself an openly gay clergyperson, is a graduate of the Christian fundamentalist Bob Jones University as well as Harvard University. Rev. Miner is also available for media interviews throughout this week .

Joining them will be Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches and a long-time ecumenical leader. Rev. Wilson was the only open lesbian to preach at the recent 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She will be in Indianapolis on Thursday of this week to participate in the Town Hall Meeting.

Metropolitan Community Churches