Unexpected controversy marks Call to Action meeting - Brief Article

National Catholic Reporter, Sept 28, 2001

An unexpected controversy occurred at the Call To Action Philadelphia conference Sept. 14-16 when the leader of a black gospel choir made unplanned comments that some attendees found offensive.

After Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Salvatorian Fr. Robert Nugent were presented with Call to Action leadership awards for their work with ministries to gays and lesbians Sept. 15, the Rev. Allyn Waller of Philadelphia's Enon Tabernacle Baptist Ghurch, made an unscheduled address to the crowd. He told NCR that his message was: "While I do love you, and we are all children of God, I don't affirm the gay and lesbian lifestyle as acceptable in Christianity.'" Waller said that his choir wouldn't perform if the audience found his remarks offensive.

About half of those in attendance offered polite applause. The other half, many visibly upset, left the hall. Some went into an adjacent room to pray and sing songs of their own. A half hour later, Call to Action leaders stopped the performance.

"From the viewpoint of lesbian and gay people and their friends and families," Gramick told NCR, "[Waller's comments were] not only unexpected but perceived as an insult and injury where there should have been a safe space."

Waller said he wishes now the difficult situation had been avoided, and wishes he had read the group's literature before agreeing to participate.

Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister, gave the keynote speech at the conference the following night, reprising her talk at this year's first conference, in Los Angeles Aug. 5, (NCR, Aug 24). Chittister told the crowd of approximately 1,100 that the church should be more worried about Catholic women studying at Protestant seminaries than Catholic women who want to be ordained as priests.