17 minutes reading time
(3480 words)
March 2021 eNews
WE HAVE SOMETHING NEW!!
Masks are now part of our lives. That’s why SDA Kinship has designed these reusable face masks to give all of us the comfort, quality, and peace of mind we need to go out and show our Kinship pride! Add our masks to your collection and enjoy!
$12 each + Shipping
Mask fabric: 100% polyester, elastic straps: 80% nylon, 20% spandex.
Kinship masks are Latex-free.
This product has not been FDA cleared or approved, but has been authorized by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use as source control by the general public and by health care providers in healthcare settings as to help slow the spread of infection or illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
THE UNCLOBBER PROJECT
What does the Bible really say about LGBT+ Issues?
Many Adventist members and pastors interpret a few texts in the Bible and use those to reject and condemn LGBT+ people. UnClobber tells of the personal journey of an evangelical pastor who researched each of the six “clobber” texts in the Bible; and, after understanding the original context, he became LGBT+ affirming. We aim to engage and change hearts and minds within the church by providing pastors, teachers, and church leaders with a copy of the book, UnClobber.
If you have struggled to reconcile your LGBT+ identity with the Bible or your faith, this book is also for you. If you would like your pastor or a religious family member to learn how to interpret those verses, this book can be for them. We have already sent 300 books to people throughout the United States, and we are looking to send out 2,000 more.
How To Support the Project
Order a free book today at www.sdakinship.org/unclobber
Donate to help Kinship cover some of the costs (www.sdakinship.org/donate). It costs $10 to print and send each book.
Connect with others: some LGBT+, some Adventist pastors, who are also reading the book to share your thoughts and ask questions about the material. bit.ly/unclobberfacebook
Pray that people will allow the Holy Spirit to open their hearts and minds and that it will result in more loving actions within the local churches, schools, and communities, toward the LGBT community.
Join Us every second Saturday on Facebook Live. Our first event will be on Saturday, February 13. We will talk about the project, tell people how to get involved, and answer any questions you may have.
JOIN US FOR A BILINGUAL YOUTH PROGRAM COMMEMORATING WHM "STORIES OF FAITH AND RESISTANCE" - ALL ARE WELCOME!
Join us in celebrating Women's History Month with Kinship Youth and Young Adults on Friday, March 19, 7pm EST, to learn about the story of Walatta Petros (a queer Ethiopian woman and saint) and talk about the role of faith and resistance during an interview with our guest Ora Battle, author of an "Open Letter to the General Conference and North-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists" (https://spectrummagazine.org/views/2020/open-letter-general-conference-and-north-american-division-seventh-day-adventist-church).
The program will be held in English and Spanish in collaboration with Kinship Latinamerica and Kinship Youth and Young Adults in Spanish. Check the poster for more information. For questions, you can always email Nathon Hilton, our KinYouth coordinator at
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87827741798?pwd=dGhBUmZlYy93eHhBemxZYktTV0Y5dz09
Meeting ID: 878 2774 1798
Passcode: 00Sinergia
KINSHIP WORSHIP
Join us on March 5 for Kinship Worship - an inspirational program for us, by us. We have an amazing program for you and your friends. Please share this with your friends!
Kinship Worship will stream live on our Facebook page and Youtube Channel on Friday, March 5 at 8 pm ET and will be available on-demand afterward. Watch the January Kinship Worship program here.
VIRTUAL KINSHIP KAMPMEETING 2021
SAVE THE DATES
Weekends of July 10 & 24, 2021
Details to follow!
FAMILY & FRIENDS ZOOM MEETING
Good connections are valuable for all organizations – and Kinship Family & Friends wants to connect with all willing families and friends.
Join us for a Zoom meeting on Sunday, March 21, 2021, at 9:30 AM PDT / 12:30 PM EDT.
John & Carolyn Wilt
FAMILY & FRIENDS
VARIATIONS CAUSE SLANTING !!
As Carolyn and I explored “variations,” we discovered that every one of us is “varied.” She and I have different heights, different body shapes, unique personalities, and even different behaviors. We are varied.
Even our children, who are living biological results of my family genetics merged with Carolyn’s family genetics, are varied. Our daughter was enhanced with Carolyn’s family traits. One of our sons appears to favor my mother’s side, and our youngest son reflects strong variations of Carolyn’s family. One son is short like my mother’s side. My mother’s brother was bald by age 28, yet he had to shave several times a day to keep control of his hair below his ear line. Our son started losing head hair as well. He has also experienced health issues common on my mother’s side. Our other son is tall like Carolyn’s father and shares her loving, caring personality. He also was our gay son—a variation unknown in either of our families!
Look around your family or your friends and maybe your church congregation. Is everyone identical or varied? What similarities and differences do you see ? The genetic biologists have closely evaluated many “identical” twins and discovered, although they inherited many similar genetic features they also differed in others; they were not identical.
Every one of us is different—varied! That’s good news. Can you imagine if we were all identical? I don’t think we would enjoy that. We enjoy the variations of our families and friends.
Let us add one more discussion point. A common term used in our LGBTQ+ world is the word “straight.” Often folks say, “Oh, you’re straight and I’m gay!” We’ve never liked that term. We aren’t “straight” and LGBTQ+ folks aren’t crooked. We are all slanted!
We slant in many directions. We’ve even noticed we can change or shift our slantedness, but we definitely aren’t straight up and down. Nope!
In September 2019 my New Scientist magazine published an article titled, “There is no such thing as a gay gene !” Committee members of Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard evaluated 477,000 genetics data from 23andMe (U.S.A.) and UK Biobank persons where those participants answered questions targeting sexual behaviors. In the end they found a family of five areas where behavior appears to evolve from, but no precise or constantly triggered genetic patterns identified any specific genes controlling or creating a person’s sexual identification or behavior.
They concluded, “Our results really underscore that this behavior is a normal part of human variation.” Don’t overreact to their term “normal”—it’s not saying this behavior is “normal” for everyone—it is verifying that variations are “normal.” We are all different, aren’t we?
We human beings are very complex creatures. Our brains are extremely more complex than any man-made computer system. Worldwide neurologists are still struggling to develop methods or tools to measure how our brains function. Every one of you is your brain—no one else’s.
Do you accept the idea that we are all different? That we all lean or slant in different directions? Jesus constantly shared with his friends and supporters—Love one another no matter how they are slanted! He said we need to accept each other, love each other, and support each other! Those were Jesus’ words!
Happy slanting—happy accepting—we are God’s fingers and hands. He wants us to accept and love each other.
Remember our motto: Jesus never looked the other way—and neither should we!
John & Carolyn Wilt
MES INTERNACIONAL DE LA MUJER (INTERNATIONAL WOMEN 'S HISTORY MONTH WITH KINSHIP LATAM
Este mes, Kinship Latinoamérica se viste de gala para celebrar el mes internacional de la mujer. El mes de marzo estaremos haciendo conciencia sobre las aportaciones de mujeres, especialmente mujeres LBT, que han vigorizado al cristianismo y dotado nuestra fe con nuevas formas de conocer de Dios y resistir la opresión de un mundo violento. Entre ellas, estaremos haciendo reuniones en torno a las aportaciones de ilustres mujeres como Sor Juana Inés de Asbaje, Santa Catalina de Siena, Walatta Petros y Elena G. de White. Cada viernes de Marzo por Zoom (ver el enlace abajo) charlaremos con pastoras y otras líderes invitadas que se nos unirán desde todo el continente. Esperamos te puedas unir con nuestras reuniones de Sinergia donde trataremos estos y muchos temas más honrando y celebrando la memoria de las mujeres en nuestro pleno!
Si tienes alguna pregunta, puedes contactarnos a
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87827741798?pwd=dGhBUmZlYy93eHhBemxZYktTV0Y5dz09
Meeting ID: 878 2774 1798
Passcode: 00Sinergia
EUROPEAN KINSHIP MEETING
EKM2021 will be held in a natural environment in the little community of Westelbeers, between the cities Eindhoven and Tilburg in The Netherlands.
Our excellent and energetic guest speaker is a Seventh-day Adventist scholar at one of our colleges in Europe. To protect his position in the church, the name of the guest speaker is not disclosed until at the meeting. But be assured you will be blessed and uplifted by his presentations.
EIGENTIJDSERF is surrounded by nature but is certainly easily accessible from the direction of Eindhoven, Breda, and Tilburg. Parking is free and charging electric cars is possible. We will also try to set up a pickup service to meet you at the station in Tilburg or Eindhoven. Eindhoven airport is a hub for low budget flights.
The conference center offers special diets if we know in advance. The atmosphere is peaceful and friendly.
Pricing: €400 (double occupancy) and €450 (single occupancy)
The first 25 registrations before May 1 will receive a €50 discount!!
Ruud Kieboom
European Coordinator
KINSHIP NEEDS YOUR HELP
Kinship is looking for new people to share their talents, stories, and time to promote Kinship’s mission.
- Communications - Writing articles, creating videos and content for social media, and translating content into other languages. Review our website, social media content, and provide feedback on messaging and content.
- Hospitality - Working with Member Services to engage Kinship member subgroups such as demographic (age, gender), locations, and topic (spiritual, artists, former Adventist).
- Advocacy - Finding external resources and collaborating behind the scenes to support efforts to engage church leaders and members in our community.
Join the Kinship Board. This year the positions open for election are:
- President
- Secretary
- Director of Church Relations
- Director of Women’s Interests
If you are interested in volunteering or running for a Kinship board position, please visit www.sdakinship.org/volunteer or email
NEW! CHAPTER 24 OF JOURNEY
About Journey by Jerry McKay
Most of what characterizes my life today—work, family, and faith—looks little like what I thought it would when I graduated from college in 1980.
Naturally, people want to know when and how I first became aware of my orientation. Others are interested in my spiritual experience and how my faith and my orientation intersect and perhaps collide. Many questions revolve around my reparative therapy journey and how that impacted my belief in God and my relationship to the church.
I am often asked about the pivotal moment I decided to stop trying to change my orientation and the events that led up to that moment. Related to that decision is the question of short- and long-term consequences. I’ve been asked about where I see God in the whole journey—before counseling, during counseling, and since accepting my orientation.
And, finally, others want to know about my relationship, how it has evolved over the years, and the impact it has had on my life.
This is my story.
Next Chapter:
Chapter 24 - Life at Quest Learning Center
Previous chapters:
Chapters 1-23
CONNECTING VIA WHATSAPP
SDA Kinship continues to work to connect our members in communities where they feel most comfortable.
In this time of quarantine and staying home, WhatsApp groups are a good way to stay connected.
If you have any questions, please send a WhatsApp message to Floyd at +1 214 718 8177, telling me who you are and what groups you are interested in connecting with.
Here are just a few of the WhatsApp groups that I can recommend:
Kinship Main International Group
Kinship Spiritual
Kinship en Espanol
Kinship Brasil (these are in Português, one for men and one for women)
Kinship France (this is a new group for members who communicate in Français)
Kinship Russia (this is also a new group connecting members who communicate in Russian) Если вы говорите по-русски и хотели бы стать частью нашей русскоязычной группы SDA Kinship, напишите мне в WhatsApp.
Jeśli mówisz po polsku i chciałbyś być częścią naszej polskojęzycznej grupy związanej z SDA Kinship, wyślij mi wiadomość na WhatsApp.
There are also numerous demographic groups for chapters, regions, and countries.
Send Me a message on WhatsApp to get connected.
Floyd Poenitz
Vice President, SDA Kinship
DON’T FORGET TO USE AMAZON SMILE
AmazonSmile is now available as an app. A great way to support SDA Kinship at no cost to you and you can do all your shopping online from the app. You can find it in the App Store for IOS or Google Play for Android.
When making purchases on Amazon.com, remember, if you use smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the eligible purchase price to the non-profit that you select! As we provide support and representation within the LGBTIQ community, every penny counts!
When first visiting AmazonSmile, customers are prompted to select a charitable organization from almost one million eligible organizations. To browse or shop at AmazonSmile, customers must first select a charitable organization. Please select Seventh-Day Adventist Kinship International Inc.
REGION AND CHAPTER EVENTS
Many local in-person events have been postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Join any of the online video chats or events as we find new ways to stay connected. Check our main Facebook group for Kinship members and/or region/chapter groups for announcements and links to the Zoom events.
KINSHIP AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND
Sabbath School without WallsLead by Kinship member Ross Cole
2:00 pm Australian EST
A supportive group for the study of the weekly Seventh-day Adventist Bible Study Guide with an open and searching mind.
Join the private Facebook group for more information.
KINSHIP BRASIL
Sábado às 10h00
Hor. Brasília
Ocorrerá
KINSHIP COLOMBIA
Devocionales del Sábado
10:00 Hora Colômbia / Peru
KINSHIP GERMANY
Monthly Zoom Meetings
Every 2nd Monday at 7 pm CET
Sind jetzt bis Ende des Jahres geplant: Jeden 2. Montag im Monat um 19 Uhr
( 14. Dez. )
For the Zoom link please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - May 1, 2021: at David Diez - bei David Diez
REGION 2 - MARYLAND / DC AREA CHAPTER
Region 2 meets virtually via Zoom for vespers on the 3rd Friday of each month at 7 pm ET.
Region 2 also continues to meet virtually via Zoom for First Sabbath lunch.
On the first Sabbath of every month, we meet at noon after attending New Hope via live stream. It's a great way to stay connected to each other.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates in our next eNews edition!
For the Zoom link to join either of these events please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
REGION 8 - SACRAMENTO CHAPTER
WHAT: Sacramento Kinship Chapter Check-in
WHEN: March 7, 2021 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Sacramento Chapter monthly virtual meeting happens on the 1st Sunday of each month.
RECAP February 7, 2021 meeting:
It was awesome to have director/producer Sharon “Rocky” Roggio present a whirlwind “you saw it here 1st folks” presentation about her upcoming movie 1946themovie!!
Through this movie, Rocky shares how In 1946, the word “homosexual” was mistakenly added to the Bible. 1946themovie reveals the ground-breaking research of Kathy Baldock, a Christian Conservative LGBTQIA+ activist and Ed Oxford, an LGBTQIA+ theologian, in their quest to, discover what factors ignited the anti-gay movement within American conservative Christian circles.
Fall 2021 movie and book release anticipated.
HELP POST-PRODUCTION by donating, buying merch, help find distribution channels, etc.
Learn more at:
https://www.wmm.com/sponsored-project/1946-the-mistranslation-that-shifted-culture/
Follow @1946themovie
Cheryl Christopherson
SDA Kinship Sacramento Chapter
REGION 9 - INLAND EMPIRE CHAPTER
Kinship Sabbath School is a group of LGBT+ and allies who meet on Sabbath at La Sierra University Church in Riverside, California. It's a safe and affirming space, and we welcome all people!
Although the church is closed, join us online from 10-11 am PDT! For details, check the Facebook page or email
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