News in 2022

Uplift Update - May 19, 2022

These pictures are from Tuesday 17 May to Thursday 19 May. The northwest stairs are removed, an opening is made in the lower level ceiling, and a foundation wooden base is made for the lift before pouring cement. It is progressing very fast for the lift installation.

2022-05-19

CLASS OF 2020

You read that right!

Our very own Sabrina Bermingham– who graduated in 2020, but did not have a commencement because of the pandemic… 

That is until May, Friday 13, 2022.

She received her diploma via the US mail back in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions. Her graduation commencements was postponed indefinitely.

On Friday the thirteenth - two years later - instead of the right hand shakes the dean’s hand and your left hand received the diploma, she got to elbow her dean since no hand to hand contact was allowed. Sabrina finally got to walk in her graduation commencements with other students of the Class of 2020 along with the Class of 2021 and 2022.

Since 2020 – 2 years ago - this pandemic has caused High School graduation rates dipped in at least 20 states, suggesting the coronavirus may have ended nearly two decades of nationwide progress toward getting more students diplomas – not less.

It also has nearly four million college students [that’s 13 percent] at four-year institutions to experience delay their graduation, and another 15 percent aren't sure if they will graduate at all.

With these delays, those who graduate are not even sure if they want a graduation ceremony anymore.  Sabrina did contemplate about not going to this graduation ceremony. The appeal was lost. To some, a two year isolation goes either very fast; But to many, it seems light years away.

The commencement is a ritual to help with the end and start a new beginning.  Graduation commencements are almost like a sacrament, the physical signs of the day communicated so clearly what the ceremony was designed to do. And while graduation is not a religious rite, it is filled with all kinds of graces.

Here at UCRP, we again applaud our very own Sabina!

2022-05-13

Jean Nance 

5 April 2022

Jean Nance, a long-time member at United Church of Rogers Park, was loyal to her church family. She had been ill for some time and died on 5 April at 5:07 am. She was a choir member and helped with the after school programs as well as served on many committees. Jean’s daughter, Nikki, will be organizing Jean’s memorial service in the near future.

Bless those who mourn, eternal God, with the comfort of your love that they may face each new day with hope and the certainty that nothing can destroy the good that has been given.

May their memories become joyful, their days enriched with friendship, and their lives encircled by your love.

2022-04-16

The Beginnings and the Now

Two pictures: UCRP started to become accessible back in 1979 with a ramp versus 2022 removing the 42 year rusting ramp and installing a lift in 2022.

it began…

Participants pictured are: Dr. Franklin Cochran, chairperson of the Board of Trustees; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Kroll, building contractor; Lin Culbreth; Mrs. Ethel Nelson; Mrs. Carolyn Grey; Mrs. Mary Ann Swartz; Mrs. Becky Swartz; Mrs. Lavern Nichols; and Mrs. Karen McCulloh, chairperson of the Administrative Board. The ramp was finished in September 1979.

and now…

The UpLift Accessible Project in 2022

Front Row: 
Alaina Dulecki, Harper Joyce, Emma Joyce, Pastor Lindsey Joyce Long, Phillis Tholin
Middle Row:
Sherman Brown, Adam Joyce, Kate Hemingway, David Carroll,
Ron Johnson, Antoinette Senjanovich
Back Row:
EdVitte Jones, David Gunnell, Judith Muench, Jen Schmidt

2022-03-14

 2022 Uplift Accessibility Project Capital Campaign Update

Our Uplift Accessibility Project expands access to our building, services, programs, and communities by including and welcoming a previously underserved and, in some cases, unserved population. This project will expand our community services and impact to anyone in need, regardless of physical ability.

The Plan:
The Uplift Accessibility Project will create a new state-of-the-art entrance on our southwest corner, build an interior accessible ramp to our library and classrooms, as well as make space for a mechanical lift to take people up to our main floor for service. These changes will open much-needed access to our Sanctuary and community services and support. This vital investment in our building will allow our outreach programs to grow and expand in ways that will impact more people in the community. We will be able to open our doors to new participants through our various ministries and partnerships. 

• Phase One adds a new ground-level entrance at the Southwest corner of the building, an interior ramp going to our lower level, and a lift to take folks to our Sanctuary. 

• Phase Two repairs crumbling stairs leading to the west entrance to our Sanctuary.

Who We Are:
The United Church of Rogers Park (UCRP) congregation has been serving Rogers Park since 1872, and built the current building at the corner of Morse and Ashland in 1905. UCRP is a vital part of the Rogers Park community. Our worship service, building, and peace garden provide a safe haven for the community, and various community groups need the physical space to gather. Our building and grounds act as a much-needed community center where all are welcome. We partner with the Transformative Law Center, Circles and Ciphers, Refugee One, and Mary Crane Day Care Center. Yoga classes, depression groups, AA and NA groups, and others also regularly use our building. We provide the following ministries: After-school program, summer program, New-to-You Thrift Shop, a learning garden, Community Feast, and inclusive spaces for worship and spiritual growth. During the pandemic, many of those programs continued in safe ways; and, in addition, we began a partnership with Care for Real to bring a pop-up food pantry to Rogers Park. Our welcoming Congregation includes Black, white, Latinx, and people of various ages, genders, sexualities, economic statuses and abilities.

What Has Been Accomplished:
In the first year, the Uplift Accessibility Project raised $180,000 of the $300,000 needed! Through the support of other churches, ministry partners, and individuals, we were able to secure much of the funding for Phase One. Church leaders voted to move forward, and we applied for permits in October of 2021. While the permits move through the City’s process, demolition of the ramp, tuckpointing, new windows, and other preliminary work was done. We hope to have approval from the City soon to move forward with the new construction envisioned in Phase One.

In 2022, a special donation pledge of $50,000 was received to honor the work and legacy of those who first helped make UCRP accessible by installing an elevator and building the exterior ramp. (Find out more about these early accessibility improvements on our website.) We are excited to invite others to join us and build upon this legacy, as we raise the last $70,000 we need to make the building fully accessible now!

What is Next:
We need your help! Consider making a donation to the Uplift Accessibility Campaign in honor or in memory of those who have gone before us. During our second year of fundraising, we are focusing on the legacy of those who have been faithful in the years and generations before us.

Upon completion of Phase Two of The Uplift Accessibility Project, there will be an installation honoring ALL those who have already given and who will give to this campaign. Donations given in honor or in memory of others will be recognized and published when the new entrance is dedicated. You are invited to join us in this work. Prayerfully consider how you can best support this project -- whether by a one-time donation or a twoyear commitment. We welcome contributions of any size and frequency. To that end, please fill out the enclosed Pledge Form and tell us how you will contribute.

We are not alone in this work. Generations of faithful folks have given of their time and energy to care for the Rogers Park neighborhood through this church. Be a part of the Legacy of Accessibility! United Church of Rogers Park eagerly awaits the time when we will be able to fellowship in our building with the able-bodied and those with disabilities gathering together as one happy throng!

2022-03-14

A LEGACY OF ACCESSIBILITY

Remembered by Sue Davies, Oakland, California March 2022

Preface: Following the recent death of my 81-year-old husband, Tom, old friend Rev. Tom Grey called to offer his condolences. Our conversation kindled warm remembrances of Rogers Park and some of the most meaningful times in our married life. Clear memories of Tom’s involvement in the elevator project flooded back. Tom told me about the bold new project, Uplift Accessibility Project, that UCRP has launched to continue to serve the needs of the community.

History: Tom and I began attending United Church of Rogers Park in 1974 around the time Tom Grey came as the new Methodist minister. It was called “United” because it was a combination of a Methodist pastor serving a combined Methodist and Congregational congregation in the Congregational building. As I understand it, the reason for the merger was that the Methodist church had burned, and had no building, and the Congregational Church had a building but no minister. A vote was taken by the two churches, and the Methodists won out as the denomination to which they would belong.

The church building is a huge edifice built in 1920 at the corner of Ashland and Morse Avenues on Chicago’s far northside. It was built by the Congregationalists in the construction style that followed their way of thinking about churches. Each community should have one large, imposing structure that would draw people to it. This idea was in stark contrast to the Methodist philosophy of establishing many smaller churches in a community and thereby be closer to the many neighborhoods within a community.

To help us get established in Rogers Park where we had just bought property, but had no roots or family ties, we decided to look for a church. After attending United Church a few times, the retiring minister had taken my Tom aside and said he hoped we would join the church because he felt the older people in the congregation couldn’t keep it going much longer, and he thought Tom had good organizational skills that could be helpful to a new minister in dissolving the congregation. God works in mysterious ways, however; Pastor Tom Grey had accepted the call to serve United Church.

Tom and his wife, Carolyn, and their two young children, Amy and John, brought a spirit of youth, life and optimism into the church. Joining the church was a good fit for us; our kids were the same age as theirs, and we about the same age as Tom and Carolyn. Besides we liked them.

Tom Grey inspired us with his unflagging optimism and drive to have our congregation serve the ever-changing needs of the Rogers Park community. The building structure presented many obstacles to make our church accessible to all. The church dining room was located on the third floor with no elevator access. Strange logic, but when it was built Overdier Hall was located on the top floor of the church so the congregation could have a view of Lake Michigan. The problem was people had to climb two flights of stairs to get to meeting rooms, and three flights of stairs to get to food or coffee.

Another lack of accessibility was getting into the front of the church. A long set of solid concrete steps with no handrails led up to the church entrance. Then, to make matters worse there was no level way into the Narthex and Sanctuary.

The situation was not all bleak. Some money had been left to the church to build an elevator and some preliminary plans had been drawn up. The three Toms, Tom Davies, Tom Hickey, an architect friend and neighbor of ours, and Tom Grey put their heads together to make accessibility a reality at United Church. Tom Grey paid Tom Davies a lovely compliment when he said to me, “No other person but your Tom could have visualized the project, see what had to be done, get buy in from all parties, and find the right people to develop and complete the complicated project.” The project couldn’t have moved forward without Tom Hickey generously donating his architectural plans for the elevator pro bono.

The configuration of all three street-level stores on the Morse Ave. side of the church had to be changed, but the three Toms noticed the walls separating the shops were not loadbearing. One of the stores, a shoe repair store, was closed. Marjorie Keenleyside, the grand dame of the Thrift Shop, whose mother had started it many years before, had to be convinced that the changes to the Shop were a good idea. The elevator had to be placed at the back of one third of the farthest section of the opened-up space, but overall the changes actually doubled the size of the Thrift Shop. In the end, Marjorie was convinced; and in the ensuing years the Thrift Shop has steadily contributed $1,200 monthly to the operation of the church.

The three Toms’ planning also included a wheelchair ramp built to the right of the steep front concrete stairway. Tom D. found a German crew to build a ramp supported by a metal structure. The project was completed. The second and third-floor rooms and kitchen were finally accessible to one and all.

Now: Nearly 50 years later, United Church continues its mission of serving the constantly changing Rogers Park neighborhood. Accessibility now means taking down the old corroded wheelchair ramp and creating a new ground-level entrance on the southwest corner of the building. The visionaries of the Uplift Accessibility Project seem equally as competent as the Three Toms. United Church’s mission remains the same.

2022-03-12

March 7, 2022

Dear Friends of UCRP,

March 14th will be the anniversary of the Uplift Accessibility Campaign launch. One year later we have GOOD NEWS: Of our $300,000 goal, we have raised over $180,000!!! With that support we’ve been able to begin the first phase of the Project. So far, the corroded exterior ramp has been removed from the south side of the church, and tuckpointing work has been completed in preparation for installing a new ground-level entrance on the southwest corner of the building. Our permit application is moving forward to build an interior ramp down to the undercroft, and add a mechanical lift up to the Sanctuary.

We have more GOOD NEWS: The Uplift Accessibility Project itself has gotten a big uplift! As we move forward to raise the rest of the funds, we are blessed to announce that we’ve received a pledge for over $50,000! This donation is given in recognition of the members and leaders of United Church of Rogers Park in the 1970’s who first committed to making the church building accessible.

UCRP has a long legacy of accessibility. Fifty years ago, despite the odds against them, the people of UCRP managed to install the elevator to Overdier Hall and build the outdoor ramp to the Sanctuary level. They did not have a lot of money. They were not large in number. In spite of this, they were committed to creating a place of care for the whole Rogers Park community. Their story remains an inspiration for us [Check out our website to read a 1979 magazine article about the story: “A Serious Commitment to Accessibility”].

Enclosed you will find a remembrance from Sue Davies describing the work of the congregation when they acted by faith and invested in accessibility. Their time, energy, and commitment combined with the money raised from the elevator fund opened up the building to more people. That physical work to make the building accessible set the stage for the outreach that happened in the years and decades that followed.

We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Hearing the stories of those who have been faithful before us provides us hope and reassures us of God’s faithfulness. As we once again invest in the physical structure of our building, we believe that this investment will bear fruit for generations to come. UCRP’s physical presence in the UNITED CHURCH OF ROGERS PARK ADDRESS:
1545 W Morse Ave
Chicago, IL 60626
PHONE: 773-761-2500
WEBSITE: www.ucrogerspark.org
EMAIL: unitedchurchofrogerspark@gmail.com
neighborhood will continue to demonstrate our commitment to welcome ALL people as a sign of God’s love and care for individuals of all ages, races, genders, sexualities, and abilities.

Today we are asking for your help! We need your donation to continue building upon the legacy of those who established accessibility as part of UCRP’s mission. With the funds already in hand plus those that have been pledged, we now need to raise another $70,000 to fully fund the Uplift Accessibility Project. Please give what you can to lift us over the top!

To those who have given or made a pledge to the Uplift Campaign, we thank you. If you have not yet given, we invite you to join the legacy! Upon completion of Phase Two of The Uplift Accessibility Project, there will be an installation honoring ALL those who have already given and who will give to this campaign. Donations given in honor or in memory of others will be recognized and published when the new entrance is dedicated.

Please fill out the enclosed pledge form by CLICKING HERE where you can find an updated pledge form and a donation link. You can also email us at unitedchurchofrogerspark@gmail.com.

May you be uplifted and encouraged as we look forward to the time when ALL people can enter our building and be uplifted by the love of God and each other!

In Ministry Together,
The United Church of Rogers Park Fundraising team:
Pastor Hope Chernich, Jill Graham, Pastor Lindsey Joyce, Randall Doubet King, Phyllis Tholin, Brandon Pond, Isaiah Witcher, and Cliff Zimmerman

2022-03-07

Gathering of Gratitude
for our Staff
and lifting up our staff

During Sunday Worship on 13 February

Our Staff have been incredible for the past two years, consistently going above and beyond during the pandemic to make sure our building improved, our worship was dynamic and our ministries continued.

Pictured: Phillip Robinson, Jeremy Ramey, and Sabrina Bermingham

Phillip, Jeremy and Sabrina are the most visible to UCRP on Sundays; Jeremy and Sabrina at worship while Phillip is stationed at Morse Lobby as our Hospitality Coordinator.

Not pictured: Saul Adan, and Carol Bachus

While Saul and Carol are behind the scenes of UCRP their tasks are just as important. As the Sexton/Care Taker, Saul is busy during the weekdays within our church building. One can find him repairing or cleaning in the loft, on the floor, or in the bowels of our church building. While Carol deals with our bookkeeping and payroll in and out at UCRP.

For the next few weeks, you can show your appreciation in two ways:

DONATE TO “GATHERING OF GRATITUDE”

• Offer a monetary love offering to be split among our Staff. You can do click the donate button on the right and choosing “Give to Gathering of Gratitude,” or give a check with “gathering of gratitude” in the memo line.

• Leave a message for Jeremy Ramey, Sabrina Bermingham, Phillip Robinson, Saul Adan, and Carol Bachus on our kudos board! You can find it here: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/AkxpU6r7

  02-13-2022

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Swedish Covenant will be offering the Pfizer vaccine to anyone 5 years of age and older, and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine to anyone 18 and over. Anyone receiving their first or second does (including kids) will receive a $50 visa gift card.
Help us spread the word!

•  Anyone 12 and up is eligible for the Pfizer booster shot.

• You can get the booster at least 5 months after completing your primary vaccine series.

• Adults ages 18 and older can get the Johnson and Johnson booster shot.

• You can get the booster at least 2 months after receiving your J&J vaccine.

• Register using the QR code on right of this page.

  2022--02-10

Cheyenne Murphy

Cheyenne Murphy passed away on Tuesday 1 February.

Cheyenne has long been a fixture at UCRP. Before the pandemic it was rare to walk into the Sanctuary and not be greeted by her hospitality and dry sense of humor. She oversaw ushering during Sunday worship services.  The few years before Covid, they quarterbacked the fellowship/coffee time after worship. 

She will be deeply miss.

The pastoral team is working with their daughter on a memorial service, and we'll have more information to share later.

We ask that you keep Cheyenne's family and our community in your prayers:

O God, all that you have given us is yours. As first you gave Cheyenne to us, so now we give Cheyenne back to you. Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace and into the glorious company of saints of light. Amen.

02-06-22

UCRP Statement on the attacks in our community.

As faith leaders we are horrified to hear of the rash of antisemitic attacks in our neighborhoods over the weekend. We want to be very clear: we stand in solidarity and love with our Jewish siblings and always will. We unequivocally condemn these cowardly attacks, and denounce the rise in white nationalist violence anywhere in Chicago and across the country. We stand together against the ongoing Insurrectionist movement, for when one member suffers, we all suffer. We know it is a source of strength to do our work in neighborhoods known for their diversity and we denounce anyone who would seek to intimidate, harass, or abuse.

02-02-2022

Ellie Charlton

by David Gunnell

My friend Ellie Charlton died on Wednesday November 3 in Ashville, North Carolina.  I wish my local church family had known this powerful woman.  I share Ellie Charlton to my local church because of the importance of this person in my church life at UCRP as well as in the UMC.

I share Ellie’s story so that you know my story. 

I share Ellie’s story because you would have loved her as much as I did.

If you met her, you would see she was a quiet loving mother/grandmother.  That is how I met her.  Back then I was a scared, shy 28-year-old gay man and believe it or not - quite quiet.

My life as a gay man bought me through many avenues.  One main avenue was the church.  Coming out to myself and my surrounding world in 1984, found a journey with Affirmation: United Methodist for Lesbian and Gay Concerns [later they add Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer to their name].  The pickings were limited back then finding a church that accepted me as a gay man. 

Affirmation is a national voice for the United Methodist [UM] LGBTQ people.  This group would meet two to three times a year throughout the country from Washington, DC to Nashville, to San Francisco to Dallas. These gatherings were like a booster shot, affirming that God’s love was upon us as LGBTQ.   Unlike the preaching of a loud group called by a wrongful name – Good News. 

Good News labels as what they called a “classical evangelical witness and ministry for renewal and reform within The United Methodist Church [UMC],” where they practice what they called orthodox Wesleyan Christianity. In other words, anti-gay to the point telling that God loves everyone but homosexuals.  They have since changed their tune that God love all but, only straight people can be in leadership roles within the church for the LGBTQ people are sinners.

This was the confusing world of my church.  Much has changed since then that today a schism is on the horizon over the LGBTQ issues.

In Chicago, the Lesbian bars had “No Men Allowed” signs posted. Affirmation lesbians were different.  It was mixed. We were UM who came across the country to support and express Christ’s love for each LGBTQ person.  Ellie’s mothering introduced me to many people without fear or judgment.

It was Ellie’s love of her church that made me to have the courage to continue to be part of my church.  It was her love of all God’s children and the UMC that shown brightly upon me.

Ellie and her partner Jeanne Barnett were involved with Affirmation.  At one point Ellie was Affirmation’s treasurer and Jeanne was Affirmation’s co-spokesperson.  Ellie was on the California-Nevada conference board of trustees. She was also a regional leader of United Methodist Women, one of the nation's largest women's organizations. Jeanne was a conference lay leader, the highest elected lay position in the annual conference.  They were
known by many out on the western parts of the US.

Jump ahead 15 years to 1999, the UMC stand was to press charges against any UM minister who performed a same-gender holy union and banned local UMC from hosting same-gender holy unions.  Yet, in the UMC, marriage is a sacramental rite, not a sacrament.

 The 1990s view was that:

• Holy union is the church’s blessing over two people;

• Marriage is the church’s blessing between two people and a state contract of partnership giving legal protections for state and federal benefits.

Throughout the country, UM ministers were bought up on charges for performing same-gender holy unions or being gay. One example: Pastor Gregory Dell of Chicago was suspended from all pastoral duties by a 10-to-3 vote, a church trial jury of 13 UMC pastors found Dell guilty on 26 March 2000 of disobeying church law for performing a same-gender holy union ceremony for two homosexuals [who were friend of mine] at his Broadway UMC congregation. 

On the west side of the country, in the UMC there was a fight against keeping all God’s children to be full Christians.  Ellie, now 63, and Jeanne, 68, protest the UMC’s stand on holy unions. Being together for 15 years was to say a lot about their bond compared to national averages of straight marriages lasting 5 to 7 years.  Although Ellie and Jeanne were not calling the ceremony a wedding because it brought no legal benefits, they said a holy union was a sign of God’s love for their family and their friends’ support.

Their holy union was to be held at their local church St. Mark’s UMC performed by their local church pastor, Rev. Don Fado.  This small act of disobedience got bigger and bigger that the venue had to be moved from Ellie and Jeanne’s local church to the city of Sacramento Convention Center. Members of every Reconciling Congregation in the Sacramento, CA, area received an invitation, as did the members of women’s and LGBTQ groups to which Ellie and Jeanne devoted their time. Hundreds attended, and countless more were inspired by Ellie and Jeanne’s ceremony and devotion.

Ninety-five clergy risked their ordinations by uniting Ellie and Jeanne in a holy union [Sixty-five United Methodist clergy members and the rest were from other conferences joined in the ceremony, most of them in absentia. Thirteen clergy from other denominations, including a retired Lutheran Bishop].

I was one of the 1,200 people who witnessed their loving bond being blessed by their – by my church.

“We are on the right side of history and the right side of God,” declared Rev. Don Fado.  The center was filled with cheers.

these are the words that could bring
charges against the clergy

"If people are going to file charges," he said, "then let it be because of this prayer." He and the other ministers then read:

"O God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, we bow before you to ask your blessing upon Ellie and Jeanne, whom we now bless in your name. Their commitment to one another grows out of their commitment to you, whose love is revealed through Jesus Christ. We pray for you to guide and strengthen them, that they remain open to your spirit and continue to grow in love. We thank you for Jeanne and Ellie's love and faith, which they so readily share with us. We recognize in this service the place of family, friends, church, and the entire human family. We are able to love because you first loved us. O God, our Maker, we gladly proclaim to the world that Jeanne and Ellie are loving partners together for life. Amen." 

If the UMC press charges against the clergy, it would have left a big hole for those local UMC.  In the end, the 95 ministers presiding over a same-sex blessing as 1,200 witnesses looked on is probably unrivaled in the church’s long history of grappling with issues of sexuality. A 3-day hearing took place leading to no charges being brought forth. 

After the ceremony, Barnett and Charlton thanked their supporters, then encouraged other gays to publicly "come out" and declare their sexual orientation.

"The closet is a dark and unhealthy place," they said. In a reference to the exuberance and affirmation of the worship, they declared that "the sunshine out here is beautiful, and there's more love than you can imagine."

"God created us. God loves us," Ellie told reporters. Then she paused. "I wish [the rest of] the church loved us."

While the worship was a challenge to the denomination, it also affirmed the couple's commitment to the church. Their vows set their relationship within the church community.

Five years after their holy union, Jeanne suffered a stroke in January 1995, while attending an Affirmation Council meeting.  Her mental and physical health steadily improved in the years immediately following, but later began to decline with complications from diabetes, deteriorating eyesight, and heart problems. Jeanne died on 1 October 2003.  Following Jeanne's death, Ellie found a hand-written note that said, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

At an Affirmation spiritual growth retreat in 2006 Ellie met Bev Reddick – a fellow activist and changemaker. When Bev retired from justice work as deaconess, the two moved to Asheville, North Carolina.

Last October, Mark Bowman [former Minister of Music at UCRP] and myself along with other key leaders of Affirmation, gathered in Ashville for a family reunion.  It was a time of reflection; a time to share our lives; a time to cry, laugh, worship and sing; a time for my past “booster-shot” knowing God’s love is upon us even during those dark time of the past.

Ten days later, Ellie died.  Her last days were painful since she refused pain medication.  Her three stoles were sent with her.  

Ellie was a quiet in her motherly love but fierce voice in social justice issues.

Former Minister of Music at UCRP Mark Bowman said:

“Ellie was not discreet about her identity and her loves; she boldly wore purple and rainbow colors and symbols of her passions for all the world to see. She was a fierce friend who cultivated and nurtured many treasured relationships over the years. Ellie’s incredible generosity enabled many projects and initiatives advocating for LGBTQ+ persons in religious circles. Ellie’s boundless energy, spirit and passion were gifts to everyone who knew her. I will certainly miss her greatly.”

Dr. Randall Miller, LGBTQ+ justice advocate and friend to Affirmation, says of Ellie: 

“What I loved about Ellie was her genuine warmth and her sweet nature. If you didn’t know better, you might miss that underlying this demeanor was a fierce determination and commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion. Not all firebrands look the part, and I loved this about her.”

N Executive Director Jan Lawrence said:

“

I was immediately drawn to Ellie and Bev’s warmth, their love for each other, and their passion for justice work. The world is a better place because of Ellie Charlton.”

Ann Craig, co-spokesperson of Affirmation, adds:

“Ellie Charlton was a vital example of the truism, ‘the personal is political.’ Her willingness to be married by dozens of clergies celebrated both the depth of her love for Jeanne and her love for The United Methodist Church. Even retiring as a lesbian couple to Brooks Howell, which is where many UMC missionaries retire, was a witness to the need for justice in the denomination. Ellie provided leadership and ongoing support for Affirmation. The council members of
Affirmation are proud of Ellie’s impact on The United Methodist
Church. We express our condolences to her partner Bev and to all
those who were part of Ellie’s life.”

I share Ellie Charlton to my local church because of the importance of this person in my church life at UCRP as well as in the UMC.

I share Ellie’s story so that you know my story. 

I share Ellie’s story because you would have loved her as much as I did.

I see her and all the other saints that have gone before me.

"don't cry because it's over. smile because it happened."

15-01-22