Chi Rho Press eNewsletter
Vol. 1, No. 10
26 October 1999

Welcome to our tenth eNewsletter! We encourage you to send this eNewsletter on to your e-mail lists.

To join our list and get your own copy of our eNewsletter, send an e-mail message to ChiRhoPress-subscribe@egroups.com.

All other e-mail should be directed to Adam@ChiRhoPress.com. See the end of this eNewsletter for a complete list of e-mail addresses at ChiRhoPress.com.

R. Adam DeBaugh
Director, Chi Rho Press, Inc.

Contents

1. "Gay By God" Teleclass
2. "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse" Promissory Notes Now Available
3. Special Offer -- Pre-Publication Sale of "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse"
4. Book of the Month -- "From Wounded Hearts"
5. Fun Stuff
6. Adam's Last Word

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1. "Gay By God" Teleclass

The second "Gay By God" telephone workshop was a grand success, despite co-host Ron DeVrou being under the weather. Participants shared about their personal spiritual journeys, talked about dealing with grief and loss, and shared some of their most meaningful resources.

The third telephone workshop is scheduled for Thursday, November 18, at 9 pm (EDT). The "Gay By God" telephone workshop series centers around LGBT Spirituality. The host of the second workshop on Nov. 18 will again be Adam DeBaugh, Director of Chi Rho Press, teamed up with Ron DeVrou of GayCoach.com. Ron is a Psychotherapist and Personal Life Coach in Washington, DC.

Participation is limited to the first 30 people to register, so register early. For more information about the "Gay By God" telephone workshop on November 18, please e-mail Ron DeVrou at Workshops@GayByGod.com or Adam DeBaugh at GayByGod@ChiRhoPress.com.

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2. "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse" Promissory Notes Now Available

In order to fund the production of Dr. Rembert Truluck's book, "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse," $1,000 Promissory Notes at 8% interest are available. We are looking for people who are interested in supporting Dr. Truluck's excellent work by helping to fund the publication of his book. The notes will be repaid over a two year period at 8% simple interest, with payments being sent quarterly. Write Adam@ChiRhoPress.com for more information. Read more about Dr. Truluck's ministry and "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse" at http://www.truluck.com.

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3. Special Offer

Chi Rho Press is pleased to announce the up-coming publication of "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse," by Dr. Rembert Truluck.

This long-awaited book will retail for $24.95, but we are now offering a Pre-Paid, Pre-Publication Sale. From now until the books are delivered from the printer and bindery, "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse" is available for $19.95, plus shipping and handling.

This price (20% off the list price) is only available for pre-paid orders received before publication of "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse."

Books ordered through this Pre-Paid, Pre-Publication Sale will be the first ones shipped as the book rolls off the presses. Send your check or money order, made out to Chi Rho Press, to us at P.O. Box 7864, Gaithersburg, MD 20898.

Shipping and handling for this special sale is $2.50 for one book, $3.50 for two books, $4.50 for three books, $5.50 for four books, $6.50 for five books, and 7% of the total for six or more books
ordered. You may order (and prepay) as many books as you want at this $19.95 price.

"Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse," says Dr. Truluck, "will be over 500 pages of information and encouragement to equip gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people and all others who have been abused and oppressed by religion to learn the truth and to rejoice and grow in their God-given worth as individuals."

"Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse" is organized in 18 chapters. The first five chapters contain introductory material, including essays on "Why this Book is Here," "My Story" by Dr. Truluck, "Jesus Heals Sick Religion," "Guidelines for Small Groups," and "How to Use this Book."

The next 13 chapters are the Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse. Each of the 13 Steps contains four Bible Study Lessons, suitable for personal study or small group use. As a result there are 52 Lessons, one for each week of the year.

The 13 Steps are organized into five parts, "Jesus and Spiritual Freedom," "Eliminate the Negative," "Accentuate the Positive," "Reach Out," and "Beyond Recovery."

In addition, there are six special studies in the book's appendix: "How I Lead Workshops and Small Groups," "Homosexuality and the Bible," "Challenging the Ex-Gay Industry," "The Dynamics of Religious Abuse," "A Gay Christian's Response to the Southern Baptists," and "How do You Name God?"

With all this information and at over 500 pages, "Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse" is well worth the $24.95 list price. So the Pre-Paid, Pre-Publication sale price of $19.95 is a true bargain. And by sending your check or money order for this pre-publication sale you will also enable Chi Rho Press to pay for much of the printing immediately.

Rembert Truluck says, "'Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse' is far more than a book of information, Bible studies, and personal experiences. It is a book that will be extended through my web site in on-going expanding resources of updates, bibliography, and new information about our dynamic changing world and our place in it. This combination of book and web site will provide a practical and constantly up-dated resource for individuals and small groups to learn and experience the truth and to share their hope with others."

Send your check or money order for this important, ground-breaking book today to Chi Rho Press, P.O. Box 7864, Gaithersburg, MD 20898. Thank you!

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4. Book of the Month

"From Wounded Hearts: Faith Stories of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered People and Those Who Love Them," compiled and edited by Roberta Showalter Kreider. This is the second anthology published by Chi Rho Press with LGBT people telling their own stories in their own words. The first, "Called OUT! The Voices and Gifts of LGBT Presbyterians" is a best seller for us and is still available ($15.95).

"From Wounded Hearts" is different in that it has family members of LGBT people telling their stories as well. About two thirds of the 49 authors are from the sexual minority community and the remaining third are family members of gay people. In a few cases a gay child writes in the first section and his or her parents write in the second, and in one case it is a lesbian mother and her non-gay daughter writing separate articles.

Many of the contributors to "From Wounded Hearts" are from the Anabaptist tradition, Mennonites or Church of the Brethren, though many other Christian religious denominations are also represented. The book paints a good picture of the broad diversity of religious faith and LGBT lifestyles and traditions.

"From Wounded Hearts" is available from Chi Rho Press for $19.95 each, plus shipping and handling.

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5. Fun Stuff

Here are some more of the kid's writings on the Bible. (We encountered this floating around cyber-space and got a chuckle out of it, so we wanted to pass it on. Unfortunately, there was no attribution on the copy we were sent, so we don't know where this came from, but they are very cute.)

The following statements about the bible were written by children and have not been retouched or corrected (i.e., bad spelling has been left in.)

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.
Moses died before he ever reached Canada.
Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.
The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar.
He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.
Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.
When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.

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6. Adam's Last Word

**** We are very pleased that Stephen deVilbiss has joined our staff as part time office assistant. Stephen will be assisting in filling orders, data entry, and other office work. Welcome, Stephen!

**** Last week was a week of good news and bad news. We were very saddened by the news of the brutal murder in Sacramento, California, of the Rev. Ed Sherriff, who was robbed and stabbed to death in his home. Ed Sherriff was associate pastor of the MCC in Sacramento and head of their Samaritan Center, which provided food, clothing, and shelter to people in need. I served with Ed on the UFMCC General Council when we were both District Coordinators and knew him to be a funny, wise, and warm man. Ed was dedicated to Christian social action and social justice, and this passion was a hallmark of his both life and ministry. Ed will be missed and our love and prayers go out to his family and the MCC Sacramento faith community.

**** The good news came from an unlikely source: the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, and its pastor, long-time foe of gays and lesbians, the Rev. Jerry Falwell. The Rev. Mel White led 200 of his Soulforce saints to Lynchburg to meet with 200 people from Falwell's church in an historic meeting. Falwell and White both promised to tone down the hate-filled rhetoric that has often clouded and hindered debate. They agreed to disagree on whether homosexuality is a sin, but agreed that violence against gay and lesbian people is a terrible sin and must be stopped.

The 200 Soulforce pilgrims were welcomed at a Sunday morning worship service at Thomas Road Baptist Church, despite rabid, "Christian" right-wing demonstrators led by the notorious zealot Fred Phelps, who has consigned BOTH Mel White and Jerry Falwell to hell because of the meeting!

Though some people in the LGBT community may criticize Mel White for sitting down with Falwell, I believe that this event represents a brave new method of social action for our community: constructive dialogue based on the Soulforce principles of Gandhi, King, and Jesus. White's notion of Soulforce is to honestly engage people with whom we disagree with the same kind of respect, love, and tolerance that we expect of them. Mel White believes that an example of firm, unyielding, but peaceful resistance will be as successful for the LGBT community as it was for Gandhi and King. I agree! Perhaps it is time to replace strident screams, mass demonstrations, ego-boosting media events, and lavish, expensive dinners starring politicians and celebrities, with honest, one-on-one conversation between people of good will.

As Roberta Kreider points out in the book she compiled, "From Wounded Hearts," she changed her mind about homosexuality after getting to know lesbian and gay people and hearing our faith stories. Mel White presents a new, refreshing vision for a community that has been sadly lacking fresh approaches. Mel White is a visionary gay leader who is truly on the cutting edge of our movement!

We at Chi Rho Press are extremely proud that our board member Steve Barchers was one of the 200 Soulforce Saints who went to Lynchburg with the truth of God's love for gays and lesbians. I deeply regret that a prior commitment prevented my accepting Mel's invitation to go to Lynchburg with him, but I spent the weekend in prayer as our Soulforce pilgrims brought the Good News into the camp of the enemy.

In the face of murder, oppression, discrimination, and pain, there is hope and joy. And that is IMHO -- In My Humble Opinion.

Adam

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That wraps up our tenth eNewsletter. Please keep us in your prayers. We hope our publications will be of use to you in your life and ministry. We will talk with you again in a couple of weeks.

Grace and peace,

R. Adam DeBaugh

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Chi Rho Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 7864
Gaithersburg, MD 20898

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Copyright 2000, Chi Rho Press, Inc.

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