With the overt participation and support of a strong evangelical community in the United States, the Ugandan parliament is currently considering legislation that would make homosexual activity a crime in that country, subject to possible capital punishment. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala is one of the few worshipping communities in Uganda that welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into its fellowship. In 2009 and 2010 it hosted conferences to protest the legislation that attracted more than 200 people, including gay and lesbian Ugandans and their allies who risked possible arrest for their participation.

Come and hear that congregation’s pastor, Rev. Mark Kiyimba, deliver a guest sermon, and later describe the current struggle to preserve the rights of LGBTs in Uganda.

Rev. Mark Kiyimba, UU minister and political activist, is the founding minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala, Uganda. A speaker at GA in June in Charlotte, he has received international attention for his courageous public fight against the inhumane anti-homosexuality legislation now before the Ugandan parliament.

This event is co-sponsored by the All Souls Adult Education Program and the UU Office at the United Nations.

All are invited to join us for a Special Prayer Vigil Service in our Sanctuary at 7 pm Tuesday evening led by our ministers in response to the tragic shootings at the UU Congregation in Knoxville last Sunday.

Dear Members and Friends,

First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn stands in heart-felt empathy and solidarity with our sister congregation, The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tennessee Valley in Knoxville, following the tragedy of the hate crime that occurred there last Sunday.

If ever there were a more tragic reminder that our society has not yet achieved the goal of a hate-free culture, these innocent lives lost in a church where Love is our only doctrine, where the quest of Truth is our dearest sacrament, and where Service is our most fervent prayer surely call all people of good will to firm resolve.

The more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations across the United States, including ours, shall continue to preach and work for a more loving world.

Join us for our Vigil Service Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm, and help us find ways to reach out to the Knoxville congregation as they begin their healing process.

Our ministers are available to any who feel a need for support or counsel in this vulnerable time, contact the church office at 718-624-5466. Our regular Sunday worship will resume this Sunday at 11 a.m. Come join us!

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Patrick T. O’Neill,
Senior Minister

Garnett Losak,
President, Board of Trustees