Massachusetts ‘United Church of Christ’ Hosts Blasphemous ‘Drag Gospel Festival’
BY HEATHER CLARK
SEE: http://christiannews.net/2015/10/27/massachusetts-united-church-of-christ-hosts-blasphemous-drag-gospel-festival/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
SOMERVILLE, Mass. — A United Church of Christ congregation in Massachusetts recently hosted what it called a “Drag Gospel Festival” in support of the homosexual and transgender members in its assembly.
The First Church of Somerville (FCS) hosted the event October 16-18 both during its Friday night drag show and Sunday morning worship service.
“God is good all the time! That means God is a diva, and girl, Jesus is fierce!” wrote Serenity Jones, the congregation’s “drag queen in residence” on the FCS website.
“What do drag queens or drag kings have to do with Jesus or the gospel?” he asked. “We at FCS believe ‘God don’t make no junk.’ So whether you are straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered or still playing hard to get, Jesus loves you and so do we! Amen baby! So come and get yours at this here church!”
According to The Huntington News, an estimated 100 people attended the Friday night event, which doubled as a fundraiser for the LGBT Asylum Support Task Force.
“There is a great drag tradition with music,” congregation member Marlin Collingwood told the publication. “But gospel music has been the root for drag.”
Men dressed as women, complete with wigs and makeup, sang gospel songs for those gathered—whether live or lip synching to the music.
On Sunday, Associated Pastor Jeff Mansfield arrived for the morning service wearing lipstick, blush and eye shadow, and leader Molly Baskette drew a mustache on her face with a marker. According to reports, some members of the choir wore drag as well.
Over 250 people attended the service, including one man who walked to the front of the room upset about the event flyer, which featured a graphic of Jesus wearing makeup and earrings.
“You paint up Jesus Christ like a prostitute,” he declared.
The service included secular music as well, such as that performed by Lady Gaga, and concluded with a fellowship meal.
This month’s drag show was the fifth year that FCS has hosted the event.
As previously reported, the United Church of Christ, which is outside of biblical orthodoxy and was the first American religious group to ordain homosexuals and affirm abortion, made headlines last year when it filed a legal challenge against North Carolina’s same-sex “marriage” ban, asserting that it violates the free exercise of religion among clergy.
“It boils down to a view on the authority of Scripture,” Clint Pressley of Hickory Grove Baptist Church told the Charlotte Observer about the suit. “The denominations listed have abandoned almost 2,000 years of Christian Orthodoxy. It’s not surprising.”
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FROM "CHURCH" WEBSITE:
http://www.firstchurchsomerville.org/beloved-community/drag-gospel-festival/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
WHAT IS DRAG GOSPEL FESTIVAL?
For all the info on October 2015's DGF click here!
A public service announcement from our drag-queen-in-residence, Serenity Jones:
“God is GOOD all the time! That means God is a DIVA… and girl… Jesus is FIERCE! Can I get a witness up in here!? Can I get an AMEN my sistahs and my brothahs!? For one weekend in October, First Church Somerville becomes FIERCE Church Somerville for two joyful days of Spirit in worship and praise, using our GOD-GIVEN musical and artistic talent, creativity and FASHION WITHOUT BORDERS, welcoming all God’s children to her FIERCE DIVA queen-dom. Hallelujah!
“What do drag queens or drag kings have to do with Jesus or the gospel? We at FCS believe “God don’t make no junk.” So whether you are straight, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered or still playing hard to get, Jesus loves you and so do we! Amen BABY! So come and get yours at this here church!”
And now translated into boring old English:
The brainchild of James Adams, aka Serenity Jones, Drag Gospel started in the fall of 2011 and has become a favorite annual event. It is our way of demonstrating the radical welcome that we believe Jesus offered to all kinds of people—especially people exiled to the margins just for being the people God made them to be: queer or straight or a little bit of each, male or female or a little bit of each.
It all starts on a Friday evening in October with a benefit concert and drag show at Club Cafe to raise funds for the LGBT Asylum Task Force. Performers include Serenity Jones herself, other area drag performers and the fantastic musical talent of First Church Somerville’s community, including Pete Shungu, aka Afro DZ ak and our house band Project Soul.
The main event is Sunday morning Festival Worship featuring Serenity in full drag (with costume changes), both performing and as the liturgist for the day, with our pastors (sometimes also in drag) bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ with a distinctly loving message for LGBTQ-add-your-letter-here. Our fabulous choir and in-house band raise the roof with gospel and soul music, both beloved standards and awesome music you may not have heard yet.
Then we race pell-mell downstairs to our parish hall for the family-friendly Gospel Brunch: great food, mocktails and joy. There are kids running around in feather boas, straight men in skirts, people who never thought they’d be in a church basement hollering Hallelujahs! It is a guaranteed good time. You will laugh your head off, find yourself singing at the top of your lungs, and go home filled up.
And no, you don’t have to come in drag! Come as your own truest self.
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Molly Baskette
Lead Pastor
Jeff Mansfield
Associate Pastor
Mackenzie Pawlinger
Toddler Nursery
Cameron Cashin
Baby Nursery
VIDEO: 5th Annual Drag Gospel Festival
in Somerville, Massachusetts
Drag Queen Pastor Says God Is a Woman!
Serenity Jones and the Peacemakers Perform
at First Church Somerville
Children's Choir Performs What If God Was One of Us
Associate Pastor Mansfield in Drag
as "Fabiola Feast" 2012:
