Keynote Speaker:

Rev. Dr. Cynthia Love
Rev. Dr. Cindi Love is an ordained minister in the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) currently serving as the Executive Director of MCC worldwide. MCC, in 25 countries and 251 cities in North America, is the largest international ministry serving GLBT people. Prior to her ordination, Dr. Love was a professional educator and therapist, an INC 500 company founder and senior executive for the NYSE corporation The TORO Company. GO NYC Magazine recently listed her as one of the 100 Women We Love Class of 2006 (out women making a difference across the continent). She is the author of Would Jesus Discriminate: The 21st Century Question (2008).

Panel Speakers:

Rev. Deborah Celley is the pastor for First Congregational United Church of Christ since 1998. Before coming to First Congregational UCC church, she served churches in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. She wrote, “The Bible Bullets,” a resource that helped her congregation move to becoming “Open and Affirming” in 2000.

Rev. Roger Lynn is a retired United Methodist Minister and former partner in River Town Contracting Company in the Twin Cities. Roger, in his retirement, helped start Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project, giving juvenile offenders an opportunity to repair the harm they have done and gain support for better decisions in the future. He was the first minister in Minnesota to preside at a same sex union.

Fr. Robert Pierson OSB is a monk from St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN. Since his ordination in 1984, he has served in parish ministry in Detroit Lakes, MN, and in seminary formation ministry and university campus ministry at St. John’s University in Collegeville. He is currently serving as the Director of the Spiritual Life Program and as Guestmaster at St. John’s Abbey Guesthouse in Collegeville.

Moderated by Harry Knox, director of the Human Rights Campaign Religion and Faith Program

Co-sponsors:

Human Rights Campaign Foundation
Bethany Lutheran Church of Onamia
Brainerd Friends Meeting
Crow Wing County Human Rights Commission
Dignity Twin Cities
Faith Family Fairness Alliance
First Congregational UCC of Brainerd
Lakes Area Diversity Council
Lutherans Concerned
Lutherans Concerned—St. Cloud
Outfront MN
Peace United Church of Christ
PFLAG
PFLAG Brainerd
PFLAG St. Cloud/Central Minnesota


Rural AIDS Action Network


Sexual Assault Services Crow Wing County
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
The Women’s Center of Mid Minnesota
Unity of St. Cloud