Ministry from the first openly LGBTQ bishop in The United Methodist Church
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (PRWEB) July 31, 2018 -- How do we open ourselves more faithfully and compassionately in a world that feels so divided? Will The United Methodist Church fully embrace its LGBTQ brothers and sisters? In a denomination that has long debated LGBTQ inclusion, Karen P. Oliveto’s historic election as the first openly LGBTQ bishop in The United Methodist Church was and remains a controversial topic. Together at the Table: Diversity without Division in The United Methodist Church traces Oliveto’s ministry from a small church in rural New York where she lived fearfully in the closet with her partner, to the Pacific School of Religion where she counseled students seeking more welcoming denominations, to Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco where thousands of marginalized men and women joined her in worship every Sunday.
Oliveto advocates for LGBTQ acceptance through her ministry. She writes, “Our differences are holy and all our lives are sacred.” Together at the Table explores the lessons Oliveto learned during her faith and coming-out journeys and asks readers to seek empathy, celebrate diversity, and lean into ambiguity. With this latest book, Oliveto continues to prove herself to be a leading voice in the Christian LGBTQ community.
Karen P. Oliveto is the first openly LGBTQ bishop in The United Methodist Church, the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States. She has served churches in New York and California and now oversees the Mountain Sky region, which includes churches in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
Praise for Together at the Table: Diversity without Division in The United Methodist Church
“Bishop Oliveto’s story touches on one of today’s deepest fault lines in church and society. Hers is a deeply personal, revealing memoir about love and unity in a denomination wrestling with division. In an engaging, even gripping, style, she brings the reader to the table where issues are no longer abstract but fully human. This book has the power to change hearts and minds.”
—Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary, National Council of Churches
“Bishop Oliveto reveals a pastor’s passion, theologian’s rigor, servant’s heart, pioneer’s courage, and disciple’s extraordinary capacity to articulate hard truths with clarity and love. This book is a blessing in multiple ways. It speaks to pastors, laity, leaders, and pilgrims on a faith journey with deeply moving stories and respect for persons of all persuasions.”
—Jane Allen Middleton, retired Bishop, Northeastern Jurisdiction, The United Methodist Church
“If you are concerned with healing the many wounds of our spiritual and secular communities today, you will want to read this book. In writing that is at once authentic and powerful, Bishop Oliveto challenges every one of us to do the hard—and yet deeply rewarding—work of building community, especially with those whom we see as ‘the other.’”
—Bernard Schlager, Executive Director, Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion, Pacific School of Religion
Together at the Table
Diversity without Division in The United Methodist Church
Karen P. Oliveto
July 2018
9780664263607• 5.5" x 8.5" • 194 pages • Paperback • $16.00
Elle Drumheller, Westminster John Knox Press, http://www.wjkbooks.com, +1 5025695211, [email protected]
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