I’ve spent the last year and a half doing voluntary service with Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests (BMC). At the end of my term (August), I’m moving on to other things and BMC is looking for another volunteer. If you are a person (or know someone) who is especially concerned with LGBT justice as it relates to the church, you might consider looking into this.
Duties of this full-time, year-long position include program coordination of Kaleidoscope, our youth and young adults program, and working as assistant to the Executive Director. As a volunteer position, your needs are covered but you won’t be living large on this salary. I’ve found myself in the position to be an unintentional war-tax resister for the last two years, thanks to my small salary. The position is available beginning in August 2007 and is based in Minneapolis, MN. Benefits include room, board, a stipend, and health insurance. Depending on the needs of the volunteer, this position can be hosted by either Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC)* or the United Church of Christ Volunteer Ministries (UCCVM)*. The job description can be found at the BMC website, along with more information about BMC: www.bmclgbt.org.
Contact Carol Wise at exdir@bmclgbt.org if you are interested in applying. For more information about the hosting volunteer agencies, see www.lutheranvolunteercorps.org and www.ucc.org/ministries/volunteer. It is a great opportunity to work for LGBTQ justice in the Brethren and Mennonite traditions and gain important experience in community organizing.
*you may notice a bit of an incongruency with a volunteer position for an organization that serves people in the Brethren and Mennonite traditions being hosted by Lutherans or the UCC rather than a Brethren or Mennonite service agency. If you are thinking of volunteering or working with either of these organizations or other church related organizations (Mennonite Central Committee and church related colleges and universities come to mind), you might consider asking them about their discrimination policies and how their values of social justice connect to that discrimination. The church and the military have a lot in common when it comes to discrimination (don’t ask, don’t tell).