My Faith Journey

                    I was born and grew up as a Roman Catholic. When my traditional home Church was teaching about homosexuality as sinful when I was in Grade 2 in a Catholic, Jesuit school, I started to question that teaching. I was taught and trained by my mom to be prayerful. Every 6 P.M., we would stop everything that we do and pray the rosary. If we didn’t want, she would get angry.

                As a prayerful person, I would cut and draw pictures of angels, Mama Mary, and Jesus.  I created my own altar in my room. I would even pray that I see my male crush on breaks and play with him. True enough, after a few minutes of praying, I would see him and I immediately thanked God for granting my prayer. However, that joy didn’t last long until my religion teacher taught about homosexuality. I was trying to erase the word, homosexuality, from my textbook using my pen while my teacher was talking. From then on, I started to hate myself. I became more shy and was not that chummy with my crush anymore.

                When I turned 18 years old, I met Fr. Richard. He introduced me to St. Aelred and eventually MCC Quezon City. In 2007, I became a member of MCC Quezon City, now Open Table MCC. I became a Lay Leader in 2010 to start the Mission Group in Marikina City. In 2012, I got anointed together with 300 Pastors in Southeast Asia through the Amplify Asia Conference in Hong Kong. We were anointed by the Elder. Ken Martin of MCC, Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Church of America, and Bishop Yvette Flunder of The Fellowship. From then on, I’ve been attending conferences in Asia and last year in Australia.

          My values have been those of inclusion, community, spiritual transformation, and social justice, which we practiced in our own Church. I’ve learned to believe that God loves us all, regardless of our sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, height, age, civil and health status, race, color of skin, physical appearance, etc.

    In order of importance, my priorities are God, my Church, myself, my family, and friends, while my beliefs are described on my Personal Statement of Faith. They are the ones that inform my ministry towards other people and myself. Learning to love oneself is at the core of loving others and God at the same time.

My Personal Statement of Faith

My beliefs and perspective may be thought of as subscribing to the Progressive, Feminist, and Queer Theologies. As the German-American Lutheran pastor and scholar, Rev. John H. W. Stuckenberg, the first one to coin the term, Progressive Christianity, said, "I favor a progressive Christianity based on the living teachings of Christ and his Apostles. I am opposed to the stagnation created by religious dogmatism and traditionalism, and wish none of my possessions to be used in the interest of this stagnation." Some of the key principles of my faith are the following.

I believe in a triune God of three substances: God, the Parent, the Child, and the Holy Spirit/Consciousness. While some believe in a unitarian God, I respect those beliefs, and I’m grounded by my Christian belief. That’s what I love and learned in MCC. Diversity is respected, and although we don’t exactly believe the same things, we love and respect whatever works for each of us. I believe God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. I believe that God doesn’t have a specific gender, so using the pronouns “she” or “they” sometimes is a way to unbox God from our preconception and compartmentalization. It’s also a way of pushing back against centuries of sexism. I believe that God is the creator of all things and all living beings, found here on Earth and beyond. In Genesis 1: 1-3 NRSVUE, it says, “When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’” Based on recent quantum physics findings, this has been true. I believe God is immanent since he/she is among us, not some far-away, old, bearded man over the clouds.  God can be felt within us. In Luke 17: 20-21 NRSVUE, it says, “…The kin-dom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kin-dom of God is among^[b] you.” God is not some tyrant king, but a loving and supportive Creator, Parent, Sibling or Friend, or whatever representation a person feels closest to the Divine. God values our free will and freedom. God is infinite and eternal. Unlike the traditional view, I believe that God is not vindictive or punitive. I resonate with Marcian’s view of God that the god of the Old Testament, who is wrathful, vindictive, and punitive, is different from the God of the New Testament, who sent Jesus to liberate us from oppression and who taught love, compassion, and justice. Everyone has the capacity for self-redemption and restoration. However, I disagree with his view that Paul is the only apostle who understood that difference. When it comes to sin, I agree with Rita Nakashima Brock, a Japanese-American feminist scholar, Protestant theologian, activist, and a non-profit organization leader, when she said, “Sin is a sign of our broken-heartedness, of how damaged we are, not of how evil, willfully disobedient, and culpable we are. Sin is not something to be punished, but something to be healed.”  According to Rev. Dr. Patrick S. Cheng, an Episcopal priest, theologian, and attorney, “…there is such real harm that comes from sin talk. People get hurt and get killed. I think if we’re more rooted in being confident in God’s love for us and Christian doctrines, it helps us to have armor, and these attacks can bounce off.” There is one living God, in Spirit and in Truth, who comes in different names depending on language and culture. 

I believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Immanuel, who is “God with us”, who invites us to his open table. He makes everyone feel like a part of his community. He restores the queer joy of our relationship with God. He was born to Mary more than 2,000 years ago and preached as early as 12 years old. A description of his life between 12 years old until he was 30 is not included in the Bible we have today. However, there are various theories of what he might have done. Mark 6: 3 NSRVUE says, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary^[a] and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” Many Christians believe that Jesus might have followed the footsteps of his foster Father, Joseph, before starting his ministry in Galilee at the age of 30. That’s why he is fully human yet fully God, ministering to the sick, the blind, the crippled, the confused, the brokenhearted, those who are lonely, and those who were considered outcasts of society. He fed the hungry and delivered humanity from their self-destructive behaviors. He prophesied against the ills of society. He was ridiculed, flogged, crowned with thorns, then crucified, died and was buried. He was transfigured and ascended into Heaven. Luke 24: 51-53 NRSVUE says, “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and^[b] returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple blessing God.”

I believe in the Holy Spirit of God, through Jesus, thus being One, baptizing us to be part of the larger family of God and the priesthood of all believers and making us unique with spiritual gifts, intelligence, talents, and skills. The Holy Spirit was made known to the followers of God during Pentecost. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be a healing presence in this hurting world. It gives us grace  “to change one’s mind” (Greek translation: metanoeō/μετανοέω) to bring about transformation. In MCC, we believe transforming ourselves to transform the world—talking less, but doing more.

I believe I was wonderfully and unconditionally made by God’s radical love. I was made in God’s spiritual image and likeness, having no gender, yet from whom all genders come, but existing as Spirit and Truth. God created me as both spiritual and sexual. God continues to restore me whenever I fall short. God makes me a steward of their creations and a co-creator of new things in the evolution of humanity.

I believe the Bible is written by humans who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, but are not necessarily infallible or inerrant, as scientific, historical, and philosophical truths continue to be discovered. There is a tendency to worship it instead of God. I believe the Church is the Body of Christ, consisting of different and essential parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Fr. Richard Mickley’s Contribution to the LGBTQ+ Movement in the Philippines Should Be Preserved?

By Pastor Michael Jason Masaganda

(First Pride March in Manila (and in Asia) in 1994)1

    Before 1992, there was no LGBTQ+ movement in the Philippines until Fr. Richard Mickley arrived in 1991. His contribution to the movement is important to preserve, as he was instrumental in bringing the movement to the Philippines, making a difference in people's lives, and the Philippines wouldn’t be what it is now without him.

    

    Fr. Richard brought MCC to the Philippines in 1991. According to the Open Table MCC website,

        

        “In 1991, a group of Filipino gay men wrote to the Universal Fellowship of 

    Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) asking one important question: '

    How can we be MCC?” Fr Richard Mickley, an MCC Pastor in New Zealand, 

    upon learning of the request, did not hesitate and flew to the Philippines 

    on his own initiative. Right away, he helped the group organize itself as 

    an MCC and began the proclamation of God’s boundless and unconditional 

    love to the Philippines.” (Open Table MCC, n.p.)2

    He would often say to me that whenever someone asked about how MCC Philippines came about, he had come here with just his pension to support himself. For me, that was a selfless act. Migrating to a foreign developing country with just one's pension could be very challenging. He was a veteran of the U.S.-Vietnam War.  He would always say five Filipinos, one of whose names was Michael, requested an MCC. What was his surname? No one knew as of this writing.

          

    Fr. Richard Mickley made a difference in a lot of people’s lives. I was one of those who experienced the liberating Gospel of Jesus Christ for LGBTQ+ people of faith. Before meeting him, I felt that there was something wrong with me. I used to think I was “dirty” and that I didn’t deserve God’s love. I grew up in a very Catholic environment. My mom brought us up praying the rosary every night at 6 P.M. During family reunions, I would hear jokes from relatives, “Is there someone born gay in our clan?” Many would laugh. Like many Catholics in the 1900s, my Mom strongly believed in purgatory, hell, and heaven. If someone committed a mortal sin, they would go directly to hell. If someone just committed venial sins, they would experience purgatory first until they pass, going to heaven through the intercessory prayers of their family and relatives. If someone is selfless, they don’t even talk about it. My mom used to think it was a sin to be homosexual. She would highlight bible verses every morning about how homosexuals would go to hell. I would see them upon awakening. It was a religious torture. One time, in prayer, when I was listening to my favorite Tagalog Catholic song, "Huwag Kang Mangamba" (Don't Worry) by Fr. Manoling Francisco, S.J., I asked God, “Is there something wrong with me? Am I dirty?”  While listening to one of the lyrics, God replied through my heart, “Don't worry. There’s nothing wrong with you! You are not dirty! You are my child, and I love you!” From then on, I was convinced that God had loved me all along and that I just had to search for a Church that accepted me for who I am and made God’s love for people like me felt in the Church. While watching TV, I came across ProGay Philippines, an NGO dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ Filipinos. I immediately searched for their name and number. I inquired if they knew of a Church that was open to LGBTQ+ people. They said I could contact Fr. Richard Mickley. I immediately contacted him.

    I was excited to see him. When I met him, I couldn’t believe there was a religious order for LGBTQIA+. He founded the Order of St. Aelred (OSAe) after he planted an MCC in the Philippines. After immersing with them, I became an official member. I started attending the Gay Men’s Support Group (GMSG), and Fr. Richard taught us about Sex-Positive Theology. I became a novice there. I took seminars about the Bible, interpretation, self-esteem, spiritual friendship, the "Clobber" texts usually used against LGBTQ+, etc. I felt whole again and deserved God’s love. I felt stronger or empowered.

Before joining OSAe, I used to think that priests were also pedophiles, but he proved me wrong. He would praise me or appreciate how beautiful I was, but never attempted anything sexual to me, even if sometimes I fell asleep while helping at his library. When I was also studying, I took a part-time job to organize their library. It helped to support my food allowance and other school expenses. As I looked back, if I had not met Fr. Richard, I wondered what my life could've been? Probably, I would have killed myself, or I would have ended up in a mental hospital. I wouldn’t have finished high school when I was struggling with my sexuality and spirituality. Probably, I wouldn’t have gone to college. Probably, I wouldn’t have been a Pastor of an MCC now. This is just one of the many stories that others might have experienced from Fr. Richard.

    

    The Philippines wouldn’t have been more tolerant towards LGBTQ+ people if he weren’t brave enough to officiate Holy Unions for LGBTQ+ couples starting in 1991 and have them covered by the media. He showed that a priest could bless LGBTQ+ couples. When I was attending GMSG, the participants were professionals and change-makers. I saw them make drastic changes in Philippine society. Most of them were part of the legislative network, LAGABLAB, which lobbied for an Anti-discrimination Bill. He also helped to spread the Gospel that God loves all people, including LGBTQ+ people. He taught about the rebuttals against “Clobber verses” that were usually used against LGBTQ+ people.

    Currently, although there is no national law to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, according to the United Nations in a press release on June 15, 2019:

            "21 of the 1,634 cities and municipalities and six out of the 81 provinces in the Philippines have anti-discrimination ordinances (ADOs). This leaves 79.2% of Filipinos, or close to 80 million people, without protection against SOGIE-based discrimination." (United Nations, n.p.)3

    Hundreds of thousands have been attending Pride Marches because he chose the right people to be change-makers. When I first attended a Pride March in 2009, there were just hundreds. Currently, although we don’t have marriage equality law yet, there are legal workarounds to protect LGBTQ+ couples. People have become more tolerant, and more than half of the population is accepting of LGBTQ+ people. In 2019, when LGBT Philippines conducted a poll to find out if Filipinos were in favor of marriage equality, the result was that more than 50% of them were in favor of it. As a result, from then on, even politicians declare support for it just to win. Some lawmakers attempted to file their versions of the bill, but still failed due to conservatives blocking it in the Senate. The Philippines doesn’t have any laws criminalizing homosexuality, except for Marawi, an Islamic city in the Mindanao region, which has a local ordinance that makes cross-dressing punishable by law for trans people. 

    "Father Richard", as many people call him, although he had the credentials equal to a Cardinal or an Elder in a Protestant Church, was not just a religious leader, but was also a catalyst for change. He struck a balance when the Philippine government codified the Family Code, limiting marriage between a man and a woman only during the revolutionary government of former President Cory Aquino. That's why his contributions must be preserved because he started a movement, he made a difference in people's lives, who were foreign to him, and without him, he might not had made the Philippines more tolerant as other Asian countries in the region. As the father of the civil rights movement in America, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Works Cited:

1. MCC, Open Table. "First Pride March in Manila (and Asia) in 1994". Open Table Metropolitan Community Church, 14 Feb. 2023, opentablemcc.ph/blog/father-richard-mickley-a-pioneer-of-the-lgbt-movement-in-the-philippines-has-passed-away/.
2. “Open Table MCC History: Church for LGBT+: Metro Manila, Philippines.” Open Table Metropolitan Community Church, 29 Sept. 2024, opentablemcc.ph/about/history/.
3. “The UN Stands with Pride in Philippines.” United Nations, United Nations, 15 June 2019, philippines.un.org/en/43044-un-stands-pride.