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Hello, everyone! I'm Reverend Elder Cecilia Eggleston, Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches, and I just want to give you a quick health update before I go on leave. I'm about halfway through my chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for cancer. It's going well, and I'm also starting to feel that fatigue that so many of the medical team have told me about. So, I'll be finishing the rest of my treatments and taking some time off for August. I just want to thank all of you for your prayers, your support, your positive news, and for giving me a bit of space and privacy. I really appreciate that.
And what great news—all sorts of things are going on! We had the People of African Descent Conference in Brazil, which was a huge success. Part of the conference was the ordination of Reverend Haroldo André Garcia, so congratulations to you, Reverend Haroldo! We've also had news that MCC Detroit has finally gotten the keys to its new property—go, MCC Detroit! At Church of the Trinity MCC in Sarasota, USA, the food program that the church supports has just been growing, and the outreach program to young people is flourishing, too. These are amazing things taking place around the world.
Additionally, we have two delegates to the World AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro: Reverend Paul Mokgethi-Heath and Doctor Léo Rossetti. MCC is out and proud; AIDS and HIV are part of our heritage and ministry, and it's wonderful that we have two delegates there to give our voice.
It takes all of us to be MCC. Remember the story of our founding, when Reverend Troy Perry heard that still small voice of God saying, “Troy, I love you. I don't have any stepsons or stepdaughters”. Troy put that advert in The Advocate, the national LGBT+ magazine for the USA, and nearly 60 years later, The Advocate is still rating MCC as the top church for the LGBT+ community and allies. You are making a huge difference where you are every day.
You're not going to hear from me for a little while, but the Governing Board, the Council of Elders, the MCC Staff, the Network Leaders, the Flourish Coordinators, and the Vocational Leadership Coordinators are all there to serve, support, and resource you—so be in touch with them for what you need, and keep sharing your positive news.
I also want to give a big shout-out to my colleagues on staff who have been getting up for meetings at 4:30, 5:30, or 6:30 in the morning their time just to meet with me and continue the ministry of MCC before I go for my daily treatment at the hospital. Thank you so much for doing that, because that's what it means to be global, to be in each other's time zones, and to support each other.
I'm so excited to continue receiving your positive news. Email me (RevCeciliaEggleston@MCCchurch.net)—and enjoy your ministry knowing that you are making a difference. I look forward to coming back in September and learning all about it.
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