MCCD joins tsunami relief efforts

By Dawn Wolfe

FERNDALE – During the month of January, Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit in Ferndale is taking a special collection for tsunami relief during Sunday services at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Donations will be sent to major relief organizations that do not discriminate against LGBTs.
The collection began with the Jan. 2 services.
During that service, Rev. Mark Bidwell reportedly told congregants, “Actions speak louder than words. Words can be good, and they can be powerful, but they aren’t always enough. [Words are] not going to provide shelter for the people that have been affected by this. [Words] are not going to give them water to drink, or food to eat. So we’re going to put our actions where our words are. If we’re going to pray for this group of people, these victims, we need to put our actions behind [our words].”
During an interview with BTL, Bidwell explained his reason for beginning the special collection. “If you want to teach someone about the love of God, you can’t do that if they’re starving – you have to meet all of their needs.”
Explaining that the collection is another aspect of MCCD’s many ties to the LGBT and larger community, Bidwell said, “If you want to be a part of this church, it’s not just Sunday morning worship – we are a part of our community, and part of the world.”
The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, of which MCCD is a charter member church, is an LGBT-affirming Christian denomination.
For more information on the special tsunami relief collection, or about MCCD, call 248-399-7741. MCCD is located at 2441 Pinecrest in Ferndale, about a mile north of Livernois.