San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Glide church reverend steps into role welcoming LGBTQ community

Published

5 months ago

June 19, 2024

San Francisco Glide church reverend steps into role welcoming LGBTQ community

SAN FRANCISCO — Song and spirit fill the air at Glide Memorial Church Sunday mornings as Rev. Marvin White takes the stage to lead an inclusive sermon.

In his official capacity as the minister of celebration for the historic church, he’s continuing his beloved predecessor Cecil Williams’ message of welcoming with unconditional love — but with his own twist.

“I remember asking Cecil because people would say you’re not Cecil or you’re the next Cecil,” he told CBS News Bay Area. “I went to Cecil and said ‘What do I do with this?’ He said ‘You have to be you. We saw you and that is what we invite you to bring to this congregation.’”

One of his first acts as the new leader of Glide, he chose to hoist the Pride flag directly outside of the sanctuary. It was a first for the historic congregation in the heart of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.

“That is one of my favorite sights, the flag flying through the windows. You can see the LGBTQ flag,” said White.

He’s on a mission to do his part to beautify the congregation with the intent of showing anyone who steps foot inside that they, too, are worthy of beauty.

“The other side of being gay is that I’ve been on a campaign to make sure that beauty and aesthetics are a part of unconditional love and how we serve community,” he explained. “If we don’t have a building people are proud of, we won’t be the community anchor people need.”

And he’s doing just that through the lens of his upbringing as a member of a religion that he knew couldn’t accept him for being gay, but with a longing for a spiritual home.

“From being a Jehovah’s Witness, to staying away from church to chasing boys into their churches and being told not to stay at those churches because my freedom would put their freedom at risk, and understanding that all of that was created, so I would never come into my power as a Black queer prophetic man who has particular access to the divine,” said White.

But he applies that story to his practice, using himself as an example of why the church should welcome with unconditional love as clergy leadership across the Christian faith grapples with growing calls to expand queer people in their ranks.

“When the church runs out gay people, they’re saying, ‘You’re too powerful and I can never have you get too close to your power.’ And we believed it wholesale,” White said. “I want to explore the return of ourselves to ourselves and what an amazing world to live in for queer folks from coming back into their spiritual power.”

His journey to Glide is as unpredictable yet thoughtful as his outfit choice for Sunday mass. But one that can only conclude with fate.

“When I was 18, I came to Glide. I didn’t understand it,” White recalled. “I was like what is all of this. There are Black people, white people, gay people, straight people, people saving seats like they’re at Stern Grove.”

And now with White in the Pulpit, 40 years later, the scene remains.

“Sometimes I’m still like looking over my shoulder to see if it’s me. That I’m here,” said White. “I just have to step into it, not on top of it or over it. I don’t have to make my mark or over I just have to step into it and that’s what I’m doing.”

Source link

Related Topics:Featured pride month San Francisco

Click to comment

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL Week 12 game

Published

55 mins ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL Week 12 game

The Green Bay Packers nearly lost to the Chicago Bears last week, in what would’ve been a massive upset, snapping a 10-game win streak for the cheese heads against their rivals. Now, the San Francisco 49ers are headed to Lambeau, fresh off a last-second defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks.

Neither team played their best in Week 11, but only one of them walked away with a win. That speaks to Green Bay’s persistence. Unlike the 49ers, Green Bay has been able to squeak out close games, where San Francisco crumbles to bits under any sort of pressure. All that is to say that it is a wonder how some people still believe in the 49ers. Perhaps a win over a tough Green Bay squad would restore some faith.

Here are our experts’ predictions for this Week 12 matchup.

PROP TALK: These are the best prop bets for NFL games this week

Packers vs. 49ers odds, moneyline, over/under

The Packers are favorites to defeat the 49ers, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

Spread: Packers (-2.5)
Moneyline: Packers (-140); Ravens (+115)
Over/under: 47.5

Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds and Monday Night Football odds.

New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.

FEELING LUCKY? Here are the best parlay bets and odds for NFL games this week

NFL Week 12 odds, predictions and picks

Lorenzo Reyes: 49ers 24, Packers 21

The Packers, frankly, should’ve lost last week against the Bears. The 49ers are wildly inconsistent, and the defense has had significant struggles this season. Time is running out for San Francisco, however, and the Niners must keep pace in the NFC West.

Tyler Dragon: 49ers 23, Packers 22

The 49ers let one slip away against Seattle last week. At some point, the 49ers have to flip the switch if they want to make another Super Bowl run. A win in Green Bay can catapult the 49ers in what’s been a sluggish 11 weeks.

Richard Morin: Packers 30, 49ers 27

The 49ers have burned me (and a lot of other prognosticators) all season, so I just can’t side with them to win at Lambeau. San Francisco will still be alive in the division race even after a loss.

Jordan Mendoza: 49ers 26, Packers 24

This matchup is tough because of how inconsistent both sides have been this season. Look for Christian McCaffrey to finally break free and come out with a much-needed road victory.

MOST VALUABLE BET: Who is the favorite to win NFL MVP in 2024?

Source link

San Francisco, CA

How SF Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie's diverse transition team hopes to lay groundwork for change

Published

9 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

How SF Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie's diverse transition team hopes to lay groundwork for change

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A group of leaders from the tech industry, nonprofit world, and former government officials are hoping their diverse set of experiences will help set up San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie for success before he is sworn into office in January.

On Monday, Lurie announced his new transition team consisting of co-chairs and advisors – with heavy hitters like Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, and former San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.

Hayes-White told ABC7 News that she is excited about the coalition Lurie was able to put together.

“It’s a great blend of people and I’m sure there will be some pretty interesting exchanges,” she said. “We’ll take direction from the boss, and I’m sure he’ll set out what his goals and priorities are and we’ll fill in the blanks for him and offer recommendations and advice. I think what I bring is a commitment as a lifelong San Franciscan to really getting the city back on track, hitting reset, if you will.”

SF Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie’s new transition team includes OpenAI co-founder, former fire chief

San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie announced his new transition team nearly two weeks after he was elected mayor succeeding Mayor London Breed.

Lurie – who previously founded and ran an anti-poverty nonprofit – said improving public safety will be his number one priority, followed by addressing the behavioral health crisis of the unhoused and revitalizing downtown attractions and business.

With a career in public safety spanning nearly three decades, Hayes-White said she hopes to help Lurie achieve these goals, especially when it comes to addressing the fentanyl epidemic on the streets. The mayor-elect has said that on his first day in office, he will declare a “fentanyl state of emergency.”

“We’ve seen some improvements under Mayor Breed just this last month. I know the fentanyl deaths were down quite significantly, but still way too many. So I think one of the things that we’re really going to look at, and that I’m going to recommend looking at, is this crossover that needs to exist between departments instead of working in a silo,” Hayes-White said. “Take a look at that, those relationships and see if there’s something that we can do a little bit more efficiently.”

VIDEO: Daniel Lurie gives ABC7 1st Bay Area TV interview after becoming SF mayor

San Francisco’s new mayor Daniel Lurie gave ABC7 News the first local TV news interview after winning the mayoral election.

Another co-chair Michael Tubbs, became one of the youngest mayors in the country when he was elected as Stockton’s mayor in 2016. He said it is one of Lurie’s strengths, not weaknesses, that he will be entering City Hall with a fresh perspective as a government outsider. Tubbs said he’ll be encouraging Lurie to question why things operate a certain way and not shy away from seeking innovative solutions.

“I think, in fact, the best leaders are the ones who are the most curious, the ones who are most inquisitive,” Tubbs said. “It’s really a matter of embracing what you don’t know, embracing being new, embracing being able to ask questions, because I think a lot of things people take for granted.”

The team will have its first meeting on Wednesday. There’s no timeline yet of when Lurie’s team will announce full-time senior positions like chief of staff.

Daniel Lurie delivers first remarks as San Francisco Mayor-elect, shares vision for city

Who is on his transition team?

Daniel Lurie’s transition team, co-chairs:

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI
Joanne Hayes-White, former SFFD Fire Chief
José A. Quiñonez, founding CEO of Mission Asset Fund
Ned Segal, former CFO of Twitter and co-chair of Lurie’s mayoral campaign
Michael Tubbs, former mayor of Stockton
Nancy Tung, San Francisco prosecutor and chair of SF Democratic Party
Paul Yep, retired SFPD police commander

Advisors:

Sara Fenske Bahat: Transition Director
Ann O’Leary: Transition Counsel
Ben Rosenfield: Senior Advisor

Lurie is succeeding incumbent Mayor London Breed, who conceded to Lurie on Nov. 7, after election results showed Lurie receiving more first-place ranked-choice votes than Breed.

It is the first time since 1991 that an incumbent mayor has been unseated.

Source link

San Francisco, CA

Pregnant woman shot while in San Francisco Bret Harte area; suspect at-large

Published

16 hours ago

November 19, 2024

Press Room

Pregnant woman shot while in San Francisco Bret Harte area; suspect at-large

PIX Now afternoon edition 11-19-2024

08:49

San Francisco police said a pregnant woman was shot Tuesday afternoon while she was in the Bret Harte area.

The shooting happened around 2:13 p.m. on the 1100 block of Hollister Avenue.

Police said officers arrived at the scene and learned that the woman was shot in the stomach. San Francisco Fire said she was taken to the hospital but was conscious and able to walk.

Police said they searched the area for the shooter but have not found anyone.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 415-575-4444.

Jose Fabian

Jose Fabian is a web producer for CBS Bay Area where he reports on local crime, politics and breaking news. He studied political science and journalism at Sacramento State and was born and raised in Northern California.

Source link