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ATLANTA BARB-Page 2
Rev. Troy Perry To Visit Atlanta
several experiences, as
he was growing up, he hop
ed to sublimate his desires
in marriage and his minis
try. He couldn’t understand
why God would have made
him a homosexual, yet
called him to a profession
where such people seemed
out of place.
I '
While attending school
in Chicago, Troy pastor-
ed a nearby Pentecostal
church. .But a former lov
er, in a fit of jealousy,
exposed him to the district
overseer; and Troy was
ordered to return imme
diately to Florida.
There his work con
tinued, and he was ordain
ed. But Florida was con
ducting a "witch hunt"
for homosexuals in 1961,
and Rev. Perry walked
under a heavy shadow. His
wife had learned about 14m,
in Chicago, and stood by
him; they had a son. His
mother also learned about
his homosexuality, and
came to accept it because
she loved him.
He returned to Chicago
to finish school. He took
a day job with a plastics
firm and attended Moody
Bible Institute at night.
The plastics company of
fered him a junior execu
tive position at a new plant
they were opening in Tor
rance, Calif., and he ac
cepted. ^
In California, the Church
.of God of Prophecy, a de
nomination he had been at
tracted to in Chicago, gave
Rev. Perry a church to
pastor in Santa Ana. He
preached the straight and
narrow, and practiced what
he preached. But he felt
vaguely unfilfilled. He was
23.
Like many gay people,
'Rev. Perry knew nothing
Continued From Page 1
about homosexuality ex
cept from his own ex
periences, and the nega
tive attitude society had
drilled into him. Now he
began reading about the
subject, and at last ac
cepted the fact that he was,
indeed, a homosexual.
Though he and his wife
still loved each other, and
now had two sons, Rev.
Perry felt that the only
honest thing they could do
would be to separate. She
took the boys and return
ed to her family. At the
same time, he was forced
to resign his pastorate.
He moved to Hunting
don Park, where his moth
er was living with a new
husband. Rev. Perry be
came acquainted with the
Los Angeles gay scene, and
formed a fast friendship
with Willie Smith, who was
to become Music Director
of the church Troy was to
found.
No one but God had any
- inkling of this in 1965,
when Rev. Perry was draft
ed. He had an active gay
sex life in the Army, both
stateside and in Germany,
where he spent most of his
two-year hitch.
Back In L. A. he moved
in with his friend, Willie
Smith. A friend of Willie’s
introduced him to Ben, the
young malt: who was to be
come his first real lover.
Rev.> Perry, fell head over
heels in lOVe.
But his love for Ben re
placed his love for God;
and when their affair end
ed, six months later, Troy
felt completely alone. He
attempted suicide. His close
brush with death brought
him back to God, and his
mission began taking shape
in his mind.
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If he’s been waiting
for a "sign," it came in
1968 when a friend of
his, Carlos, was arrest
ed as part of a harassment
campaign by local police.
After Rev. Perry had ob
tained his release, Carlos
was inconsolable; he felt
that no one cared about
him.
‘ ‘God cares, ’ ’ the minis -
ter said, almost automa
tically.
But Carlos, who had been
told by the pastor of his
church that he couldn’t be
both a homosexual and a
Christian, wouldn’t be
lieve it. "God doesn’t
care about me," he said.
Rev. Perry realizeathen
how many of his fellow
gays felt the same way
- - he himself had had
doubts; and he knew what
he had to doi.
He took out an ad in
the Advocate, a national
gay newspaper based in
Los Angeles, announcing
that the first service of
the Metropolitan Com
munity Church would be
held Oct. 6, 1968.-* Rev.
Perry' conducted the ser
vice in his living room,
wearing borrowed vest
ments, 12 people attended.
The church continued,
and grew.. Doctrines had to
be ecumenical enough that
no one, from whatever de
nominational background,
would feel left out. And
MCC Could not ■* exclude
straight people, for that
would be to practice in re
verse the discrimination
that had been used against
gays for so long.
After five years, the
fellowship had expanded
to more than 50 congre
gations, all over Ameri
ca and in other parts of the
world. Rev. Perry step
ped down from the pasto
rate of the L. A. church
to become Moderator of
the Board of Elders.
And despite some set-
backs- -the firebombing of
church building in some
cities and the failure of
the church to take hold in
others -- MCCs minis
try has grown continually
and phenomenally.
His visibility, position'
of authority and gift of self-
expression have made the
Rev. Troy Perry a res
pected leader in the cru
sade for Human Rights and
the struggle for gays to be
accepted as equals. In
1972 his autobiography,
"The Lord Is My Shep
herd and He Knows I’m
Gay," was published by
Nash.
MCC came to Atlanta in
Jan., 1972, pastored by
Rev. John Gill, who still
serves that function. The
Atlanta church was char
tered in April, 1972, and
will celebrate the second
anniversary of that charter
ing when Rev. Perry arri
ves next^ month.
Even more importantly,
Rev. Perry will be dedi
cating MCC Atlanta’s new:
building, the former Hilan
Theatre on N. Highland Ave.
a block from Ponce de Leon,
which the church is pur
chasing. The official move
will be made in March.
And Rev. Perry will lead
a Spiritual Renewal from
April 10-14. The rafters
will ring with the res
ponse to his usual opening
line, "If you love the Lord,
say Amen!"
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