Tulsa’s St. Jerome’s hosts 20th Anniversary celebration

by Rob Howard
Associate Editor

“The greatest thing about Tulsa’s Parish Church of St. Jerome is that, for 20 years, the church has been a continual support and a shelter for gays and lesbians and those who have been disenfranchised and are looking for a safe place to worship,” says its Priest, Father Dewayne Messenger. St. Jerome’s will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a three-day celebration, September 26–28.

The first event, on Saturday, Sept. 26, will be a Gala dinner. Festivities begin at 6pm with a cocktail hour, followed by an elaborate seated buffet dinner and entertainment by one of Tulsa’s favorite artists, Rebecca Ungerman. The evening includes a 15-minute preview of the movie, Unlikely Family, a film about the founding of St. Jerome’s. The Gala will be at the church’s event center, 205 W. King St., in Tulsa.

The following morning, Sept. 27, is a “Homecoming Celebration.” Fr. Messenger says the worship service “provides former members and pastors that were associated with the church to come back and join us for the service.” He also expects some ecumenical guests, and hopefully, some community leaders.

Monday evening, Sept. 28, will be the world premiere of Unlikely Family at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis, in Tulsa. Russ Kirkpatrick, the Executive Producer of the film, as well as a member of St. Jerome’s, describes the plot: “Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Unlikely Family depicts a progressive church family coming together in the most unlikely of places.

The film follows a group of people rejected by mainstream churches, society, their families, and their jobs because of divorce, sexuality, and ignorance of religion. It demonstrates what people faced in 1995 and still face today when they don’t fit the mold prescribed by biblical ‘clobber scriptures.’ The film challenges traditional ‘my way or the highway’ views of salvation that straitjacket lives with narrow values and ideals.” 

Unlikely Family is an official selection at the Red Dirt International Film Festival in Stillwater, OK, October 8-10th.

The Parish Church of St. Jerome is a member of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC). The denomination, while not affiliated with either the Catholic or Anglican denominations, follows the Anglican Rite in its worship services. The Rite provides a more sacramental style worship service.

According to Fr. Messenger, about 30 percent of the Parish of St. Jerome are former Catholics, 20 percent former Episcopalians, and the rest are a mix of several denominations.

St. Jerome’s is a predominantly, but not exclusively, LGBT congregation.

Fr. Messenger is excited about the future. He says, “We are growing, becoming more diverse. We have a growing Hispanic population and a growing straight population.”

Tickets for the Gala are $50, and $50 for a Patron level viewing of Unlikely Family. They can be purchased online at www.tinyurl.com/pv29hja. Regular seats for the film’s premiere are $15, online at www.tinyurl.com/oq25v2n.

The Gayly – September 20, 2015 @ 11:15am.