A controversial group of religious leaders will meet in Dallas beginning September 10 to address religious discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (LGBT), "and how to counter it," including advocating the rights of gays to adopt children and same-sex marriages.

The meeting, which is being backed by the pro-gay rights organization, Metropolitan Community Churches, will "include over 30 faith leaders from across the United States will assemble as part of the three-day event to worship, pray and strategize on how to remove homophobia and hate from our churches, and replace them with hospitality, justice and equality for all."

According to the organizers, "the gathering of faith leaders comes at a time when some religious right groups are working to ban lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and same-gender loving people from houses of worship, and exclude them from the rights to marry, raise children and adopt."

"Certain religious groups have aggressively sought to define their agenda in the public's mind, through publicity and lobbying, as the Christian agenda," said Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, one of the lead organizers of the Council, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. "On the contrary, there is a growing movement of Christian clergy who reject this agenda, for whom bigotry and exclusion have no place in the Church."

Among other things, the groups aim to form a Council of Christian churches that they claim "are dedicated to reclaiming their faith based on the Gospel of inclusion, justice and love."

At the same time, organizers of the event say they will make public statements on "Marriage Equality, Parental Adoption and Foster Rights for LGBT families," as well as addressing other pressing social justice issues for LGBT families such as peace, immigration and the Iraq war.

With that in mind, organizers say they hope the event will outline a coordinated strategy for moving LGBT rights forward within our Christian traditions.

Institutions sponsoring the event include the Institute for Welcoming Resources, a national, ecumenical collaboration of the Welcoming Church Movement, DignityUSA, The Fellowship, Institute for Welcoming Resources and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches.

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