Behind the loud masses gathered at the PMAC on Saturday for Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “The Response” prayer rally was a quieter congregation advocating for same-sex marriage.
The Presbyterian conference, “Marriage Matters: A Matter of Life and Love,” had been in the works since August, said Patti Snyder, head pastor of University Presbyterian Church.
About 120 attendees participated in the event, including students, members of the church and members of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians.
“We’ve had people from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and other cities help us put this day together,” Snyder said. “It’s a big day.”
The church opened the same-sex marriage conference with a worship service led by Snyder and Ken Kovacs.
Snyder welcomed guests to the event with a brief speech introducing key figures in the congregation, outlining the day’s events and addressing the goals of University Presbyterian Church.
“The goal is to be unified, not divided,” Snyder said. “We want a completely open and accepting congregation — to be totally open and affirming.”
In his sermon, Kovacs spoke passionately on themes of love and acceptance.
“The church must not stand in the way,” Kovacs said during his deliverance. “Instead, we — the church, the people — must recognize love when we see it.”
Events later in the day included a short speech by Brian Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, and a keynote speech given by Cynthia Rigby. There were also two workshops, a closing worship and a silent prayer vigil.
Ellison delivered a brief address on the ideals of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians.
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians has focused on being an all-inclusive church for several years.
“The Covenant Network is a national organization formed in 1977 with a mission to work for inclusion — that is, the welcoming of all people into the life and leadership of the church,” Ellison said.
Ellison referenced his opposition to Jindal’s prayer rally, but said he is not discouraged by the event.
“As that gathering down the road does demonstrate, we still have a lot of work to do in changing the conversation,” Ellison said. “I’m excited about the possibilities. I’m excited that there are people willing to have this discussion and still be churched together.”
Rigby re-emphasized the importance of LGBT rights in her speech.
“This is not an event that is also primarily an agenda,” Rigby said. “This is a gathering of people who want to be who they were created to be.”
The first workshop included a review of marriage equality court decisions and changing understandings of marriage in the church, run by Rigby and attorney Chris Otten.
Kovacs, Snyder and Zach Sasser, pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, ran the second workshop, “Marriage Matters and Welcoming Matters.”
Snyder said University Presbyterian Church was not aware of the prayer rally hosted by Jindal and the American Family Association when organizing its event in August. Conference attendees gathered in the courtyard of the church and concluded the day with a silent prayer vigil to protest the prayer rally.
Associate pastor of University Presbyterian Church Mike Watson said he was happy to see so many students protest, but he and the church have different methods of speaking out.
“I stand fully with our church on same-sex marriage and believe in endorsing it fully,” Watson said. “I love that students are willing to stand up against [the rally] in their own way. We are choosing to stand, to respond in a different way. Our idea is not to fight against it, but to provide a silent message of inclusion and hope.”
Sociology doctoral candidate Anthony Reed, who spent Saturday morning protesting the prayer rally outside the PMAC, said he thinks highly of the church’s separate conference.
“I think that’s actually really beautiful,” Reed said. “There aren’t many churches that are very inclusive of gay people. As far as this [rally], to see Jindal using our facility to further his political agenda deeply disturbs me.”