Cecilia Eggleston
Cecilia Eggleston is a Reverend and elder within the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC). She was the first woman and first lay person to be elected as District Coordinator in the European District of MCC.[1] She is currently the CEO and Chief of Staff of MCC worldwide.[2]
Career
[edit]Eggleston's involvement with MCC began in 1989, and she played an important role as one of the founding co-pastors of Living Springs MCC, located in Bath, England. She also helped create Samaritan Education in Europe and was in charge of the Board of Trustees for many years. Before becoming District Coordinator, Eggleston actively participated in the Board of Ordained Ministry, and her experience in both areas facilitated her work on the Elders Task Force on Education.[1] In 2001, St James' United Reformed Church became the home for the congregation, with Eggleston becoming the full-time pastor later on.[3]
As District Coordinator, Eggleston took care of MCC churches in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Denmark.[1]
In 2004, Eggleston became a reverend through ordination. In 2003, she was chosen to be on the Board of Elders, which was a big change for MCC's management.[1] In 2005, she became the Moderator of the MCC, a role previously held by Troy Perry, becoming the second female Moderator and first to come from outside the United States.[4] The organization switched to a Board of Regional Elders, and the role of District Coordinators changed to serving as a General Council. After being on the Board of Elders, Eggleston retired in 2007.[1] She then became the Pastor of MCC Newcastle, located in Newcastle, England.[5][6]
Views and activism
[edit]In 2007, she was invited to speak at the United Kingdom's National Holocaust Memorial event. She has also been actively involved in local efforts to combat homophobia on the International Day Against Homophobia. Eggleston worked on the Strategic Review Team, where she collaborated with the Board of Elders and Board of Administration to review and improve MCC's organization.[1]
In 2021, Eggleston and the MCC spoke out against anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
In 2023, Eggleston criticized the Church of England's decision to allow blessings for same-sex unions, but still defining marriage as between a man and a woman. She said this compromise "has gone on too long and has reached a new level of absurdity".[8] Eggleston has previously criticized gun rights activist and member of the United States Congress Lauren Boebert for saying that Jesus should have been armed, saying "if the congresswoman would give our scripture only a cursory glance, she would know that Jesus willingly gave His life, and wouldn’t have fought back no matter how armed He was".[9] Eggleston and the MCC have also opposed Ron DeSantis's "extreme agenda".[10]
Personal life
[edit]Eggleston is married to her wife, Orgena Rose. She was the sixth of seven siblings and was raised Catholic. She came out of the closet at thirteen years old, and joined the MCC at twenty years of age.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f “Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston | Profile”, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed July 13, 2023, https://lgbtqreligiousarchives.org/profiles/cecilia-eggleston.
- ^ Who to contact, MCC, accessed July 13, 2023,
- ^ "Newcastle LGBT church celebrates 20 years". BBC News. 28 October 2011.
- ^ Fieseler, Robert W. (2019-09-01). "Inside The Metropolitan Community Church, Which Has Been Telling LGBTQ People God Loves Them For 50 Years". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Musgrove, Susan (April 29, 2013). "After my sex change, I'm now a woman in the eyes of God". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ McVeigh, Karen (May 21, 2015). "Church of England to consider transgender naming ceremony". The Guardian. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Borja, Melissa May; Zhang, Kayla (2023). "'Please Love Our Asian American Neighbors': Christian Responses to Anti-Asian Racism during the COVID-19 Pandemic". Theology Today. 79 (4): 370–389. doi:10.1177/00405736221132863. ISSN 0040-5736. PMC 9805921. PMID 36618959.
- ^ Zipkin, Michele (February 17, 2023). "LGBTQ rights in the UK: Challenges, yet resilience". Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "MCC calls out Boebert for saying Jesus should have been armed". Dallas Voice. June 15, 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ Davis, Andrew (October 11, 2023). "NATIONAL Montana court, gay bishop, EEOC, Equality Forum, banned operas". Windy City Times. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ da Silva, Adriano (2021). "Violência LGBTIfóbica na comunicação digital: representações do jornalismo, redes sociais online e perspectivas inclusivas" [LGBTIphobic violence in digital communication: representations of journalism, online social networks and inclusive perspectives]. Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde Biblioteca de Saúde Pública (Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health Public Health Library). Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ): 103–106.