Minister Marvin K. White addressed GLIDE Staff at a vigil for Black lives lost to state and state-backed violence on June 9, 2020. My job today is to remind you that the actions you take now and next are necessary. Because through your actions, you affirm that freedom is the goal and aim of this

GLIDE Church is a spiritual center of healing, faith, justice and community for everyone. No matter who you are, where you come from or what you’ve been through, you’re welcome here! Celebrate with us online, Sundays at 9:00 and 11:00 am. Below you’ll find Minister of Celebration Marvin K. White’s sermon from Sunday, May 17,

Psalm 23 says, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are

You know, months before the pandemic hit.  Pandemics, “hit” right?  This is going to leave a bruise, right? Months ago, during a routine doctor’s visit, My doctor asked, “Does diabetes run in your family? Remembering my mama and my grand mama’s high and low sugar,  I answered, “Yes.” My doctor asked, “Does hypertension run in

I was with the other women In the woman’s place In the palace And it’s only The letter “A” That separates place From palace I was with the other women When he called I had been up cooking all night And had just wiped The last of the semolina Off my forehead And we were

Reflections on an African American role model LeRon L. Barton has been an active GLIDE community member since 2014. He currently serves as the Co-Chair of the GLIDE Racial Justice Team that grew out of the Ferguson Rally held at GLIDE. The Racial Justice team has interviewed African American youth about race issues with the

GLIDE celebrates Native leadership on the 50th anniversary of the Alcatraz Occupation We hope you will join us at 9:00 am this Sunday, October 13th, at GLIDE Church for a very special Celebration. In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Marin Theatre Company will be presenting a scene from the powerful play Sovereignty by playwright,

Edna Webster Coleman’s remarkable life in the struggle for social justice GLIDE’s Annual Fund manager Hallie Brignall spoke recently with Edna Webster, a longtime GLIDE community member and Bay Area educator and activist who has designated a portion of her estate for GLIDE and its work on behalf of the community. In the following account,

In May of 2019, Gregoria Cahill received her Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from California State University, East Bay, and as she walked the stage and received her honors it vindicated the winding path of her pursuit of education and self-improvement. “I remember my mom would tell me to get

Whenever someone within my faith tradition has overcome something that seemed otherwise insurmountable, has been cured from something that had death as the prognosis, or survived something that no one has ever walked away from, my people say, “Somebody, surely, must have been praying for you.” I believe that we are all the recipients, the

A Homoneutics of Liberation This past Sunday, June 30, 2019, GLIDE celebrated Pride with almost a million onlookers as we marched, danced, sang and made our way down Market Street in the 49th Annual San Francisco Pride Parade. Our tradition includes a single Pride Sunday Celebration before we head down to march in community. The

A focal point of GLIDE’s Sunday Celebration is the “I AM GLIDE” testimony, in which a member of the community takes the pulpit and tells their story, in their words. GLIDE is a place for healing and recovery, and one of the ways we empower each other is by telling our stories. Indeed, we often

Marvin K White, Vashti and Liberation In honor of Women’s History Month, GLIDE’s own Interim Minister of Celebration Marvin K. White shares his gifts as a poet and theologian in a piece entitled “Vashti”. The poem and accompanying interview were originally published in the GLIDE Church eNews, Congregation Connect. Vashti I was with the other women

Crickette Brown Glad shares her truth and experience with GLIDE’s harm reduction outreach GLIDE Church has a long-standing tradition of featuring voices from the community in a segment of Sunday Celebration called “I Am GLIDE.” Personal testimonies on the strength and power of unconditional love from our program participants, congregants, donors and volunteers provide what

Introducing Marvin K. White Starting in January, Marvin K. White will become the Interim Minister of Celebration at GLIDE. Many people in our congregation have experienced and recognized Marvin’s deep creative and spiritual gifts. He’ll bring those gifts along with his strong commitment to GLIDE’s mission of unconditional love and radical inclusivity as he continues

Laura Thompson, founding member of the GLIDE Legacy Committee, remembers her mother by living GLIDE’s values GLIDE Church has a long-standing tradition of featuring voices from the community in a segment of Sunday Celebration called “I Am GLIDE.” Personal testimonies on the strength and power of unconditional love from our program participants, congregants, donors and

Unconditional Love. Radical Inclusivity. And Doing Your Part. GLIDE Church has a long-standing tradition of featuring voices from the community in a segment of Sunday Celebration called “I Am GLIDE.” Personal testimonies on the strength and power of unconditional love from our program participants, congregants, donors and volunteers provide what Rev. Angela Brown often refers

Rev. Angela Brown on A March For Our Lives and Leaving a Legacy of Peace In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida and the epidemic of gun violence in this country, we sat down with Rev. Angela Brown, Associate Pastor at GLIDE Memorial Church, to discuss what we can do to

The following reflections are from Lillian Mark, GLIDE Community Safety and Training Manager and were originally delivered to GLIDE’s congregation on September 17, 2017.

A message from GLIDE’s Pastoral Team A wave of cruelty is sweeping over our country. On Tuesday the Trump Administration moved to end DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the immigration policy that gave “Dreamers” a fairer chance to thrive in the United States. Rightly, DACA made undocumented minors eligible for work visas and offered safety

Reverend Harry Williams talks about the Nation, our City, and Low-Income Housing On April 27, Reverend Harry Williams, representing GLIDE Memorial Church and the Tenderloin, addressed a rally on the steps of City Hall. The rally, which started at the Federal Building and numbered several hundred people, was there to urge the planning commission to

A conversation about Standing Rock, solidarity, and faith with GLIDE Seminary Intern Todd Whitley How has Standing Rock figured in your time here at GLIDE? The first time I preached at GLIDE I spoke about Standing Rock. I was scheduled to preach on the first day of Advent in 2016. The sermon was based on

Today is a day of days- it’s Friday! For some, Friday marks the end of the work week- an opportunity to pause from the intense demands of work and recharge. For others, Friday is only the beginning of intense life demands. For some, Friday marks the end of the school week- a time to absorb

  Attending a GLIDE Racial Justice Group (GRJG) meeting is a dizzying and eye-opening experience. The group is comprised of men and women from all different races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and socio-economic backgrounds. Everyone’s life experiences may be different, but the glue of the organization is the commitment to fight racism and white supremacy.

Freed for New Beginnings “I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” —Harriet Tubman “And before I’d be a slave I’ll be buried in my grave; and go home to my Lord and be free.” —lyrics to “Oh, Freedom”

Editors’ note: P and U are two of the more potentially misleading propositions that San Francisco residents will find on the November ballot. And P & U concern one of the most important issues facing residents of this city: affordable housing. P & U have been put forward by the Realtors Association with a promise of

  Three Questions for Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr., GLIDE’s Interim Senior Pastor With the recent departure of GLIDE’s Senior-Pastor–turned-Bishop, Karen Oliveto, GLIDE has been deeply fortunate to welcome back to its congregational leadership, on an interim basis, Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr.—although as the Bishop makes clear below, his many roles in and around

From Rita Shimmin, GLIDE Executive Director: On August 14, 2016, newly elected Bishop Karen Oliveto gave her farewell sermon at GLIDE (see below). After the Sunday Celebration, we gathered to give the new Bishop a farewell party. Both her sermon and the party were filled with much joy and inspiration but also an underlying grieving

The massacre in Orlando has resulted in the country yet again going into its now too common rhetoric of the need for “gun control.” We have developed a patterned, predictable response to these acts of terror and violence. We even now have a definition for mass shootings: “Four or more killed in one incident.” This

America has blood on its hands yet again. Make no mistake: Whenever political and religious leaders allow a climate of intolerance to fester, it becomes a breeding ground for violence. Anytime rhetoric demonizes instead of humanizes; promotes hate, not love; and gives tacit approval to injustice instead of remaining vigilant and continuing the pursuit of

We share solidarity, grief and love with the victims, friends and families of the Orlando shootings at the Pulse nightclub. In this PRIDE month, when we will celebrate the love of our LGBTQ family, we know well that the targeting of a gay club was not incidental.

Yes friends, the alumni of Springlicious are back with Springlicious 6: The Transformation. On June 4, the cast will kick off a brand new show format by transforming a new cast of Kings, Queens, Faux Guys and Faux Dolls in a cabaret style show. The event will be held by this year’s sponsor, Balançoire, from

by Rev. Theon Johnson III, Associate Pastor We shall overcome. We shall overcome. We shall overcome some day. Deep in my heart I do believe. We shall overcome some day. Popularized during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history, this protest song was a central anthem in the struggle for freedom and equality

Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto, Senior Pastor, GLIDE Last week, as political pundits continued to fan the flames of fear and intolerance, a call went out to religious leaders and others to stand in solidarity with Muslims, who are encountering increased instances of bigotry in the United States. Committed to a world of diversity, religious tolerance,

Marvin K. White’s “A Balm in Gilead: A Prayer, Poem and Sermon” for Glide’s World AIDS Day Celebration 2015 The God of the FDA and of my Combination Drugs. The One True Atripla and Combivir God. The Epzicom of Prayers. The First Trizivir and The Last Truvada. The Great Fuzeon Lord of the Entry and

by Rev. Theon Johnson III, Associate Pastor On Tuesday, August 11, I joined members of the GLIDE family for an advanced screening of Straight Outta Compton hosted by Ben and Felicia Horowitz and the team at Andreessen Horowitz.Following the screening, there was a special Q&A moderated by Ben with Director F. Gary Gray, Actors’ Corey

The following is a personal blog spot written about GLIDE and recent events from Beverly, a member of the GLIDE Family.  We have cut and pasted Beverly’s blog here, in its entirety. GLIDE, Unconditionally Last week, I filed silently into GLIDE Memorial Church on an evening after work. Inside the church sanctuary and adjacent to

There are historical moments that are forever seared in one’s memory. We will always remember where we were when: Kennedy was shot, King was assassinated, Harvey Milk and George Moscone were killed, The Challenger exploded, The ’89 earthquake rumbled, The Twin Towers collapsed, Obama was elected, Oscar Grant was killed at the Fruitvale station. And

On Tuesday, June 23, more than four hundred people gathered in the GLIDE Sanctuary to remember, to grieve, to act, in response to the deadly shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Church that left 9 people dead and the nation’s soul shattered. It was a somber moment, as we sat silently together as the evening’s shadows

Eleven years ago, I was sitting in my church office in Noe Valley when I received an unbelievable call: San Francisco was issuing marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples?! One quick internet search and confirmed:  lesbian icons Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin had been married earlier in the day and now couples from throughout

I first learned of GLIDE in 1981. I was a seminary student at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley and was in a class called “Ministry of Deviance”(!). The class had three requirements: 1) Ride in a cop car with a Berkeley police office; 2) Walk through the Tenderloin at midnight with the Night Minister;

As the lead pastor of one of the largest churches in The United Methodist Church, I am indebted to a woman who I never met: Elizabeth Snyder Glide. Lizzie, as she was known throughout her life, was born in Louisiana in 1852. During a family bible study, Lizzie had her own Aldersgate experience. Her father

What a difference a decade makes! Ten years ago today, I received a call from one of my parishioners who gave me the most surprising news: the City and County of San Francisco was issuing marriage licenses! He barely took a breath before informing me that he and his partner were on their way to

GLIDE’s Youth Choir commemorated Black History Month by singing the Black National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at Sunday Celebration February 9. They were joined by youth from Lakeshore Alternative, who presented a step performance and a video talking about their wishes for the world. GLIDE Youth Choir Director Classy Martin, who also teaches

GLIDE’s Sunday Celebrations are available for streaming + download at Podomatic: http://glidesf.podomatic.com/ and iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glide-podcast/id425252990 Join GLIDE’s Ministry Team and the soulful sounds of the GLIDE Ensemble and the Change Band LIVE every Sunday + fill your week with the GLIDE spirit of unconditional love and acceptance with a digital listening party! Share this message

On July 14, GLIDE celebrated the 107th birthday of Mother Ruth Jones at a special Sunday Celebration along with Ms. Jones and her friends and family. The special Sunday Celebrations featured a special tribute to Ms. Jones along with a joyous experience of community, music by the GLIDE Ensemble and the Change Band, preaching and

GLIDE Senior Pastor Karen Oliveto shares a special prayer in honor of Trayvon Martin as we fight and continue this work for justice. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears God of Trayvon Martin, God of George Zimmerman, God of countless brown and black men who have been profiled, gunned down, locked

GLIDE Co-Executive Director Kristen Growney Yamamoto shares her reflection on Embrace, Encourage, Empower: the 2013 San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade on June 30, 2013. As I walked to the staging area for GLIDE’s float at Sunday’s Pride Parade, I relished the fancy outfits, rainbows and happiness in the air. I was also struck by

In collaboration with videographer Pete Lee, GLIDE presents its Soul Kitchen video series – a project featuring people from the GLIDE community sharing their music, poetry, or simply telling their stories. The GLIDE Sanctuary serves as a backdrop for these wonderfully intimate performances. This growing documentary series illustrates the passion, vibrance, and creative diversity of

Founders Rev. Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani started Speak Out in the same manner they bring all of GLIDE’s programs to fruition – they saw a need, and they responded. Speak Out is GLIDE’s weekly community open-mic whose sole purpose is to give people a place to express themselves. The most marginalized in our society

Thursday, Feb. 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Join Pastor Theon and GLIDE HIV Services Manager Paul Harkin in this important day of action! Event begins at 4.30pm at the front steps of San Francisco City Hall – and then the participants will join together for a candlelight vigil and march to GLIDE. At

by Sarah Kathleen Peck Today’s blog comes from Sarah Kathleen Peck, the writer behind itstartswith.com. She shares the ways in which her visit to GLIDE helped uncover her beliefs. In the wake of the horrible bullying and the national headlines–from Matthew Shephard 14 years ago, to the Boy Scouts’ recent denial of an Eagle Scout

Lisa Wiseman, the photographer behind The 30Love, tells us about the inspiration behind the project, and why she chose GLIDE as its beneficiary. Make sure to check out The 30Love exhibition at LUX-SF Daylight Studio, tomorrow, July 3rd at 5pm! Check out a preview here: The 30Love from Lisa Wiseman on Vimeo. What is The

by Pastor Karen Oliveto Pride 2012 was a wonderful celebration as GLIDE took to the streets with great joy and enthusiasm.  Marching participants included small children to some of our older members, people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, races, classes, and abilities. As a result, GLIDE was a beautiful tapestry of the diversity found

by Clarissa Mendiola, Donor Cultivation & Communications Coordinator Twelve years ago, Reggie Johnson found $100 on the sidewalk. In his heart, he felt the money wasn’t his to keep. He held on to it for a week, trying to decide who the money would benefit most. As a long-time resident of San Francisco, Reggie had

A cohort of around 20 new graduates and members of Teach for America visited GLIDE today to engage with the GLIDE community. They will take the lessons they learn today into the classroom later this year when they are placed as teachers at schools in low-income communities. Teach for America’s mission is to ensure that

What is your GLIDE story? When did you first come? How did you hear about GLIDE? I met Cecil and Jan at a photo shoot in 1990 at GLIDE on a Sunday morning.  It was love at first sight! I have been attending GLIDE regularly after my first visit and began volunteering in 1992. Can you

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor We at GLIDE are grateful for the many volunteers we get from corporations, schools, and churches.  Did you know we need 20 volunteers for each mealtime?  Without the volunteer hours, we would not be able to provide the number of meals we serve each day to those who are hungry.

by Clarissa Mendiola, Donor Cultivation Coordinator Every Sunday, Betty Cantor Jackson works behind the scenes to help create the ecstatic sound for which GLIDE is known. She is the recording engineer for the renowned GLIDE Ensemble and Change Band. As recording engineer, Betty pilots all of the complex sound equipment that brings listeners to their

by Paul Chilvers, Lead Teacher 3-5 Grade Black History Month (February) has taken many forms for me and the kids at FYCC over the years, but this year was my favorite. One of my favorite people in the world, Joyce Hayes, agreed to come in and chat with the children about her experience in the

by Lillian Mark, Operations Manager, Community Building Division A woman who came to GLIDE homeless two years ago now finds herself at GLIDE’s 149 Mason Street Apartments and holds a part-time job as a community advocate.  She recently shared her story and closed with “Jan and Cecil, thank you for believing in your dreams, so

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor We are approaching one of the biggest sporting events of the year: the Super Bowl. This is a day that can only be “Made in America.” Americans consume more on this day than any other day except Thanksgiving.  There will be 8 million pounds of guacamole, and 14,500 tons of

by Magnolia, GLIDE Family When you told me I have cancer my soul fell blue Felt my fight was over, felt my life was through Felts so confused and alone that day Had no idea how I would find my way I used to wish the sky would smack me on my head Woke up

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor I recently read a pretty jarring report in Business Insider. The article showed several graphs depicting the following information: 1. With a brief except in 1980,  unemployment is at the highest level since the Great Depression. 2. At the same time, corporate profits are at an all-time high. 3. Wages

by Kristen Growney Yamamoto, co-Executive Director I am serving on jury duty this week. Like most of you, I wasn’t looking forward to the time away from work, the endless waiting.  I was called into the courtroom for jury selection and my dread continued. The judge read to the collective jurors about our responsibility to

by Amy Errett, Board Chair

What brought you to GLIDE? I started my journey at GLIDE as an Epworth Intern in 2006. I learned a lot about GLIDE, the services we offer, and the rich culture where everybody is welcomed.  I reconnected with my GLIDE family last year when I started working as a Payroll Specialist. The reason why I

by Annie Prasad, Volunteer After a year of absolute intensity at Princeton, I came home to San Francisco, planning on working a 9-to-5 and partying with friends, relaxing before I went back to my sleepless college lifestyle. 3 months later, it didn’t quite work out like that, and this is why. It’s funny how fast

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor At GLIDE, we say that everyone is in recovery for something. I confess that as I read a recent online report on the web browser of my iPhone, I got in touch with an issue that is requiring recovery: my addiction to my iPhone. Research shows I am not alone. 

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor As an entire generation readies itself to say good-bye to one who grew up with them, I figure it’s time to think about some of the spiritual lessons of Harry Potter. The seven books which make up the Harry Potter series portray the age-old battle between good and evil in

by Rusc Trinidad-O’Keefe, GLIDE Pride Team and LBTQ Women’s Group “What  does Pride means to me?” Pride Belongs to Everyone! “Did someone proclaim she was a Pink mom at Sunday’s celebration?” As a gay woman/man, this is what GLIDE means to me. These are the questions that have been posed to me about being a member

by Joyce Sood, Communications Manager About a year ago, I had the great fortune of vacationing in Alaska. My fiance and I spent time backpacking in Denali, then rented a car and drove down to Seward. Along the way we stopped in a little town called Hope, population 137. In this quaint, picturesque town, there

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor Two weeks ago, I attended the Lady Gaga concert in Oakland. It was a rainy night, but the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of concert goers as we stood in line waiting to go in. The crowd was a wonderful mirror the beautiful diversity we have in the Bay Area.

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor There is a phenomenon known as the Butterfly Effect —it states that the world is such a delicate and connected eco-system that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can cause a weather change in New York City. Since March 11th, we have known just how true the Butterfly Effect

by Paul Chilvers, Lead Teacher (3rd-5th grade) As the children arrive at the Janice Mirikitani Family, Youth & Childcare Center, they have been at school for hours, being told where to go, where to sit, when to talk, what to read and write.  They remind me of cartoon steam whistles at the end of a

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor It’s the time of year I start spending a lot of time in dark theaters, trying to see all the Oscar nominated movies before the Academy Awards show is televised. This is a difficult task for a couple of reasons: 1) I don’t like the high price of movie-going, so

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor February 23, 2011 is a new marker on the United States civil rights time line. On that day, the Obama administration declared the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstutitional and will no longer defend it in a court of law.  While marriage equality for glbt persons has not yet

by Donald Guest, Pastor Every day we hear and read the news that hundreds and sometimes thousands of people are losing their jobs.  Job loss is a reality in an economic system based on profit where shareholders must see dividends or “heads roll.”  Even now there is a drive by some in Congress to attach

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor BART encounters (#2): I am one of those people that starts the day wide awake and ready to go, and the earlier the better!  No caffeine is needed here! Once my feet hit the floor I am already headed towards the gym followed by a warm shower. Then I am

by Angela Coleman, WIC Client Advocate I’ve worked as a Client Advocate in the Walk-In Center for over a year.  Before that, my first position at GLIDE was a Church Monitor for five years.  I was working part-time as a monitor until I lost another part-time position at another company, and then became a full

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor Every New Year’s Eve finds me pondering this quote from former UN secretary general Dag Hammerskold: For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, yes. This phrase is perfect for reflecting on the past year and preparing for the next.  It helps me live with a sense

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor This is my third holiday season at GLIDE and once again, I am amazed at the miracles that abound here, not only in November and December but throughout the year. From November through December, our building is filled to overflowing with food, volunteers, toys, hungry people, and children. People come

by Dr. Karen Oliveto, Pastor One of the things I love about GLIDE is that we welcome everybody. Really. Everybody.  It doesn’t matter if your family no longer wants you around–you are welcome here. It doesn’t matter who you love–you are welcome here. It doesn’t matter whether you are high, in denial you have a