By Al Benson
With a pancake breakfast and interfaith service, seven Aurora, Oswego, Batavia, and Geneva clergy banded together to celebrate Aurora’s Pride Day Sunday, June 9.
Participating clergy were Rev. Brandon Perrine, senior minister, New England Congregational; Rev. Tammy Scott, pastor, Wesley UMC; Rev. Scott Hodge, pastor, Orchard Community and Rabbi Ed Friedman, Temple B’Nai Israel, all in Aurora; and Rev. Patrick Fish, pastor, Becoming ELCA, Oswego; Rev. Paige Wolfanger, pastor, First Congregational, Batavia; and Rev. Scot Hull, Unitarian Universalist Society, Geneva.
Activities opened at 8:30 a.m. at New England with a free Pride Cakes pancake breakfast. Rev. Tammy Scott, pastor at Wesley UMC, led congregants in serving green- and orange-colored pancakes with sausages and beverages.
An interfaith worship service at 10 a.m. featured clergy from partner churches. After New England senior minister Rev. Brandon Perrine welcomed worshippers, Rabbi Ed Friedman of Temple B’nai Israel in Aurora chanted psalm 119. Rev. Hodge offered the morning prayer.
Wesley UMC’s Rev. Scott led three “exhortations” with a children’s message. She was followed by Rev. Paige Wolfanger of Batavia’s First Congregational and Rev. Patrick Fish of ELCA Becoming in Oswego.
Performing gathering and sending songs were Wesley UMC musicians Thew Elliott, Meredith Lindgren, Wally Loague and Ben Smith.
Rev. Hull of Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva closed the service with a benediction.
At 10:45 a.m., attendees walked from New England to downtown Aurora for the noon parade where members of St. David’s Episcopal joined in.
The worship service was livestreamed and a video recording for viewing is on the New England YouTube site.
—Al Benson