Oct 02 2008
Hand: Karl Hand
Karl Hand
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Listen to the interview here:
Oral History
What is your name?
Karl Hand.
Where were you born?
In England actually—Staffordshire, a little town called (unintelligible.)
Where do you call home?
Sydney, Australia. In a city called Newtown.
Do you have a life partner or spouse or life partners or spouses that you’d like to talk about?
No I don’t.
Did you grow up in a church or faith tradition?
Yes, I did actually. My parents were Pentecostal ministers and they started me when I was (unintelligible) I was about 10 years old, and so I was raised Pentecostal.
Okay, and when did you first discover Metropolitan Community Churches?
When I was at University—I would have been 20—and I actually did…I googled the words “Gay Church Sydney” and a couple of MCCs came up.
Why did you want to go to MCC having grown up with your Pentecostal roots?
Because I was coming out and I was doing ministry at my Pentecostal church and I couldn’t. And a whole scandal also happened at the church because my parents were ministers there and so I needed, I needed somewhere else to get to.
Describe your first visit to MCC.
Well, I terrified about going because I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable with the idea, but my ex-girlfriend was encouraging me to go. And then I knew the service was at night time. I figured out how to get there and I was at my Pentecostal church in the morning and then I just decided that I was going. So I walked straight to the train station from church and on the way there I called Ruth, who was my ex-girlfriend who was going to take me along, and just showed up.
Okay, and what church was that?
MCC Good Shepherd, which at that time, was in Parramatta.
And how many years have you been going to MCC?
6 years I think, or 5 years. Maybe 5 years.
5 years? And is there a sermon that you have heard that you can’t forget?
Yes, absolutely. At my intensive in the practice of ministry, on the last day Jim Mitulski gave a sermon on Ezekiel, chapter 37 I think, and HIV; and it had every single person in that room in tears. And it was absolutely amazing.
And when, when was that, what year; do you know?
2005. Actually (unintelligible) wasn’t Ezekiel 37 that’s (unintelligible) The sermon was on Elijah and Elisha and the passage in Kings.
Okay, and who do you think has influenced you the most in the MCC Community?
I’d say Jim Mitulski.
Would you like to elaborate?
Well I was having—even when I was training for the ordained ministry—I was having a lot of problems with the integration of my theology…my, my spirituality. And there was nobody in Australia who had really connected with me enough or spoken to me enough so… Jim Mitulski and I coming from very different positions theologically, but he helped me absolutely immensely just by being a person who understood, and introducing me to, to situations where I could just get a handle on my own theological process.
Okay, and if you attend an MCC now (unintelligible) you do, which one is it?
MCC Sydney
Okay, and what do you like the best about your local church?
I love some of the people that I’m working with there. I’ve really formed a few close relationships with some of the people who are on the board of directors, some people who are on the um…transitional steering team, although we call it the…transition team but it’s like the transitional steering team, and (unintelligible) good relationship there and that’s fun.
And what do you like best about MCC, in general?
It’s hard to just put my finger on just one thing. MCC has an exciting way to it…it’s, it’s going somewhere. And because of who we are and where we are in our history now, it’s just this passion about where we’re going next and that’s something that I’m really into, that I like to, I like to feel.
And uh, what is a moment where you felt the most proud to be a member of MCC?
Um…I don’t know. I me…no specific moment pops into my mind that (unintelligible) a lot, so…
Okay, and uh, have you ever been to a General Conference?
This one [2007 – Scottsdale] is my first General Conference.
Okay, and um what do you think is best part about General Conference?
Coming to this General Conference, I’m meeting up with a lot of people that I know, some of whom I haven’t seen in 2 years. And people that I (unintelligible) don’t see very often, and it’s really exciting to be able to spend time with them.
What do you remember about the Inclusive Language Project?
I don’t remember it as I haven’t been here that long.
What do you remember about the ordination or women and people of color?
Again that was before my time.
What do you remember about the beginning of ministry to transgender persons?
Um, I hope that’s something that was before my time, but I love that the church is (unintelligible) do that; but yeah, I think that was also before my time.
Okay, and what do you remember about the Children’s Ministry at your church?
We don’t really have much of a children’s ministry because…there’s actually only one monthly service at MCC Sydney where a lot of kids come along. And they’re just part of the service; it’s not a specific ministry and (unintelligible) praise service. And they just…they’re part of the service, they get up and they’re dancing.
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