The dialogue stays low-key as
George Fox hosts Equality Ride

By CRISTIE ROSS
CNNW staff writer
and JOHN FORTMEYER
CNNW publisher

    NEWBERG — It may not have been exactly a meeting of the minds on a certain ever-controversial topic, but it stayed civil and even friendly.
    As scheduled, the Soulforce Equality Ride, a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and activist allies, paid a daylong visit to George Fox University Thursday, April 5, as part of a tour of dozens of Christian colleges and universities nationally this spring. Purpose of the tour was to challenge Christian college policies that reflect the traditional, orthodox position opposing homosexual behavior.
    Although disagreeing with the group’s views on homosexuality, the university committed itself to treating the Equality Riders — who had essentially invited themselves to campus — with gracious hospitality.
    The university had spent the weeks before the visit preparing for it and informing faculty, staff, students and the general public why it was taking place. By the time their bus arrived on campus, some of the riders and George Fox administrators had communicated enough to greet each other warmly. The campus seemed well aware of the visitors, but life at the university generally changed little on the sunny day. The Equality Riders attended approved classes, mainly dealing with sociology and psychology, and kept lunch dates and press conferences.
    As expected, the exchange of views focused on biblical and moral foundations behind the university policy. The Soulforce group, in return, alluded to Jesus’ acceptance of people.
   “Two men can be right with God!” contended Brandon Knefel, one of the Equality Riders.
   “We come to engage conversation on (George Fox’s) discriminatory non-homosexual lifestyle policy. Many times, there is a religious oppressed faith tradition, and we want to open up discussion to it.” said Amy Brainer-Medellin, Equality Rider from Chicago, Ill., and point person appointed for the Newberg visit.
    She acknowledged that the Equality Ride is actually more of a political statement than a faith movement. “This year, we're visiting all of the religious schools, and next year, both buses visit all military schools,” she said.
    For this experience, she committed two months to research each stop, understand the faith statements, intensively train in non-violent protesting, and gain confidence in her own views and beliefs.
    She is familiar with Christian higher education, as many in her family attended Wheaton College in Illinois, and she attended there as well ... “until I changed things.”
    Asked what she thought about the visit, GFU student Corina Warner responded, “I don't think that the lifestyle policy is discriminatory.” She went on to explain that the policy was a faith statement. “We, as Christians, need to respect other people. We will always encounter people with different values.”
   “We all struggle with our own sins,” said Shawn Fox, a student at the university. “It’s good to have an open mind and respect people for their beliefs.”
    In a statement on the George Fox web site, Dana Miller, vice president for marketing and advancement, said “the Riders commended George Fox on our willingness to participate graciously and lovingly in the conversation and were impressed by the way our students, faculty and staff engaged and challenged them biblically.”
    Miller said GFU remained clear “about who we are and what we believe Scripture teaches about homosexual practice.”
    Other regional schools visited were Seattle Pacific University, Northwest

University near Seattle and Northwest Nazarene University.