Although President George W. Bush and the Pope may be looking for ways to prevent gay marriage, the institution has found solid support among gay and lesbian Seventh-day Adventists, as evidenced by activities at the most recent Kinship Kampmeeting.

Now in its twenty-fourth year, Kinship Kampmeeting attracts a group of people who function like an extended family, loving each other through the difficult times of life. There are several story sessions scheduled during the week when people share their burdens. The honor given to each person in the group is impressive. There are hugs, tears, and cheers for each other, and an inclusive spirit unlike any other gathering.

This year, in addition to the scheduled events, several weddings were celebrated, the first between two women from North Carolina. They had planned to have a civil ceremony with a justice of the peace, but the Kinship women convinced them that they should share the event and ordered flowers and a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream wedding cake.

Friday after the regular meeting, the chairs were rearranged, the flowers and candles placed, and the ceremony began. First, a justice of the peace led the couple through their commitment vows. Then a former Adventist pastor added words of celebration. Dressed in white slacks and lime green shirts, the happy couple danced in the aisle at the conclusion of the service.

Later that evening, an audience gathered to watch another wedding via DVD—the union of two men that had taken place on the fifth of July in a Springfield, Massachusetts, church. Although the ceremony that occurred at Kampmeeting ceremony was low-key and casual, the wedding in Massachusetts had been formal, with attendants in tuxedos and long red gowns, the Boston Area Gay Men’s Chorus singing, and a Congregational minister presiding. At Kampmeeting a large Kinship crowd gathered to watch the entire DVD because the wedding involved a long-time member.

As a first-time attendee of the Kampmeeting, I was initially surprised by the number of couples there. Being in a significant relationship with another person was obviously very important. Couples would often come to meetings holding hands or wearing similar outfits. One couple had been together for forty years, another for more than twenty. Young couples testified to how good life was now that they were in a relationship, and the love shone on their faces.

A third couple planned to be married immediately after Kampmeeting. The session was held in Poultney, Vermont, and since Vermont honors unions of gay couples, this made matters convenient for attendees wanting to have civil ceremonies.

Poultney is also significant in Adventist history. William Miller often preached there. His farm lay just across the border in New York. Many of the Kinship people paid a visit to the farm during the week of Kampmeeting. For some, the visit to the farm was difficult. Their sexual orientation had often estranged them from their church families, and immersion in the Adventist story hurt.

Several former pastors attended from Maryland, California, Norway and Brazil. For them, discovery of their sexual orientation had been particularly difficult because it not only affected their family relationships but also meant a loss of employment.

Being "outed" in the local newspaper on Sabbath morning was one man’s experience. The most recent outing had been that of the Brazilian pastor in attendance. He had lost his family, home, and position when someone went to the conference office with news of his sexual orientation. Being ostracized by a church congregation was a particularly painful experience with which many attendees could identify.

But Adventism was very much a part of them. The hymns that were sung were old traditional ones. On Sabbath afternoon, the discussion focused on how attendees as a group could work with the Church.

In his Sabbath morning sermon Roger Bothwell talked about putting on the garments of Christ’s love and wearing them with the label showing. Watching the kindness and inclusive love of the Kinship members, I came away feeling that they wear those robes of love with style.

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