The Chelsea Community Church (CCC) is excited to announce A Pride Month of Sundays: on each Sunday in June speakers and music will focus on the theme of Pride. The roster is as follows:
Sunday, June 2nd, 1 PM. The speaker will be Reverend Linda Tarry-Chard (United Church of Christ).
Sunday, June 9th, 1 PM. The Speaker will be Reverend Joseph Nicholson (Non-denominational Protestant) Topic: Does Pride Goeth Before a Fall?
Reverend Nicholson spent the first 30 years of his career as an entrepreneur. He founded a dozen companies, mostly related to software and the financial services industry.
Following the sale of his operating businesses and a brief retirement, he was called to seminary. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in 2016 and a Masters degree of Sacred Theology from Union Theological Seminary in 2020. He was ordained in 2017 by the Non-Denominational Protestant American Fellowship Church.
From September 2014 to January 2021, he served as chaplain to the uniformed personnel of the EMS division of the New York City Fire Department. Since April 2019, he has served as pastoral counselor at Chelsea Community Church.
Sunday, June 16th, 1 PM. Scott Barbarino leads the service: A Celebration of Jerry Scott, with music by Michael Beau, Pam Palmieri, Colm Reilly, Steve Ross and Marcus Simeone, with Special Speaker, Tree Sequoia. A member of CCC, Jerry was an extraordinary Manhattan entertainer and consummate musician whose stellar renditions over a span of 40 years encompassed every genre of music from show tunes to standards to pop to operetta to ragtime. He received MAC and BISTRO awards for Best Piano-Bar Performer and the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Piano-Bar Performance. Jerry created a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community for decades.
Sunday, June 23rd, 1 PM. The Speaker will be Reverend John Magisano (Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches), who will lead a special service The Blessing of Drag Artists, celebrating the contributions and resilience of drag artists within the LGBTQ+ community. Special guest speaker is Ruby Rims
Drag artists have been pivotal in the fight for equality, from the Stonewall riots to the AIDS crisis, and today, they remain a vibrant and integral part of the LGBTQ+ community. This special service is an opportunity to show appreciation and solidarity with a community that has long supported others. The event will feature a community choir, special music by vocalists Nina Blue and Cameron Mitchell Bell, moments of collective reflection and a special blessing by Reverend Joe (DollFace) Nicholson focusing on themes of love, acceptance and unity, reflecting the universal values that bring people together and celebrate each person’s inherent dignity.
Sunday, June 30th, Pride Day, 1 PM. Reverend Diane Trinkaus (Non-denominational) will speak, and vocalist Jeanne MacDonald will provide special music.
Following the Pride March, 2:30-6:30 PM, CCC invites everyone to stop by and enjoy time for reflection in the church, featuring images from the AIDS Memorial Quilt and other important parts of LGBTQ+ history. The church garden will be open to all; light refreshments will be served—it’s an opportunity to meet and chat with friends new and old.
Established half a century ago in the heart of Chelsea, Chelsea Community Church is a non-denominational Christian congregation that welcomes people of all faiths and those who are uncertain about their faith. We provide a safe and inclusive space for people wherever they are on their personal spiritual journey.
All services will take place at historic St. Peter’s Chelsea, 346 West 20th Street, in person and on Zoom.
ChelseaCommunityChurch.org
