The Fountains is proud to announce that Pastor David is being honored with the “Spotlight on Success” Local Heroes Award for 2016. The award will be presented by ONE Community at a luncheon ceremony recognizing community heroes for their commitment to diversity.
Among the award recipients are:
- Executives from Uber
- Vice President of GoDaddy
- Director of Human Resources from Fry’s Food Stores
And…
- Reverend David Felten, Pastor, The Fountains United Methodist Church
One Community says:
As pastor of The Fountains, Rev. Felten has been a singular faith voice for inclusion in Fountain Hills. In 1999, he was one of the founders of No Longer Silent: Clergy for Justice, a group advocating for the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in both the church and the community. Since then, he and other colleagues have stood in the midst of the tension in the United Methodist Church which finds its Book of Discipline stating that gay and transgender people are of sacred worth and yet are somehow incompatible with Christian teaching.
Rev. Felten’s church has hosted monthly PFLAG meetings for many years, is a “Reconciling Congregation” in the United Methodist tradition, and has signed One Community’s Unity Pledge. The Fountains continues to engage the community in ongoing study to deepen awareness and transform barriers into opportunities. Outspoken against SB 1062, Rev. Felten has been a public voice for inclusion on both marriage equality and gay and transgender equality and inclusion. Standing for the sacred worth of all people has sometimes come with both a personal and professional cost.
So, Rev. Debra Peevy, Faith Director for One Community, says, “You have spoken out, shaken up, and helped to stir the hearts of many United Methodists to take a journey toward full inclusion. This journey has been taken in faith and the outcome remains unclear, but your voice, your leadership, and your standing up to be counted when it counts, has made you our first choice to receive the Spotlight on Success Heroes Award for Faith Leadership in 2016.”
COST: $40 (normally $100 each — underwritten by One Community and the Peg Beavis Scholarship Fund) Contact the office for information on reserving your seat: 480.837.7627
WHERE: The Sheraton Downtown, 340 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix
WHEN: October 28th, 2016 — 11:00 Doors Open, 11:30 luncheon