Since she can remember, the Rev. Alison Halsey knew she wanted to be a minister.
After returning home from kindergarten one day, she declared her vocation to her mother and it stuck. “I had a pretty clear call from a pretty young age,” she said. Thirty years ago, the New Jersey native graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary before serving churches in western New York, including Buffalo. She?s led the First and Franklin Street Presbyterian Church congregation for the past eight years.
Q How many members do you have and who are they?
A We have a pretty unique congregation, about 200 members. We?re racially and economically diverse. Fifty percent are gay or lesbian, which is unusual for a mainline Presbyterian church.
Q What?s the church?s stance on sexual orientation?
A We?re very [open] and accepting. We clearly believe that god loves all of us. And that includes gay or straight men or women, the person on the street or the person who lives in Gilcrest.
Q How are the needs of a Baltimore congregation different from other congregations?
A I love the city of Baltimore, I really think it?s a marvelous place to be a minister. … But it also has this incredible drug problem and murder … in the ?40s, ?50s and ?60s the church sent missions out overseas; today, we find the mission is at our doorstep.
Q What problems do members discuss with you?
A The one thing I love about the church is people are always looking for the ways to make a difference ? to be the presence of Christ to our city and make a significant difference.
We care for peace and justice; every Memorial Day we set up ribbons: gold for every soldier that?s been killed in Iraq with the soldiers? names, green ribbons to represent the tens of thousands of Iraqis who have been killed, and a blue ribbon for each prayerfor peace.
Unfortunately, we?re close to 4,000 ribbons [for soldiers who perished in war]. Every week, we pray for those who died the previous week. It?s a way to raise consciousness ? to look at the cost of this war.
FAST FACTS
» The choir at The First and Franklin Street Presbyterian Church includes Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University students and graduates.
» The congregation was founded in 1761. Its prominent sacred structure, designed in a Gothic style with a distinguishing steeple, was built in 1850.
» Before becoming Baltimore?s first mayor, James Calhoun, an Irish immigrant, served the church in its infancy as a trustee and elder.
HALSEY’S FAVORITE PASSAGE
“I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” ? John 10:10
“Jesus said this to his disciples and followers. The whole message is in following Jesus? example, we loose a part of our life in one way, but in another, we gain a much richer life in service to others,” said Halsey.
IF YOU GO
The First And Franklin Street Presbyterian Church
210 W. Madison St., Baltimore
410-728-5545
