The ad that ran in the San Jose Mercury News on Nov. 19 read: "In response to recent media reports regarding decisions made by the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church that gays and lesbians might not be welcomed into membership, we the under-signed clergy want the public to know that in our congregations all people are welcome regardless of sexual orientation."

The ad was in response to decisions handed down by the church's highest ruling authority, which reinstated a pastor in Virginia who had been suspended for denying membership in the congregation to a gay man.

"That the judicial council would support this is shocking and stunning. It is quite contrary to our history and disciplines," said Mark Bollwinkel, senior pastor at Los Altos United Methodist Church. Bollwinkel spearheaded the effort to put together the ad.

Among the list of clergy who signed the ad are Gail Pek Khing Chiew and Kristie Olah of Good Samaritan United Methodist Church of Cupertino, and Nancy Landauer of First United Methodist Church of Sunnyvale.

"It's important we stand up for the inclusion of all people," Olah said.

The ruling by the church's equivalent to the Supreme Court essentially confirms that pastors retain discretion and authority at the local level.

The decision came at about the same time a lesbian pastor of a church in eastern Pennsylvania was defrocked because of her sexual orientation.

The ad by the Bay Area churches did not address the issue of homosexuality and ordination of clergy.

Doctrines of the church state that ordination of gays and lesbians is not allowed, but membership to the church is open to people of all sexual orientation.

Nymphas Edwards, superintendent of the United Methodist Church San Jose District, is also listed in the ad. He said that the bishop in charge of the conference that oversees the San Jose district--under which the Cupertino and Sunnyvale churches are administered--wanted communities to understand that the church is still open to gays and lesbians seeking to worship there.

"I do believe strongly that the church of Jesus Christ is open to all people. We took out the ad to give solidarity to our church across the conference. We wanted to make sure we are not discriminating against them for any reason," Edwards said. "Which, of course, would be opposed on the eastern side of the United States. Many of [the churches there] would want to see [gays and lesbians] out of the church."

First United Methodist Church in Sunnyvale was listed in the ad but did not return phone calls for comment. The Trinity United Methodist Church located on Fremont Avenue in Sunnyvale was not listed in the ad. The church did not return phone calls.

Feedback about the advertisement from congregations has been generally positive, Edwards said.

Wiggsy Sivertsen, a gay and lesbian activist and professor and counselor at San José State University, said it's important that churches take an active stance in inclusion of all sexual orientations. "The group of churches down here have really been pretty good. I say pretty good because they could be bit more vocal sometimes," she said.

"It's the churches who are making the noise. It's the churches who need to clean up the mess," she said.

"It is so hurtful for people who are struggling. It is difficult for young people to make a way for themselves in this world," she said.