Integrity Atlanta hosts its 21st Pride Eucharist the night before the festival weekend begins in earnest.

Staring at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, All Saints will host a traditional Episcopalian service aimed at Pride goers. Bruce Garner is a member of the international leadership board of the Episcopal Church and is on staff at All Saints.

The Pride Eucharist is a natural outgrowth of the denomination’s inclusive beliefs, Garner says.

“The Episcopal Church has a reputation of being welcome to all individuals. ... Some of the mainline churches have frankly slammed the doors in the face of LGBT folk and the Episcopal Church has never done that,” he says.

Openly gay Rev. Mac Thigpen of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church on LaVista Road will preside over the service. Historically the service attracts between 250 to 400 worshipers who are a mix of residents and tourists, straight and gay.

“It pulls in people from all over,” Garner says. “I would say the group is probably about a third straight and two thirds gay, which is good because we have a lot of straight allies in Atlanta.

“It’s a good group of people and usually they sing loudly enough to knock the roof off the church,” he says.

Anyone wishing to be part of the volunteer choir should be at the church by 6:15 p.m.

Integrity Atlanta Gay Pride Eucharist
Thursday, Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m.
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
634 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308
[email protected]
www.allsaintsatlanta.org