Robert Wolfe was an American clergyman with the

Metropolitan Community Church The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), also known as the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), is an international LGBT-affirming Christian denominations, LGBT-affirming mainline Protestant Christian denomination. The ...

, most noted as the founding pastor of the

Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto The Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto is a congregation of the worldwide Metropolitan Community Church movement located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is a welcoming congregation openly affirming lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual and ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. Previously pastor of the church's congregation in

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, he was assigned to head up a new Toronto congregation in 1973, and performed his first mass at the Toronto church on July 17, 1973. In January 1974, he became noted for talking a young man out of committing

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

."Youth threatens City Hall jump, fire chief, minister talk him down". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', January 16, 1974. The teenager, distraught over being

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

, had climbed onto a beam outside the observation deck at

Toronto City Hall The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in ...

and was threatening to jump, but Wolfe was called in and successfully counselled the young man back to safety. A few weeks later,

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The Toronto City Council 2022–2026, current term began on Nove ...

presented him with a citation of bravery for his role in defusing the situation."Ad rejected: Pastor airs complaint at council ceremony". ''

'', February 7, 1974. He used his acceptance speech to criticize the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'' for its refusal to print an advertisement for the church; the reaction to his announcement led the ''Star'' to reverse its decision and print the advertisement the following day."Civic Recognition Forces Newspaper to Print Ad". ''

The Body Politic ''The Body Politic'' was a Canadian monthly magazine, which was published from 1971 to 1987. It was one of Canada's first significant gay publications, and played a prominent role in the development of the LGBT community in Canada. ''The Body Po ...

'', Vol. 12 (March/April 1974), p. 4. Wolfe stepped down as pastor of MCC Toronto in 1978, and was succeeded by

Brent Hawkes Brent Hawkes (born June 2, 1950) is a Canadian gay rights activist and clergyman at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), also known as the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), which is an international LGBT-affirmi ...

."MCC Conference names new Toronto Pastor". ''

'', Jun/Jul78, Issue 44, p8.

References

2005 deaths Metropolitan Community Church clergy Activists from Toronto American Protestant ministers and clergy Canadian Protestant ministers and clergy American LGBTQ rights activists Canadian LGBTQ rights activists LGBTQ people from California 20th-century Canadian LGBTQ people Clergy from Sacramento, California 20th-century American LGBTQ people American gay men Canadian gay men {{US-reli-bio-stub