Glen Morris United Church becomes first Affirming Ministry in Brant County ahead of Pride Month
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Casandra Turnbull
Managing Editor
Church sends powerful message: Come as you are. Come when you can
As Pride Month begins, members of Glen Morris United Church are celebrating a milestone they hope will send a clear message of inclusion, acceptance and belonging to the wider community.
The congregation recently voted overwhelmingly to become an Affirming Ministry with Affirm United, making it the first church in the County of Brant to receive the designation. The decision followed more than two years of education, discussion and reflection led by the church's Affirming Committee and Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai.
Church members approved a new vision statement, welcome statement and marriage policy during a congregational meeting held May 3. The vote passed with 88 per cent support.
Affirming Ministries are faith communities that publicly and intentionally welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. The designation is supported through Affirm United, which partners with The United Church of Canada to promote inclusion and justice for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual people (2S & LGBTQIA).
"Becoming an Affirming ministry means that as a community of faith we have journeyed together in prayer, conversation, education, and more to understand the role we can play in being a safe space for 2S & LGBTQIA+ people and how our faith can be nurtured by honouring and celebrating the diversity of those in our community, and those we serve," Bown-Kai said.
The process challenged members to listen to different perspectives and learn from the experiences of people within the 2S and LGBTQIA+ community.
"The Affirming process taught us the importance of listening and storytelling as we invited various members of the 2S & LGBTQIA+ community to share as guest preachers," said Bown-Kai. "We learned how to sit with challenge and opened our mind to different perspectives as we gathered around tables sharing food and conversation about our own ideas about what it means to be an Affirming church."
Bown-Kai said the congregation also explored issues such as religious trauma, homophobia and transphobia in faith communities, while learning about the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people in rural Canada. Members commemorated those who died during the HIV/AIDS crisis and reflected on the impact of stigma and discrimination.
The church's newly adopted vision statement calls for "a church living out God's call for deep spirituality, bold discipleship, and daring justice." Its welcome statement reads simply: "Come as you are. Come when you can." The congregation also adopted a statement affirming that all people are welcome to fully participate in the life and ministries of the church regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, abilities, ethnicity, economic circumstance or family configuration.
Bown-Kai said the response following the vote has been emotional and encouraging.
"It was a moving experience to hold the vote and many of us shared teary-eyed hugs afterwards," they said. "Affirming churches are not only safe spaces for 2S & LGBTQBIA+ people, they also offer a wider message to the community that we believe we are all beloved children of God."
Looking ahead, the congregation plans to develop an action plan that will put its new vision and welcome statements into practice. Planned initiatives include updating church signage and its website to reflect the new policies, while continuing community events designed to demonstrate that welcome publicly and intentionally.
"Our work is to be public, intentional, and explicit with our welcome so that no one ever has to guess or wonder if they will be appreciated in the fullness of who they are by our community of faith," Bown-Kai said. "This kind of radical welcome and hospitality changes and saves more lives than you can imagine."
The church will celebrate the milestone during its fourth annual Pride Celebration, Worship and Picnic on June 7.
The event begins with coffee at 10 a.m., followed by worship at 10:30 a.m. and an outdoor picnic. Community members are invited to attend and are encouraged to wear rainbow colours.
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