Why the United Church of Christ?

This past weekend I had the honor and pleasure of attending the annual meeting of the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ.  It was a mixture of laughter and tears, education, reacquainting with old friends and making new ones.  Most of all, it was a time of witnessing how the Holy Spirit is moving throughout our denomination in support of social justice.

I am humbled by the lengths our clergy and lay people go to in support of immigration reform, the poor and the LGBT community.  Promoting Marriage Equality in Arizona is one of our conference's goals for 2014 and a goal they will continue to pursue until it has been accomplished.

On Saturday, I listened to the pastors and members of Church of the Good Shepard UCC in Albuquerque, NM share their experiences in support of marriage equality in New Mexico.I've included the link to that panel discussion and encourage you to take time to view it.  Keynote Address on Marriage Equality.

One think that was stressed throughout the weekend, is that you cannot underestimate the power of our straight allies.  In fact, we can't win this battle without our straight allies, including and especially those clergy who stand with us, not because they have to, not because they need to, because they believe it is the right thing to do and God has moved them to stand with us.

Maybe like many of our LGBT brothers and sisters, you have been hurt by organized religion, have sworn against the conservative religious right, sworn never to have anything to do with church ever again.  If so, I'm an deeply sorry for your pain and I understand.  However, if you should encounter members of the UCC at Pride or other LGBT venues, remember, these are your friends, no matter who you are, no matter where you are on life's journey.  Should you ever find yourself in a position where you need a religious friend or other support, look for the Comma, rainbow or red, and know that you are welcome here.

God is still speaking, to everyone, not just the chosen few.

An Affirming Weekend

This past Saturday, April 25, 2009, the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ voted overwhelmingly to become the newest ONA conference within our denomination. What an emotional time for everyone regardless of which side of the vote they were on. The air was definitely emotionally charged. With the guidance of the Spirit, our conference minister and conference moderator, we were able to travel this road with grace and compassion.

One of the opponents made the point that UCC welcomes ALL people, thus this resolution was not necessary. While that may be true in an ideal world, we do not live in an ideal world. We must step out and proclaim our support for all who are treated unfairly for any reason, whether it be immigration status, sexual orientation, religious, or race related. It is our duty, right and privilege to speak out for those who cannot or will not.