Open and Affirming Statement

How Our Ministry & Mission Have Directed Us to Becoming

AN OPEN AND AFFIRMING/MORE LIGHT CONGREGATION

Collenbrook United Church, since its beginning in 1975, as a union of St. Paul’s UCC and Northminster PCUSA, has perceived itself as a family of God where all can feel welcome, at home, and at ease.  Collenbrook has recognized that there are individuals and groups that the greater church has not accepted and embraced fully into the fellowship of Jesus Christ.  Collenbrook has endeavored to reach out to these individuals and groups through service, fellowship, and financial support.  We have done so out of our conviction that this is what Jesus Christ leads us to do.  We see in the life, teaching, witness, and example of Christ how we are to reach out in love to all our human neighbors.

In recent years we have witnessed the struggle of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons for acceptance within the church of Jesus Christ.  We acknowledge God’s gift of sexuality with its joy, power, and mystery.  We believe that God has created us as physical, rational, emotional, spiritual, and sexual beings.  We also believe that our sexual orientation is part of God’s creation and plan for us.

We have further witnessed how our two denominations have addressed the particular issue of homosexuality and have come to differing conclusions.  We are well aware that this issue is emotionally charged.  We have been especially disappointed in the adoption of policies by the PCUSA that do not permit the ordination and installation to the offices of pastor, elder, and deacon of non-heterosexual persons.  We believe this position of the PCUSA is contrary to Scripture, especially to the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Since the UCC supports the ordination of non-heterosexual persons, we have found ourselves, in our union church, in an awkward situation.  However, since our own clear-cut understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is more in line with the UCC policy, we believe Collenbrook should affirm that policy for our congregation.

While we feel that in our actions Collenbrook has been welcoming and accepting of all persons, we understand that not all people will be aware of our openness without our making a definitive public statement of our welcoming and affirming attitude.  Therefore, it is necessary for our congregation to make such a statement at this time.

We know that we are enriched as a congregation when we have a diversified membership.  We recognize that different gifts, different life experiences, even different opinions can help us grow in our mutual faith.  We do not wish to inhibit the ability of God to teach us and have us grow through the use of a wide diversity of individuals.  In addition we never want to prevent anyone from coming to know the joy, hope, peace, and love of Jesus Christ that all of us at Collenbrook seek.

We further affirm that we are first and foremost a Christian congregation.  What brings us together and binds us as one is our common faith in Christ.  We invite into full participation in our worship community everyone who makes the same commitment to God and Christ.

We pledge ourselves to continue in prayer and study and love to seek God’s will for ourselves and our church.

 

OPEN AND AFFIRMING/MORE LIGHT MINISTRY

WHEREAS, we believe that all persons are created in the image of God and that Jesus Christ died and rose again for all persons;

WHEREAS, we believe that the world should be a place of love, compassion, and respect, free from fear, discrimination, and prejudice;

WHEREAS, as children of God we hereby reaffirm our commitment to follow God’s will as given to us in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and foremost among these teachings is Christ’s commandment to love one another;

WHEREAS, we are called by Jesus Christ to declare our faith aloud and not hide our faith from the world;

WHEREAS, becoming an Open and Affirming/More Light congregation is a witness to the wider church, proclaiming loudly and clearly exactly where Collenbrook United Church stands;

WHEREAS, we seek to heal the wounds inflicted on individuals and groups by the church and our society;

WHEREAS, since we want lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons to continue to participate in the UCC and PCUSA, we need to make a meaningful gesture of support;

WHEREAS, becoming an Open and Affirming/More Light congregation will enable lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered members to share their spiritual gifts even more freely, fully, and openly;

WHEREAS, not adopting an official policy with regard to sexual orientation and ordination puts an unnecessary burden on non-heterosexual people who feel called to serve the church;

WHEREAS, the tone and content of certain policies and groups in both the PCUSA and UCC that direct fear and discrimination toward non-heterosexual persons demand an intentional, precise, and public response from our congregation;

WHEREAS, exclusion of anyone from the fellowship of the church wounds the body of Christ;

WHEREAS, Collenbrook United Church desires to follow Christ more fully, receiving and reaching out to all people whom God may lead to us regardless of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, physical or mental abilities, sexual orientation, economic or cultural background, or any other socially limiting barrier;

The congregation of Collenbrook United Church on January 28, 2001, adopted the following Open and Affirming/More Light Mission Statement:

 

We, the people of Collenbrook United Church, humbly, prayerfully, and faithfully declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming/More Light congregation.  This means that we covenant to be open to all people.  Furthermore, the members of Collenbrook United Church declare that we

·        welcome into the family and life of our church all people whom God leads to us;

·        accept all people who are seeking a relationship with God and with our family of Christ;

·        include all persons in our worship, fellowship, learning, service, pastoral care, and leadership who make the same affirmation of faith that all our members make;

·        affirm all persons with their unique and valuable gifts given to them by God;

·        and celebrate the diversity of all people created in the image of God and for whom Christ suffered, died, and rose again.

Therefore, we seek to include and demonstrate Christian love to everyone regardless of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, physical or mental abilities, sexual orientation, economic or cultural background, or any other socially limiting barrier.

We also covenant to support and work toward a time when discrimination of all kinds is eliminated from our churches and our communities.

We welcome you!