Reconciling Congregation Statement

On Sunday, May 19, 2019, during worship, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church voted with 100% of persons present to become a Reconciling Congregation (#ComingOutChurch). We had spent a lot of time in prayer, discernment, listening, and learning before making this decision led by the Holy Spirit. 

After our vote, we sang and danced our way outside where we hung a rainbow flag, said a prayer, took photos, and signed a Reconciling Statement Poster for display inside the church building. It was a day of celebration!

Being a Reconciling Congregation means that we officially welcome everyone, especially the LGBTQIA+ community. We are daily living into what this means, and are excited to invite you to join us on this journey.

You can find out more about the national Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) here.

Our statement is: 
Jesus spent his ministry among the tax collectors, lepers, widows, poor, and others that were deemed social outcasts in his day while proclaiming that God loves everyone. John Wesley, founder of Methodism, was most at home preaching to the poor, the Native Americans, prisoners, the women and children, and others that were deemed social outcasts in his day while proclaiming that God loves everyone even if that proclamation excluded him from local parishes.

 Likewise, we are called to minister with the outcasts of our day, including the poor, the homeless, the addicts, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual individuals while proclaiming that God loves everyone. 

God’s radical love and radical hospitality mean that all persons are of sacred worth and no human barriers or categories can exclude people from God. These categories include, but are not limited to: age, race, gender identity, ethnic background, sexual orientation, physical appearance, physical or mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, educational background, political party or marital status  Good Shepherd United Methodist Church seeks to emulate this radical love and radical hospitality for all people in our congregation and in our community and to incorporate all persons into the life and ministry to which we are called. 

One of our children learning about the significance of the rainbow flag

Part of the Congregation present to vote 100% in favor of becoming a Reconciling Congregation

Praying After Hanging our PRIDE flag