DiversityOur differences make us stronger.

Sometimes, a single event can act as a catalyst to open your eyes to a wider perspective. In the early nineties, our church embarked on an intentional and comprehensive exploration of a topic that even today is highly controversial at many other churches: to what extent do we accept and welcome gay and lesbian members into our congregation?

To reach an informed decision on this “open & affirming” question, we went first to the Bible, reading verses from different theological perspectives—literal by themselves, in context with other verses, and metaphorically in the historical context of the culture in which that book of the Bible was written. We learned how other verses of the Bible have been misused at dark times in our country’s history to endorse prejudice against other demographic groups, including the continuation of black slavery and keeping the right to vote away from women. Sometimes the Bible is used as a light of hope, sometimes as a stick to extinguish that light.

So we continued to listen. We listened to those who felt we already were open and welcoming and didn’t need to change, to talented gay people in our own congregation aching for community who had been excluded from other churches, and to those who had decided to cut off contact with a gay son or daughter in their own families. We heard heart-rending life stories that made the issue real, one of divisiveness and healing, and in the end, one of compassion. We read again about the life of Jesus and how he recognized the value of all people and spent much of his time giving those marginalized by the church another chance at a valuable life.

In the end, a question that started with the gay & lesbian audience was now both clear and broad in its scope: Do we want to be the kind of church that welcomes anyone, regardless of age, economic status, race, faith beliefs, or sexual orientation? Can our church be a sanctuary from biases and prejudices, where people of completely different backgrounds and viewpoints can have mutually respectful conversations and actually learn from each other to become better people? Can we commit to build the kind of open, interconnected faith community that is increasingly rare in America in a time of self-selected fragmentation and isolation?

Our open and affirming statement was voted on and formally adopted on January 21, 1996. We emerged from the soul-searching stronger, and that vote still forms the foundation for acceptance that allows this church to thrive as a consistent voice of compassionate Christianity in the heart of Bellevue. Diversity is far, far more than a gay and lesbian issue, also encompassing race, core beliefs, age, economic status and other differences; but the written commitment to an open welcome in this statement also is the foundation for our response to all who visit here.

No matter who you are, you are beloved here as Jesus would love and appreciate you. We embrace differences of all kinds, and those differences make us stronger.

Open and Affirming Statement

Adopted January 21, 1996

• As a diverse people who united to form the United Church of Christ,
• As a pilgrim people who on our journey of faith pray for “courage in the struggle for justice and peace”,
• As a compassionate people who continue to seek justice and mercy for all who are oppressed,
• We declare ourselves an Open And Affirming congregation who recognize all people are uniquely loved and valued by God.
• We welcome diversity of race, abilities, sexual orientation, gender, age, religious backgrounds, opinion, marital status, and economic condition.  As an inclusive Christian community, we affirm each person’s unique contributions.
• In our journey of faith, we seek to be responsible to God and one another.
• Acknowledging the silence and discrimination that the gay community has experienced in Church and society, we commit ourselves to continue exploring what it means to be faithfully Open and Affirming in a changing world.
• In this process, we shall strive to love each other more fully as God has enabled us to love, rooted in an honest and compassionate relationship with one another.