I just read this and I had to share it, The United Church Observer interview with Rev. Brent Hawkes, by Ken Gallinger. Although I've mentioned him on more than one occasion, for those of you who don't know, Rev. Hawkes is the senior pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, a vibrant church congregation in the heart of Toronto. I have attended there services whenever I've been in T.O. and I also have family who are active members of MCCT. Since I'm prone to a possible bias, because I simply love what Rev. Hawkes has done, I carefully read the interview. I think that Rev. Hawkes made some excellent points and challenges to the United Church of Canada as a whole. He answered some challenging questions about MCCT with grace, honesty, and respect. I must say that I agree with a lot of what he had to say.
The United Church of Canada does have work to do. I believe that the UC recognizes that work and is in active, forward motion towards that change. I've seen and been to many, many inclusive Affirming United congregations. I also believe or more hope that, over time, all congregations will become affirming, eventually. Some may take decades, but with grace and perserverence United Church congregations will realize that declaring themselves affirming is not only for "gay" inclusion, but it's a statement of inclusion for ALL peoples. It's a statement of who they are as a congregation. I've seen that all United Church congregations hold true to the affirming statement, but have yet to declare they are affirming, either because no one has brought it up in that congregation or because they understandably, yet wrongly believe that it's some sort of "special" designation that may alienate the community. Some may even be fearful of being known as the church that accepts gay people. Once these congregations get past this fear they will see that to be a part of an affirming congregation in the United Church is to live what they are already practicing. The Affirming Statement includes people of all sexual preferences and identities, yes, and it also includes people of all physical abilities, race, gender, developmental abilities, and the list goes on and on.
I ask you, if you have not yet become an affirming community as a church, what are you afraid of? Are you not open and inclusive of all God's people? As a person who has attended many Sunday services at many churches and many United Churches, I have seen that you are inclusive of all God's people, so why not own it? There is freedom in owning what your congregation stands for and who your congregation is in the community. Once you proclaim it, that's when the people will come, because they will see your honesty and they will feel your love, the same unconditional love given by God!
Isaiah 56:7 "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples"
~You know it, you preach it, you live it, so own it!
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