I am home from Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference - United Church of Christ. I'm definitely still processing everything but here's the big news...
Southwest Conference is Open and Affirming! For non-UCCers, that means that our church's emphasis on God's extravagant welcome to all is particularly extended to our gay, lesbian, transgendered, and bisexual brothers and sisters. About half of the 43 churches in the conference are individually ONA, but this resolution (1) allows our conference minister to speak for the conference on ONA and (2) empowers our Church & Ministry Committee to be officially open and affirming when reviewing candidates for ordination and the like.
Also good stuff... workshops on church leadership and congregational vitality, a new supply of Cafe Justo, and some new friends.
More later!
This is great news! Do you have any idea how many of the conferences are ONA?
Posted by: Dee Dee Allan | 05/03/2009 at 04:47 AM
Dee Dee - Southwest Conference is the 15th UCC Conference to adopt an ONA resolution. That makes us not quite trendsetters, but ahead of the curve. I think because UCC is young and small in this area, there's less congregational baggage on these kinds of issues.
Posted by: Karen | 05/04/2009 at 01:53 PM