United Church of Christ

Trans still speaking united church of christ.

Trans Still Speaking in the United Church of Christ

By pwsbuilder / August 7, 2017 / Comments Off on Trans Still Speaking in the United Church of Christ

“…for not with you alone am I making this covenant, but both with those who stand here with us today, before our God, and with those who are not here with us today.” Deuteronomy 29:14-15 The sages say that God gave Torah to the people in the wilderness because, without the teaching, the world is a…

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A person holding a sparkler.

My Hope Is In Us

By pwsbuilder / November 30, 2016 /

Advent is the great liturgical season of waiting. We yearn, we search, and we reach out, and we dream of Immanuel who will walk amoung us. We spend much time preparing our homes and our churches for the holiday, and we wait. This season of waiting with expectation is the perfect time to work on…

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A woman wearing a red scarf in a church.

Naomi Christine Leapheart Appointed Task Force’s New Faith Work Director

By pwsbuilder / October 18, 2016 / Comments Off on Naomi Christine Leapheart Appointed Task Force’s New Faith Work Director

The National LGBTQ Task Force is pleased to announce the appointment of Naomi Christine Leapheart, MDiv as the organization’s Faith Work Director. “I’m delighted to join the National LGBTQ Task Force as the Faith Work Director. What a joy it is to be able to go to work every day and use my experience and…

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Black lives matter signs in front of a church.

The Importance Of LGBTQ-Affirmation To A Grieving Family

By pwsbuilder / March 3, 2016 / Comments Off on The Importance Of LGBTQ-Affirmation To A Grieving Family

At the time of my brother’s death in 2007, it was very important that our family be spared rejection by the church in a time of grief. Some people have said to me, “Well, you could’ve had Warren’s memorial service at our church.” But—their churches are not Open & Affirming. In the Christian Church (Disciples…

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Decolonizing Queer Bodies & Identities

By pwsbuilder / November 18, 2015 / Comments Off on Decolonizing Queer Bodies & Identities

A couple of weeks ago I had the great opportunity to participate in the Faith and Family Power Summit in Salt Lake City, UT, organized by the National LGBTQ Taskforce. The keynote address of openly lesbian United Church of Christ Bishop Yvette Flunder challenged me to seek learning opportunities that will sharpen my consciousness around…

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A cross on top of a building.

Bringing The Margins To The Center In Our Churches

By pwsbuilder / September 10, 2015 / Comments Off on Bringing The Margins To The Center In Our Churches

I have a friend named Felipe who frequently attends worship celebrations at our church. Felipe was raised in the Valley—Brownsville, Texas—in a firmly Christian home. His father was Pastor of a Latino congregation with a vibrant outreach ministry to local youth whose poverty, a circumstantial product of their race and of living in a border…

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The Freedom To Say “I Do”

By pwsbuilder / May 5, 2014 /

I was delighted when I heard the news that the United Church of Christ (UCC) had brought a landmark lawsuit against the State of North Carolina to hopefully overturn Amendment One. According to multiple media sources, the UCC filed a lawsuit to challenge state marriage laws that restrict a pastor’s freedom to exercise their religious…

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