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Ohio-Meadville District of the UUA |
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Here you can find answers to common questions about the Welcoming Congregations program. If you are looking for a congregation in the OMD that is already a Welcoming Congregation, please click here.
History of the Welcoming Congregation Program
The Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns was formed in 1973 by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). In 1987, the UUA established the Common Vision Planning Committee. This committee found many negative attitudes, deep prejudices, and profound ignorance about bisexual, gay, and lesbian people, which resulted in the exclusion of bisexual, gay, and lesbian people from their churches. As a result of these findings, the delegates of the 1989 UUA General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to initiate the Welcoming Congregation program to educate its members. Each congregation adapts the program to best meet its goals and each unique situation can bring positive changes to individuals and congregations.
The Welcoming Congregation Program is a completely volunteer program for congregations that see a need to become more inclusive towards bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people. It consists of a series of workshops developed by the UUA. The goal of the workshops is to reduce prejudice by increasing understanding and acceptance among people of different sexual orientations. Some of the workshop titles include: How Homophobia Hurts Heterosexuals; Connections to Other Forms of Oppression; Gender Socialization and Homophobia; and Biblical Perspectives on Homosexuality. Many congregations offer the workshop series several consecutive times as an adult religious education curriculum open to all members and friends. In some congregations the workshop series (and later the entire program) is sponsored by a Welcoming Congregation Task Force/Committee created for just this purpose, while other congregations sponsor the workshop series through their Interweave chapters. In either case, the workshops are best facilitated by those that have experienced the curriculum.
The mission statement for Interweave reads as follows: “Interweave is a membership organization affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association. It is dedicated to the spiritual, political, and social well-being of Unitarian Universalists who are confronting oppression as lesbians, gay men, bisexual persons, transgender persons, and heterosexual allies. It celebrates the culture and lives of its members.” Interweave membership is open to all interested UUs of any sexual or affectional orientation. It has chapters in many Unitarian Universalist congregations and districts, as well as a Continental chapter. Membership in Interweave involves two primary goals:
Why single out bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people? The Rev. Douglas Morgan Strong probably states it best in the Welcoming Congregation manual: “For centuries, the church has been a leading force against sexual minorities. It is not surprising that gay people are reluctant to reach out to the very institution that oppresses them. Yet, gay, lesbian, [transgender], and bisexual people have no less need for warmth, caring, and affirmation than anyone else who calls the liberal church their religious home. In fact, as a subculture in society gay, lesbian, [transgender], and bisexual people may need our support more than the general population.”
Congregations who publicly and successfully welcome bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people have the following qualities:
It is true that our churches probably meet most of the qualifications for a Welcoming Congregation. Most church by-laws state that they do “not discriminate on the basis of age, race, occupation, gender, past religious affiliation, or sexual orientation.” Some if not most churches also have bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender persons who are active members, willing to give of themselves and share their experiences with us. However, official recognition as a Welcoming Congregation allows churches to be an open safe space for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender persons; to take positions on oppression in our larger communities; and to accomplish outreach.
Confronting our prejudices in a non-judgmental, non-threatening group allows us to explore their origins and offers an opportunity to replace those prejudices with knowledge. Understanding our prejudices leads to individual spiritual growth and congregational unity.
