Place of Belonging
Open & Affirming (ONA) means that a congregation expresses its welcome, inclusion, and full acceptance of persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+).
In 1985, the United Church of Christ General Synod (a national body of delegates from local churches) passed a resolution encouraging all congregations to declare themselves “Open & Affirming.” Since the General Synod speaks “to” but not “for” congregations, each UCC congregation makes a decision on whether to pursue Open & Affirming (ONA) status.
In March 2011, First Congregational Church officially became an ONA church, and adopted the following Welcome Statement:
“At First Congregational United Church of Christ, we are a community of faith striving to live out our mission “to be God’s hands at work from the heart of the city.” We are seeking to live faith that is grounded in our long history, yet open to God’s Spirit among us. We are bound as one in Jesus Christ and invite ALL into the full life and ministry of our church. Our members represent diversity in sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, color, ethnicity, age and ability. Whoever you are, wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome and accepted into full participation in our faith community.”
In June 2021, the congregation of First Congregational Church participated in an unanimous vote to reaffirm our status as an Open & Affirming congregation.
In 2015, in the landmark United States Supreme Court case, the court held that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-gender couples.
Couples seeking to be married are invited to visit with a pastor to discuss arrangements.
You can learn more about Open & Affirming churches around the UCC at https://openandaffirming.org
Why do we celebrate Pride?
We celebrate Pride as members and allies of the LGBTQIA2S+ community because we believe all humans are beloved by God and welcome in our space.
To read more about the origins and history of Pride,
