Welcoming Congregation

The Welcoming Congregation program was started in 1989 by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) as an aid to congregations wishing to learn more about bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender persons and their concerns in order to become more inclusive congregations. For two years our Welcoming Congregation Committee at the Fellowship sponsored meetings and workshops designed to educate and enlighten ourselves on these issues. At our Annual Meeting in May 1999, we joined a growing number of Unitarian Universalist Congregations in voting unanimously to become a Welcoming Congregation.

As a Welcoming Congregation, the Fellowship officially identifies itself as a secure community for bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people. We, as a Fellowship, accept the UUA guidelines, and strive to:

• Be inclusive and expressive of the concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons at every level of congregational life.
• Nurture ongoing dialogue between gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual persons and create deeper trust and sharing.
• Advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, attending to legislative developments and working to promote justice, freedom and equality in the larger society.
• Engage in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• Support the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregation and in society at large;
• Work for the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
• Speak out when the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people are at stake.