Open and Affirming/Reconciling Statement
In April of 2000, after time in conversation, testimony, and prayer, the UPA publicly affirmed its commitment to welcome all people to worship, fellowship with God, and leadership in the church by adopting the following ‘Open & Affirming and Reconciling’ statement (updated to be gender inclusive in 2018):
The congregants of the United Parish of Auburndale affirm the God-given worth and dignity of every individual. We welcome all persons to the full life and ministry of the congregation including those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and non-binary. We celebrate all relationships founded on the principles of God’s love, compassion and faithfulness and embrace the responsibility to work against all forms of implicit or explicit discrimination.
We take seriously our call to continued learning and growing into this particular justice knowing that it is too often the church that has dehumanized and traumatized our LGBTQIA+ community. Check back here for opportunities to participate in this learning, growth, and justice as our Open, Affirming, and Reconciling Committee leads us through programing and participation targeting the trangender and non-binary communities and individual particular culture and cultural oppression.