Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) affirming Christian denominations are Christian denominations that welcome LGBT members and do not consider homosexuality or transgenderism to be sins. They include entire religious denominations, as well as individual churches and congregations. Some are composed mainly of non-LGBT members and also have specific programs to welcome LGBT people, while others are composed mainly of LGBT members.
Additionally, some denominations which are not LGBT-affirming have have member-organized groups which are not officially sanctioned by the denomination. There are also ecumenical or para-church programmes that are explicitly outreaches to LGBT people, but do not identify with any particular faith tradition or denomination.
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History
Christianity has traditionally forbidden sodomy, believing and teaching that such behaviour is sinful.[1][2] Today some Christian denominations are accepting of homosexuality and transgenderism and inclusive of homosexual and transgender people, such as the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church.
One of the first churches established for gays was the Liberal Catholic Church, in Sydney, Australia in 1916. In 1946, Archbishop George Hyde of the Eucharistic Catholic Communion (a small denomination not in union with the Roman Catholic Church) celebrated mass for gay men in Atlanta. In 1956, the Church of ONE Brotherhood was founded in Los Angeles by a gay-rights activist.[3] In 1962, a Congregationalist pastor began an overt pastoral ministry to gay people in New York City. The first gay and transgender-specific denomination, as opposed to individual congregations, was the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1968. [3]
Some congregations are merely non-discriminatory and LGBT-affirming while others are specifically oriented toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons.[3] Some local congregations, especially those designated as "Welcoming churches" in the Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Methodist, Episcopal, and Brethren/Mennonite denominations, may consist of a majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members.[3]
Denominations
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- Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
- Ecumenical Catholic Church
- International Christian Community Churches
- Metropolitan Community Church
- Old Catholic Church
- Restoration Church of Jesus Christ (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) — a Latter Day Saint denomination
- United Church of Christ
- United Church of Canada
Individual congregations
- Bethlehem Community, Faithful Companions of St. Francis - religious community within Ecumenical Catholic Church (Liverpool, England)
- Broadway United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, IN)
- Cathedral of Hope (Dallas, Texas, USA)
- Community Parish of St Bernadette Liverpool - congregation of Ecumenical Catholic Church (Liverpool, England)
- Glide Memorial Church (San Francisco, California, USA)
- Grace Gospel Chapel (Seattle, Washington, USA) — claims to be “[t]he oldest independent, evangelical LGBT Church in the U.S.”[cite this quote]
- Light of Love Fellowship (St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
- Pullen Memorial Baptist Church (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
- Tong-Kwang Light House Presbyterian Church (Taipei, Taiwan)
- University Baptist Church (Austin, Texas, USA)
- St. Paul's Anglican Church (Vancouver, BC)
- Wake Forest Baptist Church (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA)
Denomination-sanctioned programmes
The following denominations have LGBT-welcoming or affirming programmes, though not all churches within the denomination are necessarily members of the LGBT programme.
- Integrity and Oasis are parachurch ministries, but operate under the offical roof of the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada. There are also official programmes identifying parishes in some dioceses.
- Supportive Communities Network — Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church USA, and Mennonite Church Canada
- Open and Affirming — Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): Open and Affirming.
- Welcoming Community Network (WCN). — Community of Christ
- Reconciling in Christ — Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
- More Light — Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Open & Affirming, All are Welcome — Reformed Catholic Church (USA) (International):
- Room for All — Reformed Church in America
- Affirm United/S'affirmer Ensemble — United Church of Canada
- Open and Affirming (ONA) — United Church of Christ
- Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
Unofficial programmes
- Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons — Latter-day Saints
- Changing Attitude (UK) - group working for Gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender affirmation within the Church of England - conduct worship, training and workshops
- Changing Attitude (International) - group working for Gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender affirmation within the Anglican Communion - conduct worship, training and workshops
- DignityUSA works for inclusiveness in the Roman Catholic Church, but is not associated with particular congregations. There is also an organization called Courage International which promotes chastity for gay and lesbian Catholics.
- Inclusive Church (Church of England / Anglican) - working for a range of inclusion within Anglican Communion, including LGBT - conduct worship, training and workshops
- Reconciling Ministries Network — United Methodist Church
- Welcoming and Affirming — Baptist
Programmes not affiliated with any particular denomination
- Welcoming Church Programmes
- Gay Christian Network (GCN) is a a "nonprofit ministry supporting Christians worldwide who happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)". GCN is an ecumenical ministry, welcoming Christians from a wide variety of backgrounds. GCN was founded in 2001 by Justin Lee, and has sought to "build a supportive community to support fellow gay Christians in their Christian walks."
- Institute for Welcoming Resources (a programme of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force)
- Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (UK)
- Accepting Evangelicals - Evangelical parishes accepting LGBT people
- Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians (UK)
- European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
- Evangelicals Concerned: Gay and Transgender Christians
- Sybils: UK group for transgender Christians
References
- ^ Bishop Soto tells NACDLGM: 'Homosexuality is Sinful' catholic.org, accessed 29 September 2008
- ^ Help topics Assemblies of God (USA), accessed 6 July 2009
- ^ a b c d Gay and Lesbian Churches and Synagogues, GLBTQ
See also
- List of LGBT-related organizations, including religious organizations
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: LGBT or LGBT-friendly churches |
Christian
- Beyond Ex-Gay Group for survivors of Ex-Gay ministries
- Changing Attitude (International)
- Changing Attitude (UK) - group working for Gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender affirmation within the Anglican Communion
- ChristianLesbians.com
- Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians (UK)
- Evangelicals Concerned: Gay and Transgender Christians
- European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups
- gaychurch.org Largest welcoming Christian church directory in the world and much more
- Homosexuals and Church (German Ecumenical Group)
- Inclusive Church (Anglican)
- Integrity (US Episcopal)
- Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (UK)
- SoulForce — non-denominational organization which promotes LGBT-inclusion in churches
- Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians
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