An announcement from the Congregational Church of Edgartown. Last week I received a press release from the congregation informing me that they had unanimously voted to “embrace the Welcoming Covenant” and become an open, affirming church. It took the entire congregation working together to get there, and a process that spanned several months to come to this conclusion.
We tend to take our positions and ideas on inclusivity for granted and simply assume, “I’m a welcoming person.” But what Federated Church did was to take the time to talk, ask questions, and learn what it means to be truly welcoming. The process included Bible studies, panel discussions, testimonials, book reviews, articles, film reviews, surveys, and group meetings. Karen Meeks, leader of the task force in charge of this process, said the church has always been welcoming, but that “affirming” means accepting everyone as a whole person, regardless of sexual orientation, family structure, race, economic background, or anything else we use to distinguish. Instead, Meeks said, the congregation should ““A place where everyone can be loved and supported for who they are” sounds very Christian.
I have met Federated Church pastor, Rev. Mark Winters, before, and my first impression is that he is what he seems. I like that about him. Last week, he was away visiting family in Michigan, so I emailed him with some questions about the church process. He responded promptly, which I am always grateful for. I asked him why this decision was important to the congregation and how it was important to him as the leader of the congregation.
“The answer will probably be as broad as the range of opinions in the congregation, but generally for me it is an affirmation of what was already true. [the] “Federated Church is a welcoming community, but we needed to clarify our language a bit to make it clear that Federated Church is a safe and welcoming church for LGBTQ individuals and families,” Winters wrote to me.
I’ve also seen people take down rainbow flags at places of worship, so I know not everyone agrees with this philosophy. Even if a church, Hebrew center, or other place of worship declares that their place is open and affirming, there will always be people who are on the other side of that declaration. At least in my opinion, being a spiritual person means meeting people where they are. You don’t have to agree with them, but you have to respect each person you encounter, even if it’s the last thing you want to do.
Winters said he wasn’t surprised the Congregational Church embraced the new initiative, explaining that his predecessor, the Rev. Jerry Fritz, and his parish council at the time had undertaken a similar initiative in the mid-2010s.
“I believe this journey began when same-sex marriage was passed in Massachusetts. My predecessor, Jerry Fritz, and the church council at the time agreed to officiate and host weddings for same-sex couples,” Winters said in an email. “However, the process of this official designation began with a discussion last fall at the council, which formed a task force to assist congregations through our discernment.”
The task force included Karen Meeks and Jim Butterick, among others. Having a group of committed parishioners to study and implement something appears to have been central to the success of the announcement.
““I think this meeting has really brought our church together,” Meeks says. “We had some very vulnerable people and I feel like this meeting has made us even more like a family than we were before. Hard questions often create space for greater understanding and intimacy. We will continue to meet regularly about what it means to be open, affirming, and supportive of others. I’m really excited about this opportunity.”
One thing she made clear to me was that the statement that the church is open and affirming is a “loving Christian statement, not a political statement.” ButterickFellow task force member and longtime Congregational Church member, explained that it was time for the congregation to make an announcement.
““The world has changed since 2016, and so has our country,” Butterick said, noting that it has become acceptable to speak ill of others, and that the decision to be open and positive is even more important today. Federated Church worked with the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury in the process, and was supported by its parish administrator, Molly Connoll, and pastor, the Rev. Kathryn Baker. I asked Jim if they were worried about losing members, and he said, “The Rev. Kathryn Baker said, ‘You may lose some, but if you have that color, you’ll gain more.’ And I believe that.”
The church will have outdoor signage and pin badges featuring the Christian fish symbol and will incorporate rainbow colors into the design. Butterick said the decision was reinforced to him in January when a visiting pastor told the congregation during a service announcement, “This is important. LGBTQ people need to know that this is safe, and you need to say so.”
There are several other houses of worship on the island that have made similar announcements but have yet to make them official, so I commend the United Church for trying to be open and positive. Places of worship should be safe places for all.
