A Welcoming Congregation: The LGBTQ Welcoming Team

Our church has been a “Welcoming Congregation” since 1999. You may have seen this designation on the banner of our newsletters or on a plaque in our church lobby, but what does this mean? It means we have worked and are working to make our church home open and supportive for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex, asexual, and queer people of any stripe.

We continue to learn about undoing homophobia and transphobia and opposing discrimination in our individual lives, our church community, and our society. We work to understand and honor our various identities, backgrounds, and experiences and to create a safe, inclusive space in which people of many different gender identities, sexual orientations, and gender expressions can come together. If you are interested, contact Jerry Carden, Team Lead

In 2018 the UUA began a process for congregations to renew their Welcoming Congregation status each year. The renewal includes having at least two worship services with LGBTQ+ themes; recognizing at least six days of observance, and an educational event for the congregation and/or community. We are in our third year of applying for WC status.

The 2022 educational offering was held on June 11, 2022 at the Spurlock World Heritage Museum on the U of Illinois campus. The program was in conjunction with the ‘Sewn In Memory AIDS Quilt Panel Exhibit’ Presentation title was: ‘AIDS in East Central Illinois: The Response and Those Lost.’ The program was sponsored by Spurlock, UUCUC, Uniting Pride, and Greater Community AIDS Project. Presenters beside Jerry were Julie Pryde, CU Public Health Administrator, and Mike Benner, Exec. Director of the Greater Community AIDS Project. UUCUC folks were our main target audience but anyone from the community was welcome. About 60 persons attended with 31 of those from UUCUC. Jerry served as the primary curator of the AIDS Quilt Panel exhibit held from November 2nd through July 10th. He was the main presenter for twelve other group presentations during that period.

The June 11th program can be viewed below

Contact Information

If you are interested in knowing more about our Welcoming Congregation Assessment Team or becoming involved in the team’s activities, please contact Jerry Carden for more information.