The Power of Disclosure

By Jonathan Brower

In 1950, Jim MacGregor was a youth attending Zion-Memorial United Church in Smith Falls, Ontario. Wide-eyed, optimistic and ever aware of a difference in his understanding of sexuality, Jim sought a word to describe how he felt and stumbled upon a negative one: “sissy”.  In a community where Biblical literalism was preached on Sunday, but during the week piety seemed an afterthought, that word and the feelings associated with it were not something to be discussed.

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Jim left Zion to attend University in1959 and did not attend church for the next 35 years. Continue reading

Reflecting on the Multi-Faith Transgender Conference

By Ruth Bramham,

RandiKleinAndRuthBramham

At the end of October 2014, Affirm Council member Ruth Bramhan attended a multi-faith transgender conference at the Centre for Lesbian and Gay Studies at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. Below are her reflections on the weekend:

On Thursday afternoon, October 30th, we all gathered for the opening reception and welcome. For some of us it was like old home week, meeting Continue reading

Un espace sûr dans une église pour les jeunes gais et lesbiennes

Le pasteur de l’Église Unie de Beaconsfield, Shaun Fryday, a ouvert un Centre jeunesse LGBTQ dans le sous-sol du lieu, car les ressources sont concentrées dans le centre-ville de Montréal. Pour lui, la solidarité avec les jeunes LGBT doit dépasser les simples mots de bienvenue.

« Nous, on n’a pas eu de fun à notre bal de finissants, parce qu’on n’aurait pas pu danser avec notre blonde ou notre chum sans que tout le monde nous regarde. » Dans cette seule phrase, Gabrielle Poitras, bénévole et membre du conseil d’administration du Centre jeunesse LGBTQ1 de l’Ouest-de-l’Île, exprime les difficultés auxquelles font encore face de nos jours plusieurs jeunes des minorités sexuelles. C’est pourquoi le Centre jeunesse organise cette année, pour une première fois qui ne sera pas la dernière, espère le Centre, un bal des finissants pour ces jeunes. Des affiches ont été posées dans les écoles de la région, une vidéo est diffusée sur Facebook et un article sera publié sur cette activité dans le West Island Chronicle.
Le Centre jeunesse LGBTQ loge dans le sous-sol de l’Église Unie de Beaconsfield. Il a été fondé par le pasteur de cette paroisse, Shaun Fryday. Certaines paroisses de l’Église Unie se déclarent officiellement inclusives, c’est-à-dire accueillantes pour les personnes d’orientations et identités sexuelles diverses. Mais le pasteur Fryday souhaitait que cet accueil se concrétise par un projet qui aille au-delà d’une simple déclaration de bienvenue. C’est ainsi que le Centre jeunesse LGBTQ de l’Ouest-de-l’Île a vu le jour en mai 2011. Il fête ce mois-ci ses trois ans, et le bal des finissants sera l’occasion de célébrer aussi cet anniversaire. Continue reading

United Church of Canada Celebrates World Pride

World Pride comes to Toronto this summer, and the United Church is participating.  Our Moderator the Rt. Rev. Gary Paterson will preach at a special United Church Pride Service at St. Andrew’s United Church on June 22nd and at Metropolitan United Church on June 21st and 29th, and will participate in the Pride Parade on June 29th.  The United Church will host interfaith events, a human rights conference and a United Church float.  Affirm United will host a display at the Streetfair; you are invited to sign up to staff the display in 2-hour shifts.  Visit the United Church World Pride webpage www.uccworldpride.com for information and to get involved!

Sydenham Street United Church is celebrating 15 years of being an Affirming Ministry in 2014!!!

Our congregation is planning several events throughout the year, beginning in March leading up to a celebration weekend on November 1st and 2nd, 2014.

Our events will include:

  • a sermon on Leviticus 19 – lifting up the word ‘abomination’;
  • potluck lunches hosted by the Affirm Group;
  • “Minutes” for Affirming during worship services;
  • hearing Ruth Wood’s story of being a trans woman and a United Church minister;
  • an Affirming Ministry Sunday;
  • creating a new Affirming Ministry banner;
  • participating in the Pride Parade in Kingston,
  • attending World Pride Day in Toronto and
  • a celebration and recommitment Sunday

At our celebration and recommitment Sunday, on November 2nd 2014, we will have the pleasure of welcoming special guest, Rev. Michael Blair, the Executive Minister, Church in Mission/L’Église en Mission, for The United Church of Canada.

Also, Michael has kindly offered to be the keynote speaker at a workshop at Sydenham Street UC on Saturday November 1st.  The workshop is being sponsored by the Affirming Ministries Action Group of the Bay of Quinte Conference in partnership with Sydenham Street UC.  We hope to attract participation from other United Churches in Bay of Quinte Conference as well as some of our ecumenical friends in the Kingston area.

We are looking forward to a Rainbow Year!!!

Bookmark the following link to read this article and keep updated as details are added

http://sydenhamstreet.ca/ssuc1/Engaging_the_Spirit/Affirm_Group.html

WE’RE ALREADY WELCOMING – WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE AFFIRMING?

This most commonly asked question is answered:

The B- Q Conference Affirming Ministries Action Group recently held two introductory workshops at the extreme east and west ends of the conference.

The first was held on Nov 23, 2013 at Zion-Memorial UC in Carleton Place. Inspired by former Renfrew Presbytery,  the first  to become affirming  in B-Q Conference., the hope was to encourage other presbyteries and the eastern pastoral charges to investigate what it would mean for them to offer public welcome to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual And Transgender (GLBT) community. Eleven congregations from four presbyteries, one presbytery, and Conference UCW Executive were represented.

Guest speakers were Margaret Martin of Portland UC, who told of her personal change of heart , having left the United Church over the 1988 decision to ordain homosexuals, to one of  active  advocacy; and Jim MacGregor, of Zion-Memorial, recounting his experience as a gay man involved in the life of his church  and his desire for that church to stand for up for all social justice issues including public acknowledgment of its inclusion of all people. Continue reading

“Singing a New Song” in North Bay

The Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble Annual Conference and AGM just took place in North Bay, Ontario on August 2-5, 2013. The theme for the conference was “Singing a New Song.” It was a wonderful conference and we wish to thank Will Kunder and Susan Whitehead from the Manitou Conference office for their leadership is planning this event. Thanks also to their organizing committee and to the people of St. Andrew’s United Church who provided us with food and hospitality.

We were very pleased to have Moderator Gary Paterson and his husband, the Rev. Tim Stevenson present with us during the conference. Gary acted as theological reflector for the conference and Tim spoke us on Friday evening during our celebration of the church’s 1988 decision. It was at the 1988 General Council in Victoria that the church declared that in and of itself sexual orientation is not a barrier to full membership in the United Church, and that every member of the church is eligible to be considered for ordination.

To learn more about the conference, read Moderator Gary Paterson’s blog Reflections on “The Issue” and 1988 by clicking here.

 

10 X ’10 Action Group of Bay of Quinte Conference receives the 2012 Ministry Programming Award

On August 6, 2012, AFFIRM UNITED/S’AFFIRMER ENSEMBLE presented the 2012 MINISTRY PROGRAMMING AWARD to the 10 X ’10 Action Group of Bay of Quinte Conference

Award Presentation to some representatives:  Judy Amsbury (Co-ordinator) Bruce Hutchinson, Lyn Miller, Linda Hutchinson, Annette Taylor and Brian Mitchell –Walker ( Co-Chairs Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble Council)

Award Presentation to some representatives:
Judy Amsbury (Co-ordinator) Bruce Hutchinson, Lyn Miller, Linda Hutchinson, Annette Taylor and Brian Mitchell –Walker ( Co-Chairs Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble Council)

The All Welcome sign often belies long held prejudice and ignorance, and is simply not sufficient to reassure one of differing sexual orientation that they will be fully accepted and integrated into the life of that ministry. Nor will an equal marriage policy alone guarantee an atmosphere free of discrimination. The affirmation must be public, active and ongoing before one can be deemed Affirming.

In October 2007, the Mission, Outreach and Advocacy (MOA) division of Bay of Quinte Conference formed an action group called 10 x ’10 whose goal was to have 10 Affirming ministries in process or certified by 2010. That goal was met with 8 Congregations, 1 Presbytery and the Conference itself involved in discernment around this objective. Continue reading

Beaconsfield United Church Creates Youth Centre

Beaconsfield Youth Center Director

Daniel Bastian: Director, LGBTQ Youth Center

The Consensus team received a letter telling of the creation of a LGBTQ youth centre at Beaconsfield United Church. Let us welcome them and remember to give them a visit when you’re in Quebec. Here is an excerpt from the letter:

Since May 2011, the LGBTQ Youth Cenre has provided a safe space where queer-identified and questioning teens in the West Island of Montreal can meet, talk, develop relationships and understand themselves better as queer-identified people. We offer a drop-in service where area teens may easily and safely seek guidance, care and support individually or in a group setting. Inquiries are confidential, and the Cetnre follows safe space guidelines which strive to respect each participant’s background and circumstances. The West Island community has demonstrated interest and support for our initiative, and is coming together to help create an authentic, genuine program for this “at risk” group of youth in our midst.  Continue reading

International Day Against Homophobia

Hi, my name is Marco Ste-Marie, I communicated with you last spring, asking you to join Affirm United in the special worship regarding the International Day Against Homophobia in the month of May 2011. That event was successful and many congregations celebrated either on that day or on the  pride day in their respective towns.

This year will be the 10th anniversary of the International Day Against Homophobia. We are asking all Affirming Ministries to do a special worship this coming May 20th 2012.  We hope that more congregations will follow and other denominations will be encouraged to participate as well.

Start getting the word out in your congregation, church board, local LGBT groups, and other Christian denominations (even other faith groups).

It is a great opportunity to reaffirm your engagement in the LGBT cause and spread the word that God welcomes all. Homophobia is still present and the progress we have made is still fragile. Many teen suicides have been caused by bullying.

Let’s celebrate inclusivity together.

In Christ,
Marco Ste-Marie Affirm United/S’affirmer ensemble

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