#LoveWins

The following are all the #LoveWins posts that are documenting the positive steps that the United Church has taken towards equality and inclusion over the past 60 plus years.  We wanted to document these as we work to become an affirming church!

#love wins

In 1997 the United Church released “that all may be one” This educational tool was aimed at ending racism.  This was an issue on which, over the years, the church has a mixed record.  As other groups that have suffered discrimination in the United Church found their voices, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people also sought to be heard.  #lovewins

Ten years after the 1988 decision, the United Church’s Division om Mission in Canada was concerned about stories and comments it was hearing from gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons in ministry or studying to become ministers.  It met with the Division of Ministry Personnel and education and together the two divisions sponsored a consultation in 1999 in Winnipeg.  #lovewins

The 1999 consultation win Winnipeg was the first and only time that members of the United Church of Canada who were gay, lesbian or bisexual met together in formal consultation with the national church.  There was no record of who participated.  The consultation report, “Lesbian, gay and bisexual persons in Ministry”, contained many stories and hopes and pains and celebrations.

In the report “Lesbian, gay and bisexual persons in ministry” there was a petition directed to general council that was hateful and aggressive.  General Council resolved that the United Church of Canada manual be amended by inserting after (b)IV a new section (b)V stating that (all) petitions and resolutions containing any hate or discriminatory language, either in the whereas section or in the motion itself shall be ruled out of order by all church courts. #lovewins