More Pride history and resources

In Sunday’s message, I spoke very briefly about the history of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in our two denominations. No sermon of reasonable length can capture all the complexities of these stories, so I’m sharing a few links that give a bit more depth. There are many more!

Brief biography of William Johnson, first openly gay man to be ordained in the UCC (and any mainline Christian denomination).

Timeline of UCC legislation aimed at LGBTQIA+ rights in church and society.

Slideshow timeline of the struggle for inclusion within the UMC, from the Reconciling Ministries Network (use arrows at bottom to scroll forward and back).

And, as expected, my inbox has filled up with church stories and resources for Pride month this year. Here are a few you might find interesting:

Daily devotional for Pride month from the UCC’s Open and Affirming coalition.

Pride reading list from Augsburg Fortress Press (Lutheran).

Also, both the UCC and UMC have national gatherings of their ONA / Reconciling Ministries this July. The UCC’s Open and Affirming Coalition will gather ahead of General Synod in Kansas City, Missouri (July 9-10). The Reconciling Ministries Network will host their convocation in Madison, Wisconsin from July 24-27. Both are still accepting registrations for this year, and both will meet again in future years if you’re interested in planning ahead. I’ve attended at least two RMN convocations and highly recommend them as a time of connection, inspiration, and advocacy.

More on Sunday,

Pastor Jen