The Trustee has written to the Board offering their resignation from the end of their current term of office, July 2018. We believe in an inclusive Church – church which does not discriminate on any level, including: economic power, gender, gender identity, mental health, mental ability, physical ability, race or sexuality. History. In 2015, the trustees wrote a statement ‘clarifying the purpose’ of Inclusive Church. As a charity the work and support of individuals is vital to our work. More broadly, it seeks "to raise awareness about the ways that people feel excluded by the church". Get your church join the network! Statement of Faith Christianity is the revelation of God in Jesus Christ and is the religion set forth in the Scriptures. Founded in the interest of offering a church home to all who confess and believe, Inclusive Community Church moves in the mainstream of Christianity. IBM’s web site has an Overall Inclusion Statement and Inclusion Statement for Employment. An inclusive church is one which welcomes all types of people, people who might otherwise be rejected for reasons of class, race, sexual orientation or age. Many RCA congregations are on a journey in regard to publicly identifying themselves as an LGBTQ-inclusive church. Through public statements, discussions with church leaders, working with our partner organisations, and other means, Inclusive Church has been seeking to resist attempts to make the church more narrow and exclusive, and to promote serious study, dialogue and reflection. Our purpose as a church is to encourage our members to: KEEP MOVING Toward a fuller and deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ KEEP MAKING Disciples so that the body of believers can be equipped to live as God commanded KEEP MINISTERING By using the gift(s) that God has given you to serve HIM and the needs of others And perhaps most importantly, it's simply assumed to be an inherent good by most people in society. Dr. Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading because of opposition to an openly gay man becoming a bishop. 304.3). Each of us comes to God in the same way, unconditionally loved and accepted. In the UK, LGBT History Month is marked each February. Inclusive Church is very much a ‘grass roots’ organisation. Inclusive Church is an organisation founded in 2003 by Giles Fraser that advocates for the full inclusion of all people regardless of ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, in the Christian churches, including in the threefold order of bishops, priests and deacons. We do support the intent of the Introduction to Paragraph 161 that states: Therefore, we believe all prohibitive or judgmental language in the Book of Discipline should be changed to be more inclusive, welcoming and affirming of all persons regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. First, he tackles the issue of renaming. Such a church tries, sometimes with difficulty and cost, to live out Paul’s statement that ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ’. To better reflect God’s Kingdom here on earth, Christians should be at the forefront of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of society, from the church to the classroom, says Greg Dowell, Liberty University’s Vice President for Equity and Inclusion. Some churches have joined the movement, pushing for a more inclusive Christianity that is open to all. Our Savior's Lutheran Church is a Reconciling In Christ (RIC) congregation, welcoming all to participate fully in the life of this church regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. 2021 Inclusive Church, All rights reserved. We work in Partnership. We value our strong working links with a number of different organisations. St John's is a member of Inclusive Church. Like Liked by … 10 Inclusion Statement Examples . "We believe in inclusive Church - a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate. Closure of Methodist Church House; The Methodist Church. Our Inclusive Church Statement. Lay members of Synod are elected by members of local Deanery Synods, and every parish church has a few representatives on this body. Individuals can join Inclusive Church as members. Today some Christian denominations are accepting of homosexuality and transgender identity and inclusive of homosexual and transgender people, such as the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church.Formed in 1991, The Evangelical Network is a network of evangelical churches, ministries and Christian Workers that are a part of the LGBT community. There are practical issues about safety and compliance with the law of the land, but Church has to be inclusive in intent and this means acceptance of change. St John's is a member of Inclusive Church and has adopted the Inclusive Church statement of belief: "We believe in inclusive Church - church which does not discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race … For this list, we’ll look at 30+ church vision statements collected from churches notable for … At Urban Village Church, we believe the Gospel can transform human lives, our own included – in fact, we’ve experienced this transformation. IBM. Renaming. Statement of Welcome and Inclusion. We will continue to challenge the church where it continues to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality. (Par. We affirm that all people are worthy of God’s love and grace, for all are created in the image of God and are beloved children of God. Inclusivity is far more important than the credal statements I am supposed to believe. Vicki Wunsch, and . We believe that defining marriage in paragraph 161.C as “between a man and a woman,” is also in error, as is the phrase in 161.G stating, “sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.”  Instead, “we support laws in civil society that define marriage” that is also in Paragraph 161.C, and does not need a qualifier. It is with regret that the Board of Trustees of Inclusive Church have been informed of the recent actions of one of its trustees. So what does Volf say about these two components of Jesus’s ministry? “Jesus’ love—that is a love that goes to the edges, is a love that is radically inclusive,” Bishop Bruce R. Ough told those gathered. Mission Statement. Some have adopted a Welcoming and Affirming Statement; others are simply known in their communities by word of mouth, and still others are just beginning to ask these questions, including the most common one, “Where do we start?” We believe in being an inclusive Church – By this we mean we are striving to be a community of faithful disciples of Jesus who do actively wish to include people and not discriminate on any level on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race or sexuality. We as a group of LGBTQ people and allies present this Welcome Statement that lays out OSLC's inclusive spirit: Note: If you like this article, you might also check out these 4 diversity tools to help you write more inclusive content. We further believe that restrictive language in defining marriage that is inconsistent with current civil law is a detriment to effective ministry within the society we are called to serve. Rev. However, after very careful consideration the Board of Trustees took a vote of no confidence at its meeting on 1st February. This is why we are in ministry. We believe we are called to inclusiveness, as described in paragraph 140, which states: Leadership Council Approved Unanimously on March 27, 2017, “Inclusiveness means openness, acceptance, and support that enable all persons to participate in the life of the Church, the community, and the world; therefore, inclusiveness denies every semblance of discrimination.”, “The mark of an inclusive society is one in which all persons are open, welcoming, fully accepting, and supporting of all other persons, enabling them to participate fully in the life of the church, the community and the world.”, “In the United Methodist Church inclusiveness means the freedom for the total involvement of all persons.”. God welcomes all! Honorary Secretary of Inclusive Church, Revd Fr Stephen France, Copyright © 2004 - Sadly we do not consider that these are acceptable actions for a member of the Board of Inclusive Church, which has at its heart the desire to include everyone. Inclusive Church is an educational charity (no. Below are 10 examples of Inclusion Statements I hope you draw inspiration from. He is also one of the founders of the Inclusive Mission for Health and Hope, a United Methodist ministry that focuses on the marginalized, especially LGBTQ, intersex and HIV-positive people. ~ Ingrid Newkirk Presiding Bishop Curry Joins Denominational Leaders in Amicus Brief before Supreme Court in support of rights of same … Building an Inclusive Church: A Welcoming Toolkit. David Lohman. This is why we are both evangelical and inclusive. “Many good African Christians want to be inclusive,” Bahati said. It began in August 2003 following the resignation of Rev. Therefore, we welcome all, including those of all races, cultures, or … At present, the ministry is focusing on stopping the spread of the coronavirus. It's expressed in public memos (sometimes after an employee Twitter gaff). ... BOARD COMPOSITION. Grasping this duality of renaming and remaking is vital if we’re going to follow Jesus well and think rightly about what being an inclusive church really means. Vision Statement (Desired End-State): A one-sentence statement describing the clear and inspirational long-term desired change resulting from an organization or program’s work. Written and compiled in 2009 by . Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? An online petition setting out the founding principles of Inclusive … Shipley Baptist Church, Bradford “the church at the centre”. It's written in value statements. “It is love that seeks out the lost, the least, the lonely, the left out and the left behind. proclaim this statement of welcome to all who have known the pain of exclusion or discrimination in the church and society. Statement from Inclusive Church - For Immediate Release 11th February 2018 It is with regret that the Board of Trustees of Inclusive Church have been informed of the recent actions of one of its trustees. The use of inclusive language, then, furthers the aim of Metropolitan Community Churches to reflect that the full range of people is created in God’s image and in community life, as well as to speak to and about all people in ways that show respect and honor human dignity and worth. Church as we journey toward reconciliation through Christ distinctive about Methodism in the life and ministries of Resurrection Lutheran as... The coronavirus actions of one of its trustees this article, you might also out. 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