Welcoming Congregation
First Parish is proud to be a Welcoming Congregation. We welcome and celebrate the presence and participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in all parts of our congregation. In our mission statement, we proclaim that we are “a liberal church that seeks to recognize and support the worth and dignity of every human being, to embrace an evolving faith in harmony with reason, to comfort and encourage people in their times of sorrow and need, and to help its members live out their values in their daily lives.” We try to live out this mission through our caring and respectful behavior toward one another in all aspects of congregational life.
What is the Welcoming Congregation Program?
As a Welcoming Congregation we have pledged to:
- honor the lives of all people and equally affirm displays of caring and affection without regard for sexual orientation.
- celebrate diversity by using inclusive language and content in worship.
- incorporate an understanding of the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons throughout all of our programs, including religious education.
- affirm and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues and history.
- affirm marriage equality and conduct same-sex weddings.
- advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, promoting justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. We speak out when the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are at stake.
For more information about the Welcoming Congregation program at First Parish, contact the Church Office.