A celebration two years in the making is taking place at St. James United Church on Sunday, and everyone is welcome to attend.
The Waterdown congregation has earned its Affirming Certificate, following an extensive education and examination process. The designation through Affirm United publicly declares the church’s commitment to inclusivity for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and members of other marginalized groups..
Rev. Ryk Brown, who’s served at St. James for the past seven years, says the designation is a signal that the church is truly welcoming to all.
“(The program) is designed to weed out congregations who claim to be inclusive of marginalized peoples, especially LGBTQ+ persons, who claim to be but who don't back that up with their actions,” he explained. “The United Church requires that churches go through the education and examination process so that queer persons and other marginalized persons can trust that when they see the Affirming logo, this congregation means it when they say, ‘You're welcome here.’”
Some of the criteria required to become an Affirming Church included providing documented policies, such as their marriage policy, that support inclusion within the activities of the congregation, added Rev. Brown.
“We also have to conduct a congregational vote that shows that the overwhelming majority of the congregation are in favour of publicly proclaiming that we are Affirming and inclusive so that they can see that there's substantial support within the congregation, and that this isn't just one or two people who really wish it were the case, but that it is, in fact, backed up by the whole by the whole congregation,” he said.
The congregation, which numbers about 75 to 100 active members, also attend educational events to deepen their understanding of issues around inclusion for all marginalized groups. “Not just for Rainbow folks, but other marginalized groups as well; racial minorities, including our relationship with Indigenous peoples, even physical accessibility,” said Rev. Brown. “We have to be addressing issues regarding all of those areas so it's not specifically limited to Rainbow inclusivity.”
The decision to pursue Affirming accreditation must be driven by the congregation rather than the minister as it’s a commitment that will outlast the tenure of any given pastor, which is generally about 10 years, noted Rev. Brown. At St. James, earning the certificate was really just confirmation of what the members believe and have practised for years.
“The congregation was already favouring this approach prior to undertaking the process. That's why they chose to undertake the process,” he said. “They're like, ‘Our hearts are already here.’
“The process was really for us ... more of an affirmation of what we already believe to be true.”
The Feb. 23 event starts at 3 p.m. Those who attend can expect to experience something very special: the worship service will include singing, prayer and scripture, along with the certificate presentation by past moderator of the United Church of Canada Richard Bott and musical performances.
“We have a guest speaker coming in, who is a drag performer who is also a candidate for ministry within the United Church,” said Rev. Brown, noting that the message will be about the spiritual transformations people undergo in different aspects of their life.
On a personal level, Rev. Brown is looking forward to picking up his guitar to accompany a performance of the Plowshare Prayer by two sibling members of the congregation, one who is trans and one who is queer.
“Both happen to be my kids, who will be accompanied by me on guitar for the first verse of that song. If I don't bawl my eyes out,” he said.
“To see my own kids singing that powerful song about queer siblings to each other and with the congregation, it will be a powerful moment for me as a parent.”
