Celebrating 22 Years as a Reconciling Congregation
As an expression of Christ’s inclusive love, the Bethany congregation voted on November 20, 2002 to become a Reconciling Congregation. On October 26, 2011 the statement was revised to be more inclusive. On October 19, 2022 Bethany approved and adopted a revised Statement of Reconciliation that is more in line with the standards set by the Reconciling Ministries Network.
What does this mean? Simply put, it means that we welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to worship at Bethany and be a part of our church family.
Statement of Reconciliation
“We believe all people are recipients of God’s love and grace, and that God intends the church to be a community that embodies love, grace, and justice for all people. As a sign of faithfulness to God’s covenant with all humankind, we believe that God intends for us, as part of the Christian community, to celebrate diversity and to welcome and accept all people as members of the household of faith.
We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible in community equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status, and so much more. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequities. As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.”
Pride Flags
The rainbow sticker and flag at Bethany’s main entrance is a symbol recognized by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community. The sticker and flag communicate that all are welcome here as full participants in Bethany’s family. The “Pride” flag has gone through many alterations and adjustments over the years. In that spirit, Bethany recently began displaying the “Progress” flag, which is more inclusive.
A helpful resource for understanding the meanings of the various pride flags, click here.
For a brief history of the Rainbow Flag and the new Progress Flag and their meanings, click here.
Resources
We have a number of resources, both books and videos, in our library. A list of these can be found here. Feel free to come in and browse and/or borrow any of these.