You Are Loved
We want Christ & St. Luke’s to be a place where all of our LGBTQ friends and neighbors can belong, regardless of your background, identity, or life journey. We warmly welcome all people to be a part of our faith community, and we want to walk with you whether you are a long-time Christian, new to the faith, or exploring faith for the first time.
We believe that all people are created in God’s image, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual identity, citizenship status, or religion. We actively seek people from all walks of life to join our community and its leadership.
LGBTQ inclusion in the gospel story
We believe that the gospel story is a story of love, liberation, and joy. It is a story that compels us to bring those on the outside to the inside. It is a story about seeing the presence of God in places where others would miss it or had been taught not to look for it.
Because of our commitment to live into that story, we joyfully embrace the diversity of human experience and welcome everyone to be a part of our community as we learn how to be more fully and lovingly human together.
Healing the pain in LGBTQ church history
We acknowledge that when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, the Church has often been a source of pain, engaging in discriminatory and harmful teachings in practices. We are committed to trying to heal such hurt by providing a place of welcome and affirmation for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer Christians and straight allies. We actively seek to promote the safety, wellbeing, and flourishing of those who do not easily fit into the categories of heteronormativity. We strive to create a safe and welcoming environment where everyone is free to express themselves fully and authentically.
Looking towards the future
We recognize that our work towards full inclusion is ongoing, and we are committed to continually learning and growing in this area. We invite all members of our community to join us in this work, as we seek to live out God’s love for all people.
We echo and amplify our Episcopal Church leaders when they say:
We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being. Ordination and the offices of bishop, priest, and deacon are open to all without discrimination. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
We believe that God loves us all – no exceptions.
