United Church of Ludlow Votes to Become Open and Affirming
Members of the United Church of Ludlow overwhelming voted to become an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC) on Sunday, welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and all marginalized people into the full life of the church.
Immediately afterward, the congregation -- a united church affiliated with both the UCC and the United Methodist Church (UMC) -- voted to become a Reconciling Congregation of the UMC.
“Jesus welcomed everyone, without exception, and we at the United Church of Ludlow do as well,” said Pastor Michelle Fountain. “We are excited to show that we are a safe space sharing Jesus Christ's inclusive love with all people, whoever they are and wherever they are in their life and faith journey. In a time where some emphasize exclusion and division, we stand for the unity of all in the one body of Christ.”
“Open and Affirming” (ONA) is a movement of more than 1,800 churches and other ministries in the United Church of Christ that welcome LGBTQ+ members, support their relationships, and advocate for their basic rights. The “Reconciling Ministries Network” of the United Methodist Church, with 1,440 churches and more than 46,000 individual members, is committed to intersectional justice across and beyond the United Methodist connection, working for the full participation of all LGBTQ+ people throughout the life and leadership of the Church.
The vote at the United Church of Ludlow’s Annual Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 26, came a year after it approved a new Mission Statement that the congregation is “striving to live God’s message of inclusive love through Jesus Christ in our community, nation, and world.”
The Path We Traveled to Get Here
The United Church of Christ celebrates the varied contributions of the four streams that originally came together to form the United Church - Evangelical, Reformed, Congregational and Christian. In 1957, the new denomination came to embody the New Testament mandate "that they may all be one." After centuries of division among Christian communities, ecumenism was an articulated vision for disciples of Jesus.
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." (Eph. 4:4-6, NRVS)
As people around the world labor for justice for all, the United Church of Christ has led the way for many. Acceptance and justice for LGBTQ+ community is one of a number of initiatives that has propelled the denomination forward. In the USA, our predecessor denomination, the Congregationalists, ordained the first black man (Lemuel Haynes in 1785 - note that he served what is now the West Rutland United Church of Christ for 30 years beginning in 1788) and the first woman into authorized ministry.
In 1972, the Golden Gate Association ordained the Rev. William Johnson, the first openly gay man authorized for Christian Ministry in a mainline Protestant denomination. Ten years later, Rev. Anne Holmes became the first openly lesbian woman was ordained. In 1985, General Synod 15 (national meeting) urged congregations to declare themselves "Open and Affirming" and the National Coalition certified the first ONA churches two years later.
General Synod 25 called for equal marriage rights for all couples. The vision of inclusivity while fraught with difficult challenges that stretch us toward wholeness, remains. We are called out to love and serve others where we find them ever widening God's love for all of creation.
The process of becoming an ONA congregation is organic. The process grows in welcome and hospitality and will be an ongoing one. Like much in faith, we learn together as we listen and evolve as Christians. Jesus Christ is the head of the church and remains an example of unconditional love and extravagant welcome.
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." (Eph. 4:4-6, NRVS)
As people around the world labor for justice for all, the United Church of Christ has led the way for many. Acceptance and justice for LGBTQ+ community is one of a number of initiatives that has propelled the denomination forward. In the USA, our predecessor denomination, the Congregationalists, ordained the first black man (Lemuel Haynes in 1785 - note that he served what is now the West Rutland United Church of Christ for 30 years beginning in 1788) and the first woman into authorized ministry.
In 1972, the Golden Gate Association ordained the Rev. William Johnson, the first openly gay man authorized for Christian Ministry in a mainline Protestant denomination. Ten years later, Rev. Anne Holmes became the first openly lesbian woman was ordained. In 1985, General Synod 15 (national meeting) urged congregations to declare themselves "Open and Affirming" and the National Coalition certified the first ONA churches two years later.
General Synod 25 called for equal marriage rights for all couples. The vision of inclusivity while fraught with difficult challenges that stretch us toward wholeness, remains. We are called out to love and serve others where we find them ever widening God's love for all of creation.
The process of becoming an ONA congregation is organic. The process grows in welcome and hospitality and will be an ongoing one. Like much in faith, we learn together as we listen and evolve as Christians. Jesus Christ is the head of the church and remains an example of unconditional love and extravagant welcome.
The Road to the Open and Affirming Vote
In 2009 this congregation voted to allow the pastor to perform Civil Unions. We have always declared ourselves to be a welcoming congregation that serves all.
In August of 2022, our Building Inclusivity Team (Over time, the following people have been involved on this team: Pastor Michelle, Bob and Ginny Kottkamp, Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, Bill Kneebone, Christine Boardman and Fra Devine) began meeting to consider the process of preparing for a vote to become Open and Affirming. In our review of the church’s history and the process to prepare for a vote, we realized it would be better to start by developing a Mission and a Vision.
In March of 2023 a team of five members from the church attended a Vital Church Workshop, and also agreed we needed a mission and a vision. Out of this group emerged the idea of recording our services and sharing them through Okemo Valley Television which we have been doing ever since.
On May 7, 2023 we held “Conversation Church” with a focus from Matthew 22 of what it takes to love our neighbor as ourselves, what people’s hopes for the church were, what we do now (active verbs) and what we aspire to do (also active verbs). People then chose the verbs that they thought were most important for our church, which led to the formation of our Mission and Vision, which was passed at our Annual Meeting in January, 2024.
In August of 2022, our Building Inclusivity Team (Over time, the following people have been involved on this team: Pastor Michelle, Bob and Ginny Kottkamp, Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, Bill Kneebone, Christine Boardman and Fra Devine) began meeting to consider the process of preparing for a vote to become Open and Affirming. In our review of the church’s history and the process to prepare for a vote, we realized it would be better to start by developing a Mission and a Vision.
In March of 2023 a team of five members from the church attended a Vital Church Workshop, and also agreed we needed a mission and a vision. Out of this group emerged the idea of recording our services and sharing them through Okemo Valley Television which we have been doing ever since.
On May 7, 2023 we held “Conversation Church” with a focus from Matthew 22 of what it takes to love our neighbor as ourselves, what people’s hopes for the church were, what we do now (active verbs) and what we aspire to do (also active verbs). People then chose the verbs that they thought were most important for our church, which led to the formation of our Mission and Vision, which was passed at our Annual Meeting in January, 2024.
Our Mission & Vision
MISSION:
Striving to live God’s message of inclusive love through Jesus Christ in our community, nation, and world.
VISION:
As we strive to live God’s message of love, we:
Welcome everyone,
Celebrate diversity,
Nurture spiritual growth,
Work toward peace and justice,
Serve our community, nation, and world.
After the Mission/Vision was passed, the Building Inclusivity Team came back together this summer to plan our work towards an Open and Affirming Vote at our annual meeting on January 26, 2025. This resulted in our Mission Moments from the Building Inclusivity Team, our Dine & Discuss Events as well as Bible Study held in November and December 2024 and January 2025.
The Building Inclusivity Team also reviewed Open and Affirming Covenants from other churches and worked with our congregation to create the following statement:
Striving to live God’s message of inclusive love through Jesus Christ in our community, nation, and world.
VISION:
As we strive to live God’s message of love, we:
Welcome everyone,
Celebrate diversity,
Nurture spiritual growth,
Work toward peace and justice,
Serve our community, nation, and world.
After the Mission/Vision was passed, the Building Inclusivity Team came back together this summer to plan our work towards an Open and Affirming Vote at our annual meeting on January 26, 2025. This resulted in our Mission Moments from the Building Inclusivity Team, our Dine & Discuss Events as well as Bible Study held in November and December 2024 and January 2025.
The Building Inclusivity Team also reviewed Open and Affirming Covenants from other churches and worked with our congregation to create the following statement:
Open & Affirming Covenant
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34)
We, the United Church of Ludlow, value and welcome a diverse congregation. We are an Open and Affirming (ONA) church, believing that each of us is created in God’s image. We celebrate everyone, including: people of all ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, family configurations, economic circumstances, education, physical, cognitive, or emotional abilities, spiritual and religious traditions.
We welcome all to participate fully in the life, leadership, ministry, and mission of this church as we seek to grow together spiritually in an open, safe, and nurturing community of faith. We strive to live God’s message of inclusive love through Jesus Christ in our community, nation, and world
We commit ourselves to the ongoing work of being an ONA Congregation, seeking peace and justice as we live out the belief that God is still speaking. With God’s grace, we journey together in Christian faith.
We, the United Church of Ludlow, value and welcome a diverse congregation. We are an Open and Affirming (ONA) church, believing that each of us is created in God’s image. We celebrate everyone, including: people of all ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, family configurations, economic circumstances, education, physical, cognitive, or emotional abilities, spiritual and religious traditions.
We welcome all to participate fully in the life, leadership, ministry, and mission of this church as we seek to grow together spiritually in an open, safe, and nurturing community of faith. We strive to live God’s message of inclusive love through Jesus Christ in our community, nation, and world
We commit ourselves to the ongoing work of being an ONA Congregation, seeking peace and justice as we live out the belief that God is still speaking. With God’s grace, we journey together in Christian faith.
Learn more about the Open and Affirming movement here.
