"You are welcome here, because EVERYBODY’S welcome here!!"
With these words, Ben Bohren, Transitional Regional Minister, called the Northern California-Nevada Region to open the door at which Jesus is knocking.
At the opening worship of the region's Annual Meeting, Bohren said that Christ's call to all of us is to come together around the Welcome Table. He challenged the region, which has been Open & Affirming since 1993, to act on that affirmation by opening up to each other, recognizing differences of opinion and learning to work together in love.
Bohren, said it’s time for us to remember that, as Disciples, "we agree to disagree . . . agreeably. We have gay and lesbian church members, gay and lesbian clergy, and 16 Open & Affirming churches in the Region, and it is time to recognize that fact and get on with the work of Christ in the world."
He urged congregations to take up the denomination's discernment process on the church's response to lesbian and gay Christians. The cheering and prolonged applause which answered this challenge spoke of the appreciation of many for Dr. Bohren's timely message.
Brochures supplied by GLAD's Discernment Ministry Team were available for information, as well as displays of the book Listening to the Spirit and accompanying video.
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