News from the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance

Contents: July/August 2005

An Open & Affirming Story from First Christian Church, Lehigh Acres, FL

John Payne, former coordinator of the Open & Affirming Program (forerunner of the current Open & Affirming Team) sends us this news:

Another success story! I just sent Sharon Hart the news of a new O&A congregation near us.

It's quite a story. This is a small Disciples congregation near us in Lehigh Acres, Florida (a suburban town of Ft. Myers). It is about ten miles from our home and Jensene and I had never visited it, having assumed from its location that it was in a "redneck" area that it would not be a place where we would be at home.

That was our terrible mistake, although six years ago it could have been the case.

But a little over a year ago Glenna Tibbs (Disciples pastor) called me after getting in touch with Allen Harris about who could help her here as she was thinking of accepting a part time call to the pastor of this small, struggling congregation. Glenna is openly gay and these folks were quite willing to accept a gay pastor.

I went to work with her and in a year this congregation is becoming a wonderful success story.

Here's their Mission Statement:

We accept all creation without judgment as given by God. We embrace a life founded in love in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we affirm and accept all people of any race, age, culture, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religious belief, family configuration, economic circumstance, or difference in ability.

We actively seek to discern and defend truth and continue to seek an openness of mind and heart which will enable us to change as our understanding of life and human nature change.

We promise to honor all holy traditions and cherish all paths to the sacred.

We actively refuse and oppose hate, violence, and discrimination, physical, mental, or spiritual, toward any of God's creation, while forgiving those who use them.

This was unanimously affirmed at a regular meeting of the First Christian Church (DOC) on May 12, 2005.

I'll share more of the story soon.

John