- Roger W. Wedell
In 2005, following nearly a year of prayer, study and reflection, the members of Midway Hills Christian Church in Dallas, Texas, adopted two ministry imperatives through 2008. One of those imperatives is to increase Ministries with Older Adults. A Leadership Team was formed and existing programs have been improved and expanded and new programs are being explored. The second imperative is Advocacy for Open and Affirming Ministries. A Task Force is in place, strategic planning has taken place, and implementation of that planning is underway.
The Task Force on Open and Affirming Ministries identified four areas of work: Midway Hills Christian Church Congregational Life; Information and Resources; Public Advocacy; and, Liaison with Judicatories and other Disciples Organizations. Activities to-date include offering “Claiming the Promise” as an adult class at Midway Hills CC; participation in the ”No Nonsense in November” campaign to defeat Amendment Two that bans gay marriage in Texas (the amendment passed); revising the MHCC website to include links to various LGBT organizations; a display ad in the annual National Coming Out Day insert in the Dallas Morning News; and establishing links with Regional and Area staff and the local HRC Religion and Faith Committee.
In addition to continuing its efforts with National Coming Out Day, web-based resources and networking with other organizations, future plans include the congregation’s first Gay Pride Parade entry, offering the “Breaking the Silence” workshop (which was developed by GLAD's Open & Affirming Team) at MHCC, offering a 2-hour revised version of “Breaking the Silence” workshop at the Regional Assembly, providing a booth at the Regional Assembly, and helping to amend Regional Policies on Ordination that will allow for the ordination and licensure of openly LGBT persons.
The desired outcome of all these efforts is to increase the number of Open and Affirming Congregations in the North Texas Area and the Southwest Region. Planning for these outreach efforts will begin following the Regional Assembly. It is possible for one congregation to make a difference!
| GLAD Alliance Inc. P.O. Box 44400 Indianapolis, IN 46244-0400 |
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