Inclusivity Marks the Promise of a New Year at Shell Ridge Church

(from Shell Ridge "Ridge Runner" - February, 2009 issue)

Shell Ridge is now an officially welcoming and affirming church – as it has been for the last fifteen years, though not officially designated as such until now. We have had openly gay and lesbian members, both single and in relationships, openly and actively involved in our membership since 1994.

It may be of interest that there are now nearly 5,000 churches in the U.S. that are open to gay and lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered members. They are known by a variety of names, including Welcoming & Affirming (American Baptists), Open and Affirming (UCC and Disciples), Reconciling (United Methodists), 'More Light' (Presbyterians), 'inclusive' and others. In this area alone, there are more than 300 churches, including congregations in Walnut Creek, Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Danville, Pleasanton, Livermore, Sunol, Benicia, Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, Oakland, Piedmont, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Napa, Vacaville, Vallejo, and other Bay Area cities. The Northern California region of the United Church of Christ (UCC) is the first region to have more than 50% of its churches Open and Affirming.

I have listed all these because I have found that people generally don't know too much about other churches, except perhaps for a few where friends may attend. The fact is that the presence of "Open and Affirming" churches (the most commonly used term) in California urban areas has become ubiquitous, with more than 700 congregations.

It is now of more significance if a church is NOT open to people of sexual minorities. Such a lack of openness is generally considered an indication of a parochial or insular world view, and younger people are rejecting of such views in much the same way they're distrustful or disinterested in traditional denominational affiliations. People are increasingly looking to churches for an inclusive representation of and sensitivity to the real-world life situations and needs of people in the surrounding community.

We need not be apprehensive or apologetic for responding to a changed need for inclusivity in our outreach. It is solidly within the tradition of our church and its membership, as we have a history of openness to people in our area. We've welcomed people of different races, backgrounds, religious traditions and philosophies, There is a banner on the bottom of our website home page that proclaims, "Come Unto Me," referring to Jesus' invitation to all people.

I think one of the best arguments for inclusivity is stated by some who object to inclusion of those who must talk about what they do in the privacy of their homes. That is an excellent reason that one's sex life should NOT be at issue or a requirement for membership. And similarly one argument against same-sex marriage calls gay people "promiscuous." But I'm at a loss to know why those who seek to marry and commit their lives to each other aren't seen as acceptable to a society that values such commitment and devotion.

In 5,000 churches, Christians have determined that people are not defined by their sex or sexuality – believing with Paul that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28 NIV).