Esquimalt United has begun the process of becoming an Affirming Congregation within the United Church of Canada. Being 'Affirming' is stating that we affirm the rightful place of everyone within the family of faith, that no-one is an outsider, no-one needs to conform to particular behaviours in order to be an equal member. While there may be moments where we fall short, this has long been our understanding of the 'Kin-dom of God'.
Being 'officially' affirming is a process of meeting a set of criteria under Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble which will enable us to be listed under that banner. While we have long endeavored to be a safe place for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, BIPOC folks, people with accessibility issues and so on, we are now engaged in the process of more closely examining the things we have been working on for awhile, and more things that we can do in order to be more Public, Intentional, and Explicit in our welcome to all.
This will include things like making sure our Mission, Vision and Values clearly state that we are inclusive, making sure that our Marriage policy says that we will marry two people of any gender, that our worship spaces are easily accessible for folks with mobility or hearing concerns. Some of these steps will require some physical infrastructure changes, others will be a matter of editing certain documents. Other steps will include education on what inclusivity entails, how we can make people feel safe, loved, and seen in their uniqueness.
Check out this news story and watch this page for updates on this process.
We are excited to continue our process of being inclusive, a living testament to our welcoming and loving God.
