Introduction
The Open and Affirming Coalition certifies local churches and other ministries of the United Church of Christ as “Open and Affirming” after adoption of an ONA covenant welcoming all persons into Christian community, including equal participation in the life and ministries of the church. An explicit welcome to LGBTQ+ persons is required. Most ONA covenants also welcome other communities that historically have been excluded or marginalized by the church.
ONA settings include:
- Local congregations.
- Associations and Conferences.
- Colleges, universities and seminaries.
- Campus ministries.
- Health and human-service ministries.
- Other UCC-affiliated ministries.
Congregations and other settings should understand before their vote that an Open and Affirming commitment is not only a policy, statement, declaration or an amendment to the church’s bylaws, but a covenant which, in our tradition, is a binding promise to “walk together in all God’s ways” (Constitution of the United Church of Christ). An ONA vote should always take place in the context of prayer and worship.
Normally, the Coalition requires an extended period of study, prayer, reflection and dialogue before the congregation or governing body votes on an ONA covenant. Exceptions can be made for new church starts organized as LGBTQ+-welcoming communities, and in some other cases. Read our Alternative Track to ONA Certification for more information, and if your congregation is interested in pursuing this option, contact us.
Some congregations may choose to work towards a consensus instead of a vote. Resources on consensus-building will be posted at a later date.
If your congregation has already adopted an ONA covenant and is seeking recognition, please use our ONA Covenant Certification Form.
Short Guide to a Successful ONA Process
These steps are based on the “Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Toolkit”—a resource we strongly recommend for congregations planning an ONA process. Every congregation is unique, so you may want to follow these steps in a different order or add other steps. You can also order the Toolkit as part of a larger package of resources called the “ONA Planning Guide” on the UCC Resources webpage.
We regularly offer webinars that are helpful for churches in an ONA process. Check our events page for ones that may be upcoming. Free webinars are also recorded and shared on our YouTube page.
Step
1
Form a core team
Gather an ad hoc planning group of five to ten people who share your passion for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary (LGBTQ+)* Christians and their families in the life of your congregation. Your pastor should be consulted before taking this step, and should attend the team’s meetings. If your congregation has openly LGBTQ+ members, at least one should be represented on the team. All meetings should begin and end with prayer. The team should meet occasionally for Bible study led by your pastor.
Step
2
Connect with the Coalition and examine available resources
Contact us: we’d love to answer your questions and learn more about your congregation and its needs. Explore this site to identify books, films, YouTube videos and other resources that may be helpful as your core team begins work.
Step
3
Gather information about your congregation
No ONA process should begin without some reflection on the unique culture of your congregation, your “way of doing things.” Ask these questions: how does the congregation handle change? How can difficult topics be explored in an environment of mutual respect? How can the ONA process be a “safe space” for every member of the congregation? What should be the pastor’s role? What are the potential obstacles? The BIC Toolkit includes a congregational assessment tool that will be helpful.
Step
4
Talk to your LGBTQ+ members
Your pastor and the core team should convene a meeting of the church’s LGBTQ+ members to discern what role they will want to have in the ONA process. Some LGBTQ+ members may feel threatened by a process that is “about them.” Others may be closeted with their families or at work, and may feel conflicted about the possibility of a public ONA commitment. Others may want to be active in the conversation. The pastor should help LGBTQ+ members feel safe, and meet with individuals from time to time if spiritual support is needed.
Step
5
Build relationships
Building and deepening relationships—especially with persons who at first may not be open to an ONA process—is a key element for your ONA plan. Everyone in your congregation should feel safe. Each person should be accepted for who they are. Use the BIC Toolkit for suggestions, including organized “one-to-one” visits.
Step
6
Outline your plan and revise when needed
With the information you’ve collected through your congregational assessment and one-to-one visits, you’re ready to begin developing your ONA plan. Careful planning is essential for a healthy ONA process. As you gain experience, you may find that the plan will need to be revised. The BIC Toolkit includes planning resources.
Step
7
Establish the frame
Through your congregational assessment and one-to-one visits, you will better understand the “frame” for your ONA process. The frame should reflect what the congregation’s members believe about the church’s mission and vocation. Framing is a useful skill for the conversation: you’ll find tools to shape your frame in the BIC Toolkit.
Step
8
Make it ‘official’
Until now, your core team has been an unofficial, ad hoc body. After developing your plan, you should be ready to form an expanded, official committee of the congregation—sometimes called an “Open and Affirming Task Force.” Membership will include the original core team and other stakeholders in the congregation. All members of the new Task Force should be supporters of the ONA process. The transition to an official task force helps the congregation understand that the ONA process is not the project of a special-interest group but is sanctioned by the church’s lay and ordained leadership.
Step
9
Provide educational opportunities
Your congregational assessment and one-to-one visits will help you make decisions about opportunities for education and dialogue (panels, films, Bible studies) that meet the needs of your members. Panels—especially with LGBTQ+ members of the congregation and parents of LGBTQ+ children—are an important way to humanize the conversation. Films—both documentaries and dramas on LGBTQ+ experience—can connect with some of your members in ways that written resources can’t. Bible studies can help members understand the basic values of Scripture which will inform your ONA covenant. You will also want to decide the order in which topics are introduced. You might begin by exploring foundational questions like the biblical values of hospitality, welcome and reconciliation, and introduce subjects like sexual orientation and gender identity at a later time.
Step
10
Draft your ONA covenant
A written covenant is essential to put your church on record that it is truly an Open and Affirming congregation, and is a requirement for certification. A covenant will show LGBTQ+ seekers that your church is a safe spiritual home for them and their families. Use language that is authentic, reflects your congregation’s values, and includes a specific welcome to the transgender/nonbinary community. You’ll find examples of ONA covenants adopted by other congregations on the Covenants page. If you’d like to be assured your draft Covenant meets our standards, please share it with the Coalition.
Step
11
Conduct an exploratory survey before you vote
While you may be tempted to skip this step, this is a vital one. One of the goals of the ONA journey is to help a congregation experience the fullness of the Body of Christ, not to divide us against one another. If you take a vote on your proposed ONA covenant, and the result shows the congregation is still conflicted, the process will have failed even if the covenant is adopted. To avoid an outcome in which the church is divided into “winners” and “losers,” an exploratory survey will help. Have you heard from every constituency? Have you effectively addressed all concerns and fears? The BIC Toolkit includes suggested language for a congregational survey or “straw poll” (which should protect the anonymity of respondents). If the result shows that less than 90 percent would vote in favor of the proposed ONA covenant, the Task Force should meet with the pastor and discuss additional steps that may be needed to reach a near consensus. But if your survey shows that more than 90 percent will support the covenant, you may be ready for a vote. You may also want to choose a higher percentage if your goal to assure the congregation is as near a consensus as possible.
Step
12
Vote
The vote enables your congregation to “own” your ONA covenant. The procedure will differ from church to church: sometimes the entire congregation votes at an annual meeting, sometimes an elected governing body is empowered to decide, sometimes there’s a consensus model. Read your congregation’s constitution or bylaws and consult with your church’s leadership to decide the right time and place for the vote. Remember: a covenant affirms your relationship with God, and therefore should be framed by prayer and worship. Likewise, the congregational meeting should be framed by earnest prayer. While a unanimous, or near unanimous, vote is preferred, the Coalition requires the Covenant to be affirmed by at least 90% of the church’s active membership to be considered for ONA certification. Note: if your congregation chooses to adopt a covenant through a consensus process, rather than a vote, it’s still important that your members are able to read the covenant as an act of faith during worship.
Step
13
Certify
The Coalition’s ONA program is responsible for the certification of new ONA covenants. Certification means that your church will be officially listed as an ONA church on the Coalition and national UCC websites. We’ll also dedicate a day on our Facebook page and other social media to introduce you to the wider Open and Affirming family. Certification entitles you to a wide range of resources designed to help ONA congregations grow. To certify your covenant, please complete this online form. If you have any questions, contact us.
Step
14
Celebrate
Affirm your covenant at a regular service on Sunday morning. Members of the congregation should stand if they are able and read the covenant together as an act of faith following the sermon. LGBTQ+ members can be invited to give public testimony. The choice of hymns, music, readings and the sermon should be appropriate for the occasion.
Step
15
Publicize and evangelize
If you don’t publicize your covenant widely, your LGBTQ+ neighbors won’t know you’re an Open and Affirming congregation. Write a press release, and consider displaying a rainbow flag, banner or symbol outside your church. Publicity won’t be a one-time effort: look for any opportunity to reach the wider LGBTQ+ community and other seekers who are looking for a church with ONA values. Our ONA NEXT webinar shares best practices from ONA churches that are attracting new members and having an impact on their communities.
Step
16
Turn to the future
As you live into your ONA covenant, your congregation will open up to new opportunities for mission, ministry and evangelism. (We use “evangelism” in this context not to mean “proselytizing” but “living the Gospel openly” or “coming out spiritually.”) To keep the momentum going, form a standing ONA committee to explore ways your covenant can have an impact. Use our Next Steps page for more ideas. After one or two years, consider using this “Self-Evaluation Tool for ONA Churches” to chart the progress you’ve made, and to inform planning for your next steps.
Basics of a successful ONA process
Take as much time as you need
A successful ONA process is an extended time of prayer, dialogue, study and discernment. Don’t rush to a decision. Be thorough and give the congregation enough time to assimilate and discuss new information.
Plan ahead
Form a core team. It should be clear that the ONA process is an initiative by lay leaders with the pastor’s support.
Be flexible
Adjust to new learnings, realities and insights during your ONA journey.
Create a safe and respectful environment for everybody
Find ways to support members who feel at risk and members who are uneasy or hesitant. Communicate continuously and effectively: present information in various forms (discussions, panels, graphics, study guides, Bible studies, movies).
Listen
Listen as well as speak: ensure that everyone is heard.
Include personal stories
Especially stories by LGBTQ+ members or neighbors and their families, stories of changed minds and hearts.
Provide pastoral care
The pastor should be supportive of the process but should not lobby for a specific outcome, and should be pastorally available to everyone.
Pray without ceasing
Trust that the Holy Spirit will work through your congregation. Begin and end each meeting or event with prayer. Encourage intercessory prayer by members throughout the process.
