Click here to complete a form to submit your photos and stories. 

Click here to donate to this campaign to help us equip churches with new microgrants.  

Yesterday, I had to do one of the hardest things that I have ever done in my life. I had to put my beloved fur baby to sleep and say goodbye. The above photograph was taken about 10 minutes before her procedure. I knew it would be our last photo together, and I sense that she knew it as well. After I snapped our final selfie, I broke down. And just like the dutiful companion she has been for over a decade, she comforted me in her final moments.

Since then, I’ve been sitting with a lot of grief, trying to figure out how to hold it without letting it take me under. For the last few years, I have talked a lot about joy. Finding it. Protecting it. Holding onto it. Encouraging it. Recognizing it. Joy is important, especially now. Many of us are on the front lines of the fight against authoritarianism, fascism, and injustice. We are doing real work, and it is draining. As we work and fight, we constantly talk about protecting our peace and practicing self-care. But one of the most overlooked sources of that peace is the emotional support, love, strength, and courage we receive from our pets.

They are some of the most faithful, quiet supporters of this movement. They slow us down. They pull us outside. They make us laugh when we don’t feel like it. They sit with us when we’re tired. They love us in ways that are simple and steady, no matter what is happening in the world. Not everyone in our community has children, but many of us have fur babies or other beloved pet companions who show up every single day with love, play, and comfort. They help sustain us, and they help sustain this work.

As a child, I used to watch Touched by an Angel with my grandmother (it was a sort of millennial rights of passage lol), and I will never forget an episode where someone lost a pet and one of the angels said that having a pet teaches you to love without fear, because they will almost always leave before us and we love them anyway. That stayed with me. And now I understand it even more deeply. As a Black queer man navigating a world that often asks me to shrink, I know what it means to love without fear. Our pets teach us that every single day.

So as I try to keep my girl’s memory alive, and not lose myself to grief, I want to turn that love outward.

Introducing ONA’s Spring Campaign: Love Without Fear.

This is our way of honoring the companions who have loved us well by making space for joy, memory, and continued impact in our community.  Here’s how you can be part of it. Share a photo and story of your pet, and we will lift them up on our social media through the end of May as a way of celebrating joy and honoring the companions who help carry us. Help us raise $5,000. These funds will go directly into a new microgrant program launching in June, offering up to $500 to help ONA churches connect their work beyond their walls.

Let us honor our beloved companions by acknowledging their presence and importance in our lives as we keep doing good in the world. Spring is a season of new life. It feels right to mark it this way, with memory, with tenderness, and with action.

Click here to complete a form to submit your photos and stories. 

Click here to donate to this campaign to help us equip churches with new microgrants.  

Let us love without fear. Let us keep going.

With gratitude and a grieving, hopeful heart,

Rev. Derek Terry, Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition

Click Here to Register!

A Supportive First Step for Churches Exploring the ONA Journey

Walk With Us: A Roundtable to Start your ONA Journey

At a time when many LGBTQ+ people are seeking safety, dignity, and belonging, churches are being invited to respond with brave intention. This guided roundtable offers a supportive, practical first step toward becoming an Open and Affirming congregation.

About This Roundtable

Walk With Us: A Roundtable for those Starting their ONA Journey is a guided, conversation-based gathering for churches and individuals who are ready to begin their Open and Affirming journey.

This is not a lecture or slide presentation. Instead, this is a facilitated, small-group learning space where participants can ask questions, receive guidance, and begin working through what the ONA process looks like in their own context. You will be accompanied step-by-step through the early stages of the journey in a way that is clear, practical, and grounded in real congregational experience.

What You Can Expect

• A guided, facilitated conversation with an experienced ONA coach
• Time to ask specific questions about beginning the ONA process
• A structured introduction to the Building an Inclusive Church toolkit
• Practical insight from churches that have already completed the journey
• Space to discern next steps for your own congregation

Who This Is For

• Churches ready to begin the ONA process
• Pastors and lay leaders seeking structured guidance and clarity
• Individuals helping their congregation take the first step

Meet Your ONA Guide

Barbara Biedenstein (she/hers) is a long-standing member of and serves as the secretary of Gateway ONA, the coalition of UCC churches in the St. Louis area. She has attended and studied the Building an Inclusive Church training. For the past 15 years she has served as the ONA coach for UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) churches in the St. Louis and eastern Missouri areas. She has walked dozens of churches through their ONA journey and brings deep wisdom, care, and practical experience to this space.

Registration Rates (Honor System)

Individual Registration
• Standard Rate – $30
• Pay-It-Forward Rate – $45

Church Registration (per congregation)
• $75 for small churches (under 75 members)
• $125 for churches with 75 or more members

Church registrations are on the honor system and cover anyone in the congregation or on your ONA team who would like to participate. The person who registers will receive the webinar link and is responsible for sharing it with others in their church or ONA team who should attend.

These registration fees help support the ongoing work of the Open and Affirming Coalition, including coaching, training, and resourcing congregations across the country.

Scholarships are available. If cost is a barrier, please reach out to office@openandaffirming.org

Click Here to Register!

Click Here to Register!

What happens when Jesus crosses boundaries, tells the truth, and turns gossip into gospel?

Join us for a one-night online Drag Queen Bible Study with Rev. Marge Erin Spread (she/her), also known as Rev. James Admans (they/them), as we explore John 4:1–30 — the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well — through the lens of queer theology.

Participants can expect:

• Scripture explored through a queer lens
• Historical and cultural context made clear and accessible
• Academic queer scholarship explained in plain language
• Space for honest questions, reflection, and discussion
• A brave, affirming digital gathering space

This event reflects our commitment to creating spaces where LGBTQIA+ people and allies can engage the Bible as a source of liberation, not harm.

About Rev. Marge Erin Spread / Rev. James Admans

She’s living proof that faith and fabulousness can coexist.

Rev. Marge Erin Spread is a dynamic drag minister, theologian, educator, writer, and creative leader whose work boldly proclaims love, justice, and collective liberation. Her alter-ego, Rev. James Admans, currently serves as Pastor at the Church of Christ, Congregational in Millis, Massachusetts.

Originally from Connecticut, Marge earned degrees in Anthropology and Forensic Anthropology before completing her Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where she focused on Biblical studies, social ethics, and queer theology. During her final year at Union, her advocacy was honored with the Malcolm Boyd Veritas Award for impactful LGBTQIA+ justice work.

She is the editor of Beyond Worship: Meditations on Queer Worship, Liturgy, & Theology, which received a 2023 Independent Publishers Bronze Medal for its contributions to religious thought by queer and transgender theologians from diverse faith traditions.

Rev. Marge is widely known for her vibrant drag ministry, demonstrating that serious theology and bold self-expression belong in the same space.

Learn more at theologyqueen.com.

Registration & Contribution

We believe deeply in accessible spiritual formation, and we also believe in paying queer leaders and trained theologians fairly for their labor. Rev. Marge prepares original teaching materials and brings professional theological scholarship to this event. Your contribution helps sustain this work.

Click Here to Register!

Registration is offered on a sliding scale (honor system):

• Student Rate – $15
• Sages Rate (65+) – $15
• Standard Rate – $30
• Pay-It-Forward Rate – $45

Church Rates (per congregation registration):

• $75 for small churches (under 75 members)
• $125 for churches with 75 or more members

We trust you to choose what’s right for you.

Scholarships are available to reduce the registration fee, including a limited number of 100% scholarships. These are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

If cost is a barrier, please contact us at office@openandaffirming.org. We do not want finances to prevent anyone from participating.

Come ready to learn, reflect, and engage scripture in a way that is honest, liberating, and unapologetically queer.

Faith and fabulousness belong in the same room.

Recording & Privacy
This session will be recorded for registered participants only and will not be posted publicly. You are welcome to keep your camera off if you prefer. To maintain a safe and respectful space, AI meeting note-takers and transcription bots are not permitted.

Click Here to Register!

Dear Friend,

As we arrive at the final day of the year, I want to pause with gratitude—and share just a glimpse of what your support made possible in 2025. These are not all the stories, but they are some of the moments that mattered most.

This was a year of growth, public witness, and courageous movement for the Open and Affirming Coalition.

OPEN AND AFFIRMING CHURCHES
• Certified 40 new Open and Affirming churches in 2025
• First church certified this year: First Christian Congregational Church (FCCC), Swansea, MA
• Last church certified this year: Second First Church, Rockford, IL
• Nearly 1,950 Open and Affirming churches nationwide, each with a public covenant of welcome and affirmation

AFFIRMING TRANS LIVES IS HOLY
• Launched the Affirming Trans Lives Is Holy campaign in response to escalating attacks on trans people and the erasure of trans history
• Named clearly what our faith teaches: trans lives are sacred, holy, and worthy of protection.  Read more: https://openandaffirming.org/erasing-trans-history/

INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP AND PUBLIC WITNESS
• Helped found the Lavender Interfaith Collective (LInC), a multifaith network of LGBTIQ+ and allied faith leaders committed to intersectional justice, shared resilience, and resistance. Learn more about LInC: https://lincollective.org/

• Hosted a Transgender Day of Visibility virtual panel for LInC, “Beyond Visibility — The Power of Love in Defending Transgender Lives,” centering faith-based resistance and affirmation
• Participated in an ecumenical LGBTQ+ faith partners retreat in October, strengthening collaboration and shared strategy across traditions

• Participated in WorldPride 2025 in Washington, DC, representing Open and Affirming churches at multiple events
• Hosted a shared booth along the WorldPride parade route in partnership with Alliance Q (Disciples of Christ), helping people connect with affirming faith communities in their own regions.  You can see the WorldPride resource card we shared to help people find an Open and Affirming church here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17v4JCfiwH/

FAITH IN ACTION AND MOVEMENT LEADERSHIP
• Helped organize and participated in a Holy Week public witness on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol with over 70 participants from across the country
• Spoke out against the criminalization of trans and nonbinary people, the violent treatment of immigrants, attacks on healthcare and safety nets, and the abuse of power
• Participated in the National Trans Day of Visibility March in Washington, DC, offering a sacred text written for the moment
• Read the sacred text: https://openandaffirming.org/national-trans-day-of-visibility-sacred-text/

EDUCATION, VISIBILITY, AND CHURCH LEADERSHIP
• Hosted a powerful Annual Gathering in Kansas City, Missouri, just ahead of the United Church of Christ General Synod
• Presented at the Horizons on Aging Summit on LGBTQ+ resilience and wellness
• Participated in the 35th General Synod in Kansas City with a Coalition booth, hosted a free BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) gathering space for attendees, hosted a powerful, sold-out Open and Affirming Coalition gala banquet, and shared a message with the Synod marking the 40th anniversary of the Open and Affirming General Synod resolution. Watch the Synod address here:
https://openandaffirming.org/40-years-of-open-and-affirming-from-resolution-to-revolution/
• Addressed conference annual meetings across the country, including the Southeast Conference (speaker and workshop leader), the New Hampshire Conference (keynote speaker), and the Living Waters Association of the Heartland Conference (keynote speaker)

• Attended the GatewayONA annual Convocation in St. Louis, MO

A STRONG FINISH TO THE YEAR
• Successfully met and exceeded our $10,000 matching grant goal for The Beloved Fund and unlocked a $20,000 matching grant!!!!
• Raised more than $12,000 so far to strengthen training, advocacy, crisis response, and accompaniment for churches and communities facing increasing pressure and risk.  You can check our progress here: https://openandaffirming.networkforgood.com/projects/265515-the-beloved-fund-2-for-1matching-grant

None of this happened by accident. It happened because people like you chose to stay connected, invest in shared work, and believe that affirmation is not symbolic—it is life-saving.

Thank you for helping us reach this goal. Thank you for sustaining this movement. And thank you for standing with LGBTQ+ people and affirming churches at a moment when courage matters deeply.

In solidarity and shared purpose,

Rev. Derek Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

Today—December 1—we join millions across the globe in remembering the lives lost to HIV and AIDS, honoring those living with HIV, and recommitting ourselves to justice, compassion, and public health. This year, federal agencies were instructed not to publicly commemorate World AIDS Day—ending a bipartisan tradition observed every year since 1988.

But this year, for the first time since 1988, the United States federal government has declined to recognize World AIDS Day.

This silence is not neutral.

This silence communicates something dangerous.
This silence tells people living with HIV and AIDS—and those who love them—that their lives are not worth naming, mourning, or fighting for.

And it comes at the very moment when:

• HIV/AIDS nonprofits are struggling due to federal cuts, demoralizing delays, and disrupted grants.
• Women-led and community-based HIV organizations are reporting severe impacts, with many reducing services or closing programs.
• Millions of Americans face skyrocketing health insurance premiums, threatening their access to lifesaving care.
• Millions more could lose SNAP benefits, forcing many to choose between medication and food.

This is not a time for the church to sit quietly inside our cozy buildings.
This is a moment for public witness, prophetic love, and embodied solidarity! 

For those living with HIV: We see you. You matter. You deserve joy, dignity, and abundant life.

For caregivers, families, activists, and advocates: Your work is holy.

We remember those we have lost, and we honor their lives and their legacy.

And for all of us in faith communities: silence is not our calling. Love is! 

Ways You Can Support the ONA Coalition on World AIDS Day 

1. Individuals: Join the Sustaining Circle. Monthly giving provides steady, year-round support. It helps us respond quickly to crises, offer coaching to churches in hostile environments, and build long-term resilience across this movement.

We didn’t unlock the full matching grant last week (all donations of up to $250 matched)—but  we were close ($195) and there is still time to join before the end of the year. Click Here to become a Sustaining Supporter.  

2. Congregations: Become a Sustaining Church.  

Congregations can give once or twice per year (June/December are common), or more if able. Many churches give at least $1 per active member, though any amount strengthens the work.

Sustaining Churches help us offer training, resources, and coaching at low or no cost to the ministries that need us most. Click here to fill out the form to commit to being a sustaining church.  

3. Give Through Our 2-for-1 Matching Grant (Now thru12/31/2025): We are excited to share that the Coalition has received a 2-for-1 matching grant: for every dollar donated, a generous supporter will give two dollars, up to a total of $10,000 raised. If our community contributes $10,000, the donor will add $20,000—providing $30,000 to strengthen this movement!

Every dollar you give becomes three:

$25 becomes $75

$100 becomes $300

$1,000 becomes $3,000

If our community raises $10,000, a generous donor will contribute another $20,000—bringing $30,000 to support this movement at a time when it is urgently needed.  Click here to help us raise funds towards this matching grant!

A Final Word

World AIDS Day has always been a testament to community—especially queer, Black, brown, poor, trans, immigrant, and disabled communities who refused to be erased.

If the federal government chooses silence, then the church must choose courage.

If the administration will not honor this day, then we will honor it—with our voices, our prayers, our dollars, our activism, and our love.

SILENCE = DEATH.
SOLIDARITY = LIFE.

Let us choose life, loudly and without apology.

In the struggle and the hope,

Rev. Derek Terry, Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition United Church of Christ

Let’s keep this movement alive and strong.

Use this QR Code to Share this email with others:

Across our nation, LGBTQ+ people are under attack. Trans and nonbinary youth are being targeted by cruel legislation. Inclusive books and curricula are being banned. Families and faith communities are being silenced for affirming love and dignity.

In moments like these, the Church must rise — not with fear, but with faith. Not with silence, but with love in action.

That’s why the Open and Affirming Coalition is launching A.C.T OUT: Advocacy, Community, and Transformation — a national, faith-rooted movement committed to resisting hate, protecting our neighbors, and organizing for a just and inclusive future.

Now we need your help to build the foundation for this work.

Please take 5–10 minutes today to complete our A.C.T OUT Inventory & Interest Survey:
https://forms.gle/Ci4nA6kPwMGKyXXNA

Your responses will help us understand what’s happening in your congregation and community — what justice issues you’re facing, what gifts and skills you bring, and what support is needed most. This will guide how we connect churches, mobilize advocacy, and train leaders for collective action in 2026 and beyond.

After you complete the survey, please share the link in your church bulletin, newsletter, or social media, and invite others to participate. The more voices we hear, the stronger our foundation will be.

Finally, as you plan your end-of-year giving, please remember the Open and Affirming Coalition. Your generosity sustains this vital work — equipping churches, nurturing leaders, and fueling movements of faithful resistance and hope.

Donate at OpenandAffirming.org and help us continue building a movement rooted in courage, compassion, and the liberating love of Christ.

In solidarity and sacred hope,
Rev. Derek Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition
of the United Church of Christ

Please use this QR Code to share the survey with folk in your church:

Purple Sunday and ONA Sunday: A Sacred Invitation to Raise Awareness and Extend Care

The Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ is honored to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association to introduce two powerful new resources: the Clergy Guide and Purple Sunday Toolkit. These tools equip congregations to raise awareness, offer support, and build inclusive communities of care for those affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia—especially within LGBTQ+ communities.

What is Purple Sunday?

Purple Sunday is a special opportunity for congregations to shine a light on the realities of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Through worship, prayer, education, and community conversation, we can break the silence around memory loss, encourage early detection, and share life-changing support services available through the Alzheimer’s Association.

This initiative also lifts up the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals—many of whom experience greater barriers to diagnosis, fewer affirming care networks, and increased isolation. Purple Sunday invites us to respond with compassion, inclusion, and action.

Hold Purple Sunday on June 22, 2025 (or any other Sunday of the year)

We encourage all Open and Affirming congregations to observe Purple Sunday on June 22, 2025—the Sunday before ONA Sunday (June 29). Observing Purple Sunday is a powerful way to begin ONA Week by raising awareness and sharing vital information about a deeply important, yet often overlooked, part of our community. While ONA Sunday celebrates our commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion and justice, Purple Sunday offers a meaningful lead-in—inviting congregations to live out those values through the lens of health equity, caregiving, and sacred community support.

Whether through a sermon, special prayer, Bible study, educational session, or community event, Purple Sunday is flexible and can be shaped to fit your congregation’s needs. If June 22 doesn’t align with your calendar, please choose another Sunday that works for your church. The key is to show up—with love, knowledge, and hope.

Start Planning with Free Resources

The Purple Sunday Toolkit and Clergy Guide include:

• Worship and education ideas
• Sample prayers and event templates
• Facts about Alzheimer’s in LGBTQ+ communities
• Promotional tools for bulletins, flyers, and social media
• Information about local resources, caregiving support, and next steps

Together, let us be communities that remember—honoring the stories, needs, and sacred dignity of all who walk the journey of dementia.

Because memory matters. Inclusion matters. And every story deserves to be held with care.

Download the toolkit and clergy guide today and plan your Purple Sunday for 2025!

Have questions or need help planning? Contact us at office@openandaffirming.org

A Sacred Text for Trans Visibility
Written for the National Trans Visibility March Empowerment Service
By Rev. Derek A. Terry, Acting Executive Director of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

In the beginning, there was breath—holy and expansive—carried in every body, every voice, every form. And God said: You are enough. You are whole. You are mine.

To be visible is not a concession. It is a calling.
To be trans is not a burden. It is a blessing.
To live boldly in your truth is a sacred act of resistance, a mirror of the Divine who transcends all binaries and boundaries.

We gather today as people of faith, allies, and beloveds, to say:
Trans people are not an afterthought. You are not a side note in the story of liberation.
You are the movement. You are the miracle.

Your bodies are not up for debate. Your identities are not problems to be solved.
Your leadership is not optional—it is essential.

And in a world that legislates hate and erases truth,
we speak back with love, with fire, and with faith:
We see you.
We need you.
We honor you.
We follow you.

For the Spirit is moving through your courage.
Justice is marching in your name.
And the church, if it is to be the church at all, must stand with you—visible, loud, and unafraid.

Amen. Ashe. And so it is. 

It is time to have an honest conversation about what Christian nationalism really is, the harm it causes, and how we can resist it.

That is why the Open and Affirming Coalition is hosting a special book study and conversation with April Ajoy, a former evangelical who uses humor to challenge Christian nationalism and advocate for an inclusive faith.

Before diving into the details of the event, let’s take a closer look at the problem we are facing.

What Is Christian Nationalism?

Christian nationalism is not about personal faith or religious freedom—it is about power. It is the false belief that America was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed according to a narrow, exclusionary interpretation of Christianity.

Those pushing Christian nationalism seek to merge religious identity with political control—often at the expense of democracy, civil rights, and religious diversity.

• It is not about protecting faith
• It is not about personal religious beliefs
• It is about forcing one religious ideology onto everyone

The Core Beliefs of Christian Nationalism

Christian nationalists believe:

• The United States should be governed by their version of “Christian values”
• Church-state separation should be weakened or erased
• LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, and racial justice threaten “God’s order”
• Schools should teach a whitewashed version of history that aligns with their ideology
• Their faith should dictate government laws and policies

The movement claims to uphold morality, but in reality, it prioritizes control over compassion and exclusion over justice.

The Harm Christian Nationalism Causes

Christian nationalism is not just rhetoric—it has real consequences that shape laws and culture:

• Threats to democracy, including voter suppression and election denialism
• Attacks on marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice, and racial equity
• Book bans and censorship in schools and libraries
• Disinformation campaigns that manipulate voters and spread fear

Faith should be about love, justice, and inclusion—not fear, control, and exclusion.

Who Is Behind Christian Nationalism?

This movement is well-organized and well-funded. It is not just coming from churches—it is backed by:

• Billionaire funders and corporate interests
• Right-wing media and disinformation networks
• Politicians using faith as a tool for control
• Extremist groups pushing anti-democratic policies

These forces are working together to reshape America’s political and cultural landscape, and they are gaining ground.

How Do We Fight Back?

Resisting Christian nationalism is not just about opposing bad policies—it is about defending religious freedom, democracy, and human dignity.

Here is what we can do:

• Educate ourselves and others by learning the signs and challenging misinformation
• Defend democracy by supporting policies that protect voting rights and civil liberties
• Uplift inclusive faith voices by amplifying diverse Christian perspectives
• Protect church-state separation to ensure religion is never used as a weapon of oppression

The good news is that we are not alone in this fight.

Join the Conversation: A Book Study and Chat with April Ajoy

“Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith”

April 9, 2025 | 7:00–8:30 PM ET
$30 for individuals | $50 for small churches | $70 for large churches
Click Here to Register Now!

April Ajoy, a former evangelical, will share her experiences and insights on how Christian nationalism distorts faith and how we can reclaim a Christianity rooted in justice, inclusion, and love.

This is a conversation we all need to have. If you care about protecting faith from political extremism and defending true religious freedom, do not miss this event.

#ResistChristianNationalism #FaithForAll #ONAWebinar #LoveNotFear #ChristianNationalism #ReligiousFreedom #FaithAndDemocracy

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent—a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. As ashes are placed on our foreheads, we are reminded: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This call to humility is an invitation to truth, transformation, and justice.

For LGBTQ+ people, it is also a moment to reflect on the Church’s history of exclusion and harm. If Ash Wednesday is about truth-telling, then the Church must tell the full truth:

• LGBTQ+ people are fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image.
• Our love is not a sin—hatred, exclusion, and injustice are.
• God calls us, in all our queerness, to live fully, authentically, and without shame.

Repentance: A Communal Call to Justice

Traditionally, Ash Wednesday calls for repentance, not just personally, but as a faith community. The Church has long condemned, erased, and harmed LGBTQ+ people through:

• Theologies that fueled shame and exclusion.
• Barriers to pulpits, pews, and sacraments.
• Spiritual abuse, including conversion therapy.
• Violence against trans and nonbinary people, often justified by religious rhetoric.

True repentance is not just about confession—it requires action. Some churches embrace Ashes to Activism, using this season to move from acknowledging past harms to actively creating spaces of radical inclusion.

Sacred Bodies, Sacred Dust

The words of Ash Wednesday—“You are dust”—remind us that all bodies are sacred. LGBTQ+ bodies, trans bodies, fat bodies, disabled bodies, aging bodies—all are equally beloved by God.

For those who have been told their queerness separates them from God, this day is a declaration: You are not an accident. You are not a mistake. You are part of the divine creation. You belong.

Lent as a Journey Toward Liberation

Lent mirrors the journey many LGBTQ+ people know well—seasons of wilderness, exile, and struggle before finding renewal, hope, and resurrection. We have been cast out, but we rise. We reclaim our voices. We live fully in our truth.

From Ashes to Affirmation

As we enter this Lenten season, may churches move beyond mere acknowledgment into true affirmation. May we use this season not just to confess, but to act—offering reparative justice, full inclusion, and the celebration of LGBTQ+ lives as sacred.

Open and Affirming churches embody this call, creating spaces where LGBTQ+ people are not just welcomed, but affirmed, celebrated, and empowered—not just during Lent, but all year round. In a world where too many have been told they are unworthy, these communities stand as beacons of love, healing, and justice.

For those who have been told they are not enough, let this be our reminder:

• We are made of sacred dust.
• We are seen and loved by God.
• We are called to live boldly in our truth.

May this season bring healing, visibility, and renewal—and may the Church finally rise into the fullness of God’s inclusive love.