First Mennonite Church in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., is sharing its story about being an inclusive congregation embracing LGBTQ people in a video available online.
“God’s Love Is for Everyone” is available at fmc-cu.org/gods-love and shares congregational discernment experiences going back to 2009.
The 30-minute video is designed to help congregations interested in starting a discernment process for welcoming LGBTQ people into their congregations. In the video, Pastor Michael Crosby reinforces the importance of congregational processes and public statements, which he says take the responsibility off the people who identify as such and puts it on the congregation.
Key voices in the video are Kaye Massanari; Laura Brenneman-Fullwood, an ordained chaplain in Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA; Jo Brenneman-Fullwood; and current pastors Deb Sutter and Crosby.
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