The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville is proud to have achieved the distinction among UU congregations of being a Welcoming Congregation. What does it mean to be a Welcoming Congregation?
A Welcoming Congregation is one whose members publicly and successfully welcome bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people and which has the following qualities:
- Includes and addresses the needs of B/G/L/T persons at every level of congregational life – in worship, in programs, in social occasions, and in rites of passage – welcoming not only their presence, but the gifts and particularities of their lives as well.
- Assumes the presence of B/G/L/T people and celebrates this diversity by having inclusive language and content in their worship.
- Fully incorporates the experiences of B/G/L/T persons throughout all programs, including religious education.
- Includes an affirmation and nondiscrimination clause in our bylaws and other official documents affecting all dimensions of congregational life, including membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals.
- Engages in outreach into the B/G/L/T community in its advertising and by actively supporting B/G/L/T affirmative groups.
- Offers congregational and ministerial support for union and memorial services for B/G/L/T persons, and for celebrations of . . . family definitions.
- Celebrates the lives of all people and welcomes same-sex couples, recognizing their committed relationships, and equally affirms displays of caring and affections without regard to sexual orientation.
- Seeks to nurture ongoing dialogue between bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and heterosexual persons and to create deeper trust and sharing.
- Encourages the presence of a chapter of Interweave.
- Affirms and celebrates B/G/L/T issues and history during the church year.
- Attends to legislative developments and works to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society.
- Speaks out when the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people are at stake.
- Celebrates the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other.
Source: www.uua.org/obgltc/wc1expln.html