Hospitality
Congregational Hospitality to Gay and Lesbian
People is the report of a study, conducted by the Division for Outreach in
1999, of a number of welcoming congregations. A short summary
of the report follows. The entire report is
also available in PDF format below.
OR, you may order a hard copy of the full
report in a binder for $3.00. The report contains the study of 16
congregations, short case studies, related information from other units, a
bibliography, and a poster for use by welcoming congregations.
Congregational Hospitality to Gay and Lesbian
People report
A
short summary of the report: Findings
Signs of Welcoming
Gay and lesbian visitors look for tangible clues to the
congregation's openness, hoping to see visible signs that this
congregation will be a "safe place." These visible signs of
welcome include a framed mission statement or an announcement in the
worship bulletin; encouraging an intentionally welcoming attitude and
environment; clergy and lay leaders modeling hospitality in their words
and actions.
Leadership
Pastoral leadership is critical during a congregation's
decision-making or deliberation process. Lay leaders are often
instrumental in initiating the conversations and then in advocating for a
public statement of welcome to gays and lesbians. Strong leadership does
not mean circumventing normal congregational decision-making or
deliberation processes. Both clergy and lay leaders in congregations
emphasized the need to care for all members pastorally in the midst of
potentially painful conversations.
The Journey: The
Process of Becoming Welcoming
Being welcoming is a journey or a process rather than an end
product. Many welcoming congregations encountered similar experiences on
their journey towards hospitality; education is a critical component of
the welcoming process; the journey to becoming welcoming is on-going and
does not end after a congregation or a council decides to be openly
welcoming to gay and lesbian people.
Some Implications of
Being Welcoming
Congregations making public statements about welcoming gays
and lesbians often encounter unexpected consequences. Welcoming
congregations already knew how or have learned to address conflict more
productively; hospitality towards gays and lesbians also means hospitality
towards other potential members who haven't felt welcome in other
congregations; conversations concerning other gay and lesbian issues were
inevitable; the welcoming congregation found themselves the recipient of
the gifts and talents of their gay and lesbian members; and established
members of welcoming congregations gained a deeper understanding of the
Gospel.
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